On 10 November, Rhenus Overland Transport Italy acquired Pesenti Trasporti & Logistica Srl based in Osio Sopra (BG), a company specialised in national and international transportation and integrated logistics.

This acquisition strengthens the presence of Rhenus Overland Transport Italy in a strategically important area considered to be the natural junction between the main transport routes for both Northern Italy and international import and export traffic.

Pesenti Trasporti & Logistica, a family business with more than 60 years of history in the world of transport, began its activity with a fleet of five owned vehicles, which today comprises 25 tractors as well as 50 trailers and semi-trailers in order to adapt to different types of loads.

Pesenti has successfully evolved over the years. From its origins as a haulage company, it has expanded its service portfolio to include logistics, handling and distribution activities, serving important national and international clients.

Preserving the strong roots and values that have long propelled the Company forward is paramount and this commitment was a key factor in the decision to welcome Rhenus as a new shareholder, as it believes they can not only safeguard these principles but also inject fresh momentum into the dynamic environment that characterises the Company.

With the acquisition, Rhenus is solidifying its position in an area characterised by a high density of industry and production in Lombardy, recognised as the engine of the Italian economy, contributing to over 20.0% of the country's GDP, particularly in the Bergamo area.

Pesenti Trasporti & Logistica Srl will retain its name and organisational structure with Benedetto Pesenti as its Managing Director.

The EU Commission has approved DACHSER's acquisition of 80.0% of FERCAM's groupage and contract logistics business in Italy. DACHSER & FERCAM Italia will start operations as planned in January 2024.

Following a competition review, the Commission has approved the proposed establishment of a joint venture. Following the green light from the competition authorities, nothing now stands in the way of the establishment of ‘DACHSER & FERCAM Italia S.r.l.’

FERCAM can now carve out its groupage and contract logistics activities and transfer them to the new joint venture. DACHSER & FERCAM Italia will start operations as planned in January 2024. In addition, the companies can now discuss and define future processes and corporate structures in more detail.

DACHSER & FERCAM Italia will initially employ 920 people at 46 locations in Italy. Following the start-up and test phase in the spring, DACHSER will take over 80.0% of the shares as agreed.

CEVA Logistics completed its acquisition of Stellar Value Chain on 20 November 2023. CEVA acquired a 96.0% stake in the Mumbai-based warehousing and transportation specialists from an affiliate of private equity form Warburg Pincus and other shareholders. The acquisition adds to CEVA’s existing presence in India, allowing for the delivery of holistic supply chain services to customers across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

CEVA has been operating in India for more than two decades. The acquisition of Stellar boosts CEVA’s domestic contract logistics and omni-channel fulfilment service, providing CEVA with a presence in 60+ locations and 35 cities across India. The deal is part of CEVA’s plan to expand and diversify its presence, to support the continued growth in domestic consumption, manufacturing and warehousing. CEVA will welcome approximately 6,000 employees from the former Stellar business.

The new sites complement CEVA’s existing contract logistics and eCommerce portfolio. They will extend its scale and scope to strengthen its offerings in the eCommerce, automotive, food products, consumer, fashion and retail, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals market segments.

Recent studies estimate that India is on course to become the world’s third largest economy by 2027. The demand for third party logistics (3PL) and warehouses is growing in line with shifts in consumer behaviour and the logistics landscape. The Stellar acquisition means CEVA is better able to serve all its customers. Founder, Anshuman Singh will continue to lead the legacy Stellar business, as part of CEVA’s network of logistics across India. The enhanced presence will offer new opportunities for CEVA in a fast-growing market.

The acquisition is part of CEVA’s journey to becoming a Top 5 global logistics operator. But it’s not just about economics. The new facilities will create efficiencies of scale, which allow CEVA to optimise its business operations and innovate to directly benefit its customers in a sustainable, inclusive way.

The acquisition enhances CEVA’s contract logistics and, with advancements in 3PL, expands its scope in warehousing and fulfilment services. In alignment with its well-established air and ocean business, it will strategically utilise its capabilities to provide a full suite of supply chain logistics solutions for current and future customers.

Drac Group is acquiring S T Douglas Transport Limited, a Stafford, UK-based, transport company. The acquisition will see Drac Distribution expand its existing haulage capabilities, both locally and nationally.

The deal will strengthen the Company’s commitment to delivering unparalleled value and service to clients and stakeholders. It brings together the complementary expertise of Drac Group and S T Douglas, creating synergies that will drive innovation and excellence in its trucking sector and expands service offerings, which in turn will benefit both the companies’ clients by combining their strengths.

Lineage has opened its new Central Eastern European Headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. The new office reinforces Lineage’s presence in the region, after the Company’s acquisition and rebranding of Pago sp. z o.o. (Pago), a leading warehousing, distribution, and transport logistics provider in Poland, in 2020.

The opening of the Central Eastern European Headquarters move solidifies Lineage's focus on streamlining Europe's food supply chain, presenting customers with a comprehensive solution for transporting their products across Europe and beyond, significantly improving operational efficiencies. Leveraging cutting-edge cold chain solutions, and a strategically positioned network of facilities in pivotal European ports, such as Spain, Italy, and France, Lineage aims to optimise the movement of food products within the temperature-controlled supply chain.

The opening of the Warsaw office is the latest step in empowering the Company to elevate service standards and bolster capabilities in the temperature-controlled supply chain, serving customers across Europe.

As Poland stands as the sixth largest food producer in the European Union, the Company’s network in this region will offer customers access to a developed market with cutting-edge technologies. The office in Warsaw enables the Company to better address customers' requirements and efficiently connect them to the global market.

Presently, Lineage operates a robust network of over 70 cold chain facilities in 11 countries in Europe, including six facilities in Poland.

In order to offer their customers a higher transparency of services, Rhenus India inaugurated the Rhenus Experience Centre in their Bhiwandi multi-user warehouse in Mumbai. In the new facility, Rhenus India takes its customers on a journey to see how the operation of their goods is actually handled.

Instead of just learning in the abstract what it means to choose Rhenus as a logistics service provider, customers can now immerse themselves in the world of sophisticated warehousing.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the warehouse operations across India, the Experience Centre showcases activities like loading, unloading, packaging and more in real time. Visitors can also experience live demonstrations of the warehouse management system (WMS), transport management system (TMS) and the Qlik Sense reporting tool. By combining physical operations and digital processes, Rhenus India creates an experience that is a combination of both simulation and reality.

Building long-term business relationships and trust can only begin with transparency and real-time insights into the supply chain.

Rhenus India focuses on tailoring integrated logistics solutions to meet individual customer needs and seamlessly integrate them into their supply chains by providing a holistic approach to warehousing and logistics.

Selling logistics services today has an increased complexity and, as a service provider, it is Rhenus’ job to identify and eradicate problems for customers. Rhenus India sees an important success factor for its business in giving them an understanding of what this support actually looks like in concrete terms.

Nesma Co. and CJ Logistics have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU). Signed at CJ Logistic’s headquarters in Seoul's Jongno district, the agreement will see both companies actively exploring joint business opportunities and prioritising each other in the pursuit of new ventures in Saudi Arabia.

CJ Logistics is currently establishing a Global Distribution Centre in the Middle East, expected to be operational next year, to manage international shipments for the online retailer iHerb.

Kang Byung-koo, the head of CJ Logistics’ Global Business Division, expressed optimism about the partnership, saying that through cooperation with Nesma Co., they aim to expand their influence in the Middle Eastern logistics market.

SEUR, the Spanish leader in express delivery, has reached a significant milestone in its Pickup network with more than 5,000 active stores throughout the country, including more than 900 lockers. This achievement reinforces SEUR's commitment to innovation and efficiency in deliveries, especially during periods of high volumes, such as the imminent Black Friday and the Christmas season.

For several years now, SEUR has been committed to Out of Home (OOH) solutions as one of its main growth priorities. SEUR Pickup network, the most extensive in the country, includes more than 5,000 points, including more than 900 lockers (smart lockers).

SEUR's Pickup network plays a key role in adapting to people's current lifestyles. With extended opening hours and convenient locations, these points offer a flexible solution for customers with tight schedules, making it easy to pick up packages based on their availability. This flexibility is particularly valuable during high-demand periods such as Black Friday and Christmas, as it ensures that deliveries are tailored to each customer's needs and lifestyles. The expansion of the Pickup network underscores SEUR's commitment to customer convenience and satisfaction.

In 2022, SEUR set an all-time record with 10.0 million shipments handled through the SEUR Pickup network. Looking ahead, the Company plans to expand its Pickup network to 8,000 stores by 2024, including 1,500 lockers distributed throughout Spain. This expansion not only responds to growing consumer demand, but is also part of SEUR's strategy to lead the way in sustainable delivery.

