Pressroom – Page 109

ICHCA invites submissions for 2nd TT Club Innovation in Safety Award

April 13, 2017 by Julia Hiles

ICHCA International has opened the 2nd TT Club Innovation in Safety Award and invites submissions from anyone involved in cargo logistics who can show a demonstrable improvement to safety

12.04.2017 – ICHCA International, the global cargo handling NGO association, has opened the 2nd TT Club Innovation in Safety Award which aims to highlight the importance of safety at a time of increased operational demands on cargo handling infrastructure and operations worldwide. The goal of the Award is equally to champion and celebrate the many companies and individuals around the world who are 100% dedicated to ‘making it safe’ every day, and to acknowledge and foster innovation to improve safety in cargo operations and logistics.

The inaugural Award was won last year by APMT Buenos Aires for its mobile port equipment ‘Safety Logging System’. This innovation produced measurable proven results in incident reduction and behavioural responses from the workforce. Entries for the 2016 award were numerous and varied, and the judges were pleased also to award a ‘Highly Commended’ prize to Andrew Ryan, as nominated by Asciano in Australia, for the simple concept of the ‘Ryan Key’. This tool enables semi-automatic twist locks that have partially failed or been incorrectly installed to be ‘locked’ open, eliminating the need for operatives to remain in the danger zone to hold them whilst the container is discharged. The full report from the 2016 Award, including details of all entries submitted, has recently been published and is available to download for free here.

Both ICHCA International and TT Club have a fundamental commitment to risk reduction throughout the supply chain and, in particular, to safety within cargo handling operations. Promoting such safety advice is paramount to the philosophy of the two organisations and the Award reflects this commitment.

In announcing the opening of the Award entry process for 2017, TT Club Risk Management Director Peregrine Storrs-Fox said, “TT Club has always emphasised the critical nature of loss prevention in its role as a primary supplier of liability and property insurance to those in the supply chain industry. As such, we remain dedicated to encouraging safety awareness and applaud ICHCA’s initiative in offering this prestigious award. TT Club has worked closely with ICHCA for a number of years, producing safety advisory documents and urging sound operational practice wherever and whenever possible. We look forward to celebrating the wealth of safety innovation that will once more be encouraged by this Award.”

The Award is open to anyone – an individual, team or company – involved in cargo logistics. Entrants are required to show that a product, idea, solution, process, scheme or other innovation has resulted in a demonstrable improvement to safety.

The deadline for entries is Thursday 29 June 2017 and full details of the entry process and judging criteria can be found here.

The 2017 award ceremony takes place on Tuesday 3 October at the Hotel Santa Catalina in Las Palmas after day 1 of ICHCA International’s 65th Anniversary Conference and is a principal part of the evening’s awards programme. The anniversary conference will be looking towards the future of cargo handling through 5 key sessions on how to make the global cargo chain SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, SECURE, SMART and SKILLED. ICHCA’s flagship event promises to bring together the big names in cargo handling to discuss the best ways to improve as an industry. Tickets are reduced by 25% for those who book before 31 May here.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide. ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its ISP Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.

Operating through a series of national and regional chapters – including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and ICHCA Canarias/Africa (CARC) – plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.

www.ichca.com | www.ichca-australia.com

About TT Club

TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.

TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller.

www.ttclub.com

Filed Under: TT Club

GEODIS introduces exoskeletons FOR warehouse STAFF

April 11, 2017 by Julia Hiles

Mechanical braces to be provided to ensure the health of employees

GEODIS has launched the use of exoskeletons to support and protect employees’ backs during their work in its warehouse in Venlo, the Netherlands. Staff wear the exoskeletons – an external type of brace – for lower back support as they lift and carry objects during their pick and pack activities. The exoskeleton gives support via a spring system that

acts as a type of counterweight. When the employee bends over, the spring pushes back so that the load on the back is reduced by 40 percent. “Staff are fitter after a working day thanks to these skeletons,” says Sjors van Enckevort, Site Manager Contract Logistics at GEODIS in Venlo.

