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Tag: freight forwarding

Abbey forms strategic partnership with Cisternas Amarillo

Posted on by David Priestman

Abbey Logistics has formed a new partnership with Cisternas Amarillo S.L (Amarillo), a large bulk powder road tanker company based in Seville, Spain and part of the full-service logistics company, Pantoja Grupo Logistico.

The partnership is designed to provide continuous movement of customers’ products between the UK and Spain and provide customers with a faster more reliable and cost-effective transport solution through a well-managed joined-up approach that optimises the reach of the two businesses.

The partnership combines Abbey and Amarillo’s extensive knowledge and experience in bulk food road tanker transport and maximises their collective fleet capabilities to provide a reliable flow of feedstock ingredients between the two countries.

Utilising multimodal transport links, the tanks are reloaded for the return journeys, minimising empty miles and fully utilising both company’s vehicles and drivers to ensure products move on a continuous basis.

Paul Laverick, Head of Abbey’s Powder Division, said: “This new partnership further demonstrates Abbey’s unique ability to support road tanker companies in Europe thanks to our scale and network capability in the UK.

“Amarillo is highly regarded for its skills and experience in bulk dry food grade products and we are delighted to begin working together as we maximise the vast experience our combined businesses have for the benefit of our customers.”

Lars Stendahl, Amarillo’s Operations Director, said: “Abbey Logistics is well known to us and their reputation for customer service and flexibility together with their specialist knowledge of the products we carry, made them a natural fit for our operations and customers.

“We look forward to expanding our work together and building on the partnership we have formed.”

Strengths and flaws in the EU’s new IOSS

Posted on by David Priestman

Beleaguered British retailers are braced for yet more changes to how they sell goods to the EU. From 1st July 2021, a new EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme means British-based e-commerce companies only need to register and pay VAT in one EU country to sell goods not exceeding £135/€150 across the entire EU. The new IOSS regulations certainly make retailers’ lives easier, but they aren’t entirely good news, says the international delivery expert ParcelHero.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: “On the face of it, the new IOSS scheme helps return things to their pre-Brexit norm. However, in the case of the IOSS, the devil really is in the detail. We’re revealing five reasons GB traders should welcome the new scheme and five reasons the IOSS might make selling to EU customers even more complicated and expensive.”

Five reasons to welcome the new IOSS

1 IOSS greatly simplifies VAT procedures by allowing non-EU online sellers (remember that includes sellers based in Great Britain post-Brexit) to register for VAT in one EU member state, collect VAT from all their EU sales and report on a single monthly IOSS VAT return. No more multiple VAT filings in multiple countries.

2 Life is greatly simplified for sellers using online marketplaces. These become the ‘supplier’ when cross border B2C sales are made on them by third-party sellers. VAT liability (collecting and reporting) for sales in EU countries will fall on the marketplace rather than the merchant, providing the consignment is valued at less than £135 (€150). Our top tip is that businesses using only online marketplaces may now be able to end any existing EU VAT registrations, as they will no longer be responsible for collecting and reporting VAT.

3 Retailers’ EU-based customers won’t be facing any more unexpected VAT payments on purchases of goods sold in Britain, which will build back trust in buying from GB sellers.

4 Northern Ireland-based companies may enjoy an exemption threshold. NI firms can join the alternative intra-EU OSS scheme. Providing their sales to the EU don’t exceed £8,818/€10,000 per annum, NI-based organisations will only need to follow domestic VAT rules.

5 The IOSS scheme is voluntary and will speed up sellers’ EU shipments by creating a fast-track Customs clearance ‘green channel’ for consignments not exceeding £135/€150.

Five flaws in the new IOSS

1 The changes remove the previous VAT exemptions for SMEs on EU shipments worth £19/€22 or under. That means about 26,000 UK e-commerce sellers will have to register for VAT for the first time or stop selling to the EU.

2 The EU estimates it will cost around £6,900 per company each year for British sellers (that excludes Northern Ireland companies) to register and comply with IOSS regulations as a ‘non-Union’ user.

