World’s largest freighter from series production carried a transport container for satellites from Linz to North America   On the occasion of an overseas transport Antonov 124 has called the blue danube airport linz again. The world’s largest freight aircraft from series production carried a large transport container for satellites – which was designed by the Austrian company RUAG Space for the US satellite producer Space Systems/Loral – to the US.   The container has dimensions of 12x5x4 meters and weighs 16 tonnes. It was specially designed to protect large communication satellites of Space Systems/Loral in California, during their journey to rocket launching centres around the globe. The transport of the special box from Grieskirchen, Upper Austria – where the Gföllner company manufactured it – to the airport linz was carried out by the Austrian forwarding company ProCargo.   The 69.1 metres long and 20.78 metres high Antonov AN-124 can be loaded via a stern hatch and one in the front. Its cargo hold has two cranes. Maximum payload is 150 tonnes, maximum reach is indicated with 16,000 kilometres by the producer. Quelle: LogEastics...

New cargo-partner location in Doha (Qatar) to start operating with ten employees and comprehensive services   The international forwarding enterprise cargo-partner continues expansion in the Middle East. Following the recent establishment of a location in Bahrain the company has now opened its own location in Qatar. The new office is situated in the capital Doha.   cargo-partner will be starting with ten employees in Qatar. The scope of services ranges from transport business like air and sea cargo to road transport as well as insurance and customs brokerage services. Stefan Krauter, CEO of the cargo-partner group notes: "Qatar is a booming location in the Gulf, politically stable and has particularly giant natural gas reserves. We expect continuous growth in the next decade and in line with that growing exports to this Emirate.“   The cargo-partner group headquartered in Fischamend near Vienna has more than 100 locations and 2,400 employees in 30 countries, and generated a turnover at EUR 500 million in 2011. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com      

DB Schenker Logistics enters a new era for air freight shipping of sensitive freight for the healthcare industry   As by their own account, DB Schenker Logistics is the only air freight services provider to date that already meets all future requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for shipping time and temperature-sensitive medical products. In the future, such products will require a time and temperature label, which is intended to ensure proper handling. Requirements and standards for healthcare products are set out in chapter 17 of the IATA Perishable Cargo Regulations.   DB Schenker Logistics labels freight on behalf of its customers and has developed a labeling procedure, which integrates the IATA chapter 17 label into the DB Schenker air freight barcode and is recognized by the IATA. DB Schenker also offers its customers a manual procedure in which DB Schenker employees place the temperature and IATA labels on air freight in addition to DB Schenker’s air freight label.   The label already in use by DB Schenker will become mandatory worldwide on July 1, 2012. “We are proud that we have already successfully introduced the label and can offer it to our customers as...

New intermodal service of TX Logistik links Norway to Italy on behalf of Lauritzen forwarding company   On behalf of the Danish forwarding company Lauritzen, TX Logistik AG (Bad Honnef) has started a combined transport train from Halden in south-eastern Norway to Verona in northern Italy and return. The new 2,300 kilometres relation is one of the longest intermodal railway connections in Europe. The transport takes two days. TX Logistik manages the complete traction through six European countries by themselves. “We are currently operating one rotation per week“, says Dirk Steffes, CEO TX Logistik. “After the Brenner axis is opened again in September we will be operating two weekly rotations.“ The forwarding company A/S J. Lauritzen’s Eftf. is the market leader in intermodal transport between Italy and Denmark and signed a new agreement at the amount of about EUR 15 million with a big Norwegian export company. “This connection is a milestone for transport solutions on the north-south corridor – and for competitive prices“, says Lauritzen-Director Lars Winther Sørensen.   As ex Halden heavy cargo is dominating, the train is designed for 26 trailers at a weight...

