Retail News CRM

Tag: freight

  • Kerry launches new UK-China rail freight service

    Kerry launches new UK-China rail freight service

    Kerry Logistics Network announced the launch of its weekly scheduled Less Than Container Load (LCL) rail freight service between Duisburg, Germany and Shanghai via the Yiwu terminal in the Yangtze River Delta, China, using its own consolidation containers.

    This additional service option for east- and westbound shipments enhances Kerry Logistics’ existing Full Container Load (FCL) and LCL services, offering a transit time of 16 days for westbound cargo, and 21 days eastbound.

    Shipments have already been successfully moved using the new service, which offers weekly departures on Friday eastbound and Wednesday westbound.

    The rail freight solution is part of Kerry Logistics’ end-to-end freight management service, which provides an unrivalled range of upstream services, including storage, quality control, assembly, and reworking in addition to the pre-carriage and delivery to final destination.

    Thomas Blank, managing director of Europe, Kerry Logistics, said, “Our proven track record and unparalleled service network in Asia, together with our local expertise throughout Europe, promise that we can now offer our customers a flexible, cost-effective solution on this route for cargoes from industrial freight, down to smaller e-commerce commodities.

    “Acting as the consolidator ourselves allows us to offer shorter lead times, moving each shipment faster than if we had to wait for a full container from each customer, who can monitor their cargo along the route via online track and trace.

    “We can be more reactive to our customers’ rapidly evolving needs,” Blank added.

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  • Ceva achieves CEIV certification in Singapore

    Ceva achieves CEIV certification in Singapore

    Ceva Logistics has been awarded IATA’s CEIV status at its facility in Singapore. CEIV is designed to indicate a company or branch’s level of competency as well as operational and technical preparedness in the global transportation by air of pharmaceutical products. A certified pharmaceutical location meets consistent standards and is fully capable of assuring product integrity.

    CEVA staff in Singapore have undertaken a comprehensive training program conducted jointly by IATA and Changi Airport Group, in readiness for certification. A quality team was established at the company’s facility at the Air Logistics Park of Singapore (ALPS) within the Free Trade Zone and this group coordinated and implemented the CEIV process.

    “Our 90,000 sq feet facility is fully accredited for the full range of active and passive temperature ranges,” says Michael Yip, SVP Freight Management of CEVA’s South East Asia cluster. We are the largest user and operator of active RKN e1 equipment outbound from Singapore and this new CEIV status recognises the full scope of our capabilities”.

  • Crown Equipment expands Shanghai operations

    Crown Equipment expands Shanghai operations

    Crown Equipment Corporation is expanding in Shanghai with a new facility to support growing customer needs in the region. The facility includes space for extensive new equipment inventory, a parts distribution centre, training facility for mainland China, technology demonstration centre as well as local sales, parts and customer service operations for the Shanghai area.

    “The new location is vital to support our customers’ evolving needs in China,” said Tom Kieffer, managing director of commercial operations, Crown Equipment. “Our goal is to become the first choice of our customers, which requires that we have outstanding parts and truck availability to provide excellent customer support. Our new facility provides the expansion needed to achieve this goal.”

    The facility’s technology demonstration centre is designed to help customers make informed purchasing decisions when it comes to advanced material handling equipment and technology needed to increase the productivity of their operations. The centre will showcase the latest forklifts and technology from Crown, including the QuickPick Remote order picking system that uses automated truck navigation technologies to reduce low-level order picking walk steps, and Crown’s InfoLink wireless operator and fleet management system.

    Along with having access to a complete selection of Crown’s award-winning forklifts and Integrity Parts and Service System, customers can take advantage of Crown’s Demonstrated Performance Training programs that offer a comprehensive range of forklift training formats for operators, supervisors, trainers, technicians and pedestrians.

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  • XPO Logistics awarded contract by Fujitsu

    XPO Logistics awarded contract by Fujitsu

    XPO Logistics has been awarded a new contract by Fujitsu General Air Conditioning (UK) to provide supply chain and specialist transport services across the UK for Fujitsu’s commercial air conditioning units.