3 Unlike EU-based OSS users, IOSS users based in Great Britain don’t qualify for the new £8,818/€10,000 threshold before they have to pay EU VAT, rather than follow domestic rules. Only Northern Ireland sellers (under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol) have this option.

4 The new IOSS only applies to deliveries of items valued under the £135/€150 threshold. For all goods over that amount, GB businesses will have three choices: ensure their customer pays the import VAT at Customs; offer the option of delivering with all duties paid (DDP) or hold stock somewhere in the EU and register for VAT there.

5 Confusion still exists around registration. The gov.uk website states: ‘…it is not expected that the UK IOSS registration portal will be available for use for the 1 July 2021 launch’. There is also uncertainty about whether GB companies signing up for IOSS in an EU country must appoint an intermediary agent to register and file returns. Together with the French and German governments, ParcelHero believes this requirement does not apply to British sellers, as the UK-EU trade deal includes a tax and VAT mutual assistance agreement. The Republic of Ireland is a favourite option for GB companies because it uses English in business but, just to complicate matters, it recently stated it doesn’t yet recognise the agreement. Consequently, it will require the use of an intermediary agent.

ParcelHero’s in-depth analysis of the ongoing UK-EU trade problems and, in particular, the powder keg Northern Ireland Protocol agreement can be seen at: https://www.parcelhero.com/research/brexit-study

Freight market recovering but rates remain high

Posted on by David Priestman

Transport Intelligence’s (Ti), latest report, Global Freight Forwarding 2021, shows the post-Covid-19 global forwarding market is settling in to its recovery phase after dramatic contractions in 2020. However, market dynamics remain skewed with limited capacity available and sky-high freight rates presenting a challenging market for shippers and opportunities for forwarders to secure high margins.

The Global Freight Forwarding market contracted by 8.7% in 2020, recording its worst year since the financial crisis as a result of the pandemic. The sea freight forwarding market contracted by 3.8% in 2020, but air freight forwarding suffered worse with a decline of 12.3%. However, the freight forwarding market is expected to bounce back strongly with growth of 11.6% in 2021 and a CAGR of 5% from 2020-2025 as volumes recover.

The sea freight forwarding market is set to grow at 7.6% in 2021 and at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2020-2025. Growth in 2021 will largely be driven by the bounce back in volumes from 2020, particularly in Q2 2021 vs Q2 2020. Sea freight forwarding growth out to 2025 will be driven by the ongoing recovery in volumes, modal switches from air to sea and new trade agreements generating more trade.

Air freight forwarding is set to grow at 14.9% in 2021 and at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2020-2025. Growth in 2021 is largely driven by a recovery of volumes from 2020 and very high freight rates. Longer-term growth out to 2025 will be driven by a recovery in global trade and strong growth in air freight intensive sectors like high tech, pharmaceuticals and cross-border e-commerce.

The new report also shows that amid all the disruption to the air freight market the top 20 freight forwarders have significantly increased their share of overall volumes, from 65.05% in 2019 to 74.89% in 2020. The top 20 actually increased the air freight volumes they handled in 2020, despite market volumes declining by 12.50%. Coupled with the high air freight rates that persisted through 2020, this led to a very good year for large forwarders.

The sea freight market also saw volumes decline from 2019, with 9.95% fewer containers handled in 2020. Nevertheless, capacity constraints and high freight rates enabled the top 20 forwarders to broadly maintain their revenues, even though they carried 7.49% fewer containers than in 2019.

The new report provides a view of the future of both the air and sea freight forwarding markets and an outlook for volume, price and capacity development for the rest of 2020. It also examines the performance of freight forwarders in detail and how many of the larger players managed to achieve record margins, with the average freight forwarding margin for 2020 increasing to 7.5%.

“A tumultuous 2020 saw major disruptions in supply chains the world over with the ability of forwarders’ to keep goods moving severely tested by shocks to supply and demand, carriers greatly reducing capacity, and congestion at logistics gateways, amongst other forces,” said Nick Bailey, Ti’s Head of Research.