Starting signal for Austrian promotional program for industrial and regional logistics/feeder railways 2012   On 21 May the starting signal was launched for the promotional program for industrial and regional logistics/feeder railways called “Leuchttürme der Branchen- und Regionallogistik/Anschlussbahnen 2012" of the climate and energy funds. In 2012 – like last year – eight million Euros are available for landmark projects for environmentally friendly cargo transport. These programs support the implementation of cooperative industrial and regional logistics projects as well as the setting up of concepts and feasibility studies, which can substantially reduce CO2-emissions in the case of implementation.   The program is addressed to the shipping industry, providers of logistics services, railway enterprises as well as consultants, planners and researchers. Submitted projects for investments may receive financial support of up to EUR 3 million. As e.g. the maintenance of an existing feeder railway is promoted with up to EUR 1.5 million, expansion or modernisation with up to EUR 2.5 million and building a new feeder railway with up to EUR 3 million. Studies and concepts, which can...

Parcel service DPD Austria is now officially belonging to the group of the most customer-oriented service providers in Austria   The private parcel service DPD Austria received a special award in the frame of the competition of Austria’s most customer-oriented service providers 2012, in the category “cooperation“. They awarded exclusively service providers who put their customers’ requirements and best service first.   “We see our efforts confirmed by this award. Through numerous cooperations we try to provide the best service quality to our customers and support them as good as possible“, Rainer Schwarz, managing director, comments on the award.   DPD Austria (Direct Parcel Distribution) based in Leopoldsdorf near Vienna is specialising in national and international B2B parcel shipping. The enterprise has around 1,500 employees in Austria. With a fleet of 900 vehicles they transported about 38.3 million parcels in 2011. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com     

Acquisition of the premium logistician Roberts Europe helps Flash Europe with further internationalisation and continued growth   In the market segment of logistics services with direct and special trips in Europe two reputable providers now pull the same direction. Effective 10 May 2012 the Flash Group took over the Roberts Europe company based in Maastricht (NL). With this transaction the logistics service provider sets the course for further internationalisation and growth of the group. They agreed to keep the total sum of the transaction confidential.   “We take over Roberts Europe, one of the biggest providers in the segment of direct and special trips and has goods skills for transportations on behalf of the automotive industry“, says Flash Europe’s managing director Philippe Higelin. The 160 employees of Roberts Europe at the location in Maastricht and the two branches in Warsaw and Lisbon will be taken over as well. CEO Fred Snippe leaves the enterprise and will devote himself to new professional challenges.   Carrying out 400,000 special trips last year Flash is one of the biggest providers in the segment of fast transportations in Europe. In addition to direct trips the service...

OOO ITG International Transport + Logistics based in Moscow provides comprehensive services in the Russian market   ITG GmbH Internationale Spedition + Logistik announces the opening of a subsidiary in Russia’s capital Moscow. The new location enables the forwarding enterprise to offer its customers also in Russia comprehensive supply chain management solutions, national and international transportations using all transport modes including customs clearance as well as outsourcing and contract logistics services with value added functions. Another advantage for clients is billing in national currency, as the management emphasises.   ITG’s managing director Andreas Weiss explains the motive to establish a new national company as follows: “We have been active in Russian and Eastern Europe since 2006, mainly providing truck transport solutions. The stronger customer demand for further logistics solutions incited us to complete our international network by a strong hub for Eastern Europe.”   ITG GmbH Internationale Spedition + Logistik headquartered in Schwaig near Munich is a medium-sized character logistics service provider operating 16 own locations and seven logistics centres in...

Port of Hamburg shows a strong trend in general cargo throughput in the first quarter of 2012   In the first three months of 2012 the Port of Hamburg achieved total throughput of 32.6 million tons (+ 3.8 per cent). At 2.2 million TEU, throughput on the container handling that predominates in Hamburg as a universal port was 5.2 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2011.   Bulk cargo throughput in the first quarter of 2012 at 9.5 million tons (- 4.8 per cent) was below the previous year‘s. By comparison with the first quarter of 2011, on general cargo throughput the Port of Hamburg achieved a 7.9 per cent advance to 23.1 million tons. This growth was primarily powered by the trend in exports of containerized general cargoes. Here the Port of Hamburg handled export volume of 11.4 million tons in the first three months of the year, representing an increase of 11.1 per cent. Imports of containerized general cargoes with volume of 11.2 million tons were representing 5.5 per cent growth. At 528,000 tons, throughput of non-containerized general cargoes was 6.1 per cent lower than in the previous year. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com    