    One-man and two-man crews will deliver the units to offices and industrial buildings both as direct orders and via distributors. In securing the contract, XPO worked in collaboration with Fujitsu to design an optimal solution for the company and its customers. XPO will accommodate 4,000 pallets of air conditioning units on site at its warehouse in Aylesford, Kent, using bespoke technology to track shipments inbound from non-UK markets. XPO will flex its transport and logistics resources to accommodate seasonality, transporting an estimated 11,000 pallets annually using its warehouse management technology to manage flows, control stock levels and report on performance.

    Ian Carroll, sales director of Fujitsu General Air Conditioning (UK), said: “XPO Logistics have enabled us to go above and beyond what we’ve previously been able to do.” He continued: “By offering online tracking of shipments, a mobile app for our customers and considerable transport capability we are able to fulfil client orders more efficiently and accurately, with clear visibility as to shipment progress, which leaves us free to focus on growing our business.”

    Operating from ten depots with an extensive network of fleets and drivers, XPO’s specialist delivery network covers mainland UK and is supported by a central customer service team in its Birmingham hub.

    Dave Finnie, business unit director at XPO Logistics, said: “We share Fujitsu’s commitment to superior customer service and productivity. Our teams have brought together their industrial expertise in value-added warehousing, inventory management and specialist transport to create a bespoke solution for Fujitsu. These complex deliveries will be facilitated by our leading IT solutions, including mobile applications that manage flexible and timed deliveries for the best possible customer experience.”

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  • CEVA opens an office in Myanmar

    CEVA opens an office in Myanmar

    As part of its strategic expansion in the emerging Mekong markets, CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s largest supply chain management companies, has opened its office in Myanmar’s capital, Yangon.

    For the last five years, CEVA has been operational in the country through a network partner, providing freight management services to a number of multinational and local customers.

    Effective June 2017, the company now has its own office, offering the full spectrum of air and ocean freight services with access to the CEVA network using One Freight System (OFS) – CEVA’s global system which manages all freight movements worldwide.

    Myanmar presents considerable potential for growth with strong demand for both import and export services. Imports comprise mainly industrial materials for infrastructure, consumer goods and machinery, whilst exports of commodities, agricultural products and goods for the retail sector drive the outbound trade. With its expertise in the industrial and consumer and retail sectors among others, CEVA is well positioned to offer professional and competitive services.

    “Myanmar is a country with real opportunities for growth. It has a population of some 55 million people who are looking to companies like CEVA to provide supply chain services to support their developing business and meet their requirements. In the past, the country infrastructure has always been a limiting and inhibiting factor but with our global network and more importantly, our experience in emerging markets, especially in the region, we are confident that with our own office and robust IT offerings we can deliver options and solutions to the market and at the same time grow our commercial footprint”, says Bruno Plantaz, CEVA’s managing director Mekong cluster.

  • Honeywell unveils new Connected Freight solution

    Honeywell unveils new Connected Freight solution

    Honeywell has launched a new Connected Freight solution that gives shippers and logistics companies unprecedented ability to monitor shipments of high-value and perishable goods, helping prevent costly damage and loss.

    The new solution, developed in collaboration with Intel and third-party logistics companies, provides real-time information about the location and condition of critical freight while in transit. The solution was introduced during Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions’ launch event today.

    “Honeywell is developing a range of Connected Supply Chain solutions that leverage technology and data to make supply chains more efficient and better able to adapt to rapid change,” said Taylor Smith, president of Honeywell’s Workflow Solutions business. “For shippers, logistics providers, retailers and others faced with a host of costly freight challenges, such as theft, damage, spoilage and delays, this convenient cloud-based solution provides customers with detailed analytics in order to plan, anticipate and react immediately to incidents that occur during shipment.”

    Real-time shipment information is critical, for example, when shipping perishables and goods that require uninterrupted refrigeration, such as pharmaceuticals, or high-value equipment that is sensitive to vibration or shock.

