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Month: July 2020

Transporeon Carrier Survey: Spot Market Benefits Amid Pandemic Gloom

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

Transporeon has presented the results of European Road Carrier survey: Findings point up an urgent need for digital investment amidst pandemic gloom.

Highlights include:

  • Nearly half of all European road carriers expect falling transport prices in 2020, almost 40% expect an overall decline in business; Market participants increasingly recognise benefit of spot market activity as part of the business mix; Urgent need for improved environmental data: 43% of carriers are unable to calculate their own CO2 emissions.

As European countries emerge from lockdown, road transport companies across the continent are expecting to feel the impact of the global pandemic for many months to come. While nearly 70% of carriers reported business growth for 2019, less than a third expect a positive development in 2020.

Whereas in 2019, almost 70% of respondents expected transport prices to go up, this year little more than 20% of participants said they expected to see any price increase.

Carriers make increasingly use of spot market transports

“Although the global outlook is very subdued, we do see that market players are taking positive action to adjust, especially through the possibilities of digital platform technology,” commented Thomas Einsiedler, Chief Product Officer at Transporeon. “The results show that almost all carriers recognize the benefit of mixing long-term contracts with spot market activity. While 8% of carriers in 2019 relied exclusively on long-term contracts, that figure has fallen to 4% this year.”

“By using the spot market alongside long-term contracted transports, shippers gain from the additional flexibility and frequent price benefits that short-term contracting offers. At the same time, carriers can optimize their route planning and avoid empty runs, which are not only unprofitable, but also add to road congestion, noise and CO2 emissions,” Thomas Einsiedler continues.

Many road carriers are still unable to calculate transport-related emissions

 Despite low fuel prices and a difficult economic environment, Europe’s carriers are using multiple strategies to optimize fuel efficiency. Fuel consumption monitoring, eco-driver training and transport route optimization are amongst measures currently employed by a majority of respondents as part of their efforts in this area.

Nevertheless, the survey results point up major deficits when it comes to calculating and reporting transport-related CO2 emissions. Of the surveyed European road carriers, 43% said they were currently unable to calculate their transport-related emissions. Less than one third said they were able to disclose customer-related emission breakdowns. On the other hand, according to 72% carriers no more than one in ten shippers actively seek information on their CO2 emissions.

“In the currently very challenging economic situation, it’s absolutely vital that transport companies, but also our governments, continue to invest in digitalization and data-driven infrastructures,” commented Stephan Sieber, CEO of Transporeon. “We see this in the survey results: three-quarters of all carriers believe that digitalisation will improve their business situation. And we see it in the increased uptake in spot market opportunities, which only become possible through enhanced digital technology. In the years ahead, I’m convinced, digital technology will not only make the industry more efficient, but also play a central role in managing its environmental impact. And clearly we have a lot of work to do there.”

The findings are based on the response of over 1,200 European road carriers in the 2020 Transporeon Carrier Survey. Participants in the survey represent a broad cross-section of the road transport market, with an even distribution across major European countries, as well as between forwarders operating domestically, cross-border or both. Carriers from 33 countries took part in the questionnaire, covering the entire continent from the UK and Ireland to Ukraine, from Scandinavia to Spain.

A detailed summary and analysis of the Transporeon Carrier Survey is available free of charge at the following link.

TT Club Supports UK Crime Agency Targeting Cargo Theft

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

The Freight Unit of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) has been involved in numerous theft cases related to cargo crime in the UK; most recently acting to recover £200,000 of stolen goods.  Long-time supporter, international freight transport insurer TT Club welcomes the agency’s successes in recovering goods and tracking their owners, significantly reducing the extent of the loss.

 Through the recent period of lockdown in the UK, there has been a demonstrable change in behaviour and tactics of criminal organisations involved in cargo theft. Restrictions on free movement have impacted criminal “business models”. Reported theft cases have demonstrated an increase in local activity and involved thefts from warehouse facilities, something less frequently experienced in the UK.

In recent weeks there have been a number of “hook-up” thefts, whereby perpetrators steal entire loaded trailers from premises. This type of incident underlines the need for physical barriers to protect goods and assets. King pin locks, perimeter fencing, CCTV and security guards would also serve to deter perpetrators.

