Menzies Aviation has acquired a majority stake in Jamaican-based AJAS Limited, a privately owned ground and cargo handling company. AJAS Limited, which has operated in Jamaica for over 82 years and employs almost 600 staff, provides ramp, passenger, and cargo handling services to several international airlines at the two leading airports in Jamaica: Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston (KIN), and Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay (MBJ).

Following the acquisition, AJAS Limited will be rebranded as Menzies AJAS, bringing it in line with the other companies under the Menzies Group. The current AJAS Limited management team will remain in place to oversee the Company’s strategic objectives of establishing Menzies AJAS as the handler of choice for all airlines operating in Jamaica.

The transaction is expected to close in a matter of weeks once all regulatory approvals are in place. The rebranding to Menzies AJAS and integration into the Menzies global network, which spans six continents, will commence in February.

DSV delivered a strong result for 2022, driven by good performance across all its business areas. In 2022, gross profit increased by 33.0%, while EBIT before special items grew by 48.0% and adjusted free cash flow more than doubled compared to 2021. DSV successfully completed the integration of Agility GIL within a year of the acquisition, making the Company a top three player in the industry.

Air & Sea achieved a 53.0% increase in EBIT before special items, Solutions achieved a 47.0% EBIT increase, and Road achieved a 9.0% EBIT increase for 2022. Towards the end of 2022, the performance of DSV's three divisions was impacted by the general macroeconomic slowdown and the gradual normalisation of freight markets.

The Air & Sea division grew revenue by 26.1%, driven by the inclusion of GIL and higher freight rates in the first half of the year. In the second half of 2022, the economic slowdown resulted in lower demand for freight services. In combination with less congestion this led to falling freight rates and lower revenue for the division. The Road and Solutions divisions also achieved strong revenue growth for the year, at 16.4% and 26.2% respectively. This was driven by higher average rates/fuel prices and higher activity (market share gains). GIL business contributed to the growth in both divisions, especially in Solutions, due to its strong footprint in the Middle East and APAC. The economic slowdown also affected Road and Solutions in the second half of 2022; however, less than the Air & Sea division.

The Air & Sea division achieved 38.5% increase in gross profit and 53.0% growth in EBIT for the year. This was driven by the successful integration of GIL and by earnings growth across all regions. The results were positively impacted by the extraordinary market conditions, which led to higher gross profit per shipment, especially in the first half of the year. Towards the end of 2022, freight markets declined, and the division increased its focus on productivity and cost management.

The Road division saw an increase in EBIT before special items driven by 11.0% growth in gross profit. Revenues climbed 16.4%. In a market impacted by new regulation, geopolitical events and by significant cost inflation, all regions performed well and contributed to the growth.

Solutions achieved 26.2% growth in revenue, 35.3% growth in gross profit and 47.4% growth in EBIT in 2022. This was driven by the inclusion of GIL, primarily in the Middle East, and strong organic growth across all regions. The division saw continued high warehouse utilisation in Q4, but also a slowdown in activity levels – mainly in the retail and eCommerce sectors.

Looking ahead, M&A remains an important part of DSV's strategy, and the Company continues to monitor the market in search of value creation opportunities. Recognising its role as one of the world's leading transport and logistics companies, DSV has raised its ambitions and committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2050. While geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty persist, DSV continues to focus on customer service and adapting to changing market conditions

The 2023 outlook, with EBIT before special items expected to be in the range of DKK16,000-18,000 million, assumes a global economic growth in the level of 2-3.0% in 2023 - with lowest growth rates in the advanced economies. Normally, DSV would expect transport volumes to grow in line with the economy, but in the second half of 2022, volumes declined more than GDP due to reduction of inventory levels and normalisation of consumer behaviour after COVID-19. DSV expects this negative development in freight volumes to continue in the first part of 2023, but with a recovery in the second half of the year. Across all divisions, DSV's aim of taking market share remains intact. DSV will monitor activity closely across the organisation and adjust its capacity accordingly.

Schneider National, Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31 December 2022. The enterprise delivered record revenues of US$6.6 billion and adjusted earnings of US$617.0 million in 2022, illustrating the significant strategic progress of its multimodal portfolio since the Company's IPO in 2017.

