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Tag: covid 19

Envirotainer handles billionth vaccine

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Envirotainer, a global leader in secure cold-chain solutions for air transportation of pharmaceuticals, is calling for continued collaboration between pharmaceutical firms and the logistics industry.

The call to action comes as Envirotainer passes a major milestone in the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. One billion have been carried in the company’s fleet of over 6,500 temperature-controlled air cargo containers. These are designed to maintain constant internal temperature, some for over a week, ensuring treatments arrive in perfect condition.

With much of Europe introducing new curbs on freedoms to reduce cases, the whole sector needs to be ready to meet increased demand for vaccines and boosters.

Globally, just 56.9% of the world population has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This illustrates the mountain left to climb. In doing so, pharmaceutical manufacturers, forwards, airlines and cold chain-solutions providers need to work seamlessly as extensions of each other.

This calls for total transparency on which consignments are crucial and need to be prioritised. It also requires further advance planning. Not only in terms of keeping COVID-19 treatments moving, but also other life-saving drugs that are required every day across the globe.

Niklas Adamsson, Envirotainer’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We’re incredibly proud of handling a billion vaccines at a time when air freight has been restricted and demand has been sky high. This is thanks to the incredible collaboration we’ve been part of across the industry.

“We’ve worked closely with our partners and customers, and now want to work even closer with those efforts in the face of Omicron. It’s crucial we continue to work in unity across the cold-chain to get the next doses to the patients, where they’re needed. It’s our responsibility as part of the fight against coronavirus, and we’re ready to do all we can.”

STILL supports vaccination campaign

Posted on by Keith McKinley

STILL is supporting the City of Hamburg’s vaccination campaign by providing extensive premises and the necessary infrastructure for two open vaccination days organised by the social security authorities at the STILL Arena in Billbrook.

On 10th December, 2021, and 7th January, 2022, anyone over the age of 12 who is willing to be vaccinated can benefit from the offer without pre-registration. Primary, secondary and booster vaccinations will be offered and the vaccines available will be from Biontech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Taking responsibility is a matter of course for the Hamburg-based intralogistics company. STILL has been actively involved in the fight against the Coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, for example with a special vaccination line for the workforce and donations of vehicles for system-relevant supply areas. Now STILL is making its STILL Arena events hall, in Berzeliusstraße in Hamburg Billbrook available to the City of Hamburg’s social security office for two open vaccination days. The infrastructure – from furniture to routing to IT – will be organised by STILL as well.

“We can only overcome this pandemic if we stand together in solidarity,” emphasises Frank Müller, Senior Vice President Brand Management / Sales & Service Steering STILL EMEA. “It is therefore a matter of course for us to support the city’s vaccination campaign. And if we can use our resources to help provide even more Hamburg citizens with low-threshold access to a Corona vaccination, then we are very happy to do so. We hope that many citizens will make use of this offer and roll up their sleeves with us in the STILL Arena.”

Right next to the STILL Arena there is also a Corona test centre run by the German Red Cross (DRK). Here, too, the company has made premises available to support the containment of the pandemic and to offer employees an additional opportunity to protect themselves and implement the 3G regulation in the workplace (which stands for vaccinated, recovered, tested) with as little effort as possible.

Transaid helps tackle Covid-19 in Uganda

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Transaid has commenced a major project to provide access to fast, quality Covid-19 screening for truck drivers at border crossings in Uganda. The initiative aims to help reduce the spread and impact of Covid-19 and lessen the economic burden on transport companies by offering rapid antigen testing for drivers – a move which it is hoped will help shape policies for the use of such tests in the future.

The international development organisation was invited to partner with FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, which seeks to ensure equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world, as well as the Uganda National Health Laboratory Services (UNHLS), to deliver this essential work.

Together, the three organisations are setting out to assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using rapid antigen tests to enable truck drivers to move safely across borders without the delays and costs experienced with more expensive and slower PCR tests, with a plan to advocate for national policy change if the validation studies prove successful.

Transaid will also be using its expertise from two existing Covid-19 projects supporting truck drivers in Uganda and Zambia, to further raise awareness of symptoms and prevention and to integrate road safety messages. It will also provide drivers, transport managers and transport associations with information to help support vaccine take-up in Uganda and the wider region.

Caroline Barber, Chief Executive of Transaid, said: “Right now, cross-border HGV drivers cannot equitably or affordably access fast and reliable testing, and this can lead to the rapid spread of Covid-19 amongst drivers and the communities they interact with. We are confident that making quality testing more widely available for drivers sets the foundation for adequate prevention, detection and response.”