The growth of the Pickup network is testimony to SEUR's continuous effort to increase the flexibility and personalisation of its services. Through developments based on the latest technology, SEUR seeks to offer delivery options that better adapt to the lifestyle of each consumer, providing an exceptional customer experience.

XPO expects to make up to 4,800 home deliveries per day in Spain as part of the Company’s ‘Last Mile’ service during the Black Friday shopping period. This represents an estimated 10.0% increase in demand from customers in the retail, electronics, furniture and sports sectors compared to last year.

To meet this increased activity, XPO will reinforce its fleet with 240 additional vehicles specifically dedicated to the last-mile delivery of heavy and bulky products, bringing the total number delivery vehicles to 720. Crews will include two people who are responsible not only for the delivery of goods, but also for their assembly.

In order to accommodate higher shipping demand during peak periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas, XPO operates one of the largest fleets in Spain. More than 3,000 semi-trailers carry out half-mile operations - the movement of goods between different warehouses - and more than 800 vehicles serve the Company’s pallet distribution network, which is the largest in Spain. Seven XPO distribution centres – located in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Zaragoza – are dedicated exclusively to last mile service, as part of the Company’s total network of 72 distribution centres in Spain.

XPO Logistics launched its Last Mile delivery solution in Spain in 2018, specialising in home delivery of heavy and bulky goods. Over the past two years, this business has experienced double-digit growth year-over-year in the Iberian Peninsula. Currently, the Company makes an average of 4,300 deliveries per day, which increases significantly during special shopping periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas.

Innovation and sustainability are two key elements of XPO Logistics solutions. For the Last Mile service, these include applications such as the communication solution through the XPO WhatsApp channel to inform the end consumer about delivery of their products. Recently, this solution has been complemented by the last mile chatbot, which uses Artificial Intelligence to automatically call recipients to inform them of the exact time and place of delivery of their order. Since the implementation of this tool last May, up to 500 daily communications per day have been made in the Iberian Peninsula.

Normally, when an end-user places an order online, tracking platforms indicate the approximate day and time of delivery at home, requiring the recipient to adjust their schedule if they want to be present for the delivery. In the case of the XPO Last Mile service, the end-user chooses the exact day and time of delivery through the XPO Connect digital platform. This means the logistics company is adapting to the needs of the recipient, not the other way around, providing a higher level of flexibility and satisfaction for the consumer.

The end-user can also request other value-added services directly by mobile phone, such as selecting the preferred room for delivery, assembly, installation or removal of the old product. This reaffirms the high quality of service for XPO’s customers and provides greater security and peace of mind to the end consumer.

SKU Distribution, operating a 3PL warehouse and fulfilment centre, is the first in Arizona to receive a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designation. This designation underscores SKU Distribution's commitment to excellence and innovation in providing top-tier logistics solutions for its clients.

Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs) provide special customs procedures that help companies conducting international business-related operations compete. An FTZ also facilitates and attracts offshore activity and encourages domestic activity retention, helping create employment opportunities. When a business operates under FTZ procedures, they are treated like they are located outside the US for purposes of customs duties. That means US import duties don't have to be paid on imported components entering their factory.

This achievement is a win for Arizona's economic development. FTZ designation attracts businesses, stimulates job creation, and fosters a more robust business environment. As the first 3PL warehouse in Arizona to secure FTZ designation, SKU Distribution offers unparalleled advantages to businesses engaged in international trade. This not only boosts the competitiveness of local businesses but also contributes to the growth of the Arizona economy.

The FTZ designation is a cash flow game-changer for businesses. This allows companies to import their products and defer their customs duties and taxes until their product leaves the zone for domestic consumption. This additional cash flow allows companies to purchase more products at no additional cost or invest in other opportunities.

The Bolloré Logistics site of Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) received the International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEIV Lithium Battery Certification in August 2023, demonstrating its professional expertise in the safe transportation of lithium batteries.

In recent years, the global demand for lithium batteries has grown rapidly. It is favoured for powering a wide variety of consumer goods, hi-tech products, automotive, industrial, aerospace and healthcare equipment. This has resulted in a significant increase in the transportation and storage requirements for lithium battery products which are considered dangerous goods that can pose a safety risk if not prepared in accordance with transport regulations.

In 2021, IATA launched a certification programme called Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Li-batt). Designed for supply chain stakeholders, this certification ensures that shippers, freight forwarders, cargo handling facilities and airlines fulfil their safety obligations by complying with the applicable transport regulations.

Bolloré Logistics site of Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) successfully passed the IATA third-party audit and obtained the CEIV Lithium Battery certification. Regularly participated in training programmes such as IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR), Bolloré Logistics personnel at the Pudong Airport’ site are well trained and the operation meets IATA standards in operational processes and quality management.

The recent launch of myKN Booking for road shipments in the Middle East and Africa will unlock the door to that digital ambition in one of the fastest growing regions. It aligns with Kuehne + Nagel’s Roadmap 2026 and its cornerstones ‘Digital Ecosystem’ and ‘Kuehne + Nagel Experience', as an efficient digital booking process promotes convenience and efficiency.

Every transport somehow starts and ends on wheels. And each road freight shipment starts with a booking. But things are changing for the latter. The days of making bookings over the phone call or via email are almost over. Kuehne + Nagel’s Road Logistics division aims to achieve a digital booking rate of 90.0% by 2026 (up from 85.0% today). Digital bookings include bookings via Kuehne + Nagel’s digital customer platform myKN, but also bookings via EDI/API integrations with the Transport Management Systems of customers.

myKN’s Booking feature has already been available for road logistics customers in Europe for several years. For Sea and Air Logistics customers, myKN Booking has been available globally since 2021. In the Middle East and Africa, however, several additional prerequisites needed to be put in place to enable the launch, which eventually materialised in October 2023.

One key prerequisite was the implementation of the Company’s Transport Management System RoadLOG. It completed the rollout to all 10 countries in MEA where Road Logistics is active in the course of 2023. On top, it had to ensure that myKN Booking met the specific booking requirements of the countries in MEA. These differ from Europe. For example, there are no postal codes in some countries in the Middle East and Africa. Hence, it had to configure the system, which takes time.

Once customers start using myKN Booking, they don’t go back to ‘the old ways’. With the planned introduction of myKN Booking in the other regions where Road Logistics is active, reaching 90.0% by the end of the Roadmap 2026 should be a tick in the box.

And rightfully so, because digital bookings have a lot of benefits. Kuehne + Nagel’s customers praise it for its user-friendliness and efficiency, with one booking taking on average only 40 seconds.

What’s more, the intuitiveness of myKN Booking means that customers do not require training to start booking digitally (and to follow each milestone of the order in the myKN tracking portal, which is another benefit for customers who use myKN to book shipments). The same goes for freight forwarders at Kuehne + Nagel; digital bookings eliminate manual tasks such as copying data from emails into systems, simultaneously preventing human error.

myKN is envisioned to be Kuehne + Nagel’s single digital interface for customers globally. This means that it needs to remain user-friendly and adapt, if needed, to changing contexts and requirements. The customer portal myKN is, in fact, constantly under development with new feature releases.

For Sea Logistics customers, for example, the myKN development team recently launched a real-time container tracking dashboard. And when the team noticed a demand for ‘bulk booking’ for road shipments (i.e. a feature to upload multiple bookings at once without having to manually submit individual booking entries one-by-one. This is especially time-saving for customers with many different road shipments and line hauls.), they introduced a feature to upload spreadsheets that contain this data, which is then added to their cart, ready to be booked in one click.

The only missing puzzle piece to truly be Kuehne + Nagel's single digital customer interface, is the introduction of myKN Booking for Road Logistics customers in Asia Pacific and North America. These implementations are already in their preparatory phases.

Maersk has welcomed global key partner PUMA to its warehouse near Rijeka, Croatia. The sports brand is now the second customer at the facility, which became operational on 17 July 2023.

On 14 November, the local Maersk team inaugurated and successfully handled PUMA’s first inbounds volumes through Maersk’s dedicated warehouse in Croatia. Located less than 20 kilometres from the port of Rijeka in the northern part of the country, the facility ensures fast delivery times and efficient cargo handling. This modern 12,000 m2 warehouse is a recently added link in Maersk’s global network of logistics assets across all continents offering resilient and flexible end-to-end supply chain solutions.

With Maersk, PUMA is able to provide better and faster deliveries to customers in South-eastern Europe – saving more than one week in time to market, as well as cost and CO2 emissions.