“Although the market saw one of the sharpest contractions in recent memory in real terms, sky high rates resulted in record-breaking top-line performance for many forwarders. The pandemic also accelerated digitisation and digitalisation efforts across the market as speed, agility and responsiveness proved highly valuable capabilities during the crisis.”

The report also examines the developing digital freight forwarding landscape. There is a new market map for the digital landscape and profiles of the major players to show how their capabilities are developing. The latest analysis highlights how they are increasingly competing with established forwarders with a full suite of end-to-end value added services and acquiring key assets to enable this, all underpinned by their technological base.

Global Freight Forwarding 2021 also drills down in to technology further, taking a closer look at the software that underpins freight forwarding services, assessing the strategies pursued by different forwarders to develop their capabilities and providing profiles of the solutions available on the market.

The latest news from the market of consolidation among the top players corroborates Ti’s view that we are likely to see further M&A activity among freight forwarders through 2021. But the report also explains that it is likely we will also see considerable M&A activity involving the digital players and software entrants which are competing to capture the growth of digitalization in the market.

To download Global Freight Forwarding 2021, please visit: https://www.ti-insight.com/product/global-freight-forwarding

BIFA issues advice on Delayed Declaration Scheme

Posted on by David Priestman

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is advising its members to be very careful with any business that they are offered from traders that have taken advantage of HMRC’s Delayed Declaration Scheme, but which have not taken out a CFSP authorisation in their own right and are now trying to find a Customs Agent to undertake the work required to complete the process.

BIFA Director General, Robert Keen, says that UK importers that took advantage of the scheme at the beginning of this year now have until 25th June to complete customs formalities for declarations delayed from early January, and many are looking for help from a BIFA member that has a CFSP authorisation to make a supplementary declaration under the scheme.

“We are reminding members that if they take on this work, it is their CFSP authorisation being used and they may have to pay any duties and VAT on behalf of the importer. So, it is essential that they ensure that their customers’ paperwork is in order and completely accurate, and if it is not, our advice is to not accept the responsibility.”

The UK Government introduced the Delayed Declarations scheme following the end of the Brexit transition period, giving businesses importing into the UK up to 175 days to complete their customs declarations.

Any business that took advantage of this opportunity at the start of January this year, now has a deadline of 25th June (or 175 days from the original import) to make the declaration.

Keen adds: “Whilst the Government has extended the scheme to defer declarations to 31st December 2021 on a rolling basis, it is important that any BIFA members undertaking this work on an importer’s behalf remains vigilant and ensures that they have all the information required to make an accurate supplementary declaration and that they don’t miss the first and subsequent deadlines.

“Any mistakes could be costly as, despite the ability to use direct representation, the authorised agent is still considered to be the owner of the procedure and responsible for a timely submission of correct declarations.

“Finally as payment will need to be made against the Deferment Account of the CFSP authorisation, we are reminding our members to consider the impact of potentially large sums that become due and the ability of the client to meet their obligations.”

G-Solutions rebrands as Bolloré following acquisition

Posted on by David Priestman

Bolloré Logistics, which ranks among the world’s top 10 in transport and logistics, has taken a significant leap forward in the Nordics with the acquisition of a majority stake in the Swedish company Global Freight Solutions AB and its Finnish affiliate. The freight forwarder G-Solutions which has operated under the Global Freight Solutions AB (G-Solutions) name up to now, will use Bolloré Logistics brand with immediate effect.

This strategic milestone thus complement the regional network following previous implementation in Norway and Denmark. Having its headquarters in the Swedish maritime hub of Gothenburg, with an additional office in Stockholm, and a branch in the Finnish capital Helsinki, G-Solutions is part of the Bolloré Logistics network since 2019. The remaining process of partnership reinforce the company presence in Europe, focusing on the development of the Nordic markets. It also marks the founding of two new subsidiaries: Bolloré Logistics Sweden AB and Bolloré Logistics Finland OY.