Hungary’s transport authority announces restrictions for shipping traffic on the Danube   The Danube waterway has recently seen severe restrictions from Hungary, as Bundesrat Gottfried Kneifel mentioned in his parliamentary speech. “Hungary’s transport authority has surprisingly announced severe restrictions for the shipping traffic on the Danube. Ship convoys will no longer be allowed to navigate with six pages but only four or less. Moreover limits for the draught of vessels will be imposed even if the water situation allows for more.“   This will raise transport prices on the Danube corridor ranging between 30 and 50 per cent for shipping companies, which means a 50 to 100 per cent price increase for shippers, as Kneifel emphasises. “Thinking of Austria’s biggest enterprise Voest is depending on raw ore transport from the Black Sea region, this means a real threat to competitiveness of many Austrian companies“, Kneifel says alarmingly.   “The EU commission is already involved in this case, as this is also a question of meeting the law regulations of the European Union regarding transport and free movement of goods in Europe. We will therefore do anything to...

Rhenus starts operating its new customs and logistics terminal in Krasnaya Gorka of Russia’s Smolensk region   Last week Rhenus inaugurated its new customs and logistics terminal in Krasnaya Gorka of Smolensk region. The terminal covers an area measuring eight hectares and has more than 2,200 m² of warehouse space and 400 truck parking spaces. High-ranking representatives from the worlds of politics and business and a number of customers were invited to witness the opening of the facilities on the western border of the Russian Federation.   Now that the Rhenus Group has completed the terminal, it has created jobs in the Smolensk region and office space to house a customs office and up to seven customs brokers. The terminal will mainly be used by Rhenus customers from the automotive, industrial plant and medical engineering sectors and the textile industry in future – but also for project business. If required, the site at Krasnaya Gorka can gradually be expanded to provide warehouse space measuring up to 30,000 m². This against the background, as Russia’s government decided in 2009 to move bonded warehouses and customs offices out of the Greater Moscow area to the country’s...

Salzburg-based forwarding group Lagermax is now the official owner of the Styrian transport and logistics service provider Frikus   The Austrian Federal Competition Authority has recently given the antitrust approval for the takeover of Frikus Friedrich Kraftwagentransport und Speditions GmbH headquartered in Zettling near Graz by the Salzburg-based forwarding group Lagermax. Hence the latter named company is now the official owner of the Styrian transport company, which is rich in tradition. The Frikus brand and the recorded company names will be kept.   The business segments of Frikus are ideally completing the service portfolio of Lagermax. Some segments such as waste management and recycling enhance the service portfolio of the private corporate group as new business areas. Moreover the merger shall further strengthen the position of Lagermax in Austria, Middle and Eastern Europe.   Established in 1920 the Lagermax corporate group has 50 own locations in eleven countries in Europe and provides a sophisticated distribution network for all customer demands. In addition to Austria the network covers locations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia,...

Parcel service provider GLS Logistics Austria takes over logistics for the „Let’s CEE“ film festival in Vienna   General Logistics Systems Austria GmbH (GLS Austria) is the official logistics partner and sponsor of the “Let’s CEE“-film festival in Vienna. In the frame of this event taking place from 28 May to 3 June more than 30 movies and documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe will be presented. Just like GLS’ services, these movies from the CEE countries are joined in Vienna. Couriers are personally collecting the 35mm film reels or blue rays from the directors in the relevant countries (e.g. Russia, Romania, Bulgaria etc.) and feed them into the road-based network of GLS. Via the GLS depot in Leobendorf, Lower Austria, the films are finally delivered to the venues (Urania and Apollo cinema). There are negotiations about taking over the transport of the two film awards as well, as Dr. Axel Spöhr, General Manager GLS Austria, confirmed in the interview with the Austrian transport magazine Österreichische Verkehrszeitung. GLS General Logistics Systems was also recently awarded an order from the movie industry, which is about the coordination of all logistics...

