IRU calls on European Commission to ease truck border jams between Ukraine, EU countries
On Nov. 25, IRU and its member associations from Ukraine and seven neighboring countries called on the European Commission to prioritize Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR trucks) to ease lengthy border queues and boost goods transport flows between Ukraine and the 27 European Union (EU) countries.
Truck queues at borders between Ukraine and neighboring European countries are regularly exceeding 40 kilometers, said officials of IRU, which represents more than 3.5 million companies operating road and multimodal transport services.
In addition to “putting enormous pressure on drivers who can remain stuck for days” and stretching border and customs staff, the jams are “severely restricting the flow of goods across borders between Ukraine and the EU, especially agricultural products,” IRU officials said.
IRU and its national member associations from Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine wrote a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking for priority border crossing lanes for secure TIR trucks entering the EU to be coordinated with member states and established “as a matter of urgency.”
“By prioritizing TIR traffic, the number of trucks that could transport freight from Ukraine to the EU can be increased two- to threefold,” IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said. “This would make a huge difference to goods flows between war-ravaged Ukraine and the rest of the EU, as well as ease the burden on stretched drivers and border and customs workers.”
Port of Rotterdam Authority unveils first Container Exchange Route users
Rotterdam World Gateway, the Delta terminal of Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam and Kramer Group will be the first users to be connected to the Container Exchange Route (CER), a closed track designed to provide faster, more efficient integrated transport of containers between locations on the Maasvlakte, Port of Rotterdam Authority officials announced on Nov. 21.
The first transports over the track could take place by 2023’s end.
The 17-kilometer, closed road network will connect a large part of the terminals, depots, distribution centers and the State Inspection Terminal on the Maasvlakte — see this video clip. Carriers will have the option of using the track for manned transport.
Stonepeak, Spirit Super to acquire Australia’s GeelongPort
Alternative investment firm Stonepeak and Australian “super fund” Spirit Super announced on Nov. 20 the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Australia’s GeelongPort Pty Ltd., Victoria’s second largest port located 75 kilometers southwest of Melbourne.
Under the agreement’s terms, Stonepeak will hold a majority 70% interest in the entity; Spirit Super will have a 30% stake. GeelongPort comprises 15 berths over two primary precincts — Corio Quay and Lascelles Wharf — and handles close to 12 million tons of cargo and more than 600 vessel visits annually. The transaction is expected to close toward the end of the first-quarter 2023, subject to regulatory approvals.
Shippers say: Ocean freight booking for shipper-owned containers still challenging — Container xChange survey
Digital adoption challenges leading to a lack of transparency, visibility and trust represent “three key struggles” for container logistic companies to book shipper-owned containers, according to the results of a survey released Nov. 17 by Container xChange, an online platform for container logistics and operations.
Container xChange worked the Copenhagen Business School to survey 137 freight forwarders and non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) across the globe.
While the majority of freight forwarders shippers and NVOCCs use online quotation solutions, 83% found the need for better digital infrastructure in the future, pointing to digital vessel schedules and intuitive booking interfaces as the most impactful digital transformations in times to come, according to the survey.
Fleet/transportation management system market to reach $64.9 billion by 2031: Allied Market Research
The global fleet and transportation management system for transportation and logistics market is expected to reach $64.9 billion by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2022 to 2031, according to a report published Nov. 17 by Allied Market Research (AMR).
Post-pandemic demand will rise for fleet and transportation management solutions that enhance efficacy and efficiency of first-mile and last-mile, logistics, improve mobile resource, utilization and enhance fleet’s ability in improving revenue growth, the report’s writers said. Based on application, the scheduling routing and tracking segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the market. However, the telematics segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 11.6% from 2022 to 2031, AMR officials said.
European Road Freight Rates Benchmark Report: Rates soften after hitting all-time high in Q3
While diesel prices, driver shortages and drought in Europe pushed average European road freight rates up again in third quarter despite lower consumer spending, prices began to soften at quarter’s end, according to the Nov. 3 edition of The European Road Freight Rates Benchmark Report, which is produced by Transport Intelligence, Upply and IRU. Among the report’s findings:
• Average European road freight contract rates reached an all-time high in Q3 (129.7 index points), up by 5.4 points quarter over quarter and 19.6 points year over year. In the spot market, rates hit 142.6 points, an increase of 6.0 points quarter over quarter and 26.4 points year over year.
• Rates on many European lanes are beginning to soften after the Q3 peak.
• Spot rates are now 12.9 points above contract in Europe. The gap was 12 points in the previous quarter and 6.1 points in Q3 2021.
• Diesel costs usually account for one-third of the total operating transport costs, but given the increase, they may now account for 50% of costs.
• Driver shortage growth is expected to continue to increase until 2022’s end, with a 40% estimated increase in unfilled truck driver positions.
Asset condition monitoring/inspection: Ricardo inks collaboration pact with Cordel Group
Ricardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cordel Group PLC, a transport technology specialist, to collaborate “in bringing its products to the global rail market,” Ricardo officials announced on Nov. 28. Cordel provides railway asset condition monitoring and inspection tools. The company’s product suite uses miniature sensors, cameras and LiDAR scanners that, when fitted to in-service vehicles, combine to digitally map the condition of track infrastructure and the surrounding trackside environment using AI technology. Applications include automated track clearance surveys, ballast profiling exercises, OLE apparatus monitoring, and detection of encroaching vegetation.
Austria’s Innofreight selects Nexxiot to equip rail-car fleet with asset intelligence technology
Innofreight, an Austrian rail logistics company, selected Nexxiot to complete the digitalization of its entire rail-car fleet, Nexxiot announced on Nov. 16. Innofreight already had equipped Nexxiot’s asset intelligence technology on more than 1,000 rail cars. “The company operates in over 20 countries and handles over two million container unloadings every year,” Innofreight CEO Isabella Legat said. “With a rail-car fleet of 2,700 and 23,000 containers in use, the adoption of the newest digital strategies is invaluable to our clients and partners, especially where safety is concerned.” New rail cars will be produced by TŽV Gredelj, Croatia, part of the Tatravagónka. They'll all be fitted with Nexxiot’s Globehopper connectivity gateway.
Knorr-Bremse receives supply-chain management award
Knorr-Bremse has won the Supply Chain Management Award 2022 for its NextGen European Distribution Network project, the company announced on Nov. 17. Sponsored by LOGISTIK HEUTE, PwC and Strategy&, the award was presented in Frankfurt am Main. Knorr-Bremse launched the project prior to the coronavirus pandemic with the aim of boosting efficiency, cutting costs and reducing carbon emissions.