The Nordic company offer a comprehensive portfolio of services and creates synergies with many of the Bolloré Logistics’ industry verticals, such as mining, power, automotive, aeronautics and defence, telecom, high-tech, healthcare and retail.

Johan Moerth, Managing Director of Bolloré Logistics Sweden and Finland, stated: “This brand change constitutes a new milestone in our development strategy. Established in the region since 2006, we’ve provided the local footprint and knowledge of our markets, while benefiting from the global of a major actor of the supply chain industry. This allows us to offer our Swedish and Finnish customers a wide portfolio of competitive services in multimodal transport, warehousing, customs clearance, IT systems, with the strong ability for designing some tailor-made and innovative solutions.”

Commenting on the news, David Smith, CEO Northern Europe of Bolloré Logistics added: “This important progression secures the strategic objective of an owned and rapidly expanding network in the Nordics. It further emphasises the vital and growing presence of Sweden and Finland within our global and industry vertical offerings. I would like to pay tribute to Johan Moerth and his wider teams for their strong contribution ever since joining the company. This adoption of the Bolloré Logistics brand is the perfect reflection of the active membership of the subsidiaries in Sweden and Finland within the European region and their key role in the development plans that lie ahead.”

eTIR enters into force across globe

Posted on by David Priestman

The new legal framework for the full digitalisation of the TIR system (the so-called eTIR) enters into force today (25th May 2021), opening eTIR to 77 countries across five continents.

This landmark change will allow for completely paperless cross-border transit of goods, under the customs guarantee of the TIR system.

The eTIR international system (customs to customs) will ensure the secure exchange of data about the international transit of goods, vehicles or containers according to the provisions of the TIR Convention between national customs systems and allow customs to manage the data on guarantees, issued by the guarantee chain to holders authorised to use the TIR system.

The TIR system counts more than 30,000 authorised operators and is accepted at more than 3,500 customs offices worldwide.

For more than 70 years, TIR has made trade faster, easier and more secure. The legal framework for digitalisation – the new Annex 11 of the United Nations TIR Convention – will reinforce and expand TIR benefits for global multimodal trade.

To mark this momentous occasion, a special ceremony was held at the UN in Geneva, hosted by UNECE with 16 ambassadors and dignitaries speaking in support of TIR digitalisation.

Olga Algayerova, UNECE Executive Secretary, said: “The launch of eTIR, the global United Nations border crossing facilitation tool, will further secure the TIR system, making it more efficient and competitive. eTIR will allow paperless and contactless border crossing operations. We have seen how crucial that is during the COVID-19 pandemic. By keeping drivers and customs officers safe, eTIR can be a game changer in ensuring borders can remain open under such emergency situations.”

The TIR system, the UN’s oldest public-private partnership, dates from 1949, when a young IRU, supported by a young UN, began to address the difficulties of moving goods across fragmented borders in post war Europe. IRU is authorised by the Administrative Committee of the TIR Convention (AC.2) to issue and disseminate TIR Carnets as well as to operate the international guarantee system.

Umberto de Pretto, IRU Secretary General, said: “For over 70 years IRU has represented the road transport operators who run the trucks moving goods across borders, having the iconic blue TIR plate on the back of millions of trucks. With the advent of fully paperless TIR, we will now see even more benefits for the transport operators and their clients, the importers and exporters, who are at the heart of global trade.”

The new legal framework for TIR will also bring considerable benefits for customs authorities, particularly with COVID-19 continuing to restrict physical contact between customs officers and drivers at borders.

Osman Beyhan, Chair of the TIR Administrative Committee (AC.2) and Deputy Director General Ministry of Trade Ministry of Trade, Turkey said: “The entry into force of eTIR is a real milestone for us and for all those involved in international trade, logistics and transportation.  To my mind, this development is like constructing a high quality, high standard highway for transporters and traders, in order to make their operations as easy and flawless as possible. Most importantly this achievement was made possible thanks to joint efforts by all stakeholders involved in TIR operations, including governments, the private sector, national and international associations.”