    “After assessing our internal supply chain needs and the needs of the industry, we forged a unique collaboration with Honeywell. Together, we’ve customised Intel’s Connected Logistics Platform technology to deliver an IoT offering that solves real logistics problems,” said Chet Hullum, general manager for Industrial Solutions at Intel. “Thanks to data accessibility, shippers and carriers will be able to establish a more reliable supply chain network by having deeper visibility and information on shipments.”

    Honeywell’s Connected Freight solution consists of cost-effective sensor tags that sense a range of environmental conditions, such as temperature or vibration. The tags can be affixed to pallets or individual packages. The sensor data is captured by a mobile gateway placed inside a truck or shipping container and then transmitted via cellular networks to a cloud-based command-and-control platform.

    Users can establish alerts based on temperature, shock, tilt, humidity, pressure and intrusion detection. The solution can alert manufacturers of high-value, highly sensitive technology if equipment has been damaged while being loaded or unloaded, or if it may have been stolen. The cloud can also store data for compliance and audit needs, and provide predictive and reactive analysis, such as which routes to avoid.

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  • Amazon launches direct air freight service to China

    Amazon launches direct air freight service to China

    Retail giant Amazon has launched direct cargo flights from the US to Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province.

    The planes which were carrying products, including food, clothes and household appliances ordered by Chinese buyers, flew from New York, Chicago and Los Angels to the Chinese transportation hub, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

    Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport offered good logistics services to cross-border e-commerce platforms, sources with Amazon logistics services provider WherExpress.

    The airport provided swift customs clearance, and the imports will now be distributed to consumers nationwide.

    Amazon had said in March that it was “currently developing the air cargo service (for China) and will introduce it soon”.

    The airport in Zhengzhou posted 275,000 tonnes of throughput of imported cargo in 2016, which included imported fruit, aquatic products, meat and live Australian cattle.

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  • DHL launches China – Belarus rail freight service

    DHL launches China – Belarus rail freight service

    DHL Global Forwarding launched a new rail freight service between Shenzhen, China, and Minsk, Belarus, on May 22 with a transit time of less than 12 days.

    The new service passes through Alatau Shankou – Dostyk on the Chinese-Kazakhstan border which is already used by several other intermodal services, including rail connections from Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Lianyungang to continental Europe.DHL will manage the new route together with China Brilliant, an integrated service provider in manufacturing and consumption with which DHL signed a memorandum of understanding in 2016. The service offers both less-than-container load (LCL) and full container load (FCL) for electronics, industrial and automotive parts, and fresh food from both both Eastern Europe and China.

    “Eastern Europe’s economies are growing faster than almost any others worldwide, with significant export opportunities arising from the region’s rising wages and disposable income levels,” says Mr Steve Huang, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Greater China. “Minsk offers Chinese businesses an efficient gateway into the Baltic States and Nordic countries in addition to other European destinations like Warsaw, Hamburg and Tilburg via Brest. With Shenzhen’s economy exceeding expectations to grow by 9% last year, the route also opens sizable opportunities for European exporters.”

    “The partnerships that DHL has with governments and businesses globally, coupled with our market strength in Shenzhen-based supply chains, have come together to create a solution that directly meets the needs of China’s expansion-hungry manufacturers and producers,” says Mr Zhang Chunhua, founder of China Brilliant Group.

    DHL has been offering intermodal rail services connecting China, Japan, and southeast Asia with Europe since 2010 on the following corridors:

    • North Corridor: Suzhou – Warsaw connecting Chinese engineering and manufacturing hubs to Europe in 14 days
    • South Corridor: Lianyungang and Chengdu to Istanbul via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia including two water crossings in 14 days, and
    • West Corridor: Zhengzhou – Hamburg (electronics), Chengdu – Lodz (high-tech and automotive products) and now Shenzhen – Minsk (electronics and consumer products).

  • S.F. Express to build Asia’s largest air freight hub in China

    S.F. Express to build Asia’s largest air freight hub in China

    Chinese private logistics giant S.F. Express Co Ltd has pledged to build the busiest air cargo hub in Asia, reaching areas accounting for 80% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product within two hours, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

    The firm said it would construct an airport in Ezhou city, Hubei province in central China, that could handle more than 2.6 million tonnes of freight and 1.5 million passengers by 2025. The airport would be the fourth busiest in the world and could cater for all jets except the Airbus’ superjumbo A380.