Following a recent spate of arrests across the UK in such cases, police searched various premises and discovered several hundred boxes of fashion goods. In the normal course of events, these goods risk disposal or destruction. Fortunately, on this occasion, the arresting police force contacted NaVCIS’ Freight Unit to report the discovered goods. The agency used its extensive database of theft activity to identify the reported loss of such goods and therefore the rightful owner. In this instance nearly £200,000 worth of stolen goods were recovered and returned.

The Freight Unit is part of the NaVCIS, a national police unit that acts as a bridge between the police and industry.  Different sections of the service, of which the Freight Unit is one, handle crime involving ports, vehicle financing fraud and agricultural machinery among other types of crime.  It works hard to protect communities in the UK from the harmful consequences of crime. It provides dedicated police capability into developing and disseminating intelligence that helps police forces pursue offenders, recover stolen goods and prevent crime, when and where possible.

“This is a great demonstration of the valuable work being undertaken by NaVCIS’ Freight Unit,” said Mike Yarwood, TT Club Managing Director Loss Prevention. “Unfortunately, the Unit would not exist without the continued support and sponsorship of multiple private entities,” he continued. “Results like this should be a call to action for all potential stakeholders to support this valuable resource – less about direct benefit, rather taking responsibility to tackle crime proactively.”

TT Club has supported NaVCIS’ Freight Unit for a number of years as it believes their work is crucial to understanding and stamping out crime in the supply chain. In addition to helping recover stolen goods and allowing police to hold thieves to account, their work improves insurance records and disrupts criminal activity in the supply chain on a larger scale.

As it remains one of the main disruptors of global supply chains, TT Club’s own commitment to minimising the effects of cargo theft remains undaunted.  This element of risk is consistently one of the top five heads of cost in terms of claims for businesses TT Club insures. In addition to collaborating with a number of organisations to address this global challenge (for a recent example see the Club’s joint report on theft with BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions here), TT Club is focused on understanding all aspects of this risk and where possible influencing good management controls to mitigate the potential losses. More advice on this approach is available in the Club’s StopLoss publication.

As restrictions on movement are lifted in the UK, stakeholders need to be ever more vigilant, exercising due diligence to ensure that they maintain security, in what is predicted to be a very active period of cargo theft. The COVID-19 lockdown is unlikely to have diminished organised criminal gangs’ appetite to realise funds through cargo theft, which continues to be a low-risk high-gain opportunity for them.

For more information on how to support the work of the NaVCIS’ Freight Unit and to help mitigate the risk of cargo theft, please contact freight@navcis.pnn.police.uk.

TT Club Supports UK Crime Agency Targeting Cargo Theft

Posted on by David Priestman

The Freight Unit of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) has been involved in numerous theft cases related to cargo crime in the UK; most recently acting to recover £200,000 of stolen goods.  Long-time supporter, international freight transport insurer TT Club welcomes the agency’s successes in recovering goods and tracking their owners, significantly reducing the extent of the loss.

 Through the recent period of lockdown in the UK, there has been a demonstrable change in behaviour and tactics of criminal organisations involved in cargo theft. Restrictions on free movement have impacted criminal “business models”. Reported theft cases have demonstrated an increase in local activity and involved thefts from warehouse facilities, something less frequently experienced in the UK.

In recent weeks there have been a number of “hook-up” thefts, whereby perpetrators steal entire loaded trailers from premises. This type of incident underlines the need for physical barriers to protect goods and assets. King pin locks, perimeter fencing, CCTV and security guards would also serve to deter perpetrators.

Following a recent spate of arrests across the UK in such cases, police searched various premises and discovered several hundred boxes of fashion goods. In the normal course of events, these goods risk disposal or destruction. Fortunately, on this occasion, the arresting police force contacted NaVCIS’ Freight Unit to report the discovered goods. The agency used its extensive database of theft activity to identify the reported loss of such goods and therefore the rightful owner. In this instance nearly £200,000 worth of stolen goods were recovered and returned.