The Rijeka warehouse is a Class A type, with high security standards and is designed to minimise greenhouse gas emissions thanks to features like solar roof or LED lights reducing energy consumption. The facility has flexible pallet capacity and offers end-to-end solutions including Customs services, as well a wide range of additional value-adding services available. Additional benefit is the proximity of the future deepwater terminal, Rijeka Gateway.

Maersk has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kumho Tire, one of the world's largest tyre manufacturers. The signing took place last week at Kumho Tire’s Headquarter in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Kumho Tire has used Maersk Ocean service for years, while Maersk is committed to providing integrated solutions for customers, the collaboration has now extended to the logistics domain, showcasing the mutual trust and confidence between the two companies.

The partnership seeks to combine Maersk's expertise in global transport and logistics with Kumho Tire's strong foothold in the automotive sector. This collaboration is poised to revolutionise Kumho Tire's supply chain management, leveraging Maersk's fourth-party logistics´ (4PL) visibility solution for a five-year period, along with domestic intermodal services for three years.

Maersk is expected to manage more than 40,000 FFE (40-foot equivalent) volumes per year starting from 2024.

The signing of this MOU is a clear testament to the dedication of both Kumho Tire and Maersk towards fostering innovation and providing customer-centric services. Looking ahead, this partnership is set to redefine the standards of excellence in supply chain management, serving as an inspiration for similar initiatives across industries.

DHL has been appointed by Hilti Ireland in a new UK&I contract until May 2025, which builds on the existing relationship in other markets around the world. The new contract will see DHL leverage its scale and breadth as a full-service logistics group by co-ordinating two of its business arms, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Express, to provide warehouse and transport services respectively.

DHL will deliver customised solutions to Hilti, with the two business units able to communicate and work together seamlessly.

DHL Supply Chain went above and beyond to deliver a high-quality warehousing solution for Hilti in a limited timeframe, a valued strategic global partner. On the Express side, Hilti gains access to innovative transport solutions from DHL's Same Day Services for specialised deliveries beyond the Express option.

Operating out of Dublin Airport Business Park, Hilti will benefit from strong air and road links. To support Hilti’s business growth, DHL will use its expertise and experience in the sector to drive warehouse efficiency in line with newly developed, ambitious KPIs targeting improved customer experience and reduced lead times.

Ahead of the contract commencing, DHL’s staff underwent additional health and safety training to equip and qualify them to handle dangerous goods within Hilti’s portfolio.

GXO Logistics is extending its agreement with health and beauty industry leader Avon. GXO has supported Avon’s operations for 15 years. GXO manages a site in Garwolin, Poland, that supports Avon’s largest factory in Europe with distribution operations for the Company’s products to over 50 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

GXO’s services include warehousing, value-added services and manufacturing support. GXO has dedicated 2,000 m2 to value-added services such as gift wrapping and personalised holiday messaging on decorative cards that give end consumers a customised unboxing experience.

The Garwolin facility also enables GXO to support Avon’s omnichannel activities. It provides a wide range of high-quality copacking services, including specialist labelling and QR codes. Each year, the team co-packs thousands of different promotional sets, including bags, trays and gift boxes for occasions such as Easter, Advent and Christmas.

GXO also helps Avon meet legal requirements and label products for regulatory changes applicable across various markets, and its WMS solutions optimise efficiency and productivity. GXO also provides shared warehousing solutions for Avon and its suppliers that offer immediate access to high-quality space and fuel growth while minimising operating costs in other markets across Europe.

GXO, in partnership with Avon, pursues ambitious environmental goals at its Garwolin site. The facility has been ISO 9001 certified since 2010 and ISO 14001 certified since 2014. It reduces the amount of waste generated by reusing materials (e.g., cardboard) by recycling about 97.0% of packaging waste paper and 90.0% of plastic film and by using electronic records to decrease the amount of printed documentation. The site also uses LED lighting to reduce energy use, and by optimising forklift movements, it has reduced the number of battery charges necessary and therefore the amount of energy consumed by the charging stations.

Globally, GXO handles more than 1.0 billion beauty products each year and operates more than 40 sites that are dedicated to providing logistics solutions for the luxury brands of top companies in the beauty and wellness industry. GXO optimises supply chains, using its technology, scale and expertise to improve the flow of goods and deliver a best-in-class consumer experience for eCommerce fulfilment, omnichannel distribution and reverse logistics.

For the second time, Gebrüder Weiss is supporting the Mars Analog Mission of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF). As official partner, the international logistics expert will ensure the safe transport of sensitive equipment from Innsbruck to the mission site in Armenia.

The team of Gebrüder Weiss is aware that this is about more than transporting containers from A to B. The route leads through countries with GW locations, but such a complex project requires additional specialists to permanently monitor the transport.

Gebrüder Weiss also provides a test site at the Maria Lanzendorf location near Vienna. At the end of January, this is where the OeWF will run through all their routines one final time, prior to departing for the actual mission site in Armenia.

The ‘dress rehearsal’ is a unique opportunity to observe the astronauts and their exciting experiments from up close. Journalists and employees are also welcome to explore the world of space travel on the last weekend of January. After that, the sensitive equipment will be loaded and dispatched. Franco Ravazzolo, Head of Projects & Break Bulk at Gebrüder Weiss, will see the goods off on their journey to Armenia by truck. The colleagues from Yerevan will be standing by to take delivery of this valuable piece of the future. The mission itself starts on 07 March 2024.

Maersk and Nissan Motor Co., have joined hands in a long-term partnership on sustainable, resilient, and competitive end-to-end logistics. Nissan is an extremely important customer for Maersk, and it has chosen to expand its services with Maersk from ocean to inland logistics. With this long-term partnership approach, Maersk is committed to providing Nissan high quality, reliable, and integrated services across the supply chain. The two companies will also work with together to drive CO2 reductions in the future.

Navigating supply chain disruptions, evolving consumer preferences and other challenges in the automotive industry require strategic planning, collaboration, and resilient supply chains. By leveraging respective expertise and resources, the two companies will join hands to enhance supply chain efficiency, optimise costs, and ensure reliable and timely delivery for Nissan's exports.

As part of the agreement, Maersk has been nominated to build and operate a dedicated warehousing and distribution facility for Nissan in Wuhan, China.

Located just two kilometres from the Yangluo port area in Wuhan, the close proximity of this facility to the port enables efficient and convenient transportation of cargoes, connecting Nissan’s production lines in central China with its domestic and global markets.

The warehouse itself boasts an indoor area of 3,000 m2, with an additional 500 m2 for temporary expansion, as well as an outdoor area of 1,000 m2. The services provided are tailor-made for Nissan, including inbound and outbound operations for parts and pallets, inspections, mix bundling, quality assurance and other value-added services.

The consideration for establishing Wuhan new International Logistics Network (ILN) began last year, taking into account the expected volumes both presently and in the future. The decision to set up the facility was made based on infrastructure conditions, cost advantages, unique benefits offered, CO2 reduction and dedicated logistic partners as Maersk. Even though the Chinese automotive market is highly competitive, to fulfil Nissan’s commitment of ‘In China, for China and the World’, Nissan China Investment Company’s (NCICI's) auto-parts exports from China to other countries have been consistently setting new monthly records, showing growth despite the challenging market conditions. Nissan has high expectations for a stable supply from Wuhan.

Maersk has provided ocean services for Nissan for over a decade. During the past three years, both companies have collaborated extensively across various areas to explore opportunities for logistics and services. Now, with the opening of this dedicated warehouse for Nissan in central China, Maersk Greater China team achieves a significant milestone by bringing the Company’s integrator strategy to life within the automotive industry.

Yodel is expanding its partnership with online marketplace, Vinted, in a multi-year agreement that includes a significant increase in parcel volumes. The partnership will see Vinted’s current volumes delivered by Yodel significantly increase, with the majority being delivered into over 6,000 Yodel Stores nationwide, via the partnership with PayPoint’s Collect+ network.

The growth in volumes from Vinted follows a dramatic rise in popularity of selling and sourcing pre-loved fashion, with the Company’s transaction numbers growing sevenfold in the UK over the last 18 months. This has been fuelled by consumers moving away from fast fashion to make more sustainable choices and support them with additional income sources.

The trend towards online marketplaces has resulted in a surge in Yodel’s Consumer to Consumer (C2C) parcel volumes through its Yodel Direct service, which has been supported by the Company’s expanding Out of Home (OOH) proposition. Yodel previously reported a 162.0% increase in C2C volumes and has invested heavily in its OOH technology, delivering a scalable logistics solution that allows the business to react as consumers’ demands for more convenient and greener delivery services have increased.