    The joint venture in charge of building the air hub has an investment capital of 100 million yuan (US$14.4 million). The venture will be responsible for the design, construction as well as the operation and management of the mega development project.

    A unit of S.F. Express – S.F. Airport Investment – and China VAST Industrial Urban Development Company have contributed 40 million yuan and 60 million yuan, respectively, to set up the joint venture.

    S.F. Airport Investment had invested 470 billion yuan in VAST late last year. S.F. Express, founded in 1993, is the largest private courier in China, and started building its own fleet in 2009. As of November 30, it owned a fleet of 36 aircraft, according to the company’s website.

    China’s logistics industry has boomed following the development of e-commerce giants, such as Alibaba’s Taobao. In 2016, more than 250 million people used courier services each day, according to the state Xinhua news agency.

    At the annual Singles’ Day e-commerce sale last year on November 11, postal services handled 251 million parcels, a 52% increase compared to 2015, according to another Xinhua news report. S.F. Express even rented high-speed trains to ensure punctual delivery of goods.

    The new airport project is part of an aero city mega development, spanning an area of 36 square kilometers, for a population of only a million.

  • China has launched its first UK-bound freight train

    China has launched its first UK-bound freight train

    China has launched its first UK-bound freight train from the city of Yiwu in Zhejiang province to London. The train, which is jointly operated by the Yiwu government and China Railway Container Transport Corp., Ltd., a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway Corporation, set off from Yiwu West Station and will leave China at Alanshankou, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France and the English Channel before arriving at Barking in East London.

    The journey, which is over 12,000km long, is expected to take approximately 18 days.

    According to China Railway, goods carried on the train include household commodities, apparel, textiles and suitcases.

    Yiwu is also the origin of various China-Europe and China-Central Asia trains.

    The new link to the UK is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative and will strengthen trade ties between China and West Europe, according to China Railway.

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  • DHL introduces fully customized digital Freight platform CILLOX

    DHL introduces fully customized digital Freight platform CILLOX

    DHL Freight introduces CILLOX, a virtual marketplace for enterprises with transportation needs. The fast and seamless solution helps companies to match their full truck load, part truck load and less than truck load offerings with transport providers’ capacities and find the appropriate provider according to their needs. With CILLOX, shippers no longer need to deal with challenges such as lengthy price inquiries and comparisons or unreliable providers – they enjoy end-to-end control of their shipment processes within a single platform. Transport providers profit from guaranteed fast payment with streamlined invoicing and payment processes that improves accuracy.

    “Both companies and carriers benefit from this new business model,” explains Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Freight. “With CILLOX, DHL offers a solution to promote the digitalization of the logistics industry and disrupt the traditional road freight business. The launch of the platform is a result of our strategy 2020 and promotes further growth due to its innovative and agile business model.”

    Early user testing during the pilot period was implemented successfully in September and showed high customer satisfaction. As of January 2017, the platform shall be fully operational for all market participants.  Fast and easy processing of transport procedures CILLOX enables companies to find a suitable transport service provider at the touch of a button.

    The platform seeks to address common problems while searching for an appropriate and reliable transport service provider, such as lengthy price inquiries and comparisons, or delays in the Proof of Delivery process, by offering instant access to a large number of DHL pre-qualified and peer-rated providers for fast quotes and easy transport booking. Shippers can pay, manage and track their shipments using a convenient dashboard.

    At the same time, CILLOX offers carriers of all sizes a platform to market their company’s assets and capabilities to expand their customer base and locate suitable loads to further optimize their vehicles’ capacity. CILLOX also facilitates accurate invoicing, payment and electronic Proof of Delivery submission processes, so carriers can profit from guaranteed fast payment. Truck drivers using the CILLOX mobile app receive jobs directly on their smartphone, and automatic status alerts throughout the transportation journey. The extensive range of services provided by CILLOX increases not only DHL’s own, but also its customers’ efficiency and competitiveness.