DB Schenker Logistics wants to expand its presence in the regions Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, Near/Middle East, Africa and South America   DB Schenker Logistics is preparing to expand its network structure to be able to offer integrated transport and logistics services along the value added chain to customers in as many regions of the world as possible. Having just founded a national company in Namibia, southwest Africa, the management is preparing to establish more national companies and branches.   The focus lies in the so-called emerging markets. For the company these include Central Asian business regions – in particular Kazakhstan, Azerbeijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – the countries of the Near and Middle East, Africa and South America. As for the business region Southeastern Europe CEO Thomas C. Leeb presented further steps to consolidate the market position at a media workshop in Berlin.   DB Schenker Logistics has 62,200 staff at 2,000 locations in 130 countries around the globe, providing services in the following sectors: European land transport, air/ocean freight and contract logistics/supply chain management. In the 2011 financial year the enterprise generated turnover at...

Rhenus Freight Logistics and Rhenus Logistics sell their land transport activities in Weil am Rhein to the Streck Transport corporate group   Effective 1 June 2012 the Streck Transport corporate group takes over the land transport activities of the branch in Weil am Rhein from Rhenus Freight Logistics and Rhenus Logistics. The latter named company manages the activities of the former Wincanton branch in Weil am Rhein, which is affiliated to Rhenus since January 2012. In total more than 80 employees and about 20 apprentices changed to Streck Transport. For the company the takeover is another step to strengthen its market position in southern Baden and Switzerland.   "Rhenus will be concentrating on the business segments logistics, river shipping and port logistics in southern Baden. To this end the company has made important investments in the past years. Transferring general cargo activities to our longstanding partner Streck Transport our branches in Weil am Rhein and Basels will make sure the sites will have excellent links to the German and European land transport networks in the future as well", says Peter Widmer, Member of the Board Rhenus AG & Co.KG.   The Streck Transport corporate...

Customers of time:matters to profit from ‘Speed Transit’ in Frankfurt and Munich offering transit times of 22 hours from Europe to China   Launching a new service for shipments from Germany and Europe to China, time:matters emphasises its position in the market for special speed logistics. In a press information the enterprise announces the introduction of the fastest logistics solution to Shanghai. An extremely fast transit in Frankfurt and Munich allows for a transport time from 22 hours from all points of departure in Germany and Europe.   Moreover time:matters offers its customers feeder solutions from Shanghai to Beijing and Guangzhou, thus China’s major economic centres can be reached within a short time. Even better: optimised handling processes in Shanghai allow for urgent shipments to arrive faster at their destination than with a direct flight.    "Our China solution is a new benchmark regarding speed and service. Within 22 hours from Frankfurt to Shanghai, including customs clearance and door-to-door delivery – this means almost one day in time advantage compared to alternatives and thus a unique logistic added value“,Franz-Joseph Miller, Managing Director...

Supply of 37 Austrian stores of the textile trade chain Ernsting’s family ex Coswig near Berlin lies now in the hands of Logwin   The global logistics service provider Logwin has acquired a new customer from the textile industry in Austria: the logistician will supply all 37 stores of Ernsting’s family with products for the entire family, from toys through to decorative articles.   The initial point of the cooperation is the logistics facility of Ernsting’s family in Coswig, around 100 kilometres south-east of Berlin. This is where Logwin takes delivery of the pre-picked goods and transports them to its locations in Vienna and Bergheim near Salzburg. Stores in the west of Austria are supplied from Bergheim, while shops in the east of the country receive goods via Vienna.   Currently Logwin transports around 25,000 boxes for Ernsting’s family from Coswig to Austria each year. This volume is expected to increase further. The service package also includes shop-to-shop deliveries, and returns handling. “For us it is important that store deliveries are made punctually, reliably and accurately,” explains Holger Henning, Manager Distribution Centre at Ernsting’s family....