Farid Valiyev, Head of Transit Operations Division, State Customs Committee, Azerbaijan said:

“Full digitalisation of the only global transit system provided by the TIR Convention (1975) is a milestone in increasing the effectiveness of customs formalities in international transport. The entry into force of Annex 11 opens a new era for all stakeholders – including customs, economic operators and the trade community – by ensuring smooth and efficient trade.”

Akbar Khodaei, Director Transport Division, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO Secretariat) said: “We are pleased that ECO member states are at the forefront of the interconnection of their Customs information systems to the eTIR international system. The ECO secretariat fully supports these initiatives and the digitalisation of customs and transport documents, which will further enhance transport and trade facilitation as well as regional economic integration.”

The final legal framework for electronic TIR follows more than a decade of planning, investment and trials with the support of Customs Authorities, TIR associations, and other regional and international bodies.

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), the Republic of Moldova, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan, are in the process of interconnecting their customs information systems with the eTIR international system.

Furthermore, on behalf of its member States, the European Union is in the process of finalising a proof of concept to interconnect the European Union’s New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) with the eTIR international system.

The TIR system operates in almost 70 countries and continues to expand. Following Egypt’s accession to the TIR Convention at the end of last year, countries in Africa, Asia and South America continue to proactively move towards the accession and subsequent implementation of the fully paperless system.

 

Priority Freight transports rapidly auto parts

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Priority Freight recently transported two tonnes of automotive parts from China to Europe in less than 36 hours.

Priority Freight says it is an expert in providing the fastest, most cost-effective and reliable time-critical logistics solutions – with an industry-leading reaction time of under 15 minutes and an on-time delivery rate of 99.6%. The company’s specialist services were called upon by an automotive manufacturer who required immediate support transporting two tons of automotive parts from Tianjin, China to Spain in just 48 hours.

When the call came in from the customer in Spain on Thursday evening, the relevant Chinese manufacturers and airlines were already closed. However, scenario planning began immediately and the client was offered the express tariffs that Priority Freight already had secured with airlines operating out of China in advance.

The cargo needed to be collected from two different Tianjin-based manufacturers which, at the time of the booking, were closed and had no idea the emergency transport was already being organised.

Priority Freight prepared the relevant paperwork needed for customs and was ready with two vehicles to pick up the parts as soon as the Chinese manufacturers started work for the day, transferring to Shanghai airport (PVG) for the first available flight on Friday.

To ensure the goods would arrive in Spain by Saturday evening, Priority Freight knew the only solution would be air freight to Frankfurt (FRA) and then an air charter to Madrid (MAD). Priority Freight having its own regional office at FRA airport played a big part in the success of the operation. The company secured a direct flight to FRA for all two tonnes of cargo, where the team was able to expedite customs for a re-route to Stuttgart airport (STR). There, the chartered SAAB 340ª aircraft was waiting to fly to MAD on Saturday morning.

The capabilities of Priority Freight’s 24/7 team made a huge difference in this case. Priority Freight’s night team in Europe was able to liaise with the partners in China and, as soon as the truck arrived to collect the goods at the factories, they communicated independently with the manufacturers, knowing exactly what was needed, acting on the customer’s behalf while their offices in Europe were closed.

By the time Priority Freight’s Spanish customer had woken up, all cargo had been loaded from both loading points and the vehicles were able to make the deadline to PVG.

 

Brexit: non-EU imports outstrip EU imports for first time

Posted on by David Priestman

Brexiteers may be celebrating the fact that EU imports to the UK were overtaken by non-EU imports for the first time, but international delivery specialist ParcelHero says that doesn’t mean Brexit is working. It just means non-EU imports to the UK have declined less alarmingly than EU imports.