The Freight Unit is part of the NaVCIS, a national police unit that acts as a bridge between the police and industry.  Different sections of the service, of which the Freight Unit is one, handle crime involving ports, vehicle financing fraud and agricultural machinery among other types of crime.  It works hard to protect communities in the UK from the harmful consequences of crime. It provides dedicated police capability into developing and disseminating intelligence that helps police forces pursue offenders, recover stolen goods and prevent crime, when and where possible.

“This is a great demonstration of the valuable work being undertaken by NaVCIS’ Freight Unit,” said Mike Yarwood, TT Club Managing Director Loss Prevention. “Unfortunately, the Unit would not exist without the continued support and sponsorship of multiple private entities,” he continued. “Results like this should be a call to action for all potential stakeholders to support this valuable resource – less about direct benefit, rather taking responsibility to tackle crime proactively.”

TT Club has supported NaVCIS’ Freight Unit for a number of years as it believes their work is crucial to understanding and stamping out crime in the supply chain. In addition to helping recover stolen goods and allowing police to hold thieves to account, their work improves insurance records and disrupts criminal activity in the supply chain on a larger scale.

As it remains one of the main disruptors of global supply chains, TT Club’s own commitment to minimising the effects of cargo theft remains undaunted.  This element of risk is consistently one of the top five heads of cost in terms of claims for businesses TT Club insures. In addition to collaborating with a number of organisations to address this global challenge (for a recent example see the Club’s joint report on theft with BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions here), TT Club is focused on understanding all aspects of this risk and where possible influencing good management controls to mitigate the potential losses. More advice on this approach is available in the Club’s StopLoss publication.

As restrictions on movement are lifted in the UK, stakeholders need to be ever more vigilant, exercising due diligence to ensure that they maintain security, in what is predicted to be a very active period of cargo theft. The COVID-19 lockdown is unlikely to have diminished organised criminal gangs’ appetite to realise funds through cargo theft, which continues to be a low-risk high-gain opportunity for them.

For more information on how to support the work of the NaVCIS’ Freight Unit and to help mitigate the risk of cargo theft, please contact freight@navcis.pnn.police.uk.

GB Agencies Gets Ready for Brexit with Descartes E-Customs

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

Descartes Systems Group is helping G.B. Agencies (GBA), to prepare for inevitable implications on customs procedures in the wake of Brexit, with Descartes’ e-Customs solution.

As a long-standing customer of Descartes Impatex software to manage shipments around the world, GBA was already familiar with the knowledge and expertise that Descartes has around the complexities of customs processes. For its automotive service, GBA handles more than two million vehicle movements per year on behalf of its customers through its port and delivery operations, so it cannot afford delays within the logistics chain. As part of its preparations for Brexit, GBA upgraded to Descartes e-Customs solution to effectively manage inbound and outbound customs declarations from one web-based interface, thereby ensuring products continue to move efficiently. With this approach, the customs process is streamlined, enabling simple management of what will be the dramatic increase in the number of declarations once Brexit happens, meaning that not only can compliance be assured, but productivity boosted and business remains uninterrupted.

“While the customs process surrounding Brexit is complex it must not interfere with the product logistics chain. Working on behalf of our Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), we cannot allow shipments of our customers’ motor vehicles to be delayed entering or leaving the country waiting for customs clearance. We implemented the Descartes e-Customs solution in preparation of the significant increase in customs declarations that we anticipate come 1st January 2021 – as much as a five-fold increase. Descartes has played a leading role in our Brexit planning, helping to clear the fog of uncertainty to understand the processes we must follow. We’re confident that with Descartes’ solution we have the right accreditations and software we require to fully facilitate the expectations of our OEMs for import and export of their products with no customs interruptions post-Brexit,” said Timothy O’Mahoney, Shipping Network Manager, G.B. Agencies.

Pol Sweeney,  VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes adds: “The Brexit process has been long and complicated for many, but we’re delighted to be able to support GBA in its preparations to ensure that it suffers no disruption in its service for its customers after Brexit. As the 1st January 2021 fast approaches, businesses must implement the tools they need to be able to continue their operations with the same, or even increased efficiency. Brexit will have vast implications for any company importing or exporting out of the UK and this is where a comprehensive solution to manage all customs declaration types becomes a critical component, and will enable GBA to manage this for its clients with ease – despite the number of declarations increasing overnight.”