Yodel’s 6,000-store OOH network, delivered in partnership with PayPoint, covers the whole of the UK, with 36.7 million people living within one kilometre of a Yodel affiliate store and locations opening at universities, petrol stations and convenience stores nationwide. PayPoint has invested in technology across its Collect+ network to deliver a superior consumer experience, ensuring labels can be printed in 100.0% of stores and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction.

Vinted users can select either of Yodel’s Store to Store or Store to Door services. The services give sellers the option to drop off their parcel at their nearest store for their recipient to collect at theirs, or to deliver directly to their recipient’s address. As soon as their package has been dropped off in store, customers can live-track their orders via Yodel’s website or via the Yodel app.

Sustainability met speed last week through DP World’s latest collaboration with McLaren Racing. As the 2023 Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team, the challenge was to transport the entirety of McLaren Racing's garage and hospitality units from the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, to the inaugural Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Throughout the 2023 race season, DP World has been supporting McLaren F1 to drive enhanced efficiency throughout the team’s supply chain to make it faster, smarter, and more sustainable.

This task, however, presented an unprecedented challenge: achieving not just efficiency but sustainability in transporting McLaren’s equipment. The solution? A multimodal transport strategy that integrated electric and bio-fuelled trucks with diesel-electric rail systems to move 1,500 tons of equipment over more than 120,000 km. This operation marked the inaugural use of such electric trucks in F1 logistics.

Electric trucks offer a greener alternative, with zero tailpipe emissions and 47.0% lower lifecycle carbon emissions compared to diesel trucks. Additionally, using biofuel instead of traditional diesel can cut carbon emissions by 75.0%.

The logistical process kicked off immediately following the Austin Grand Prix on 22 October, 2023. Utilising a carefully planned route that emphasised environmental responsibility McLaren’s hospitality and garage equipment commenced its journey to the next stop in North America’s F1 race calendar. The journey began with the transportation of McLaren's equipment in bio-fuelled trucks from Austin to a warehouse in Houston before continuing on to the Houston railway terminal.

Once at the terminal, the gear was loaded onto diesel-electric trains for a cross-country journey through four states, culminating at a Los Angeles warehouse. The final stages involved bio-fuelled truck transport to a Las Vegas warehouse, followed by electric trucks delivering the equipment to the Las Vegas Paddock. This extensive journey spanned over two weeks, ensuring the equipment's timely, pristine arrival 10 days before the race.

This meticulous and eco-conscious approach ensured flawless, timely delivery to the track, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. DP World’s partnership with McLaren Racing transcends mere logistics; it's about harnessing every opportunity to promote sustainable transportation. This initiative demonstrates that efficiency and environmental responsibility can coexist, even in the high-octane realm of Formula 1.

Menzies Aviation has renewed and secured several new key cargo contracts with airlines at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) including Thai Airways Cargo, Middle East Airlines, Royal Air Maroc Cargo, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines Cargo and Tarom.

Menzies Aviation has an ambitious cargo expansion strategy built strong relationships with customers who recognise a service driven approach.

Among the new contracts, Menzies is set to deliver cargo handling and airside trucking services for Thai Airways, the national flag carrier of Thailand. The contract, which includes 14 turns per week, will see local teams oversee the transportation of more than 16,000 tonnes of vegetables and fresh fish from Thailand to the UK.

Royal Air Maroc Cargo, the fast-developing cargo business of Morocco’s national airline, has appointed Menzies to manage its cargo handling at London’s busiest airport, managing seven turns per week. Extending its contract with the aviation services business, Royal Jordanian Airlines, has added cargo handling and airside trucking to its agreement, which currently includes passenger and ramp handling. The extended contract will include 14 additional turns per week, with more than 6,000 cargo tonnes anticipated each year.

Menzies Aviation has also locked in a further five-years with Middle East Airlines, the flag carrier of Lebanon, to provide air cargo handling services and airside trucking for more than 14 turns per weeks, including more than 1,700 tonnes of fresh vegetables from Lebanon.

Building on a decade long relationship, Menzies will also continue providing cargo handling services for SAS Cargo, the leading air cargo carrier to, from and within Scandinavia, managing more than 35 turns per week. It will also continue serving long standing cargo customer, Tarom, the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania, with seven turns per week.

TikTok Shop has announced a new partnership with Royal Mail to help merchants of all sizes improve their delivery experience and thrive on the platform. For the first time, merchants can integrate Royal Mail's Click & Drop service with their TikTok Shop account, enabling them to arrange shipments and get orders delivered to customers quickly and efficiently.

Click & Drop is Royal Mail's primary shipping solution. By integrating the service into TikTok Shop, merchants of all sizes can save time and improve the delivery experience. This includes seamlessly printing postage labels, which can then be dispatched on their existing Royal Mail collection, collected via Parcel Collect, dropped in a parcel postbox or taken to a Royal Mail Customer Service Point or Post Office® branch. Merchants will also be able to see their TikTok Shop orders alongside other sales channels, all in one place.

Click & Drop will be available to existing TikTok Shop sellers who install the Royal Mail Click & Drop integration from the Service Market in the Seller Centre, with merchants also able to easily set up via Royal Mail.

As businesses on TikTok Shop continue to scale, the Royal Mail Click & Drop integration will improve their shipping experience, speed up dispatch times and ultimately improve customer experience.

Kerry Logistics is providing Farfetch with full supply chain end-to-end management for ocean and air freight imports from Asia to Europe, following its appointment as freight partner for the global luxury fashion platform.

Specifically, Kerry Logistics’ network is supporting Farfetch’s Reebok – New Guards Group (NGG) partnership launched in May this year.

Kerry’s strong Asian network and expertise in the fashion and lifestyle sector were integral in developing a new supply chain model for the Reebok partnership.

Farfetch is a platform for the luxury fashion industry, enabling customers from over 190 countries to purchase products from over 1,400 luxury boutiques and brands from around the world.

Kerry Logistics is expanding its fashion eCommerce fulfilment operations, having implemented KOOLBee sorting robots in Hong Kong, Tianjin, and Dongguan to boost speed, productivity, and accuracy in its logistics operations.

DPD CZ has opened its largest depot in the Czech Republic in Dolní Ředice near Pardubice. Strategically located on the D35 motorway, the new depot has a built-up area of more than 5,100 m2 and is capable of handling 5,000 parcels per hour. It is already the 23rd depot in the Czech Republic. Thanks to this depot, DPD CZ made its capacity more efficient and significantly strengthened before Christmas, especially in the region of Eastern Bohemia. During full operation, 139 couriers will depart from the Pardubice depot.

During the Christmas season, shipment volumes will increase by an estimated 40–⁠50.0% compared to normal days.

Here, instead of conventional conveyors, the packages are moved using a unique suspended telescopic solution, which makes the conveyors fully flexible, and it is possible to walk under them without any problems. This will make the movement and handling of depot employees, couriers, and vans, as well as trucks, more efficient. The depot will serve most of the Pardubice region.

There are currently four electric chargers in operation at the depot, and the depot is already ready for another 30 in the future. The building is equipped with a powerful heat pump and has preparation for photovoltaics, which will be installed soon. All these sustainable steps are part of the emissions reduction strategy, thanks to which DPD CZ and the entire Geopost will achieve net-zero emissions in 2040. The depot was built by Metrostav.

Allcargo Gati (formerly GATI), a leading express distribution company in India, has opened a surface transhipment centre and distribution warehouse (STCDW) at Mayasandra, Hobli, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The facility is situated 5.5 kms away from NH 44 (Bengaluru-Hosur Highway) at the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and is spread over 3.5 lakh sq. ft. and it has a 1.5 lakh sq. ft. Grade A warehouse.

The Hosur outer Ring Road, just 1.5 Km away from the STCDW, will provide accessibility and connectivity. Because of the proximity to railways and the international airport, the location significantly reduces transit time and enables businesses to deliver products faster to their customers.

Mayasandra STCDW is the fifth super hub launched by Gati. It has 70 truck bays for managing more than 500 vehicles per day, and is equipped to deliver daily throughput of 1,600 tonnes and monthly throughput of 40,000 tonnes.

STCDW will cater to multiple industries including automotive, apparel, heavy engineering and retail. The tech-enabled STCDW will pave the way for greater customer centricity at Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India and a key consumption centre of the country. With advanced infrastructure, ramped up cargo processing capacity and environmentally sustainable initiatives, the STCDW will strengthen the Company’s position in the express logistics space. In the next phase of the Company’s infrastructure development, it is establishing STCDWs with Grade A warehousing facilities across India.