10-years jubilee in Linz-Hörsching: DB Schenker presents its two new gas-driven trucks   DB Schenker’s terminal in Linz-Hörsching, Upper Austria, celebrates its 10-years-jubilee. The site started operating in 2002 and serves as a hub for truck transportations, air and sea freight and as a modern warehouse. The location has currently 250 employees, who handled more than 950,000 shipments at the terminal in 2011.   As for the distribution business, the branch in Linz - Schenker & Co AG – puts into service the first two gas-driven trucks these days. The Iveco Daily 35S14G EEV offers a maximum payload of 735 kg, has eight pallet slots and will be operating in the city centre of Linz. The Iveco Eurocargo MLC 150 E 20 P CNG offers a payload of 7.5 tonnes and can carry 15 pallets. The Bucher Transporte company will use this truck to collect and deliver daily shipments in the industrial triangle Linz-Wels-Steyr on behalf of DB Schenker.   Both new gas-driven trucks have a reach of 300 to 450 kilometres, emit less CO2 than usual diesel-driven vehicles and produce less noise emissions. The acquisition of these trucks is part of DB Schenker’s environmental strategy titled “Green...

Renovation of the Danube lock at the Serbian-Romanian border causes single-lane traffic on the waterway   The river shipping business on the Danube will have to face a bottleneck in the coming months. As the competent Serbian authorities informed in a release from 3 May 2012, vessels will not be able to pass the right chamber of the “Iron Gate II“-lock from 15 May 2012, 7 o’ clock until 15 November 2012. The reason is the renovation of the lock.   The lock at the river kilometre 863,70 belongs to the Danube power plant “Iron Gate II“, which is situated at the border of Serbia and Romania. The lock is downstream from the power plant „Iron Gate I“ and is the last Danube power plant before the Danube Delta or the Danube-Black Sea Canal. The Iron Gate is a Danube valley in the south of the Carpathian Mountains between the Serbian Ore Mountains and the Banater Mountains. Before the “Iron Gate I“-lock was built, it was considered a dangerous passage for river ships. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com  

Emirates SkyCargo achieved increases in transport volume and turnover in the 2011/12 financial year   Emirates SkyCargo (Dubai) continued its success of the past years throughout the 2011/12 financial period. The air cargo division of the Arabian airline transported 1.796 million tonnes of air freight. This means an increase of 1.7 per cent compared to the 2010/11 period. The balance sheet hot off the press shows a 8.4 per cent increase in Emirates SkyCargo’s turnover to USD 2.6 billion.   Turnover of the Emirates Airline reached the record level of USD 17 billion in the 2011/2012 financial year (up 14.9% compared to 2010/11). Due to a strong rise in fuel prices the airline’s profit declined by 72.1 per cent to USD 409 million. In total 34 million passengers travelled in their worldwide route network.   In the 2011/12 period Emirates Airline put into service 22 new aircraft, including two freighters of the Boeing 777-200LFR series, while eleven new destinations were added to the network - Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth amongst them. The airline expanded capacities and frequencies to 34 cities around the globe (e.g. Manchester, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Tunis). In...

BMW awards contract for spare parts logistics at its German plant in Wackernagel to the BLG Logistics group   The BLG Logistics group’s contract logistics segment was able to acquire a new large-scale order in the field of car parts logistics. At the end of April 2012 the company received an order from BMW. It includes packing of around 1.4 million m³ of car parts a year at the BMW plant in Wackersdorf, Germany, and sending them to various overseas assembly lines in future. Around 500 employees will be involved in this work. In this segment, BLG is also attending to customers like Volkswagen, Mercedes or the automotive supplier Automotive Lighting.   Another large order relates to BLG’s retail trade logistics. In 2014 BLG will take over the online-business as well as the returns handling on behalf of Tchibo in Bremen. This means 200 new employees and will double the business for Tchibo. Over EUR 50 million will be invested in expansion of the high-bay warehouse for this purpose.   In 2011 the group surpassed the benchmark of one billion in turnover for the first time in its 135-years company history. Group sales of EUR 1.008 billion were 12.4 per cent more than in 2010. In 2011 the...

