Raben Group’s Damian Krzywosądzki on capacity crunches and improving subcontractor relations

French unions have called for a lorry drivers strike on October 5th in order to achieve an increase in wages and force the government to give up the reform of the pension system.

French lorry drivers plan strike for higher wages and pension reform

Interview: Hein Oomen spells out how Zero Emissions Services aims to turn inland shipping green

KLU Professor Christian Barrot describes what will drive the future of supply chain education

A new Irish terminal has opened at the French ferry port of Dunkirk, bringing the number of Ireland-France shipping routes up from 12 to 44 since Brexit. Moreover, Grimaldi Lines is also reportedly looking to double its sailings from Cork to Antwerp and Zeebrugge.

Yet more growth in shipping routes between Ireland and European mainland

Britain's driver shortage, post-Brexit stockpiling, and increased demand due to reduced foreign travel, have contributed to growing container congestion at ports throughout the country. As a means of motivating companies to get containers out of the port and returned on time, major shipping lines have either reduced the number of days containers can be stored before fees kick in, or raised the level of the fees themselves.

Shipping lines raise fees as driver shortage clogs up British ports

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has turned to Sir David Lewis, former CEO of Tesco, to help remedy the country's supply chain crisis. Sir Lewis has been appointed as supply chain advisor until the end of the year and shall be based in the Cabinet Office.

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UK PM appoints ex-Tesco boss to deal with country’s supply chain woes

Besides using chilled containers to transport fruit and vegetables from Spain to the UK via rail, Tesco plans to expand its use of rail freight services to bring more goods into the country, CEO Ken Murphy has told Reuters.

Tesco expands use of rail freight to alleviate driver shortage difficulties

Highlighting the fact that the three focal points of road freight transport are the truck, the driver and the trailer would attract little controversy. In fact, many of the industry’s leaders and spectators from the outside would agree that the aforementioned components are crucial to ensure that cargo continues to move from one geographical destination to another. While there are companies whose main bread and butter have become finding the right solution (transport) for their customers (a shipper), there are companies who offer something more unique and perhaps not as widely explored – renting/leasing a truck, a driver and a trailer, or any combination of the two.

Is the aircraft leasing model set to take road freight transport by storm?

The military may be drafted in to drive more lorries so as to avoid Christmas shortages of food and non-food products in the UK, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/10/08/comes-cavalry-soldiers-take-wheel-lorries-save-christmas/?utm_content=telegraph&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1633745387" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it has been reported</a>. Meanwhile, amid the UK's supply crisis, the CEO of the Cold Chain Federation has suggested that supermarkets <a href="https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/supermarkets/driver-crisis-supermarkets-urged-to-collaborate-this-christmas-to-protect-supply/660612.article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should look to share lorries in order to maximise the capacity available in the country</a>. 

UK driver shortage: military may drive more HGVs; supermarkets urged to cooperate

A new report, titled “<a href="https://www.fnau.org/fr/publication/brexit-quels-impacts-sur-le-fret-transmanche-et-sur-laxe-seine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brexit: what will the impact be on Cross-Channel freight and the Seine axis</a>?," produced by Paris Region Institute, states that Brexit may provide opportunities for the ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg in particular. The paper argues that Le Havre could blossom in the future provided that logistics chains are put in place along the Seine axis, with Cherbourg having the chance to benefit from Brexit thanks to extra freight traffic to and from Ireland. 

New report details post-Brexit opportunities for French ports

Gavin Newsom, governor of California, <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/newsom-signs-executive-order-to-address-congestion-at-californias-ports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yesterday ordered state agencies</a> to find ways to alleviate congestion at the state's two major ports. The order comes just days after <a href="https://abc7.com/port-backlog-of-los-angeles-long-beach-container-ships/11142891/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a new record of 100 vessels waiting at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles was set</a>. However, despite the much-talked-about switch to 24/7 operations being described as a “game-changer", numerous experts say the move is unlikely to make much difference. 

As California strives to ease port congestion, experts say 24/7 operation plan won’t work

The UK Government has announced its strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which includes a number of measures and financial investments that concern the logistics sector. 

UK Government announces £1 billion commitment to support electrification of vehicles

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">The UK's Food and Drink Sector Council (FDSC) has told Trans.INFO that the consequences of labour shortages in the country “are already quite apparent". A spokesperson for the organisation warns that the situation is reducing profitability, growth and investment. Moreover, the UK's new economic model, based on high-investment in new technology and a low reliance on foreign labour, may also come too soon if the FDSC's words are anything to go by. The organisation told Trans.INFO that while new technology can help, the transition away from labour to automation will “take time" and it is difficult to determine how long the process shall take.

FDSC: effects of UK labour shortages apparent; switch to automation will “take time”

Lithuanian road transport giant Girteka Logistics <a href="https://www.girteka.eu/girteka-logistics-secures-e145m-to-renew-and-expand-fleet-while-improving-driver-working-conditions-and-road-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has signed an agreement with a number of big-name European banks</a> to take €145M in credit for new trucks and trailers. The company claims the main aim of purchasing the new equipment, primarily DAF trucks and Schmitz Cargobull trailers, is “improving the working conditions of their drivers and maximizing safety on roads."

Girteka Logistics to buy new DAF trucks after big banks green-light up to €700 million in credit

FourKites, one of the world’s leading real-time supply chain visibility platforms, has launched Dynamic ETA for Ocean. The new AI-powered service, part of the company's Dynamic Ocean offering, is said to provide shippers, carriers and 3PLs with “the market’s most accurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs) for 100% of their ocean shipments across all lanes worldwide." In addition, the company has rolled out new tools that can be utilized to monitor and mitigate demurrage and detention (D&D) risks.

FourKites announces Dynamic ETA for Ocean Shipping and new D&D tools

Nine multinational companies, including Amazon and IKEA, have stated their intention to transition all of their ocean freight to zero-carbon shipping by 2040. 

Nine multinational giants sign up to 2040 zero-carbon shipping plan

<strong>Pall-Ex Group has announced a partnership with addressing system what3words that enables customers to add a what3words address to their delivery information.</strong>

what3words partners with Pall-Ex to improve deliveries

<h3>Pandemic Outlook: Where are we with the pandemic and what are the expectations?</h3>

How logistics took the spotlight from transporting Covid-19 vaccines to dealing with the aftermath of the Economic state of affairs

The Most Important thing in Supply Chain Management

Amazon launches Prime in Poland – to what extent will it shake up the market?

How will the UK’s new 'low migration’ economic model affect the last mile?

Clare Bottle, CEO of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA), says that Brexit has partly contributed to labour shortages and thereby higher operational costs. As a result of this, the UKWA boss says British consumers' “unrealistic expectations" about a “perfect" and “free" logistics service will somewhat soften as price rises kick in. 

UKWA CEO: Brexit-influenced labour shortages will change public’s “unrealistic” expectations

The events of 2020 evidence the reliance large enterprises have on their Supply Chain and its fragility. The global pandemic put on pressing challenges for organisations about visibility, agility, and risk. And it brought us to rethink areas such as partnership, becoming a customer of choice (one that suppliers consider a preferred customer,) and increasing resilience.

Opportunities in supplier relationships