During the fourth quarter, the Company seamlessly transitioned its Western rail operations to the Union Pacific. This move further enables plans to double the Company's Intermodal offering by 2030 while providing customers more lane options and more frequent departures.

Enterprise Q4, 2022 income from operations was US$143.3 million, a decrease of US$34.7, or 19.0% compared to the prior year. It included a US$5.0 million net loss attributed to costs associated with a management buyout of 100.0% of the Company’s China-based logistics operations, backed by certain members of the Company’s Tianjin management team, which closed in the quarter. Considering this item, adjusted income from operations for Q4, 2022 was US$148.3 million, a decrease of US$28.7 million, or 16%, compared to the prior year. At 31 December 2022, the Company had a total of US$215.1 million outstanding on various debt instruments compared to US$270.3 million as of 31 December 2021. The Company had cash and cash equivalents of US$385.7 million and US$244.8 million as of 31 December 2022 and December 2021, respectively.

Truckload: Dedicated trucks represent 57.0% of Truckload fleet. Truckload revenues (excluding fuel surcharge) for Q4, 2022 were US$545.4 million, an increase of US$21.8 million, or 4.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021. The increase was due to dedicated growth, including both the MLS acquisition and nearly 500 units of organic dedicated new business, partially offset by lower miles per tractor related to moderating market demand and lower network price including less premium freight opportunities year over year. Truckload revenue per truck per week was US$4,171, a decrease of 8.0% compared to the same quarter in 2021. Truckload income from operations was US$68.9 million in Q4, 2022, a decrease of US$18.8 million, or 21.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021. Earnings were impacted by higher driver and equipment-related costs. Truckload segment operating ratio was 87.4% in Q4, 2022, compared to 83.3% in Q4, 2021.

Intermodal: Intermodal comprised 25.0% of segment revenues in the quarter. Intermodal revenues (excluding fuel surcharge) for Q4, 2022 were US$315.5 million, a decrease of US$2.1 million, or 1.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021 primarily due to moderating market demand, partially offset by a 7.0% improvement in revenue per order. Intermodal income from operations for Q4, 2022 was US$52.8 million, a decrease of US$1.8 million, or 3.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021. The impact of favourable yield and network management was offset by higher equipment and dray driver costs. Intermodal operating ratio was 83.3% in Q4, 2022, a sequential improvement of 740 basis points from Q3, 2022.

Logistics: Logistics comprised 33.0% of segment revenues in the quarter. Logistics revenues (excluding fuel surcharge) for Q4, 2022 were US$425.0 million, a decrease of US$122.5 million, or 22.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021, primarily due to decreased revenue per order and 5.0% lower brokerage volume year over year. Logistics income from operations for Q4, 2022 was US$24.1 million, a decrease of US$13.3 million, or 36.0%, compared to the same quarter in 2021 due to lower volumes and decreased net revenue per order. Logistics operating ratio was 94.3% in Q4, 2022, compared to 94.0% in Q3, 2022, and 93.2% in the same quarter the prior year.

Looking ahead, in 2023, the focus remains on key growth initiatives in Dedicated, Intermodal, and Logistics, as well as steady investments in the digital platform Schneider FreightPower. The Company will also provide increased value for customers, drivers, and carriers through improved fluidity across its freight and trailing asset networks.

The Company anticipate that 2023 will finish stronger than it began and that freight demand will strengthen as the year progresses. Net capital expenditures guidance for full year 2023 is approximately US$525 - US$575.0 million.

Amazon.com, Inc. has announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended 31 December 2022. Net sales increased 9.0% to US$149.2 billion in Q4, compared with US$137.4 billion in Q4, 2021. Excluding the US$5.0 billion unfavourable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 12.0% compared with Q4,2021.

North America segment sales increased 13.0% year-over-year to US$93.4 billion, or increased 14.0% excluding changes in foreign exchange rates. International segment sales decreased 8.0% year-over-year to US$34.5 billion or increased 5.0% excluding changes in foreign exchange rates.