Currently many borders require proof of a negative test result within the last 72 hours before allowing entry. This has led to long queues with drivers waiting several days for PCR test results, whilst a lack of access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), limited sensitisation and a high degree of interaction between drivers, communities and front-line workers at borders is increasing the risk of infection.

Dr. Emma Hannay, Chief Access Officer at FIND, said: “Testing is crucial to stopping the spread of Covid-19, but testing strategies must be fit-for-purpose. Rapid antigen screening is quicker, cheaper and more convenient than PCR testing, potentially providing a practical solution for truck drivers at border crossings. These rapid tests could help alleviate the congestion we are now seeing at borders, and also kerb the growing trade in fake negative test certificates, which is becoming a major public health concern.”

Dr. Susan Nabadda, Commissioner, National Laboratory and Diagnostic Services at UNHLS, added: “This project has come at exactly the right moment in the fight against Covid-19. We hope the findings can be used to influence policy by enabling rapid testing among asymptomatic truck drivers and fast track movement of trucks and goods across the border while protecting the population of Uganda and neighbouring countries.”

Ugandan transport companies have reported that the current slow pace of PCR testing at borders means a truck on international long-haul work is spending an additional 36 days idle per year.

Turnaround times have equally been impacted, with reports of drivers taking twice as long to complete the 1,150km journey between Kampala and Mombasa, reducing earning potential and leading to increased concerns from unions about the mental health of drivers. Some drivers have also reported security concerns at border posts and increased risk of theft to their cargo.

This new project is currently expected to run until December 2022 and will initially focus on the border crossings in Malaba and Busia – major ports of entry between Uganda and Kenya.

Logistics Business Show Spring 2022

Posted on by David Priestman

The three-day Logistics Business Show got underway online on Tuesday March 15th. As well as a chance to explore products and solutions from a broad range of exhibitors, visitors can also network with the 5,000+ industry professionals who have already registered.

As in previous events, the Panel Discussions for the conference are attracting considerable interest. Once again they will be expertly hosted by Logistics Business Magazine’s Editor Paul Hamblin, and reflect the broad variety of exhibitors signed up to attend.

The industry experts speaking on the first day (Tuesday March 15th) of the Logistics Business Show virtual event will cover subjects ranging from sustainability and automation to road transport and inventory management, the panel debates have again attracted high-level speakers from sector-leading European and global businesses.

The provisional timetable for TUESDAY MARCH 15th is as follows:

Road Transport Challenges – 10.00 UTC/11.00 CET

Panellists: Stefan Van Doorslaer, CEO of Belgian logistics expert Ahlers; experienced New Zealand-based editor and journalist Nigel Parry from ontherack.news; and Tom Southall, policy director at the UK’s Cold Chain Federation.

Delivery WISMO & Inventory Management – 11.00 UTC/12.00 CET

Panellists: Craig Summers, UKI managing director at supply chain solutions leader Manhattan Associates; Mike Becker, managing director & co-founder of intralogistics automation company doks.innovation GmbH; and Cedric Mollon, co-founder and CEO of barcode scanning start-up VIZIOTIX.

Automation Systems in the DC – 12.00 UTC/13.00 CET

Panellists: Wouter Loomans, sales manager at US industrial automation leader Material Handling Systems Inc (MHS); Oana Jinga, CCO and co-founder of British robotics and AI company BotsAndUs; and Gianni Girolami, key account manager of advanced robotics maker HAI Robotics.

Sustainable, Low-Carbon Supply Chains – 14.00 UTC/15.00 CET

Panellists: Kevin Onderbeke, director of business development at Ahlers; Paul Williams, executive director of global logistic, freight forwarding & supply chain specialist Woodland Group; and Oliver Chapman, CEO of supply chain procurement partner OCI.

Putting Your Data to Work – 15.00 UTC/16.00 CET

Panellists: Robert Jordan, CEO of The Information Factory, an independent software vendor; Graeme Aitken, VP strategic customer pricing at DHL Global Forwarding; and Ulrik Topp, independent director of transport services reseller World Options.

On the second day (Wednesday March 16th) subjects being covered range from forklift innovation through health & safety to the latest robotics solutions.