GB Agencies Gets Ready for Brexit with Descartes E-Customs

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group is helping G.B. Agencies (GBA), to prepare for inevitable implications on customs procedures in the wake of Brexit, with Descartes’ e-Customs solution.

As a long-standing customer of Descartes Impatex software to manage shipments around the world, GBA was already familiar with the knowledge and expertise that Descartes has around the complexities of customs processes. For its automotive service, GBA handles more than two million vehicle movements per year on behalf of its customers through its port and delivery operations, so it cannot afford delays within the logistics chain. As part of its preparations for Brexit, GBA upgraded to Descartes e-Customs solution to effectively manage inbound and outbound customs declarations from one web-based interface, thereby ensuring products continue to move efficiently. With this approach, the customs process is streamlined, enabling simple management of what will be the dramatic increase in the number of declarations once Brexit happens, meaning that not only can compliance be assured, but productivity boosted and business remains uninterrupted.

“While the customs process surrounding Brexit is complex it must not interfere with the product logistics chain. Working on behalf of our Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), we cannot allow shipments of our customers’ motor vehicles to be delayed entering or leaving the country waiting for customs clearance. We implemented the Descartes e-Customs solution in preparation of the significant increase in customs declarations that we anticipate come 1st January 2021 – as much as a five-fold increase. Descartes has played a leading role in our Brexit planning, helping to clear the fog of uncertainty to understand the processes we must follow. We’re confident that with Descartes’ solution we have the right accreditations and software we require to fully facilitate the expectations of our OEMs for import and export of their products with no customs interruptions post-Brexit,” said Timothy O’Mahoney, Shipping Network Manager, G.B. Agencies.

Pol Sweeney,  VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes adds: “The Brexit process has been long and complicated for many, but we’re delighted to be able to support GBA in its preparations to ensure that it suffers no disruption in its service for its customers after Brexit. As the 1st January 2021 fast approaches, businesses must implement the tools they need to be able to continue their operations with the same, or even increased efficiency. Brexit will have vast implications for any company importing or exporting out of the UK and this is where a comprehensive solution to manage all customs declaration types becomes a critical component, and will enable GBA to manage this for its clients with ease – despite the number of declarations increasing overnight.”

Posted in Uncategorised

Bonfiglioli UK to Move to New Warrington HQ

Posted on by David Priestman

Drive system and motor specialist Bonfiglioli Group is to move its UK team to a new HQ.

Established in UK for almost 40 years, Bonfiglioli Group decided to merge the two facilities located in Warrington and Redditch and move into a brand new 26,000 Sqf (2,416 Sq.) facility located in Calver Quay Warrington.

Therefore, with the aim to increase synergies and give a better support to our customers, the Mobility & Wind Industries Business Unit focusing on the wind, construction, agriculture, electro mobility and marine machinery and the Discrete Manufacturing & Process Industries Business Unit focusing on light and heavy-duty industrial applications, have been brought together.

This new home for Bonfiglioli UK gathered all the assembly operations & storage of the products allowing more efficient processes to better serve the market. The Sales & Service department are also integrated to this new facility. The total number of employees is 23 which includes external, internal sales, accounts, assembly and warehouse personal. 2019 sales revenue were £34m.

This move will provide the company with increased space, improved logistics, up grading of its IT system with improved security and improved customer service. Better serve our customers thanks to complete and integrated solutions are always our number one objective.

Bonfiglioli UK to Move to New Warrington HQ

Posted on by David Priestman

Drive system and motor specialist Bonfiglioli Group is to move its UK team to a new HQ.

Established in UK for almost 40 years, Bonfiglioli Group decided to merge the two facilities located in Warrington and Redditch and move into a brand new 26,000 Sqf (2,416 Sq.) facility located in Calver Quay Warrington.