As recently announced Government trade figures show that UK imports from outside the EU outstripped EU imports for the first time on record, Chancellor Rishi Sunak claimed a victory. He told the BBC that the Government had invested “hundreds of millions of pounds to help businesses adjust to those new trading arrangements and support them in the process”.

However, ParcelHero says these figures do not prove that UK importers are now discovering new products and trading partners in markets beyond the EU. Instead, they simply reveal that non-EU imports into the UK declined less alarmingly than EU imports.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: “New Government trade figures show that imports from the EU fell by £14bn to £50.6bn in the first quarter (January-March 2021) compared to the final quarter of last year (October-December 2020), before Brexit trading rules were imposed. Imports from non-EU countries also declined, but ‘only’ by £0.5bn, to £53.2bn.

“This means that – for the first time since Government records began in January 1997 – imports from beyond Europe were worth more than those from the EU. Brexiteers may try to claim this as a success, showing Britain is finding new trading partners and products from a wider range of countries; but this fails to see the full picture.

“EU sellers have simply turned their backs on the UK market. Just because non-EU imports declined less significantly than those from the EU does not mean consumers and businesses are benefiting from Brexit. Two negatives do not make a positive.

“As if the latest import figures were not dispiriting enough, British exports also declined significantly in the first quarter. The value of Britain’s exports to the EU fell a whopping £7.1bn to £32.2bn, compared to the last quarter of 2020.

“Why are these numbers so woeful? Last week, ParcelHero revealed that Brexit regulations are having a significant impact on British businesses. Over 39% of UK importers are struggling with new customs duties and 38.6% are battling increased transport costs. Exporters report similar challenges.

“It’s all because the hastily cobbled-together UK-EU free trade agreement is simply not fit for purpose. Under the deal, goods flowing between the UK and the EU that are sourced and manufactured in the UK or Europe don’t have to pay tariffs. However, how many products are entirely sourced and made in a single area in today’s world of global supply chains? The answer is very few. Electronics, for example, incorporate components from across the globe, while clothing can include materials from many continents.

“Any products unable to prove all their sourcing meets the new regulations are likely to be slapped with new duties. This has resulted in higher fees for UK importers as well as EU-based customers of UK exporters. In addition, transport costs are rising due to mounting delays and returns.

“However, there were some small, green shoots in the latest trade figures. Exports and imports both crept up by £2.3bn between February and March this year. Businesses and consumers alike will be hoping this could signal the beginning of a welcome increase in profits for exporters and more choice for shoppers.”

For more details on the increasing problems facing UK importers, CLICK HERE to see ParcelHero’s new EU-UK e-commerce report.

Cargo up 72% at Brussels Airport

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cargo traffic through Brussels Airport in April 2021 continued its strong growth, with a 72% increase on the same period in 2020. But it handled only 250,065 passengers, down 89% on April 2019. This very low number is due to the ban on non-essential travel which remained in effect until 18th April and the array of travel restrictions and conditions.

The very good start of the year with strong growth in cargo volumes continued and even accelerated through April, largely due to the high demand for air cargo across Europe.

Contrary to the passenger figures, cargo volumes compared to the 2020 figures as the COVID pandemic has had only a limited impact on 2020 volumes.

The growth of air freight compared to 2020 is remarkable in all segments, in the integrator segment (+ 55), the full-freighter segment (+59%) and even in belly cargo, which rebounded from very low volumes in April 2020 (+492%).

In the full-freighter segment, Brussels Airport records general growth in the activities of all existing clients. Four new cargo carriers have come to strengthen the logistics platform at Brussels Airport by opening new routes to Asia: Azul, Japan Airlines, SpiceJet and China Central Longhao Airlines. The activity in the integrator segment structurally remains at a higher level than in previous years thanks to the strong increase in online purchases.

Import and export volumes have increased, especially inbound volumes coming from Asia and North America.