The use of such aids is becoming very important in the logistics sector. Health and safety are at the core of the company’s Business Excellence approach. At the Venlo site employees who carry over 4,000 kilograms a day benefit from the back support that the exoskeleton provides during their picking activities. Three employees currently wear a personalized exoskeleton during their work in the distribution centre at Venlo.

While the exoskeletons available at the Venlo facility prevent back injury, the company is exploring further possibilities. This type of exoskeleton is ‘passive’, meaning that they follow the user’s movements, adjusting pressure without impeding movement. There is now increasing interest in the development of an ‘active’ exoskeleton, which would extend support to the employee’s arms as well. GEODIS sees great value in the adoption of these aids and is following advances in the area closely. “A responsible employer, GEODIS pays special attention to the health of its employees. We place great store by these kinds of innovation. . Depending on the results of their performance in Venlo, we will plan on deploying them more widely across our network in the future” stated Laurent Parat, EVP Contract Logistics for GEODIS.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

GEODIS is a Supply Chain Operator ranking among the top companies in the field in Europe and the World. GEODIS, owned by SNCF Logistics, which in turn is a business line of the SNCF Group, is ranked as the number four logistics provider in Europe and number seven at a worldwide level. GEODIS is also listed as a “Leader” in Gartner’s 2016 Magic Quadrant of Worldwide 3PLs. GEODIS’ reach includes a direct presence in 67 countries and a global network spanning over 120 countries. With its five Lines of Business (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), GEODIS manages its customers’ Supply Chain by providing end to end solutions enabled by over 39,500 employees, its infrastructure, its processes and systems. In 2015, GEODIS recorded €8 billion in sales.

Filed Under: GEODIS

DACHSER UK Wins Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year 2017

April 5, 2017 by Julia Hiles

5 April 2017

Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Award 2017 – Dachser UK (l-r) David Gower OBE; John Goodman, General Manager Midlands & North, Dachser Ltd; Robert Jervis, Portfolio Director of Multimodal

DACHSER UK, part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider, has been awarded Exhibitor of the Year at the FTA Multimodal Awards 2017; the presentation ceremony was held last night at an Awards Dinner following the first day of the Multimodal 2017 event.

The Award is presented to a company who has a proven track record in delivering multimodal innovations, leadership and who demonstrates this through continued support of the event.

It was presented to John Goodman, General Manager Midlands & North, of Dachser UK, “We are delighted that Dachser UK has been acknowledged by the industry and we much appreciate this support from the Judges. This is an honour for Dachser and I would like to congratulate all our colleagues on winning this significant award.”

The FTA Multimodal Awards recognises excellence in air, road, rail, maritime, and freight forwarding services and are voted for by the thousands of readers of the Multimodal Newsletter, as well as FTA members, and exhibitors at Multimodal 2017.

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

Dachser UK is part of the Dachser group, a major international logistics provider which on 31 December 2016 generated total sales worth EUR 5.71 billion. 27,450 staff working in 409 locations worldwide handled 80 million consignments comprising 38.2 million metric tonnes. Dachser has been established in the UK since 1975, and now has four locations which include a new logistics centre in Northampton as well as branch offices in Rochdale, Dartford and Bristol.

Dachser aims to be the supplier of choice for European logistics and value-added services. A fully-integrated European distribution network provides a comprehensive, high quality service of total freight solutions supported by the latest technology. Core services in the United Kingdom comprise European export, import and UK pallet distribution, as well as contract logistics services.

For more information, please visit www.dachser.co.uk

Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Award 2017 – Dachser UK

(l-r) David Gower OBE; John Goodman, General Manager Midlands & North, Dachser Ltd; Robert Jervis, Portfolio Director of Multimodal

Filed Under: Dachser UK

Dachser UK Continues Promising Growth on the Back of Thriving Exports

April 4, 2017 by Julia Hiles

4 April 2017

The logistics service provider, Dachser, has enjoyed another year of growth in the UK, seeing net sales for 2016 rise by almost 12 % to £ 66.1 M.

The company’s single most important business sector, European road export services, has been at the forefront of that growth, increasing by 15% and accounting for just under 45 % of Dachser’s UK revenues.