The provisional timetable for WEDNESDAY MARCH 16th is as follows:

Forklift Innovation & Components – 10.00 UTC/11.00 CET

Panellists: Adam Dudas-Smith, Export Area Manager at industrial tyre specialist Marangoni; serial entrepreneur Louise Inglese, Founder & CEO of GenieGrips; Jean-Francois Marchand, Marketing Director for Canadian Li-ion battery manufacturer UgoWork; and Pete Wooding, Manager Technology & VNA at global forklift maker Crown Lift Trucks.

Robotics: Affordability & AI – 11.00 UTC/12.00 CET

Panellists: Adam Fox, Business Development Manager for logistics automation leader Swisslog; Jason Dyche, Division Director of logistics solution provider Big Box Group UK; and Kevin Heath, Senior Manager in the Dematic Global Robotics Center of Excellence (CoE).

Software for Real Time Visibility – 12.00 UTC/13.00 CET

Panellists: Jorge Lopera, Vice President and Head of Global Strategy for FarEye; and Tony Dobson, CEO at Snapfulfil EMEA.

Warehouse Worker Health & Safety – 14.00 UTC/15.00 CET

Panellists: James Ryan, Owner at safety equipment manufacturer Sentry Protection Products; Kevin Antony, Chief Executive Officer at van accessory producer Safepul Ltd; and Abi Piper, Sales & Business Development for Scafftag at global safety leader Brady Corporation.

Track & Trace: Rugged Mobile – 15.00 UTC/16.00 CET

Panellists: Rogier de Klein, Senior Account Executive at FarEye; Laurent Turmes, International sales manager at POST Telecom for Business; and Mike Willett, Retail, T&L, Manufacturing Lead at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK.

The organisers are delighted to announce that FarEye is the event’s principal sponsor. FarEye is a low-code, Intelligent Delivery Management Platform, enabling enterprises to orchestrate, track, and optimise their logistics operations. FarEye’s native SaaS products provide real-time visibility across transportation networks and logistics orchestration for the execution of deliveries across the first, mid and last mile.

David Priestman, Director of Logistics Business Publishing, the event’s organiser, said: “Our panel discussions have proved one of the most popular aspects of the Logistics Business Show. This time round, we announced our themes in advance in order to attract speakers with knowledge to impart from across the logistics sector.”

With a full programme of exclusive conferences and interviews running alongside the exhibition, please CLICK HERE to find out more about the must-visit third staging of the Logistics Business Show. Registered visitors can log-in early on Monday 14th March to finalise their and prepare their online profile.

As a taster, please CLICK HERE to view some of the conference sessions from the Autumn 2021 staging of the Logistics Business Show.

LogiMAT postponed until May

Posted on by Keith McKinley

LogiMAT, the International Trade Show for Intralogistics Solutions and Process Management scheduled for March 8–10, 2022, in Stuttgart, has been postponed due to the renewed challenges associated with Covid-19. The organiser, EUROEXPO Messe und Kongress-GmbH, has worked closely with exhibitors in making the decision to push back the event to May 31–June 2, 2022.

“The current high level of case incidences is unsettling to everyone, including our exhibitors,” explained Michael Ruchty, Exhibition Director of LogiMAT Stuttgart. “This is understandable and cannot simply be ignored. That’s why we are compelled once more to respond to the situation at hand. Our exhibitors need certainty for their planning, and that’s difficult right now.

“From today’s perspective, it isn’t clear whether it will be possible to host the full on-site event in March. The exhibitors would like to see an in-person event, but if vaccination rates remain too low and the resulting strain on hospital capacities leads once more to the introduction of stricter measures, then that’s not in the interests of everyone involved. We must do everything we can to ensure that the event lives up to the understandable expectations of on-site exhibitors and visitors. That’s why it’s not surprising that many exhibitors explicitly support this postponement.”

The LogiMAT.digital platform will be extended for all participants to the end of June 2022 to bridge the time until the trade show in May 2022.

‘Pingdemic’ exemption can save Christmas

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A toxic combination of the current HGV driver shortage crisis, post-Brexit immigration rules, an unprecedented increase in demand for transport due to a change in shopping habits, and the recent ‘pingdemic’, is steering the industry towards a potential ‘Perfect Storm’ this Christmas, says Emma Verkaik, Membership & Marketing Director of the BCMPA, the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics.

The requirement for fulfilment services continues to grow across a wide array of sectors, including clothing, electrical, personal care, healthcare, and entertainment, and whilst BCMPA members are coping well with it, it is proving to be much more difficult to guarantee delivery on time, or sometimes even at all. As one member commented, “90% of my problems today are based not on the operational side of getting the orders and boxes out of the door, but on deliveries; we work hard to provide efficient, reliable, quick turnaround of stock, only to find it misses the delivery window due to transport challenges”.