Therefore, with the aim to increase synergies and give a better support to our customers, the Mobility & Wind Industries Business Unit focusing on the wind, construction, agriculture, electro mobility and marine machinery and the Discrete Manufacturing & Process Industries Business Unit focusing on light and heavy-duty industrial applications, have been brought together.

This new home for Bonfiglioli UK gathered all the assembly operations & storage of the products allowing more efficient processes to better serve the market. The Sales & Service department are also integrated to this new facility. The total number of employees is 23 which includes external, internal sales, accounts, assembly and warehouse personal. 2019 sales revenue were £34m.

This move will provide the company with increased space, improved logistics, up grading of its IT system with improved security and improved customer service. Better serve our customers thanks to complete and integrated solutions are always our number one objective.

Datalogic AV900 Code Reader Delivers More Resolution and Power

Posted on by David Priestman

Datalogic has launched the AV900 industrial 9MP image-based code reader for applications in transportation, logistics, distribution and airports. The AV900 extends the Datalogic AV family with a new product that delivers more resolution and power allowing one device to do the work of multiple devices. The AV900 delivers enhanced processing power coupled with an increased field of optical view that maximizes throughput and reduces system costs.

This new device has an industry-leading high resolution 9MP sensor combined with the Intel Pentium QUAD core processor. Together, they deliver image acquisition at 32 frames per second along with dynamic and adjustable focus. These features allow the AV900 to excel in several applications from inbound to sorting on large conveyors at high speed.

The 9MP sensor provides a 40% larger field of view allowing enterprises to use fewer devices to cover the same area when compared to 5MP units, greatly reducing the overall system cost.

Unlike other adjustable focus devices that can only be defined during the installation or tuning process, the AV900 has extensive focusing capabilities including:

Unique Sequential two-zone focus: the AV900 can go between two different preset zones. This is ideal for sorting objects in bomb bay sorters or code reading on a pallet where focusing device are not mounted.

  • Dynamic Focusing: Interfacing with a focusing device such as a sensor, light curtain or dimensioner providing the best reading capabilities on objects of different dimensions at high-speed.

These flexible, dynamic focus capabilities greatly increase the depth of focus, the quality of the images and provide excellent performance over a wide range of applications. This is especially useful for hard-to-read bar codes.

The high-quality image capability coupled with a dedicated high speed ethernet port for image transfer makes AV900 ideally suited for OCR, video coding applications and postprocessing inspection analysis.

Other features such as continuous frame acquisition, no-flashing white or red integrated illumination, and colored spot indicator make the AV900 image-based code reader the perfect solution for operator attended applications. This includes manual object presentation in overhead scanning mode, manual conveyor loading or pallet traceability.

The AV900 seamlessly integrates with other products in AV family that can be combined to deliver a top performance traceability solution at the lowest system cost. The AV900 includes new automatic software-based redundancy and configuration sharing with the complete line of Datalogic AV cameras. These features greatly reduce system down time and make easy to install new units.

Interfacing and monitoring the AV900 is easy. The device is compatible with Datalogic’s WebSentinel™ PLUS for real-time performance monitoring. Moreover, it can be interfaced to major industrial networks such as Fieldbus and PROFINET. It can interface with Ethernet IP enabled PLC’s through two Ethernet TCP/IP and two serial communication interfaces.

The new Datalogic AV900 raises the standard for industrial and logistics applications. Integrators and enterprises in transportation, logistics, distribution and airports can easily create solutions that reap the benefits of maximized traceability and more efficient processes for a reduced Total Cost of Ownership.

Datalogic AV900 Code Reader Delivers More Resolution and Power

Posted on by David Priestman

Datalogic has launched the AV900 industrial 9MP image-based code reader for applications in transportation, logistics, distribution and airports. The AV900 extends the Datalogic AV family with a new product that delivers more resolution and power allowing one device to do the work of multiple devices. The AV900 delivers enhanced processing power coupled with an increased field of optical view that maximizes throughput and reduces system costs.

This new device has an industry-leading high resolution 9MP sensor combined with the Intel Pentium QUAD core processor. Together, they deliver image acquisition at 32 frames per second along with dynamic and adjustable focus. These features allow the AV900 to excel in several applications from inbound to sorting on large conveyors at high speed.