‘We recognise that exporters need to rest assured that their customers’ orders are delivered on time and in-full without exception,’ explains Nick Lowe, Dachser’s UK Managing Director. ‘This is true regardless of where the goods are heading, whether in the UK, Europe or further afield. It’s our mission to ensure that companies can rely on us to fulfil these expectations on an on-going basis, building up their own confidence and creating a solid platform from which to develop further growth in their export sales.’

With Brexit now clearly on the horizon, there are more and more yet unanswered questions regarding the shape of UK / European supply chains in the future. However Nick Lowe is upbeat about the prospects for UK exporters and the degree to which they will be able to compete with their peers located in the EU itself.

‘It’s true that there many open questions about such matters as Customs clearance and the application of product standards,’ he says, ‘but for us it’s a question of keeping close to our customers and listening to their evolving needs as things become clearer, re-engineering our services to whatever extent is necessary. Our AEO accreditation is a good and reliable basis for further development of our Customs clearance services for EU consignments, something which could well become very important to consider as the EU / UK negotiations progress. We also offer a full Contract Logistics service, both in the UK and within Europe, should customers decide to build up local and / or European warehoused stock holdings to serve their different markets in the future.‘

It is Dachser’s daily connections to a wide range of key hub locations across a comprehensive European network ensuring a fast, reliable and competitive service that is at the core of the Company’s continued growth. The network comprises over 400 locations in a total of 37 countries: 24 of those countries are the responsibility of Dachser’s own country organisations and branch offices, and the remaining 13 countries are served by strategic partners.

All in all, comprehensive IT connectivity and integration within the network provide full transparency in cargo tracking and quality monitoring, giving exporters peace of mind and comfort that their cargo is in safe hands en route to their European customers.

As regards future developments, the combination of contract logistics and value added services is seen by the Company as a major strategic growth area, and over the past few years it has seen several new business wins especially in the retail sector including Excise Bond warehousing and UK & Ireland distribution. The development accelerated soon after the opening of Dachser’s new Northampton logistics centre in 2014, and a second warehouse in close proximity had to be secured towards the end of 2015 in order to provide the necessary additional capacity for both racked and block-stack products.

Looking further afield, through its global ‘interlocking’ programme, Dachser is also able to offer international air & sea freight logistics solutions, helping its customers to reach new markets with ease and to further develop existing ones.

As the Company continues to grow, it is widening the scope of its already well-established Apprenticeship programme. The success of this programme is at the heart of Dachser’s strategy to provide their staff with appropriate support and training in order to enhance their career development and to create an attractive and rewarding working environment. In 2016, its workforce grew by 7% to 385 people.

ENDS

ABOUT DACHSER UK

For more information, please visit www.dachser.co.uk

Filed Under: Dachser UK

Dachser is growing and investing in the future

April 4, 2017 by Julia Hiles

Kempten, Munich. April 4, 2017. Dachser continued to grow in fiscal year 2016, generating consolidated gross revenue of around 5.71 billion euros—representing a consolidated revenue increase of 1.7 percent on the previous year. The number of shipments rose by 2.4 percent to 80.0 million, and tonnage by 2.4 percent to 38.2 million metric tons. This growth was driven by European overland transport as well as food logistics.

“Despite the volatility of the global economy, we were able to maintain our stable market position through organic growth at the previous years’ levels, while simultaneously developing solutions for tomorrow’s market,” says Dachser CEO Bernhard Simon.

Business development in specific sectors

In the Road Logistics business field, which accounts for 75 percent of Dachser’s total revenue, the European Logistics (EL) business line profited from the company’s consistent export strategy, which resulted in a 2.4-percent increase in gross revenue to 3.5 billion euros. Shipments and tonnage increased by 2.2 and 2.3 percent, respectively. “Our country organizations have benefited all around from the strong demand for cross-border transports in the European single market. As far as the exchange of goods is concerned, Europe is and will remain stable and closely interconnected,” comments Simon.

Dachser Food Logistics once again achieved the highest growth rate, with revenue increasing by 9.5 percent to 812 million euros. It has been buoyed primarily by strong domestic business in Germany’s consumer goods sector. The second component in its success is the European Food Network for cross-border food transport.