It is estimated by the Road Haulage Association that Britain is already short of around 60,000 lorry drivers. This deficit is being further increased by the effects of the recent pingdemic, with remaining driving staff being forced to self-isolate. In the week to 21st July alone, the number of self-isolation alerts sent by the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales rose by 70,000 to a new record of 689,313.

A recent demand to the government from the UK Warehousing Association for logistics staff to be exempted from the need for self-isolation if ‘pinged’ is an indication of how far reaching and disruptive the current pingdemic is becoming.

It is clear that something needs to be done and the BCMPA is calling for the industry and government to help effect immediate change, extending the exemption from self-isolation to workers in the contract packing and fulfilment industry.

The impact of these driver shortages is already apparent and is set be felt in very real terms across the wider economy. BCMPA members fear that if a rapid, effective solution is not found, the expected further spike in demand for delivery services during retail events such as Black Friday and a post Covid Christmas could prove to be a tipping point, with empty shelves in store and patchy D2C delivery.

An undoubted further consequence of this shortage is that, in addition to the difficulties and delays experienced, costs will rise too, as large supermarket chains seek to secure their own deliveries by increasing drivers’ salaries. As an example, during July, Tesco began offering a £1,000 joining bonus for HGV lorry drivers, putting further pressure on hauliers’ costs as they attempt to retain or recruit drivers. This will inevitably lead to wage rises, costs which the industry will be unlikely to continue to be able to absorb, leading to higher on-shelf prices.

The deep-seated nature of the problem is making it difficult to see an easy – or quick – fix. Yet in many instances, a quick fix is imperative, due to the perishable, or time-dependent nature of some commodities and the enormous hole in supply.

A real sense exists amongst BCMPA members that, without fast, decisive, and wide-ranging action Christmas is in trouble, and government, industry and all interested parties need to act now to make sure it is not effectively cancelled.

UKWA calls for self-isolation exemption

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Clare Bottle, the Chief Executive of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), has written to Rachel Maclean, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, making the strong case for logistics workers to be exempt from self-isolation as the ‘pingdemic’ sweeps the country causing shortages of supplies.

Clare states: “During the earlier phases of the Covid-19 pandemic logistics workers, including warehouse workforces, benefitted from ‘essential worker’ status, which helped our members and the wider logistics community to maintain critical supply chains, including food and pharmaceutical supplies. We believe that exemption from self-isolation should now apply to this sector by default, which would be in line with the earlier position of the government and straight forward to implement.”

Earlier, the PM said critical workers who are fully vaccinated would be able to avoid self-isolating when recommended to do so by the Track & Trace app. However, it was later explained that this would only apply to a “very low number of people” and employers would be obliged to make individual applications for the exemption.

Subsequently, the impact of millions of workers having to self-isolate has brought increasing pressure on the government to reconsider its position.

Clare concludes: “While we welcome the news that supermarket workers and food manufacturers will be now exempt from quarantine, warehouse workers form a critical part of supply chains not only for food, but for pharmaceuticals and other essential supplies too, Although members have been affected to different degrees, some have reported up to 40% of staff self-isolating. Therefore we’re also seeking urgent clarification from the government on the process for individuals and businesses to apply for exemption.”

 Cranfield expert: ‘Pingdemic’ threatens supply chain

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Commenting on the struggle of supply chains amid the ‘Pingdemic’, Professor Richard Wilding OBE, Professor of Supply Chain Strategy at Cranfield School of Management, said: “For any supply chain to operate you need processes, IT systems, physical infrastructure and equipment but critically you need people to support this. What we are seeing here is the removal of one of the critical fundamentals of the supply chain, people.

“Typically, organisations plan for a 3% absentee rate, what we are seeing here appears much higher and causing significant problems. Any reduction in the workforce above planned levels will always cause disruption.

“The challenge is the ‘pingdemic’ affects all part of the supply chain in both the front end where customers are served in supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, pubs, health care settings but also the back end of the supply chain that supports these businesses including warehouse operators, delivery drivers, lorry drivers moving things across the country, manufacturing plant operators and ultimately those involved in waste collection and recycling.

“Even if you have a fully staffed supermarket, if you have a warehouse or a production plant running at 50% of its capacity, you will have problems filling shelves with product. The same is true if you lose supermarket workers, if you have product but nobody to stock the shelves or staff the tills, you can’t operate effectively.