The 9MP sensor provides a 40% larger field of view allowing enterprises to use fewer devices to cover the same area when compared to 5MP units, greatly reducing the overall system cost.

Unlike other adjustable focus devices that can only be defined during the installation or tuning process, the AV900 has extensive focusing capabilities including:

Unique Sequential two-zone focus: the AV900 can go between two different preset zones. This is ideal for sorting objects in bomb bay sorters or code reading on a pallet where focusing device are not mounted.

  • Dynamic Focusing: Interfacing with a focusing device such as a sensor, light curtain or dimensioner providing the best reading capabilities on objects of different dimensions at high-speed.

These flexible, dynamic focus capabilities greatly increase the depth of focus, the quality of the images and provide excellent performance over a wide range of applications. This is especially useful for hard-to-read bar codes.

The high-quality image capability coupled with a dedicated high speed ethernet port for image transfer makes AV900 ideally suited for OCR, video coding applications and postprocessing inspection analysis.

Other features such as continuous frame acquisition, no-flashing white or red integrated illumination, and colored spot indicator make the AV900 image-based code reader the perfect solution for operator attended applications. This includes manual object presentation in overhead scanning mode, manual conveyor loading or pallet traceability.

The AV900 seamlessly integrates with other products in AV family that can be combined to deliver a top performance traceability solution at the lowest system cost. The AV900 includes new automatic software-based redundancy and configuration sharing with the complete line of Datalogic AV cameras. These features greatly reduce system down time and make easy to install new units.

Interfacing and monitoring the AV900 is easy. The device is compatible with Datalogic’s WebSentinel™ PLUS for real-time performance monitoring. Moreover, it can be interfaced to major industrial networks such as Fieldbus and PROFINET. It can interface with Ethernet IP enabled PLC’s through two Ethernet TCP/IP and two serial communication interfaces.

The new Datalogic AV900 raises the standard for industrial and logistics applications. Integrators and enterprises in transportation, logistics, distribution and airports can easily create solutions that reap the benefits of maximized traceability and more efficient processes for a reduced Total Cost of Ownership.

Combilift Celebrates IFOY Success with Combi-CS

Posted on by David Priestman

Combilift is celebrating victory in the Warehouse Truck Lowlifter Category of the IFOY Awards with its innovative Combi-CS pedestrian counterbalance stacker.

The Combi-CS is the only pedestrian counterbalance stacker that will operate in a conventional reach truck aisle for space saving and productive storage and handling. It features Combilift’s unique, internationally patented and award winning multi-position tiller arm which can be turned to the left or right of the unit to position the rear drive wheel, allowing the operator to remain in the safest position – at the side of the machine rather than at the rear as is the case with other pedestrian stackers. This ensures optimum visibility of the load and surroundings as well as guaranteeing maximum safety in areas where other personnel or members of the public may be present.

Due to the current circumstances, the hundreds of people that normally attend the IFOY ceremony could not get together personally, so the organisers rolled out the virtual red carpet for the winners on the Internet on July 13th 2020 at www.ifoy.org. IFOY founder and Executive Chairperson of the IFOY Jury Anita Würmser said: “Special times require special solutions and this year’s IFOY Awards were dedicated to the best innovations in intralogistics and moreover to the people who make intralogistics happen.”

Finalists’ products underwent stringent IFOY audit and innovation checks by industry experts and journalists from leading logistics media from 19 countries also tested and evaluated the equipment for qualities such as technology, design, ergonomics, safety, marketability, customer benefit and sustainability. Some of the jury’s comments on the Combi-CS were as follows: “The Combi-CS is a really compact smart pedestrian operated truck and a nice hands-on solution. It offers significant added value in terms of narrow aisle operation and safety in confined environments. It is a customer-focussed solution with a very high level of market relevance.”

Combilift CEO and Co-founder Martin McVicar said: “On behalf of the whole Combilift team I am delighted to receive the IFOY 2020 Award and proud that this innovative product has been recognised as valuable solution for the intralogistics sector. We extend our thanks to the IFOY jury for selecting us for this important award.”

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