With 13 partners, 10 associate members, and regular line haul services among 34 countries, the Food Network has the greatest geographic coverage in Europe. “Our market-leading level of quality and the positive effects of the European Food Hub in Erlensee near Frankfurt contributed to this satisfying growth,” Simon explains.

In the Dachser Air & Sea Logistics business field, revenue decreased by 3 percent to 1.54 billion euros, while the number of shipments remained constant. This decrease in revenue was due to low international freight rates, especially in sea freight, and negative currency effects. “We know how to deal with the volatile nature of international air and sea freight, and are consistently expanding this business field,” says Simon.

Dachser offers its customers in this segment worldwide supply chains, routes that closely interlock with the overland transport network in Europe, and uniform IT systems. The company also aims to attract customers outside Europe by expanding intra-Asian transport operations and through the targeted organic growth of its network in the Americas.

Investments in networks and in research and development

Dachser has increased the volume of its planned investments from 125 million euros in 2016 to 177 million euros in 2017. The main focus of these investments lies on expanding network locations, IT systems, and research and development. “We are intensively studying all aspects of the logistics solutions of the future and the extent to which they can be digitalized. Dachser has launched group-wide innovation processes at numerous levels in order to maintain its pioneering role in the industry,” Simon emphasizes.

The logistics provider has also been investing in the expansion of its contract logistics services, creating more than 350,000 square meters of additional warehouse space providing room for over 300,000 pallets in the past two years alone. Dachser can thus now offer its customers over two million pallet spaces in almost 200 warehouses on four continents.

Revenue at a glance:

Sales revenue (in EUR millions)	2016 gross²	2015 gross³	Change in percent
Road Logistics¹	4,307	4,154	+ 3.7
European Logistics	3,495	3,412	+ 2.4
Food Logistics	812	741	+ 9.5
Air & Sea Logistics	1,542	1,590	– 3.0
Consolidation (minus revenue from corporate holdings of 50 % or less)	– 143	-133	+ 7.5
Consolidated revenue¹	5,706	5,611	+ 1.7

¹The amounts stated for “Road Logistics,” “Consolidated revenue,” and percentage change compared with the prior year are based on the unrounded revenue figures for the Business Lines. This may result in slight deviations in the addition or calculation of percentage changes compared with the rounded revenue figures shown in the above table.

²Provisional data, gross amount incl. customs duties and import turnover taxes

³Final data for 2015, gross amount incl. customs duties and import turnover taxes

About Dachser:

Dachser employs some 27,450 people at 409 locations worldwide, and is represented by country organizations in 43 countries. In 2016, the company generated revenue of 5.71 billion euros and handled a total of 80 million shipments weighing 38.2 million metric tons. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Filed Under: Dachser UK

Prénatal extends its contract with GEODIS to include E-commerce Services

March 28, 2017 by Julia Hiles

The distribution activity for retail and e-commerce channels to be combined at one location and current contract extended by three and a half years.

Prénatal and GEODIS’ Contract Logistics Line of Business have extended their e-commerce collaboration until June, 2020. Prénatal’s retail and e-commerce stock will be combined and stored in the GEODIS’ distribution centre in Almere.

Cooperation between Prénatal and GEODIS started in 2009 when it involved traditional logistics services with storage of store inventory at its core. When it appeared that there was great potential to reduce costs per unit in the area of e-commerce, the two companies decided to intensify and expand their partnership. Now, as a result of developments within GEODIS’ distribution processes and Prénatal’s strategic market approach, they have fully merged e-commerce and retail logistics.

“As a retailer, your stock is your most important asset,” says Ardjan van den Blonk, Manager Supply Chain at Prénatal Moeder en Kind B.V. “You want to serve your consumers as well as possible, regardless of where they make their purchase – through a store or a webshop. An omni-channel inventory will prevent stock from being unnecessarily located at different sites and this will help us better meet customer needs. Working intensively and as true partners, GEODIS has helped us to achieve these aims.”

“Combined stock is rare, due to a variety of complex factors,” explains Joop Mastenbroek, Chief Financial Officer at GEODIS in The Netherlands. “Merging retail and e-commerce stock doesn’t simply move physical inventory – it also has an impact on all processes and systems. That is what makes this activity with Prénatal unique. However, e-commerce is a fast-changing business, and you can’t sit still. We will continue to develop our activities in this area in order to respond to future challenges and we are happy that we are doing this in close collaboration with Prénatal.”