“With no end in sight of the ‘pingdemic’, organisations will have to plan and prioritise operations to take into account a reduced work force, possibly over a sustained period. This could include reducing the number of shifts operated, focusing on the essentials, focusing only on high profit margin products and services to maximise revenue with the limited resource available and, in the worst case, shutting down parts of operations.

“All these actions will potentially impact on consumer choice and the customer experience. The already burning platform of the pandemic is driving all organisations to explore automation in all areas to a greater extent.   Supply chains will never return to the old normal and the impact on our society will continue as we move into the new normal.

“The challenge is that it is not only the “pingdemic” putting strain on supply chains, floods in Europe causing re-routing and disruption, hot weather causing change in customer buying patterns and the huge backlog in HGV driver tests caused by the pandemic, for example, all contribute to supply chain volatility and pressures.”

“The pandemic has changed the industry”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The Corona pandemic has posed major challenges to people around the world and has had a huge impact on all areas of the global economy. Rolf Eiten, President & CEO, Clark Europe, explains how the company is responding to the challenges it faces and how Covid-19 has changed the everyday business of the materials handling vehicle manufacturer.

We have been dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic for more than a year and a half. What has changed in Clark’s day-to-day business?

Home office and virtual collaboration have now become firmly established in our company. And we also communicate with our business partners or colleagues within the Clark organisation via video conference. The project work of our teams is done via digital whiteboards and we use virtual presentation platforms for training our sales partners. The Corona pandemic has shown us that virtual exchange works well and that we can save time and resources with it. However, it does not completely replace face-to-face events in the long run. Especially the cooperation with our business partners and customers thrives on personal contact on site.

How would you describe the economic situation of your company?

After the order situation was very poor in the 1st half of 2020 due to the Corona crisis, it picked up again strongly in the 2nd half of 2020, so that we were able to close the 2020 financial year with growth of just over 3% compared to the previous year. In the first half of 2021, the order situation is better than ever. The market for materials handling vehicles in our market region increased by 70% in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Globally, Clark was even able to increase the order volume by 50% compared to the result of the previous year. In the EMEA region – that is, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – we were able to increase our order intake by 80% compared to the previous year. I don’t think anyone expected the market to pick up so much speed during the Corona crisis. One downer, however, is that we, like many of our competitors, have problems in the supply chain and in the procurement of components, as many vendor parts come from Asia.

The consequence for our customers is that they have to wait much longer for the delivery of vehicles. However, the supply chain is not the only challenge the market is currently facing. In addition, there is a drastic increase in freight costs, delivery delays due to bottlenecks in sea freight and the constantly rising prices of raw materials. The industry is currently operating in a very difficult environment.

Is the fact that for years not only the procurement of supplier parts, but also entire production processes were relocated abroad, and in particular to Asia, now falling on the manufacturers’ feet?

Trade relations between Europe and Asia have become stronger and stronger over the years. Companies have not only placed orders in the Far East, but also transferred technology. Today, there is almost no company that does not buy material from China. So, we are more or less facing the same dilemma here. I believe that the Covid 19 pandemic is showing us quite clearly how great the danger of this dependence on Asia really is, which we have all accepted so far – and yes, now it is falling on our feet that we have outsourced production to Asia in order to save costs. Now we are paying dearly in every respect.

What measures have you taken to at least counteract this?

To secure our supply chain, we ordered machines for our own stock at an early stage. In addition, we have taken a number of measures in conjunction with the Clark factories worldwide and the transporters: We visited our suppliers to get an idea of the situation on site and to find out how we can support them to speed up material procurement. For example, we have ordered parts in advance to help suppliers, changed suppliers to reduce costs and looked for new carriers to speed up deliveries. At the moment, therefore, production is running in all our factories and the supply chains are also largely intact. It just takes a little longer.

Do you now regret that the assembly production in Duisburg is not yet up and running?

No, on the contrary! I am glad that this project has been put on hold for the time being. Assembly production in Duisburg would not significantly change the current situation, because 95% of the parts would come from the Far East in a modular system. We would be in exactly the same dependency and would perhaps only have more flexibility in assembling the units.

Do you now use the capacities created for assembly production elsewhere?

Absolutely! We have put the focus on the used equipment business and the expansion of our direct business in the Duisburg area.

That means you use the free workshop capacities for reconditioning used equipment?

