Month: September 2019

Industry behemoth XPO Logistics will be joined by heavyweight customer Nestlé UK Ltd. in presenting The Warehouse of the Future: Collaboration Is King at IMHX 2019. The seminar will take place in Birmingham on September 27 at 10:00 a.m. BST. IMHX is the UK’s largest logistics industry event.

Gavin Williams, managing director, supply chain – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, and David Hix, Nestlé director of supply chain, will discuss the upcoming launch of a fully automated, 638,000 sq ft. distribution centre in Leicestershire. Custom-designed with the latest technologies, the “warehouse of the future” will have a transformative impact on volume flow management, fulfilment and other logistics operations, it is claimed.

XPO’s Gavin Williams said, “IMHX gives us an opportunity to share our perspective on the role of advanced automation in the future of logistics. Supply chain technology is evolving at a rapid pace, constantly raising new possibilities. The best results are achieved when the customer, logistics provider and supplier each contribute to a solution through collaboration.”

Nestlé‘s David Hix said, “We’re working closely with XPO to future-proof our supply chain. Our new distribution centre will integrate predictive data and autonomous machines to get our products to customers most efficiently, while the digital infrastructure will act as a test environment for new technological breakthroughs. We look forward to sharing more with IMHX attendees.”

Thailand-based Mon Logistics has added two new Konecranes lift trucks to its current fleet: a Flow Drive reach stacker and a double stacking empty container handler.

In the past few months, Konecranes delivered the reach stacker, model SMV 4531 TC5 HVT, and the empty container handler (ECH), model SMV 6/7 ECC 100 DS, to Mon Logistics Group in Bangkok. The company runs facilities in both Bangkok and Chonburi, a port city about 100 km south-east of the capital, specializing in storage and logistics services for cold chain (temperature-controlled supply chains), petrochemicals and containers.

Due to a recent increase in demand for goods transport, Mon Logistics needed the new solutions to manage the balance between productivity, a high standard of customer service and saving costs.

To do this, Mon Logistics decided to turn again to Konecranes lift trucks, building on excellent experiences with Konecranes over the last 10 years. This time, they chose a more innovative and eco-efficient solution with the SMV 4531 TC5 HVT reach stacker, equipped with Flow Drive to reduce costs – the solution cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 25%. The same order included an SMV 6/7 ECC 100 DS ECH, which was delivered in mid-August, just a couple of weeks after the reach stacker was handed over. With its ability to stack two empty containers up to 10 tons each, the empty container handler completed Mon’s Konecranes ECH fleet, with a total of 8 units ordered from 2015 to the present.

In order to monitor the condition of their equipment, all of Mon’s Konecranes units have been fitted with the TRUCONNECT® Remote Services system, which enables the real-time collection of operative data such as driving hours, safety alerts, truck performance and fuel consumption to help plan maintenance needs.

To maintain the efficiency of their own customer services and improve their productivity even more, Mon Logistics has also signed a service contract with Konecranes that includes both preventive and corrective maintenance on their entire fleet of Konecranes lift trucks. By minimizing downtime, regular service will improve Mon’s reliability in the market and make it even more attractive to new customers.

Another very important issue for the company is respect for the environment. “We are very keen to find new ways to reduce our carbon emissions, and we’re doing our part by choosing eco-efficient materials and products,” says Kanjanee Accaraeakchitt, Operations Director of the Mon Logistics Services Co. Ltd., which manages container deposits for Mon Logistics. “Of course, we want to maintain our quality and performance levels at the same time. In 2016, we were honoured to receive the Eco-Driving Award as part of the government’s fuel emission reduction program, and we want to develop that trend further. This is exactly what Konecranes delivers with their Flow Drive reach stacker.”

DKV Euro Services, one of the leading B2B mobility service providers in Europe, has appointed Jérôme Lejeune (52) new Managing Director Toll as of 1 September 2019. Lejeune (left) is responsible for the Toll division and reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DKV, Marco van Kalleveen. He succeeds Jürgen Steinmeyer (right), who is retiring.

“We are very excited to have found a high-calibre top manager for this important leadership position. Jérôme brings deep experience in the European toll industry, most  recently through his work at VINCI, a global, multi-industry specialist in mobility infrastructure”, says Marco van Kalleveen. “At the same time we would like to thank Jürgen Steinmeyer for his outstanding work. Over the past 23 years, he has developed DKV into one of the leading toll service providers in Europe.”

Jérôme Lejeune was most recently Mobility Director for VINCI Highways, a subsidiary of VINCI Concessions and one of the world’s leading providers of road mobility. In this role, Lejeune created a new Intelligent Mobility Business Area at VINCI. Previously, he held various management positions at VINCI, including Managing Director for the Public Private Partnership business in Germany. Prior to joining VINCI, he held several sales and operational functions, including at German toll system provider Toll Collect and Thales, a French transport and services company.

South Korea’s leading cargo carrier, Korean Air Cargo, a member of the SkyTeam Cargo Alliance, has extended the cooperation with LUG aircargo handling at Frankfurt International Airport for a further three years to 2022. LUG aircargo handling has partnered Korean Air Cargo for some 22 years now, handling freight for passenger and all-cargo aircraft as well as road feeder services. The airline is LUG’s longest standing repeat customer.

Korean Air Cargo’s network embraces five continents and connects Frankfurt with Incheon International, the airport of at Seoul. It offers seven weekly passenger flights and up to nine full freighter flights to/from Frankfurt.

“It is good to know that our service quality, our experienced personal, our IT investments, our state-of-the-art warehousing facilities, and our direct ramp access are appreciated. We are very proud that we can handle every type of cargo including hazmat and temperature sensitive goods. Since 2018 our station in Frankfurt is CEIV Pharma certified,” said Patrik Tschirch, Managing Director, LUG aircargo handling GmbH.

Leading international forwarder, Rhenus Logistics has acquired European road freight specialists, PSL Group.

With a head office in Maldon, Essex and six additional offices across England, PSL’s locations bring an increase in freight volumes, “facilitating faster growth and providing a unified approach to both businesses”.

PSL Group’s portfolio adds an established Scandinavian service through the SkanTrans PSL brand, high volumes of European mainland distributions and a 24/7 customs clearance operation in Dover. It says this further strengthens the company’s market position at a time of uncertainty around Brexit.

David Williams, managing director of Rhenus Logistics Limited, comments: “There is a unified goal to ensure the acquisition is not only a success for all parties but also to enable Rhenus to further solidify its place within the forwarding sector. The next few months will be a crucial time for both companies as new projects arise and the two teams begin working together.”

John King, managing director of PSL Group, added: “Becoming part of the Rhenus group enables us to present new opportunities and services to our clients. With our joint experience, international contacts and expertise in road freight, there is significant scope for growth.”