Gati has set up STCDWs in Farukhnagar (Gurugram), Nagpur, Guwahati, and most recently in Bhiwandi (Mumbai). As part of Gati’s ESG initiatives, Gati aims to convert its entire pickup and delivery fleet of more than 2,500 vehicles into alternative fuel vehicles by 2025.

Panattoni Park Pilsen West II in Nýřany is completed. The tenant of the new building is Panasonic. The industrial complex Panattoni Park Pilsen West II was built on the brownfield site of the coal mines and consists of two modern manufacturing halls. The investment exceeds €70.0 million.

Both halls meet the strict criteria of the BREEAM New Construction environmental certification and feature a number of sustainable features. Panasonic has taken over the last completed premises and is now fully utilising the entire hall with a floor area of over 25,000 m2 for production and storage.

The first building at Panattoni Park Pilsen West II, with a total area of 36,400 m2 is already being used by Shape Corp., a leading supplier of safety components for the automotive industry, which has been operating in the Pilsen area since 2011. Shape Corp. is gradually moving here from the Pilsen Borská pole site to expand its production capacity. Panasonic is also moving to Nýřany to increase its capacity, and is also modernising its building at Borská pole.

Panasonic has been operating in its own building in Plzeň, Borská pole, for almost 30 years. Historically, the production of televisions and Blu-ray recorders took place here. In 2022, however, it discontinued this production and focused exclusively on the production of air-to-water heat pumps. In the future, it plans to produce up to one million of these annually. The Company aims to supply the whole of Europe with pumps from Plzeň. The new premises in Panattoni Park Pilsen West II will serve as an external warehouse and will be partly used for assembling control units until the Company builds a new production plant in Pilsen.

The state-of-the-art halls at Panattoni Park Pilsen West II meet the most stringent requirements under the international BREEAM New Construction environmental certification and aspire to the two highest ratings of Outstanding (Shape Corp.) and Excellent (Panasonic). Photovoltaic panels are installed in the zone and rainwater is used for flushing. There are charging stations for electric cars, covered bike racks and an insect hotel. All this is supplemented by facilities for employees in the form of modern canteens or a fitness centre.

The original brownfield site on which Panattoni Park Pilsen West II stands has a rich industrial history. The Krimich I coal mine was formerly located near the site. It was used for mining between 1867 and 1935, when mining was transferred to the newly opened Krimich II mine in Tlučná. The old mine was then used to pump water and supplied water to the town of Nýřany and the settlement of Pankrác. In the 1920s, the Plzeň Škoda factory built a thermal power plant here, which supplied electricity to the Plzeň Škoda factory, the town of Nýřany, as well as the munitions factory and the Ziegler mine. Since 1971, the buildings of the former shaft and power plant were gradually converted into the Likona Nýřany food processing plant, which operated until the 1990s.

Nýřany is located directly at exit 93 of the D5 motorway. It offers excellent transport connections to Germany and the Czech Republic via the D5 motorway and the German A6/A93/A9 motorway network to Nürnberg, Regensburg and Munich. The town is also connected to the railway network, with a bus stop located right at the site.

FIEGE is expanding its location in Zülpich near Cologne, Germany, by an additional 50,000 m2 of logistics space, creating around 250 new jobs. The first sod was turned on Wednesday. The new multi-user centre is scheduled to be completed in autumn of 2024.

With the Healthcare business unit having settled in successfully in 2021, FIEGE is now expanding its location in Zülpich near Cologne. On an area of roughly ten hectares in size situated next to the existing logistics centre, a new, modern multi-user centre is being built which will offer a further 50,000 m2 for logistics. It will even be available to clients from other industries as from autumn 2024. Construction is to take just under twelve months. FIEGE Real Estate is in charge of rolling out the project.

Sustainability is a special focus of the new building. The complete rooftop of the new logistics centre – just like that of phase one – will be fitted with a photovoltaics system which will produce energy for captive use and for public grid feed-in. Moreover, the property will be equipped with on-demand LED lights and a cutting-edge building control system, in addition to foregoing the use of fossil fuels.

The location right in the centre of the Cologne-Bonn-Aachen tri-city area – and thus of Germany – makes Zülpich highly attractive from an overall European perspective. This is also a reason why back in 2020, the 3PL sounded out the possibility to build another logistics centre here when it held its first talks with the City. It is now extremely pleased to have now been given permission to begin with phase two.

Panattoni has completed and officially opened a BTS facility for Vita Group, an international polyurethane foam manufacturer, within Panattoni Park Żary. The developer plans to expand the park by an additional 7,000 m2, with the new space being adapted to the specifics of the future tenant's operations.

Panattoni's BTS branch is rapidly expanding: in the CEE region, it already has over 100 customer-tailored facilities, including several technologically advanced manufacturing plants. In Poland alone, the developer has delivered nearly 4.0 million m2 in the BTS and BTO format – almost 30.0% of the country's space. A particular region in this regard is the Lubuskie Voivodeship, where custom-tailored facilities account for about 60.0% of the total space delivered by Panattoni – 375,000 m2 out of approximately 630,000 m2. Now, another investment improved this fantastic result. On 22 November, the developer officially opened a BTS facility within Panattoni Park Żary for Vita Group, an international polyurethane foam manufacturer, which will use 8,000 m2 of space.

The location of the Żary park turned out to be ideal for Vita Group's international operations. Currently, the Lubuskie Voivodeship is one of the most prospective locations not only in Poland but also in Europe, and European and global companies, which will be increasingly present here, need facilities tailored to their standards and processes.

The next tenant will be able to take advantage of the huge potential of the park, as Panattoni plans to expand by 7,000 m2 in the BTS format. It will allow the facility to be adapted to manufacturing, logistics, or warehousing processes.

Panattoni Park Żary is located just a 30-minute drive from the border with Germany, near the European E36 road, connecting the Lubuskie Voivodeship with Berlin. The journey to the Czech border takes two hours. The investment is being carried out in the Investment Zone of the Żary Municipality, making it even more attractive to the client.

In BTS, work is in full swing. Panattoni BTS is carrying out investments across Poland. In the last two months, the developer has started construction of facilities for Air Spiralo – a leading manufacturer of ventilation systems in Europe, and Maxcess - a global leader in innovative products and services for automated production line handling applications. Additionally, at the end of October in Rzeszów, the BTS Panattoni team officially opened a factory for Knorr-Bremse - a leading manufacturer of brake systems for rail and commercial vehicles. In the first half of the year, the branch completed the construction of the sixth facility for K-Flex in Uniejów, and the entire production and storage complex has now exceeded 100,000 m2. In June, the Company also finalised a facility for Action – an international chain of non-food discount stores – in Zakroczym with a surface area of 53,000 m2, having delivered a total of over 110,000 m2 for the Company.

Recently, the BTS department also completed a green factory for Danfoss, and the project made it to the finals of the prestigious MIPIM Awards accompanying the largest event in the real estate industry. This is a unique project in terms of energy savings and sustainable solutions. The construction of a factory for an international giant in the RTV and household appliances industry is also ongoing, and in the coming months, the BTS branch plans to carry out the construction of a production facility for a global manufacturer in the lighting industry.

With its LCCevolution project, Lufthansa Cargo is pressing ahead with modernising the Frankfurt hub. In August of this year, construction work began on the new, 40-meter-high tall high-bay warehouse, including the automated transport system and the first building modules in the north of Frankfurt Airport.

In addition to the new building, the existing buildings and warehouses of the Lufthansa Cargo Centre are to be upgraded and modernised or replaced by new buildings. Lufthansa Cargo is investing a total of almost €500.0 million in the major project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030 and will cover an area of more than 70,000 m2.

With a throughput share of around 80.0% of Lufthansa Cargo's global cargo volume, the Frankfurt hub plays a decisive role in the operational success of Lufthansa Cargo.

The modernisation and new buildings will further improve turnaround times and increase efficiency at Lufthansa Cargo's central location. For customers, this means faster handling speeds, easier transport processes and an improvement in service quality.

The implementation and detailed planning of the central construction measures for the next eight years will be carried out together with construction partner Ed. Züblin AG of Frankfurt.

The first parts of the automated transport system and the construction of the first two building modules are expected to be completed between 2023 and 2027. A particular challenge of this project is the implementation of a complex construction project while the regular operation of the hub must be guaranteed 24/7, and the gradual improvement of the hub as the new elements are put into function.

DHL Supply Chain has opened its second logistics centre in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo León, Mexico, as part of the Company’s investment announced this year for Latin America. The centre, called Gaia II, has an area of 50,000 m2 and includes 18 bays, four ramps and more than 50 fast loading and unloading positions.