Exactly. Last year, we started buying used vehicles on a trial basis in order to learn how to refurbish used vehicles and to develop quality standards. Among other things, we invested in the existing paint shop and modernised and upgraded it. We can now paint equipment using the wet paint process, which makes the paintwork much higher quality and more durable. This means that the customer can count on very high-quality vehicles with Clark used vehicles. The first reconditioned vehicles were practically snatched out of our hands. Now we are expanding this business area bit by bit. Since visits to customers have become possible again, our direct business has also picked up strongly. So, we can’t complain.

Clark is also active in expanding the product range? In the field of warehouse technology, the range of vehicles with lithium-ion technology has been expanded?

Yes, that is correct. We expanded our range in the low-platform truck sector last year with the WPio series with load capacities of 1.2 to 2t. Operators will be able to benefit from the advantages of the lithium-ion battery with Clark in future: such as easy handling and freedom from maintenance, the high energy density with correspondingly high driving performance, fast intermediate charging without limiting the service life as well as gassing-free recharging of the battery.

With the COP1, we have brought an order picker to the market that is not only extremely efficient in picking goods, but also – thanks to the elevating work platform – proves itself as a rolling ladder or working platform. We have also expanded the range of hand pallet trucks with the HPT Eco and HPT Premium. Both trucks are characterised by high stability and easy operation and have a load capacity of 2500kg – the HPT Eco is designed for lighter and the HPT Premium for more demanding applications.

Has something also changed with Clark engine technology?

Absolutely! In 2020, Clark has launched a Kubota Stage 5 diesel engine with diesel particulate filter and diesel oxidation catalytic converter for the diesel forklift trucks of the C40-55sD and C60-80D900 series with load capacities of 4 to 8t. This opens up areas of application for Clark diesel forklift trucks that were denied to them in the past due to the lack of a diesel particulate filter.

You also presented a new solution for production logistics?

Correct. Clark brought a tugger train system onto the market at the beginning of the year. With this all-in-one solution, we have specifically addressed the specific requirements of industrial customers. The tugger train consists of the Clark CTX40-70 tractor with a trailer load of 4 or 7t as well as the CTR01 and CTR02 trailers. The CTR01 trailer, designed as a single U-frame, is designed for customers who mainly have to transport Euro pallets. It can accommodate a mobile trolley on which Euro pallets with a maximum load of 1200kg can be transported.

The Double U-Frame trailer CTR02 can accommodate both Euro pallets and other types of pallets commonly used in industry. Via a movable centre beam, the operator can flexibly choose between a trolley with a size of 1600 x 1000mm and a payload of up to 1600kg or two trolleys with a load weight of 800 kg each. We are currently realising a new customer project in this area. For this purpose, we have expanded our range of tugs to include vehicles with a load capacity of 3t.

Covid impact on transport study published

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The outbreak of coronavirus in March 2020 has utterly changed the road freight transport landscape. Only transport professionals themselves can explain how they have dealt with this situation and describe what perspectives it holds for the coming months.

For this reason, the Alpega Group, the leading logistics software company offering modular solutions to cover all transportation needs, backed by 35 years of experience in the market, conducted a macro-survey where more than 1.200 logistics and transport companies across Europe participated through its freight exchanges, Teleroute and Wtransnet. From this survey a complete analysis has just been published.

The conclusions of this study show that the worst is over, and that the sector is moderately optimistic as it awaits future events before considering the crisis to be over.

At a time when challenges such as the recovery of the industry, digitalisation and Brexit are already on the agendas of many companies, professionals rate their degree of optimism about transport for the next few months at 6.2 out of 10.

While the majority of respondents acknowledge having experienced a significant reduction in transactions in 2020 compared to 2019, there are expectations for the sector’s recovery. An encouraging future can also be seen when talking about transport prices, where we find that a third of the responses even point to an increase in prices.

The pandemic has also highlighted the need to advance in the process of digitalisation of the transport companies. Digital tools have played a key role in recent months. The use of freight exchanges has increased, a trend that responds to the need to find alternative routes, as well as to find return loads from unusual destinations amidst growing demand for transport.

The coronavirus crisis has coincided with the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. As the study shows, this has caused a sceptical reaction among European hauliers. Excessive bureaucracy and lack of information are the main reasons given by the respondents for a possible reduction in the activity.

Road freight transport is a sector that did not stop during the most difficult moment of the crisis. This will continue even more strongly now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

CLICK HERE to access the complete study. 

 

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