ENDS

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

About Prénatal Moeder en Kind B.V. – www.prenatal.nl

Prénatal is the leading retail format in this area, with the most comprehensive, inspiring and affordable range combined with the best service and advice, all tailored to the needs and expectations of the pregnant women or women who have just given birth, and her baby.. In all of our Megastores, City stores and our webshop, we work hard every day to make future and current parenting and shopping better, easier and as comfortable as possible, any time and in every way.

PRESS CONTACT

Bruno Delfils

GEODIS – Corporate Communication and Marketing Director

00 33 (0)1 56 76 22 45

bruno.delfils@geodis.com

Filed Under: GEODIS

Dachser invests in its overland network

March 28, 2017 by Julia Hiles

Kempten, March 28, 2017. Dachser is currently creating new capacity for its overland network at several German locations. In the north, the Bremen and Hamburg locations are being expanded. Building is also under way in Alsdorf near Aachen and Dissen near Bielefeld. In total, Dachser is investing some EUR 60 million at the four locations, creating nearly 35,000 square meters of additional warehouse and office space.

“By continuously expanding and modernizing our locations, we are ensuring that Dachser’s overland network offers consistently high quality,” says Michael Schilling, Chief Operations Officer (COO) Road Logistics at Dachser.

More capacity in northern Germany

Employees were able to move into the new buildings at Dachser’s Bremen location at the beginning of March. Dachser invested almost EUR 20 million in the transit terminal south of the Weser, creating 8,800 square meters of warehouse space and 102 docks for the Bremen logistics center. A further 2,500 square meters are reserved for offices.

A new transit terminal is also being built on the premises of the Dachser Food Logistics branch in Hamburg. With 6,800 square meters of total area, the facilities will be operationally and physically separate and will be used to handle food items as well as industrial goods from the neighboring Dachser European Logistics branch. Another 1,200 square meters of office space is being built as well. The work, which represents an investment of some EUR 15 million, is scheduled to be completed in August.

Investments for Dachser Food Logistics

Dachser is expanding its Alsdorf location at a separate facility located within the border triangle between Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The new temperature-controlled Food Logistics transit terminal and contract logistics warehouse will add 6,800 square meters, 2,500 of which will be reserved for a food warehouse. Dachser has been operating in Alsdorf since 1985 and is now investing EUR 12.5 million in new buildings for the location, which is scheduled to begin operations in July. At the same time, another EUR 3.5 million will be used to extensively renovate the existing facility.

Dashser is also building additional facilities for Food Logistics in Dissen, Lower Saxony. The branch office’s transit terminal will be expanded by 4,430 square meters, plus an additional 1,370 square meters of office space. Existing buildings will also be renovated. Construction work in Dissen is scheduled for completion by July. Dachser established the Dissen branch office in 2005; since then it has steadily invested in the location. The current construction and renovation activities account for some EUR 8.5 million.

About Dachser:

A family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser is a leading supplier of logistics services worldwide.

Dachser offers comprehensive transport logistics, warehousing and customer-specific services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract-logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s offerings. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.de

Filed Under: Dachser UK

Innovation: GEODIS explores opportunities in Electric Highways

March 22, 2017 by Julia Hiles

GEODIS joined a consortium of French companies to commission a study on electric highways from the low-carbon consultancy firm Carbone 4. The study, published on February 27, confirms the interesting possibilities of developing this technology to reduce the CO₂ emissions of resulting from freight transport.

The study focuses on the possibility of implementing a fleet of hybrid heavy goods vehicles powered by a continuous supply of electricity made available over the entire length of the highway. The electricity distribution system would be installed along the inner lane of the highway, which would remain open to other vehicles, notably conventional heavy goods vehicles. The hybrid truck design would allow for use of an electric motor on the highway and a traditional internal combustion engine for maneuvering (overtaking, entering and exiting highways) and non-highway travel.

