Month: August 2019

Kuehne + Nagel and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, two leading players of the airfreight industry, have joined forces to improve integration of their electronic booking processes. In a proof of concept that was recently brought to conclusion, the two companies enabled total host-to-host connection through application programming interface allowing for a system-based, integrated and interactive match between available capacity and demand.

It is the first time that an airfreight carrier and a global logistics provider create a direct system-to-system connection that transforms manual quotation and capacity booking process into a digital automated solution, fostering collaborative relationships and next-generation supply chain practice. Customers will benefit from a seamless experience with both companies’ full digital offering, including ad-hoc quotations, capacity availability inquiries, dynamic pricing and real-time e-booking functionalities. Following the successful proof of concept, both companies have agreed to further develop the solution and to start the roll-out in Europe and South Asia Pacific.

Yngve Ruud, Member of the Managing Board of Kuehne + Nagel, responsible for airfreight, says: The successful conclusion of our proof of concept with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is a further step forward in eTouch, Kuehne + Nagel’s digital transformation process and initiative to offer a seamless digital customer journey. Thanks to the new interface, we increase speed, accuracy and efficiency – to the benefit of our airfreight customers all over the globe.”

Marcel de Nooijer, EVP Air France-KLM Cargo and managing director of Martinair, adds: “At Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, we keep innovating to provide connected and tailored solutions to our business customers around the world. In this context, enriching Kuehne + Nagel’s in-house systems with our digital services is another step towards the digitization of our industry.”

The internationalization of LogCoop GmbH is gaining momentum with the addition of non-German members. Elisabet Castro Gomez is responsible for this on the Iberian peninsula. The daughter of Spanish parents speaks five languages fluently and has lived in Spain and Italy for several years. Her linguistic and intercultural skills will benefit LogCoop as well as her management skills and many years of experience in dealing with clients. In the past three months alone, it has acquired 14 new members, eight of them from Spain. The goal is to expand the LogCoop network there and to open a branch office on January 1, 2020.

“If we take the technical as well as the cultural characteristics of the various European countries into account, we are particularly successful there,” says Marc Possekel, Managing Director of LogCoop GmbH. For this reason, the cooperation for the expansion of a geographical region always employs people who are linguistically and culturally at home in the respective country. That works, shows Elisabet Castro Gomez. The 55-year-old is significantly involved in the expansion of LogCoop in Spain and Portugal. “The acquisition of new members on the Iberian Peninsula is progressing so well that we plan to open a branch in Alicante on January 1, 2020,” says Possekel. Castro Gomez has set an even more ambitious goal: she considers it realistic at the end of October. For the expansion of the network in Spain, Alicante is strategically located. “All major logistics locations in the country are no more than 500 kilometers from there

Castro Gomez will manage the Spanish LogCoop office. “She is the ideal cast for it,” Possekel is sure. In addition to German, Spanish is also the mother tongue of the native of Stuttgart, and she also has fluent English, Italian and French skills. She also spent 17 years in Spain and five years in Rome, during which time she gained the intercultural skills necessary for her current position. Originally from the fashion industry, in 2014 she discovered the logistics industry. Prior to joining LogCoop in October 2018, she worked for almost five years as Area Manager for DACH at the Spanish freight exchanges WTransnet and Qualis Logistics, with in-depth knowledge of customer service and management. She herself says about her current position: “I am confident that I can continue to drive LogCoop forward with full commitment and have found a professional challenge here.” In the foreseeable future, the passionate rider and sailor will move to her dream home in Alicante, when the LogCoop Network in Spain developed as expected. On 18 October, Castro Gomez will travel to Barcelona for the network event WConnecta. The network event is an opportunity to meet existing members, introduce LogCoop to interested logistics companies and make initial contacts for collaboration.

The Port of Esbjerg is expanding its crane capacity with the world’s largest mobile harbour crane, the Liebherr LHM 800. The new machine has a total height of 48 metres and a boom length of 66 metres.