Covid-19 vaccine shipments to and from Brussels Airport continue, with several tens of millions of vaccines handled at Brussels Airport to this day, making Brussels Airport an important hub in the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

Passenger traffic down by 89%

250,065 passengers passed through Brussels Airport in April, a decrease of 89% compared to April 2019. Although this is a very poor number, it is slightly higher than the number of passengers recorded in February and March 2021. After the ban on non-essential travel was lifted on 19th April, passenger traffic at Brussels Airport picked up in the second half of the month, a trend that is expected to continue through May.

However, the array of conditions imposed on travellers, e.g. testing and especially the quarantine requirements for travellers returning from a red zone, as well as the fact that several countries refuse travellers, have a negative impact on passenger numbers.

Passenger numbers are compared to those of 2019 because, in April 2020, Belgium was on lockdown and the number of passengers was limited to a minimum because of the travel ban. As a result, the number of passengers recorded in April 2020 was already much lower than it would have been in normal times (17,042 in 2020 compared to nearly 2.3 million in 2019).

In April 2021, 25% of the passengers were transfer passengers, thanks to the network operated by Brussels Airlines and its partner airlines between North America, Europe and Africa. The share of intercontinental passengers is again at a high level of 30%. The majority are transfer passengers and passengers who travel for essential reasons. The travel ban imposed by the Moroccan government on the other hand will continue to have a negative impact until the 10th of June at best.

Flight movements

The total number of flight movements decreased by 70% in April 2021 (5,879 movements compared to 19,710 movements in pre-COVID April 2019). The number of passenger flights decreased by 83%. The average number of passengers per flight was 85.

The number of full-freighter flights remains well above the level forecast for 2020, with a high number of additional flights operated with passenger aircraft used to carry cargo only. Proportionally, there is no increase in night flights or the use of noisy wide bodies. Several airlines continue to use these aircraft to provide additional cargo capacity to compensate partially for the loss of belly capacity on normal passenger flights.

Cooperative Logistics Network updates TMS

Posted on by David Priestman

The freight forwarding industry is evolving very fast, and for this reason the Cooperative Logistics Network has decided to expand its accessibility and offer as many opportunities as possible to all users.

The Coop’s IT department has added a new feature to its members-only TMS, FreightViewer, that enables members to send and receive quote requests to any of their partners both within as well as outside the Network. This quote request comes in the form of an interactive quotation link that can be filled up by the recipient.

This new feature allows members to easily communicate and exchange the necessary information with their partners. The most important advantage of this new tool is that henceforth members will be able to store the rates from independent freight forwarders outside the Network in FreightViewer. In other words, the addition of this new feature enables the agents to speed up the process of quote generation and even allows them to store all quotes provided by any freight forwarder in a unique platform.

Even though conducting business with the network partners is a tried and tested way to work in a safe and secure environment, many agents have already successfully partnered with several companies that are not Coop members before becoming a part of the network. This is precisely why the Coop’s FreightViewer department considered it essential to open the system to external agents.

This has enormously facilitated communication even with companies who are not part of the network alongside the trustworthy Coop partners.

“The digitisation of the freight forwarding sector has ushered in numerous challenges for logistics companies,” says CQR Founder and President Antonio Torres. “One of the most important challenges is the capacity to centralise and store all the data and exchange of information on one single platform. This where FreightViewer comes into play.

“Apart from allowing the agents to generate instant, accurate door-to-door quotations, it also simplifies the steps to request quotes from overseas agents thereby bringing more efficiency into the daily business operations.”

Regardless of whether the freight agent is a Coop member or not, all users can now send and receive quotations from this platform.

The logistics sector has recently been through several changes including globalisation and the rise in e-commerce trends. These changes have irrevocably altered the landscape of this industry and have given rise to a more international and multimodal form of business entailing a large number of components.

Added to that, the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown have also considerably influenced and affected the freight forwarders. The pandemic has made overseas travel extremely difficult. In this situation, freight agents can no longer consider travelling to a different city to meet their partner in person. This is why, now more than ever, it’s even more vital for freight forwarders networks to provide their members with efficient tools for facilitating the easy exchange of data.

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