Kazakh railway KTZ and Swiss InterRail group start joint transport logistics project   The international railway company InterRail, headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and the Kazakh railway AO „Kazakhstan Temir Zholy“ (KTZ) are cooperating in the development of a new railway project. This project’s main goal is a more effective use of the railway routes West-East and East-West from, to and via Kazakhstan. Joining cargo flows and utilising the available wagon fleet more equally shall result in saving clients’ time and cost. The parties involved expect also more effective process control and wagon management.   The concept is based on a new container train on the route Brest city (Belarus) and Aktobe city (Kazakhstan). Container trains Ostwind and Westwind will follow from Western Europe to Brest and then to Kazakhstan according to a rigid schedule. Aktobe city will be a junction of cargo flow distribution to domestic destinations as well as to China and on other routes of Central Asia.   “Facing the continued volume growth in railway container traffic since the end of the economic crisis, and the changed conditions in the railway market of the CIS, we want to develop and...

Hanjin Sooho - largest container ship of Hanjin shipping company – berthed in Hamburg during her maiden voyage   In early May 2012 the Korean shipping company Hanjin’s largest containership berthed in the Port of Hamburg. The mega-containership named Hanjin Sooho, with a slot capacity of 13,100 TEU, was handled at Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH). The container vessel is the first of nine 13,100-TEU newbuilds to be deployed on the East Asia-Europe service NE6. The weekly NE6 container line is operated by Hanjin jointly with the members of the CKYH Alliance - COSCO, K-Line and Yang Ming.   The rotation takes 77 days and covers the ports of Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Algeciras, Singapore, Hong Kong, Xingang, Kwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Algeciras and Hamburg. In 2011 a total of 5.2 million TEU were handled in the Port of Hamburg’s container traffic with Asia. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com    

Animal cargo from the United Arab Emirates lands with Emirates in the UK to honour the Queen   Two Emirates SkyCargo special freighter charters have touched down in the UK in the last few days. Aboard they had the cargo of over 100 horses, the first shipment containing 70 horses. The horses of the Royal Cavalry of Oman were flown from the capital Muscat to London Stansted on the carrier’s Boeing 777 freighter aircraft for the Diamond Jubilee Pageant, which takes place from 10th-13th May at Windsor Castle. The Diamond Jubilee Pageant is a major event to pay tribute to 60 years of the Queen’s reign.   The horses were transported under veterinary surveillance in custom-built IATA-certified horse stalls, which can each carry up to three horses. The complete movement of the 112 horses from stable to stable was organised by Equitrans Logistics LLC, a leading horse-shipping agent in the Gulf region. The charter also marked the first ever UK touchdown for and Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777F aircraft. Quelle: LogEastics Portal: www.logistik-express.com   

“West switch“ provides direct link to the rail network from Germany to the Container Terminal Salzburg from December 2013   A major project to optimise seaport hinterland traffic titled “west switch“ is to be launched at the Container Terminal Salzburg (CTS) shortly. According to their own account this is the most important transhipment point for combined transport in western Austria and southern Bavaria. After 30 years it is now to receive a direct link to the rail network from Germany. Construction works will start by the end of July 2012, completion is scheduled for autumn 2013. Operations shall be started with the change to the winter schedule on 12 December 2013. The triple track expansion of the railway segment Freilassing-Salzburg allowed for the improvement of the infrastructure at the CTS.   The "west switch" allows trains to directly approach the CTS from Germany in the future. So far, the trains from Germany had to make a detour of 17 kilometres via the train station in Salzburg, and then return. The Container Terminal Salzburg could only be approached directly from the south. Through the direct approach the new "west switch" can save two hours per train in...