DHL Supply Chain will generate 1,000 jobs directly and indirectly with this expansion, and more than 2,000 jobs when the three expansions are completed.

The government of Nuevo Leon is committed to supporting DHL Supply Chain’s investment in the state.

The new facility will feature state-of-the-art facilities and sustainable equipment, fast-loading electric forklifts, security systems with biometric controls, access control systems for transportation providers, as well as equipment that integrates the Company’s sustainability strategy.

Goodman Joso is emerging as an important consumer and logistics hub with leading apparel company MASH GROUP, the latest customer to agree a major lease at the state of the art facility.

Spanning 174,000 m2 across five storeys, Goodman Joso is strategically located adjacent to the Joso Interchange on the Ken-O Expressway, ensuring easy access to consumers in the Greater Tokyo area of Japan, and beyond. MASH GROUP will be leasing an entire floor of 34,750 m2 in the building which sets new standards for the industry in terms of innovation, sustainability and wellness.

The facility's innovative design and sustainability features include:

> A solar power system with 4.25MW of capacity, which generates enough electricity to power the entire property
> Advanced battery storage with capacity of 3.8MW, enabling the storage of excess solar energy for use during peak demand periods
> Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that support the growing demand for eco-friendly transportation
> Dedicated employee amenity and lounge area connected with an outdoor terrace and courtyard, providing a comfortable working environment
> Collaborative working space and shared meeting rooms
> Wellness and exercise zones
> BELS (ZEB) certification, which is the highest possible rating for energy performance in Japan
> The facility has also earned the top CASBEE S certification for sustainable building practices.

This expansion is part of strategic efforts by MASH GROUP to grow its business and enhance its logistics capabilities. The decision was driven by the alignment between Goodman Joso's advanced sustainability initiatives and its core philosophy, as well as their strong commitment to the well-being of workers.

The Company considers the consolidation and optimisation of its logistics network as a substantial step toward reducing its environmental footprint by cutting CO2 emissions. Furthermore, this new distribution centre enables it to offer effective solutions in various aspects of the business, including centralised inventory management for customer convenience and creating a better working environment for employees and business partners.

In addition to its excellent logistics offerings, Goodman Joso is also part of ‘Agriscience Valley Joso’, a brand new mixed-use development that has already brought over one million visitors and community members to the site since opening six months ago. The amenities located just next door include a Tsutaya bookstore, café, playground, restaurant, retail, spa facilities, and an urban park, providing a variety of offerings for employees and the local community. In addition, Goodman Joso is easily accessible with dedicated bus routes to nearby train stations, serving the community as well as the employees who are part of the large labour catchment area, supported by Joso City’s employment and development initiatives.

The forthcoming Goodman Joso 2 building, currently under construction and set for completion in early 2025, will further enhance the precinct.

Arcadia Cold Storage & Logistics has opened their newest highly anticipated state-of-the-art Atlanta Cold Storage Facility. The Atlanta facility is located in Union City, GA, US, with immediate access to I-85, I-285 and I-20. Due to its strategic location, this facility can service nearly 20.0% of the US population within a day's drive.

This fully racked, brand-new facility is fully operational and is designed to handle both frozen and chilled temperatures from -20 to 38F. Arcadia Cold's Atlanta facility is over 27,870 m2 and can support storage of over 44,000 pallets.

The Atlanta Cold Storage opening is Arcadia Cold's third celebration in five weeks in an unprecedented ramp up. Arcadia's quickly growing national cold storage network has now celebrated the openings of their Fort Worth facility, their Phoenix facility, and now their Atlanta Facility.

The Atlanta facility brings the Company one step closer to building out a national network that offers a new level of tangible expertise and high-end customer care to customers.

GXO Logistics has announced that it is closing its facility at 6600 Port Road in Groveport, US, on 15 January 2024. The Company made the accouchement in a WARN notice filed with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. As a result of the closure, all 192 employees will be laid off over a two-week period.

GXO operates in the multi-user facility near Rickenbacker International Airport with other companies that include American Standard Inc. GXO has not commented on reasons for the closure of the facility. It stated that employees will have the opportunity to transfer to other GXO sites nearby.

DHL Supply Chain also recently announced the closure of its Groveport plant when it filed a WARN notice in October for its facility at 5235 Westpoint Dr. 264 people employed at that facility are losing their jobs, with the facility set to end operations on 31 December. The loss of a customer was the reason given by DHL Supply Chain for the closure.

Aramex has unveiled a new and advanced courier operation facility in Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman, as part of its efforts to further streamline the entire shipping process, from package arrival to their final delivery.

The new state-of-the-art facility is strategically located near the Muscat Airport to serve as a central hub for Aramex's operations, facilitating faster delivery times and more efficient logistics management. The facility is equipped with the latest sorting and processing technology, which ensures every package is handled with precision and efficiency. It also puts extra emphasis on security, which, besides being equipped with non-stop CCTV surveillance, features improved access control and robust security protocols, thus ensuring peace of mind for customers by protecting their packages and information.

With a goal to significantly enhance the overall customer experience, the facility will also serve as a customer service centre, delivering face-to-face assistance and swift support for any inquiries that customers might have.

The new facility was officially inaugurated on the 14th of November in the presence of Aramex's team, including its senior management, along with local government officials and private sector partners.

The Hapag-Lloyd Technology Centre (HLTC) is being launched in Chennai, a port city in eastern India. There, a team of 180 IT professionals will develop innovative software solutions for the maritime industry. With their expertise, these new colleagues will strengthen Hapag-Lloyd’s IT capabilities.

Housed in the World Trade Centre Chennai, HLTC will be operated as part of a joint venture that Hapag-Lloyd established with the Indian technology company Solverminds in June this year.

As one of the world’s leading providers of management solutions for the maritime industry, Solverminds has been working closely with Hapag-Lloyd since 2017 in the areas of IT operations support and software development.

In the Hapag-Lloyd Technology Centre, the two companies will be bundling their strengths and competences. HLTC will thereby make an important contribution to Hapag-Lloyd’s technological transformation. It is continuing to expand its global IT presence and the goal is to grow the new technology centre in the next few years. In the medium term, it plans to increase the number of talents in the HLTC to between 300 and 400 specialists.

The Hapag-Lloyd Technology Centre will be led by a four-person management team comprising Balamurugan Palanivelu (CEO) and Venkatesh Balaji Ramamoorthy (CTO) from Solverminds as well as Vaishali Shetty (CHRO) and Sameer Saxena (CFO) from Hapag-Lloyd.

Chennai will become the third Hapag-Lloyd IT Technology Centre alongside Gdansk (Poland), and Hamburg (Germany). The opening of the Technology Centre in Chennai marks an important step for Hapag-Lloyd and shows that the Company sees great potential in India, also with a look at tapping the enormous market for highly qualified IT talent it provides. The country has evolved into a hub for cutting-edge technology and boasts a booming IT industry and an excellently trained workforce. With 1.4 billion residents, India is the most populous country in the world. It numbers among the fastest-growing economies in the G20 group and has one of the world’s largest software industries.

In its sales office, its Quality Service Centre, its Global Capability Centre and its Technology Centre, Hapag-Lloyd employs more than 3,000 people in India.

Aptean, a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced its acquisition of 3T Logistics & Technology Group (3T), a provider of cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS) to shippers and carriers in the UK and broader Europe.

With the acquisition of 3T, Aptean adds new capabilities to its TMS offerings for shippers and carriers serving manufacturers and distributors in the food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, industrial machinery, automotive and building product verticals.

Founded in 2000 and based in Leicester, England, 3T delivers solutions that drive cost reductions and service improvements by helping shippers and carriers automate processes, optimise logistics scenarios and attain real-time visibility into every facet of shipping operations. 3T’s modular, app-based EVENT platform can be customised to meet the unique business needs of its customers. 3T’s customers also benefit from its logistics and transport management services, based on decades of expertise in the industry.

Aptean shares 3T’s commitment to innovation and 3T’s solutions are highly complementary to Aptean’s existing ERP and SCM offerings for manufacturers and distributors. As part of Aptean, 3T will be able to provide customers with more solutions to enhance efficiencies and improve outcomes across their operations.

In the overseas transport sector, total end-to-end visibility has become essential to ensure smooth operations. Winddle, a collaborative platform for supply chain management, has announced its collaboration with Bolloré Logistics. The aim is to optimise transport operations through integrated management of product orders and supplier collaboration.

Any player in the international transport sector knows just how important it is to have complete visibility of all supply chain operations, since the slightest disruption in information flows can have a significant impact on their smooth running, with potential delays and additional costs.