“Innovation is in our DNA,” says Philippe de Carné, Innovation Director at GEODIS. “The search for alternatives to diesel and the reduction of the environmental impacts of dangerous emissions is one of our main research aims at GEODIS. This is why we sought to initiate this study. Our role as a leader in our sector and an enabler of our customers’ growth is to prepare for the technological advances that lie ahead in our constantly changing environment.”

The study shows that this type of project is an effective way of reducing the environmental impact of goods transport by road while optimizing the use of existing transport infrastructure. Implementation would require only a slight operational adjustment on the part of road transport professionals, with no transshipments and minimal training to adapt the driving style of their drivers.

The study confirms that on some highly trafficked routes and for transport companies using a single route the electric highway is a profitable option given current market conditions. Public financial support of €3 billion would serve to achieve profitability faster by generating positive environmental externalities (with a significant 30 MtCO₂reduction in transport-generated CO2 emissions) and a beneficial macroeconomic effect.

Today, road transport (of people and goods) is highly dependent on oil products and accounts for 30% of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in France. Roughly half of these are as a result of freight transport, the majority (85%) by road. The greenhouse gas emissions of heavy goods vehicles account for approximately 5% of national emissions and 3% to 4% of national energy consumption.

Download the results of the Carbone 4 study

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

GEODIS is a Supply Chain Operator ranking among the top companies in its field in Europe and the World. GEODIS, which is part of SNCF Logistics, which in turn is a business line of the SNCF Group, is the number four logistics operator in Europe and number seven worldwide. In 2016, GEODIS was ranked by Gartner as a “Leader” in its Magic Quadrant report on the world’s 3PL players. The international reach of GEODIS includes a direct presence in 67 countries and a global network spanning over 120 countries. With its five Lines of Business (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express and Road Transport), GEODIS manages its customers Supply Chain by providing end-to-end solutions enabled by over 39,500 employees, its infrastructure, its processes and information systems. In 2015, GEODIS recorded €8 billion in revenue.

Filed Under: GEODIS

TT Club to Collaborate in Major Supply Chain Safety Campaign

March 21, 2017 by Julia Hiles

IMO Secretary General and European Commission officials were present at the launch of a CTU Code Compliance Campaign in Brussels. During a seminar, communication of best practice in packing and securing cargo and compliance across all modes was urged.

Held in Brussels as part of European Shipping Week, the high-powered seminar on Safety in the Intermodal Supply Chain was a collaboration by the shipper’s representatives Global Shippers Forum (GSF); cargo handling operators body ICHCA; freight transport insurance specialist TT Club and container carriers association World Shipping Council (WSC) and was attended by IMO and EC regulators, road and rail industry representatives as well as those from shippers, lines, port and terminals.

In introducing the discussions TT Club’s Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox emphasised the serious consequences resulting from badly packaged, eccentrically loaded and wrongly handled material, whether of a regulated dangerous or seemingly benign nature. These accidents range from over-turned road trailers, train derailments, crane failures, ship fires to container stack collapses.

“Stringent efforts by our group and many others to address, in part, these issues resulted last year in an amendment to the maritime safety convention, SOLAS making mandatory the weighing of every packaged container. Despite there being 166 signatory nations to this convention, evidence so far is that this legal requirement has made little impact on the problem of mis-declaration of the gross mass of packed containers. Where regulation fails, industry must come together to act in the interests of safety,” said Storrs-Fox.

Making a rare personal plea for attention to such a focussed issue, Kitack Lim, Secretary General of the UN’s International Maritime Organization applauded the partners’ initiative, “I have no hesitation in commending the use of the CTU Code[1],” he said. “I would like to thank UNECE and ILO[2], as well as the four bodies organising this event for providing valuable technical and editorial input during the development of the Code. I’m also very pleased to be able to support this seminar which is aimed at raising awareness of the Code and promoting its use.”

Although it was emphasised that the European Commission has no legislation covering what is predominantly an international multimodal issue, Magda Kopczyncka, Director of Waterborne Transport at DG Move took an active role in the Seminar and expressed the Commission’s support for the campaign. She noted that a lot of work remained to be done both in simplifying the existing CTU Code’s language and in communicating its sound messages to all, especially those packing the units at the cargo’s point of origin.