    Customer experience at the core of CILLOX User needs and requirements are at the core of CILLOX and actual users have been involved from the start of the design and development of the platform. The iterative product development allows the software design to evolve in response to users’ needs and feedback. After the initial launch, further functionalities will be added gradually, including a real-time chat option and mobile document scanning via the mobile app.

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  • Qantas Freight has been appointed as the carrier to transport milk

    Qantas Freight has been appointed as the carrier to transport milk

    Qantas Freight has been appointed as the exclusive carrier to transport Van Dairy’s Tasmanian milk to Ningbo, China.

    Starting in the first half of 2017, Qantas Freight will operate a weekly Boeing 767-300 freighter flight from Hobart to Ningbo, carrying more than 50,000 litres of fresh milk. Qantas will look at increasing the frequency if there is additional demand.

    “There is a huge demand for fresh milk in China and the key to satisfying that demand is having a reliable freight partner with an established freighter network, infrastructure and support in China and expertise in handling fresh produce – Qantas provides that,” said Sean Shwe, managing director of Moon Lake Investments, parent company of Van Dairy. “Establishing this trade bridge is an exciting venture for our dairy company, Van Dairy who produce Van milk, and opens the door for access for other Tasmanian producers of fresh perishables such as seafood, fruit and vegetables to air freight their produce on this direct flight to China. It will be a game changer for Tasmania, and we are proud to be leading the charge.”

    According to Qantas, local distributors will truck the milk to supermarkets and convenience stores in Ningbo and Beijing. Moon Lake Investments has plans to extend the dairy’s market reach to Shanghai, Hangzhou and other Chinese cities after the product is established.

    “We’ve been flying freight between Australia and Greater China for more than 30 years, and currently offer freight capacity on 40 flights a week,” said Alison Webster, executive manager of Qantas Freight and Qantas Catering Group. “This includes five dedicated freighter aircraft services, carrying a mix of perishables such as chilled meat, seafood, dairy, fruit and vegetables as well as general cargo. Over the past three years Qantas Freight has developed particularly strong capabilities in dairy export which, with its short-life, requires close collaboration to ensure on-time delivery and quality control throughout the supply chain. We’re really pleased to partner with Van Dairy to help meet the booming demand for fresh Tasmanian milk in China – it’s the ultimate milk run.”

    Qantas currently operates passenger flights from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Hong Kong, as well as from Sydney to Shanghai. It is also scheduled to launch a flight between Sydney and Beijing in January 2017.

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  • DHL launches air freight service for emergency logistics

    DHL launches air freight service for emergency logistics

    DHL Global Forwarding extends its product portfolio and launches DHL SameDay Speedline. This new air freight product offers forwarding customers a mission critical solution for emergency shipments. Providing a best flight out service at an optimal cost-performance ratio, each unaccompanied shipment will be proactively monitored from origin to destination.

    With benefits such as 24/7/365 pickup and delivery, collection within 120 minutes and quotations within 60 minutes, the DHL SameDay Speedline product will fill the gap for a much needed global expedited solution. This new service covers urgent delivery of spare parts, critical medical supplies or newly launched products.

    Although DHL SameDay Speedline is a multisector product, it‘s especially attractive for aerospace & aviation, automotive, electronics, energy and life sciences industries.

    “The emergency shipment market is growing with just-in-time inventories for industries from aerospace and energy to manufacturing to adapt their supply chains. The need for mission critical shipment delivery to avoid line down situations continues to arise and requires a partner that has the global reach combined with the technology to provide transparency to each sector specific logistical challenge. DHL SameDay Speedline fills this gap and provides added value through its many service features,” states Ingo-Alexander Rahn, Global Head of Air Freight, DHL Global Forwarding.

    The launch of DHL SameDay Speedline’ s global network of 50+ stations will cover the greatest geographical demand for emergency shipments, with the expectation, that the network will grow through customer demand. A core strength of DHL SameDay Speedline are the 24/7/365 SameDay Contact Centers in the US, Singapore and Ireland, where each shipment is proactively monitored from origin to destination.

    Dedicated customer service representatives will handle the majority of quotes and routing option for door-to-door transits in less than 60 minutes. Customers of DHL SameDay Speedline will receive customized milestone updates of their shipments movement after the logistical event. In case of an irregularity, a resolution to the issue is available within minutes.