Port Esbjerg already commands the largest fleet of Liebherr mobile harbour cranes in Scandinavia, which is now being additionally expanded. The new crane is 48 metres in height and can lift 308 tonnes. At the same time, it enables the port to perform tandem lifting with an additional Liebherr mobile harbor crane together lifting as much as 448 tonnes.

“I am pleased that we are expanding our crane capacity considerably with the new crane. We need to be able to handle more and more large cargo in the future, and therefore we need to rearm. I am also pleased with the fact that only few ports in the world have a similar crane because it shows that Port Esbjerg is a heavyweight internationally,” says Dennis Jul Pedersen, CEO of Esbjerg Havn.

Octopi, part of Navis and Cargotec Corporation, provider of operational technologies and services across the shipping supply chain, has announced that Worldwide Terminals Fernandina, which operates the Port of Fernandina in Northeastern Florida, has agreed to implement Octopi’s software-as-a-service TOS. Worldwide will run Octopi TOS to help the terminal effectively monitor, manage and improve operations at the site in real-time.

Octopi TOS is lightweight and designed to improve vessel planning and gate operations at small-to-medium terminals. Currently handling two mid-size container lines and 300,000 tons of breakbulk cargo annually, Worldwide is located 2 miles from the open ocean in Fernandina Beach, FL and is focused on containers, breakbulk and project cargo. Worldwide recently refinanced the Port’s debt with a $27.6 million public bond financing, which includes approximately $10 million for capital investment to modernize and expand automation and the infrastructure at the terminal, including dredging to 40 feet MLW. It selected Octopi’s robust platform as part of its modernization plan to attract new container lines to their facility. Additionally, Worldwide wanted a system that could track cargoes moving between truck, vessel and rail, share real-time data through EDI with its customers and could automate processes such as customer billing and inventories.

“The Octopi team, the SaaS model, the scaling abilities, and the software’s ease of functionality and intuitive nature all factored into our decision to choose Octopi,” said Christopher T. Ragucci, CEO at Worldwide Terminals Fernandina. “Implementing Octopi’s state-of-the-art TOS is consistent with our commitment to offering the highest level of comprehensive services available in the South Atlantic, at extremely competitive rates.”

With this investment in Octopi, Worldwide will train its staff and provide them with technology that will upgrade their service to new and existing customers, many of which have been using the terminal for over thirty years. Once the implementation is complete, Octopi will aid in improving vessel operations, unloading and loading operations, yard and gate operations, administrative tasks and planning at the terminal.

“We are excited to continue our foray into the smaller terminal and mixed cargo market through this partnership with Fernandina,” said Martin Bardi, VP of Global Sales, Octopi. “We look forward to being an asset to Worldwide in managing its operations more efficiently and are eager to aid in their continued success at the terminal.”

B&H Logistik in Germany is using a unique set-up of Thermo King generator sets and ThermoLite™ solar panels to increase reliability and efficiency of their operations. Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions for a variety of mobile applications and its German dealer Transportkühlung Thermo King GmbH, have provided B&H Logistik with a unique solution combining generator sets (gensets) and solar panels for efficient and reliable power supply during the transport of refrigerated containers.

B&H Logistik transports refrigerated containers for the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry customers, where maintaining the cold chain is vital for the integrity and quality of the transported goods. B&H Logistik was looking for a reliable solution that would enable them to keep their genset-equipped fleet always-ready to power the refrigerated containers during the road trips.

Transportkühlung THERMO KING GmbH met the requirements offering B&H Logistik Thermo King SGCM300 gensets combined with ThermoLite™ solar panels for greater and sustainable power management. Even in low light, Thermo King’s solar panels collect energy to keep the battery fully charged. This eliminates the risk of battery discharge and the need to use the genset engine to charge the battery, contributing to reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

“Reliability of the power supply was paramount for us to guarantee continuous cold chain while transporting our customers’ containers on the road,” said Boris Hirschhausen, managing director at B&H Logistik. “In the past we had issues with discharged batteries on the gensets that weren’t used every day. This required additional maintenance along with costly and timely visits to the workshop to recharge the battery. With the solar panels installed, this problem is solved.”