In addition to presentations from representatives of the four sponsoring bodies, speakers from both the rail (Community of European Railways – CER) and road (International Road Transport Union – IRU) sectors pledged support for use of the CTU Code as the carriage of multimodal units is a crucial part of their members’ operations. Dovetailing of standards and cross fertilisation of best practice would be investigated wherever possible.

During the seminar, reference was made to the relative lack of national government engagement with the IMO’s container inspection standard (as set out in MSC.1/Circ.1442). While the focus of these inspections is primarily on declared dangerous goods movements, a very limited number of government agencies provide reports on their findings. Even so, the reports are disturbing – over the last decade approaching a third of the units are reported to be poorly packed. As this analysis covers declared dangerous cargoes only, it might be assumed that a significantly greater number of poorly packed units containing other cargoes must exist, presenting daily danger around the globe.

Commenting on the need for a greater degree of industry awareness of the issues and the guidance contained in the Code, TT Club’s Storrs-Fox said, “We recently carried out an awareness survey that has produced some telling results. Of the 6,000 recipients of our emails some 25% showed enough interest to open the message, but of these less than 5% completed the questionnaire. These figures in themselves show a lack of concern regarding packing and, additionally 44% of those that did respond felt the Code was insufficient to tackle the safety issues. We clearly have much work to do.”

The consensus at the seminar clearly confirmed collaboration can strengthen a workable safety environment, with industry bodies, unions and regulators all contributing. However there is a very obvious need to communicate the existing guidance and have it used in practice. The next step must be to deliver the Code, or essential elements of it, to the workforce which carries out the function of packing cargo. The sponsors are committed to do this through whatever means are available including the use of new technologies as well as traditional communication and training networks.

ENDS

[1] http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Cargoes/CargoSecuring/Pages/CTU-Code.aspx

[2] the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Notes to editors

About TT Club

TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller

Filed Under: TT Club

“THE Alliance” Final product/port rotations & Contingency plan

March 9, 2017 by Julia Hiles

Port rotations of 32 services finalized / First contingency mechanism of an alliance for case of financial distress of a partner / More safety for customers’ cargo

THE Alliance announced its final network after all needed preparations have been finalized. The product starting from April 2017 features fast transit times, a comprehensive port coverage and deployment of modern and most efficient ships. This is thanks to the “best ship for the loop principle” and a dedicated shuttle service design. More than 240 ships will be deployed in 32 services connecting over 75 major ports throughout Asia, North Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Indian Sub Continent and the Middle East with a wide range of direct port-port-connections.

The final port rotations of the total 32 services will be as follows:

Asia and North Europe

FE 1:

Kobe – Nagoya – Shimizu – Tokyo – Singapore – Jeddah – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Le Havre – Singapore – Kobe

FE 2:

Xingang – Dalian – Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Hong Kong – Yantian – Singapore – Tangier – Southampton – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Le Havre – Tangier – Jebel Ali – Hong Kong – Qingdao – Xingang

FE 3:

Hong Kong – Xiamen – Kaohsiung – Yantian – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Piraeus – Singapore – Hong Kong

FE 4:

Pusan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Southampton – Shekou – Yantian – Pusan

FE 5:

Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Singapore – Colombo – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Jeddah – Colombo – Singapore – Laem Chabang

Asia and the Mediterranean

MD 1:

Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Yantian – Singapore – Damietta – Barcelona – Valencia – Fos – Genoa – Damietta – Singapore – Shekou – Qingdao

MD 2:

Pusan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Kaohsiung – Yantian – Singapore – Jeddah – Genoa – La Spezia – Barcelona – Valencia – Singapore – Hong Kong – Pusan

MD 3:

Pusan – Shanghai – Ningbo – Yantian – Singapore – Jeddah – Ashdod – Piraeus – Istanbul (Ambarli) – Izmir/Aliaga – Mersin – Jeddah – Singapore – Kaohsiung – Pusan

Trans Pacific – West Coast

PN 1:

Qingdao – Shanghai – Nagoya – Tokyo – Tacoma – Vancouver – Tokyo – Nagoya – Kobe – Qingdao

PN 2:

Singapore – Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Kaohsiung – Yantian – Tacoma – Vancouver – Tokyo – Kobe – Kaohsiung – Singapore