    Next to specific industry sectors solutions, the scope of DHL SameDay are those customers that need to ship time-critical cargo regularly or experience unplanned emergencies.

    “We see DHL SameDay Speedline as a multi sector product offering that is especially attractive for aerospace & aviation, automotive, technology, energy, marine logistics and life sciences industries, including temperature controlled, dangerous or out-of-gauge goods,” Rahn adds.

    After surveying more than 200 customers from various industry sectors with emergency shipment needs, DHL Global Forwarding saw a need to develop a product utilizing the best of both worlds, the leverage of the DHL relationships in country with the emergency product technology and intelligence of the DHL SameDay team.

    “Our customers will choose DHL SameDay Speedline for the best flight options to meet just-in-time demand at an optimal cost performance ratio,” stresses Ingo-Alexander Rahn.

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  • DHL collaborates with Electrolux on LCL ocean freight shipments

    DHL collaborates with Electrolux on LCL ocean freight shipments

    Electrolux and DHL collaborates. As of now, DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is responsible for the majority of Electrolux’ global ocean freight Less-Than-Container-Load (LCL) shipments.

    The appointment by the Swedish home appliance manufacturer comprises an annual estimated cargo volume of more than 20,000 cubic meters, approximately 70 percent of their global volume, and includes shipments from all regions including Asia, Oceania, North America, Europe and Latin America.

    “LCL shipments are important to Electrolux, particularly for project shipments, small urgent consignments and spare parts distribution, and are an integral part of our global supply chain. We have chosen DHL Global Forwarding for this task due to the unparalleled global network coverage and the high reliability which DHL Ocean Connect LCL has been providing for many years now,” said Bjorn Vang Jensen, Vice President, Global Logistics at Electrolux.

    DHL’s ocean freight network for LCL shipments includes more than 45,000 Container Freight Station point pairs which connect the globe. The company’s “Shipped as Booked” policy guarantees that goods are scheduled for a specific vessel and will ship on that vessel whether the container is full or not.

    This has been a major criterion for Electrolux in the selection process, since special project or spare part shipments need to be shipped in various, fluctuating quantities and for which demand is unpredictable.

    Moreover, these volumes are not necessarily sufficient for a full container box all the time.

    “We are extremely delighted to continue our long-lasting relationship with Electrolux. This new nomination is a fantastic acknowledgement of our DHL Ocean Connect LCL offering and the services provided in other areas in recent years,” says Michael Young, Executive Vice President, Global Head Marketing & Sales, DHL Global Forwarding.

    Electrolux has been a DHL customer for more than 10 years. The other services that DHL provides for the company are global airfreight, international supply chain services, customs brokerage and multimodal solutions including rail and trucking.

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  • Amazon China Registers As Ocean Freight Forwarder

    Amazon China Registers As Ocean Freight Forwarder

    Online retail giant Amazon has registered its China arm as an ocean freight forwarder, the US Federal Maritime Commission has announced.

    The move will give the retailer more control over shipping goods from its factories in China to customers.

    By expanding its logistics operations in this way, the retailer can cut costs with the possibility of being in a position to offer third-party logistics services at a later stage.

    In response to the news, Sian Hopwood, senior vice president for B2B operations at supply chain software supplier Kewill, commented, “Delivering products direct from manufacturers to consumers is not a new concept, but this is the first time we have seen this ‘drop shipping’ model on a global scale.”

    Retailers wanting to regain market share will have to step up their efforts to ensure they are able to respond more flexibly and responsively to demand – “importing stock as it is ordered rather than having to predict stockpiling requirements and risk warehousing unwanted items”, added Hopwood.

    “By removing the middleman, retailers can reduce costs and provide customers with an always-on, always-available shopping experience which traditional models can’t sustain.”

    With the retail environment still being in a state of flux with the rise of digital and mobile shopping, a key part of making this system work is visibility.

    “If companies are to retain customer trust, they will need to have supply chain management solutions in place to ensure shoppers know exactly what’s happening to their shipment.”

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