In particular, collaborative end-to-end management of transport operations at the purchase/sales order and product/SKU levels enables shippers, suppliers and carriers to work on a common basis (and thus avoid duplication of data entry, non-centralised documents, etc.), and to coordinate efficiently the handover between the production and transport phases. Indeed, for Bolloré Logistics' teams, gaining visibility over goods delivery forecasts submitted by suppliers enables them to anticipate transport flows more effectively and secure them.

The 3PL is getting more and more requests from customers in terms of visibility and management of purchase orders, in all sectors of activity. Winddle's flexibility enables it to integrate it easily with Bolloré Logistics' TMS systems, and to respond on a standard basis to the various customer SOPs.

The integration of PO management with the transport visibility that Bolloré Logistics has been providing its customers up to now is key for them to better understand the overall performance of their supply chain. In fact, whether for forecasts or actual monitoring of dates, costs or environmental impact, indicators are available at product, purchase order or sales order level.

With Winddle, Bolloré Logistics enables its customers to better prioritise product flows in the event of tension on transport capacity availability, or to communicate quickly and effectively to stakeholders affected by a transport delay.

Bolloré Logistics has already implemented the Winddle solution to manage orders for a French luxury cosmetics brand, replacing a PO management system based on shared files.

In just three months, more than 80 users (industrial logistics managers, transport managers, customs managers for the brand, and implant and origin managers for Bolloré Logistics) were onboarded on the platform to collaboratively monitor all operations from the announcement of product handover by suppliers to final delivery for several thousand shipments per year.

With personalised views and alerts for each user profile, suppliers automatically notified by the platform, all documents centralised, and integration with Bolloré Logistics systems, the project has brought fluidity to daily collaboration between the cosmetics brand and its teams, at destination and at origin. The customer now has a reliable, collaborative tool for coordinating supplier performance (OTD, OTIF, etc.) and transport performance (less recourse to air freight, cost optimisation, etc.)

After this successful first launch, Bolloré Logistics plans to go one step further by integrating the Winddle modules for automated, predictive calculation of unit approach costs and transport costs, as well as for invoice reconciliation. This opens up exciting new prospects for the ongoing optimisation of transport operations.

Ocado has announced a deal for Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) to provide automated fulfilment technology at a distribution site for McKesson Canada. The deal will see Ocado sell its proven, unique warehouse fulfilment technology in a sector outside of grocery retail, and provide the AI-powered software applications necessary to operate that technology long term.

McKesson Canada is a leading diversified healthcare provider in Canada and is the largest pharmaceutical distributor in the country.

This represents a new and exciting milestone for Ocado's technology, bringing it to the healthcare distribution and logistics sector. The technology is ideally suited to supply chains that require dense storage, highly accurate inventory management and secure stock control. lt has been proven over 20 years in one of the most complex supply chain environments, online grocery, and the Company is now bringing its experience and IP to more sectors.

Ocado will receive upfront fees during the construction process with the final payment upon final installation. Ocado will also receive an ongoing annual fee related to the servicing and maintenance of the technology.

The impact of this transaction will be minimal on cash flow and earnings in the current financial year. This is a capital light deal which will be cash neutral throughout the development phase and will be cash and EBITDA positive in FY25 when installation is complete and Ocado recognise the income, costs and profit.

Geekplus has expanded its partnership with UPS Supply Chain Solutions, outfitting the company’s new Velocity warehouse near Louisville, Kentucky, US,with the Geekplus Shelf-to-Person PopPick solution.

More than 700 robots work together with employees in the US$79.0 million facility to streamline eCommerce fulfilment while aiding labour retention by easing strenuous manual picking tasks. With the Geekplus solution, UPS SCS employees can process 350,000 items per day, a 400.0% increase in productivity over warehouses that don’t use automation.

Counting the new facility, UPS SCS now has more than 1,000 Geekplus robots operating in its facilities across North America to help meet demand from the ballooning eCommerce market. UPS uses the Geekplus Shelf-to-Person technology to improve storage by 30.0% when compared to traditional facilities.

One year ago, Geekplus deployed its shelf-to-person robots in multiple UPS SCS warehouses to support retail customer Allbirds during the 2022 peak season. Due to the collaboration, UPS SCS saw a 97.0% increase, year over year, in peak unit throughput.

Velocity itself is a growth story. UPS SCS had previously used Geekplus robots in the warehouse before the acquisition of a new customer necessitated a significant expansion to make room for new products and introduce more robotic automation. Highlighting the flexibility of its solutions, Geekplus reconfigured the warehouse layout, repositioning more than 1,000 existing racks to a different area of the facility. The team then added the Shelf-to-Person PopPick solution to the existing robot infrastructure, allowing UPS SCS to meet increased customer demands. Geekplus’ scalability has allowed UPS SCS to create new business in an old setting.

This latest expansion with UPS Supply Chain Solutions is Geekplus’ largest PopPick project in North America. The Geekplus Shelf-to-Person PopPick soluton is also a foundational component of the UPS SCS facility in Ontario, California. The addition of Geekplus robots at this second site will help UPS SCS continue to optimise its picking and fulfilment operations over the coming years, keeping up with the nonstop growth of eCommerce.

Hyundai Motor Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Poh Tiong Choon Logistics Limited (PTC) to establish an ecosystem for hydrogen-based mobility in Singapore.

The signing of the MOU aligns with Singapore's national strategy to develop hydrogen as a decarbonisation pathway. With this MOU, Hyundai Motor Company will discover business opportunities related to the hydrogen ecosystem in Singapore and establish a collaborative relationship with PTC.

Both Hyundai Motor Company and PTC — a leading Singaporean logistics service provider — will collaborate to combine their expertise, experience and resources to develop and build a hydrogen ecosystem (not limited solely to hydrogen-based mobility), from production to utilisation. Specific areas of collaboration as part of the MOU include exploring and developing projects to create a hydrogen ecosystem, commercial vehicles, and business models.

Officially opened on 21 November, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS) smart urban mobility hub will serve as an innovation lab to support Singapore in its goal to achieve 50.0% hydrogen usage in power generation by 2050.

PTC is a major logistics provider in Singapore that engages in transportation, warehouse services, and port leasing. With more than 70 years of history in Singapore, having started business in the 1950s and known today for its strong business network in the country, PTC has a great interest in introducing hydrogen mobility to transition to an eco-friendly logistics business.

Hyundai Motor Company is a global leader in driving energy transition. In October, Hyundai Motor Group announced the signing of an MOU with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), Air Products Qudra (APQ) and the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) to establish and develop an ecosystem for hydrogen-based mobility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

First launched in 2020, Hyundai's XCIENT Fuel Cell truck has been deployed in six countries - including Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Korea, New Zealand and the US - and has successfully accumulated more than five million miles so far. It is the only heavy-duty fuel cell electric model with a proven record of real-world application and technological reliability.

These endeavours underpin Hyundai Motor Group's dedication to pioneering the adoption of clean and efficient energy technologies worldwide.

The offtake agreement between A.P. Moller - Maersk and Chinese developer Goldwind, a global leader in clean energy, reaches into the next decade and marks the first large scale green methanol offtake agreement for the global shipping industry.

This deal is a milestone for Maersk as it enables the Company to significantly reduce its emissions footprint in this decade and stay aligned with the 1.5-degree Celsius trajectory as set out in the Paris Agreement, ensuring continued supply of low carbon shipping services to customers in the second half of this decade.

A.P. Moller - Maersk aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 across its business. The deal significantly de-risks the initial stages of Maersk’s net-zero journey and supports expectations for a competitive green methanol market towards 2030. The record-high volumes can annually propel more than half the methanol-enabled capacity Maersk currently has on order.

The volumes combine a mix of green bio-methanol and e-methanol, all produced utilising wind energy at a new production facility in Hinggan League, Northeast China, around 1,000 km northeast of Beijing. Production is expected to begin in 2026. Following this signed offtake agreement, Goldwind expects to confirm a final investment decision for the facility by the end of the year.

The deal is a commercially viable long-term offtake agreement for annual volumes of 500KT to enable low carbon operations for the first 12 large methanol-enabled Maersk vessels on order.

A.P. Moller - Maersk will take delivery of its first large ocean-going methanol-enabled vessel (16,000 TEU) in Q1, 2024 and is diligently working on sourcing solutions with a broad range of global partners for the entire vessel series being delivered in 2024-25.

Electric mobility continues to make inroads into the field of logistics with increasingly advanced solutions and services for optimum operations management that limits the environmental impacts and strives for the decarbonisation of transport.