PN 3:

Hong Kong – Yantian – Ningbo – Shanghai – Pusan – Vancouver – Seattle – Pusan – Hong Kong

PS 1:

Kobe – Nagoya – Tokyo – Sendai – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Tokyo – Nagoya – Kobe

PS 2:

Kobe – Nagoya – Shimizu – Tokyo – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland –Tokyo – Kobe

PS 3:

Singapore – Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Hong Kong – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland –– Tokyo – Hong Kong – Singapore

PS 4:

Hong Kong – Yantian – Kaohsiung – Keelung – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Keelung – Kaohsiung – Da Chan Bay – Hong Kong

PS 5:

Shanghai – Ningbo – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Shanghai

PS 6:

Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Pusan – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Pusan – Qingdao

PS 7:

Xiamen – Hong Kong – Yantian – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Xiamen

PS 8:

Dalian – Xingang – Qingdao – Pusan – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Pusan – Kwangyang – Dalian

Trans Pacific – East Coast (via Panama and Suez)

EC 1:

Ningbo – Shanghai – Pusan – Tokyo – (Panama Canal) – Manzanillo – Savannah – Jacksonville – Charleston – Norfolk – Miami (Seasonal) – Manzanillo – (Panama Canal) – Balboa – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Tokyo – Kobe – Ningbo

EC 2:

Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Pusan – (Panama Canal) – New York – Boston – Wilmington – Savannah – (Panama Canal) – Pusan – Qingdao

EC 3:

Kaohsiung – Xiamen – Hong Kong – Yantian – Shanghai – (Panama Canal) – Savannah – Norfolk – (Panama Canal) – Balboa – Pusan – Kaohsiung

EC 4:

Kaohsiung – Hong Kong – Yantian – Cai Mep – Singapore – (Suez Canal) – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Jacksonville – Charleston – (Suez Canal) – Singapore – Kaohsiung

EC 5:

Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Singapore – Colombo – (Suez Canal) – Halifax – New York – Savannah – Norfolk – Halifax – (Suez Canal) – Jebel Ali – Singapore – Laem Chabang

Trans Atlantic

AL 1:

Bremerhaven – Antwerp – London Gateway – Norfolk – Philadelphia – New York – Halifax – Bremerhaven

AL 2:

London Gateway – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – New York – Charleston – London Gateway

AL 3:

Antwerp – Bremerhaven – Southampton – Charleston – Savannah – Port Everglades – Houston – Savannah – Norfolk – Antwerp

AL 4:

Southampton – Antwerp – Bremerhaven – Le Havre – Veracruz – Altamira – Houston – New Orleans – Mobile – Southampton

AL 5:

Southampton – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Savannah – Cartagena – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Oakland – Seattle/Tacoma – Vancouver – Oakland – Los Angeles/Long Beach – Balboa – Cartagena – Caucedo – Savannah – Southampton

AL 6:

Salerno – Livorno – La Spezia – Genoa – FOS – Halifax – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Salerno

AL 7:

Barcelona – Tarragona – Valencia – Algeciras – Halifax – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Valencia – Tarragona – Barcelona

Asia and the Middle East

AGX:

Pusan – Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Singapore – Jebel Ali – Dammam – Jubail – Abu Dhabi – Port Kelang – Singapore – Ningbo – Pusan

Through this robust network, THE Alliance will offer a superior, reliable, efficient, and wide ranging product suite to shippers in the East/West lanes. The partners of THE Alliance will keep monitoring customers’ demand and will react to markets if needed.

Furthermore, the members of THE Alliance announced today a new and unique contingency plan in the unlikely event a member of THE Alliance suffers a bankruptcy. The five member lines will establish an independent trustee to manage funds to be used in the case there is insolvency within the group. It is envisioned that the fund will be used to continue alliance operations in the event of insolvency of one or more member lines. The independent trust fund shall safeguard that customers’ cargo on board of the affected members’ ships will be carried to the port of destination. “Customers’ reaction to the incident last summer showed a clear demand for such a safety net and the partners of THE Alliance are proud to present the first contingency plan of its kind in liner shipping”.

Filed Under: "K" Line

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