The virtuous collaboration between MENNEKES and BRT is a case in point: with the installation of over 500 AMTRON and AMEDIO Professional charging stations, the BRT fleet can go electric for last-mile deliveries, in city centres and in all those contexts, which are growing in number, where electric vehicles are the solution. In this way, harmful emissions and noise pollution are banished thanks to a sustainable mobility model based on state-of-the art technology, dedicated planning and installations performed by MENNEKES certified partners.

BRT, Italy’s leading express courier, has an extensive network throughout Italy: over 200 branches, 35 parcel hubs, 13 distribution hubs, 10 logistics facilities, and more than 7,500 BRT-fermopoint pick-up and drop-off points. In 2017 it became part of Geopost (formerly DPDGroup).

The electrification of its first-mile and last-mile fleet is one of the most important actions for achieving BRT’s goal of Net Zero by 2040 (10 years before the Paris Agreement target) and the success of the entire project is closely related to the planning of charging infrastructure. For this reason, it has chosen Mennekes as its partner, supporting it in the charging of over 700 delivery vehicles, a figure that continues to increase every day.

This sustainable choice by BRT is part of a wider green strategy involving its more than 200 branches across Italy. At every site, multi-point charging infrastructures have been provided which are easy to use by personnel and designed to withstand the outdoor environment for long periods. Smart charging management ensures that all connected vehicles are charged, even when plugged in at the same time, optimising the distribution of the power available on site between all the connected users. In this way, the vehicles are always charged and ready to do their everyday delivery jobs.

Use of the new MENNEKES Cloud management service ensures that the charging infrastructure is adequately monitored. This service, available for the Professional line, allows the remote monitoring and management of the entire charging infrastructure through a simple control panel, with the possibility of remote maintenance to resolve any malfunctions as quickly as possible.

The collaboration between MENNEKES and BRT confirms a well-established trend: Italian companies are increasingly aware of the importance of their gradual electrification for a sustainable and responsible impact in the long term through a quality electric mobility infrastructure made to last.

Rhenus and the Bosch Group, a leading technology and services company, are already reducing their road freight emissions by more than 80.0% thanks to Repsol's renewable fuel. With this initiative, the logistics provider is demonstrating its commitment to helping its customers achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to the decarbonisation of the sector.

As part of the agreement, Rhenus will put two vehicles into operation, powered by renewable fuel supplied by Repsol. These trucks will make a daily round trip between the Rhenus hub in Irun and the Robert Bosch plants in Aranjuez and Madrid.

The renewable fuel these trucks are already using is an advanced, 100.0% renewable biofuel produced from waste materials such as used cooking oil and forest residues, providing an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative. It meets the sustainability certifications required by the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive and reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 80.0% compared to conventional fuels, without requiring any changes to the vehicle fleet.

This initiative places Rhenus ahead in the field of transport decarbonisation, taking a further stride towards its ambition of fully decarbonising its truck fleet by 2030. Additionally, it aligns with Bosch's aim for a more sustainable supply chain.

AIT Worldwide Logistics has joined the Air France KLM Martinair Cargo Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) programme, under which agreement AIT purchased 460 metric tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from AFKLMP Cargo for the period 2023, with even higher volumes committed heading towards 2024. This ground-breaking agreement allows both parties to further intensify their partnership and increase the overall sustainability of air freight chain logistics.

AIT Worldwide Logistics believe that to make progress towards environmental goals, cooperation is absolutely essential, and AIT is pleased to be a part of KLM’s SAF programme.

Recognising the challenges of the hard-to-abate sector, partnerships like these underscore the willingness of the complex ecosystem to work together to become a more sustainable air freight industry.

Menzies Distribution is taking part in the UK Government’s zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme as part of the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium.

With funding provided by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, eFREIGHT 2030 will receive £49.2 million in government support, which will help unlock an expected £500.0 million of private investment in electric vehicles and charging hubs across the UK by 2030.

eFREIGHT 2030 is comprised of 11 operators, three truck manufacturers, a recharging infrastructure manufacturer and supporting telematics and data analysis providers. As part of the project Menzies is planning to run ten electric tractor units and install three 1 megawatt infrastructure platforms suitable for charging six vehicles at a time.

The significant funding commitment by government is very welcome and helps to de-risk the trial of new technology, while also supporting the innovation needed to reach net zero.

The announcement of funding for the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium came as the Government published its zero-emission vehicle mandate, setting out the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans that manufacturers will be required to produce each year towards 100.0% zero emission vehicle sales from 2035.

Schneider National, Inc. announced that the carrier’s battery electric vehicle (BEV) fleet has hit the impressive milestone of hauling more than one million zero emission miles of customer freight. Schneider currently operates one of the largest BEV fleets in North America at the Company’s Southern California Intermodal Operations Centre, featuring almost 100 Freightliner eCascadias and a charging depot about half the size of a football field.

The carrier’s first electric trucks began hauling customers’ freight in January. Since then, the fleet has grown to a total of 94 electric vehicles, including 92 battery electric trucks and two electric yard spotters. The eCascadias have avoided approximately 3.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions – the equivalent of removing more than 330 gas-powered passenger vehicles from the road for a year.

Schneider has already hauled for major brands, including Goodyear and Frito-Lay North America. Schneider worked alongside Freightliner’s parent company Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) every step of the way as the eCascadia evolved, piloting a truck for six months in 2020-2021 through the Freightliner Customer Experience Fleet. Now, the Company is proud to be the first to achieve one million zero emission miles with the eCascadia.

The South El Monte charging site features 16 350 kW dual-corded dispensers, allowing the carrier to charge 32 trucks simultaneously. The eCascadias achieve an 80.0% charge within 90 minutes and have a typical driving range of up to approximately 220 miles.

Each day, the zero emission trucks accelerate the Company’s progress toward its goal of reducing per-mile emissions by 7.5% by 2025 and 60.0% by 2035, while also helping customers reach their own sustainability goals. Schneider is already more than halfway to its 2025 goal.

Funding for 50 of Schneider’s 92 eCascadias was made possible by the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI), the first battery electric truck project jointly funded by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission.

For the additional 42 trucks outside JETSI, five are jointly funded by the US EPA FY18 Targeted Airshed Grant and Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP), seven are funded by the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, and 30 trucks are funded by HVIP.

Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time, impacting nearly 700 marine species and contaminating the marine food chain with toxic pollutants.

The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit project with the mission of ridding the world’s oceans of plastic. Since 2018, different technologies have been tested with the support of Maersk Supply Service’s and A.P. Moller - Maersk’s logistics and marine activities.

The Ocean Cleanup has now successfully established a system which can consistently capture significant quantities of plastics from the ocean. The next step for The Ocean Cleanup is to validate the system from an engineering and ecological perspective, allowing it to demonstrate to governments, institutions and other funders that there is a viable technology available to clean the oceans from plastics.'

Maersk Supply Service, A.P. Moller - Maersk and The Ocean Cleanup have agreed to extend their collaboration to complete the validation of the system.

Maersk Supply Service and A.P. Moller - Maersk will provide support to the programme, which includes project management, the operation of two Maersk Supply Service vessels towing the system as well as logistics services for waste collection and transportation for recycling. At the same time, the A.P. Moller Foundation will provide a one-time grant to The Ocean Cleanup.

Maersk Supply Service and A.P. Moller - Maersk have been instrumental on the journey from initial concept to a working system in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The system validation is expected to be finalised by end of 2024 and will include an environmental review of the impact of plastic pollution versus the greenhouse gas emissions of vessels involved.

When the technology and system has been validated, The Ocean Cleanup believes it will be able to raise support from the public, governments, and other foundations to significantly scale up the operation from 2025 onwards.

Kim Pedersen has been appointed Deputy CEO of PostNord, CEO of PostNord Denmark and Head of PostNord International. Most recently, he was leading the global sales and marketing at Maersk. Kim will take up his new duties on 01 December 2023. Kim will also join the Group Leadership Team.

Kim Pedersen brings many years of experience within the international transport and logistics sector, with a proven track record of sustainable profitable growth. Kim has held senior executive positions as CEO and CCO for global transport companies such as Geodis and comes lately from a Senior Vice President role at Maersk leading the global sales and marketing at A.P. Moller – Maersk.

PostNord aims to become the favourite carrier of the Nordics and has over the recent years invested into building a Nordic terminal- and delivery network. Over the past year, it has launched a Cost Leadership Programme which also includes implementing a Nordic Product Portfolio to allow for capturing the full potential in the Nordic region.

Kim brings valuable experience from both global as well as Nordic roles within transportation and logistics. He has a solid track record within commercial strategy design with execution on growth, operational excellence along with strategic discipline.