Operating income decreased to US$2.7 billion in Q4, compared with US$3.5 billion in Q4, 2021. Fourth quarter 2022 operating income includes approximately US$2.7 billion of charges for changes in estimates related to self-insurance liabilities, impairments of property and equipment and operating leases, and estimated severance costs. These charges primarily impacted the North America segment. Net income decreased to US$0.3 billion in Q4, compared with US$14.3 billion. Q4, 2022 net income includes a pre-tax valuation loss of US$2.3 billion included in non-operating income (expense) from the common stock investment in Rivian Automotive, Inc., compared to a pre-tax valuation gain of US$11.8 billion from the investment in Q4, 2021.

For the full year 2022, net sales increased 9.0% to US$514.0 billion in 2022, compared with US$469.8 billion in 2021. Excluding the US$15.5 billion unfavourable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the year, net sales increased 13.0% compared with 2021. North America segment sales increased 13.0% year-over-year to US$315.9 billion. International segment sales decreased 8.0% year-over-year to US$118.0 billion, or increased 4.0% excluding changes in foreign exchange rates.

Operating income decreased to US$12.2 billion in 2022, compared with US$24.9 billion in 2021. North America segment operating loss was US$2.8 billion, compared with operating income of US$7.3 billion in 2021. The North America operating loss in 2022, as compared to the operating income in the prior year, is primarily due to increased fulfilment and shipping costs, due in part to increases in investments in the fulfilment network, transportation costs, and wage rates and incentives, increased technology and content costs, and growth in certain operating expenses, partially offset by increased unit sales, including sales by third-party sellers, and advertising sales. International segment operating loss was US$7.7 billion, compared with operating loss of US$0.9 billion in 2021. The increase in International operating loss in absolute dollars in 2022, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to increased fulfilment and shipping costs. Net loss was US$2.7 billion in 2022, compared with net income of US$33.4 billion in 2021. 2022 net loss includes a pre-tax valuation loss of US$12.7 billion included in non-operating income (expense) from the common stock investment in Rivian Automotive, Inc., compared to a pre-tax valuation gain of US$11.8 billion from the investment in 2021.

Fulfilment costs climbed 12.0% in 2022 to reach US$84.3 billion and as a share of net sales increased to 16.4% in 2022, from 16.0% in 2021. The increase in fulfilment costs in absolute dollars in 2022, compared to the prior year, was primarily due to increased investments in the fulfilment network and variable costs corresponding with increased product and service sales volume and inventory levels, and increased wage rates and incentives

Shipping costs to receive products from suppliers are included in inventory and recognised as cost of sales upon sale of products to customers. Shipping costs, which include sortation and delivery centres and transportation costs, were US$76.7 billion and US$83.5 billion in 2021 and 2022. Amazon expect the cost of shipping to continue to increase to the extent customers accept and use its shipping offers at an increasing rate, it uses more expensive shipping methods, including faster delivery, and it offers additional services. The Company seeks to mitigate costs of shipping over time in part through achieving higher sales volumes, optimising its fulfilment network, negotiating better terms with suppliers, and achieving better operating efficiencies.

During the year, the Company introduced Sparrow into its first fulfilment centre. Sparrow is a robotic system that can detect, select, and handle individual products in Amazon’s inventory, a major technological advancement that allows employees to shift their time and energy to other tasks. Sparrow also improves health and safety by reducing the repetitive tasks done by employees.

Looking ahead, first quarter 2023 guidance shows that net sales are expected to be between US$121.0 billion and US$126.0 billion, or to grow between 4.0% and 8.0% compared with first quarter 2022. This guidance anticipates an unfavourable impact of approximately 210 basis points from foreign exchange rates. Operating income is expected to be between US$0 and US$4.0 billion, compared with US$3.7 billion in first quarter 2022. This guidance assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions, restructurings, or legal settlements are concluded.

Hub Group had a record year in 2022, delivering 26.0% revenue growth while more than doubling earnings per share. It grew ITS to over US$3.0 billion in revenue and grew both Brokerage and Logistics to US$1.0 billion in revenue. The strategy of service line diversification, and a focus on transportation cost containment, yield improvement and operating efficiency led to a significant increase in profitability.

Market conditions softened during the fourth quarter, but the Company anticipate demand will return by mid-2023.

Hub Group, Inc. has announced Q4, 2022 net income of US$79.0 million, down 6.0%. Net income for Q4, 2021 was US$84.0 million Full year 2022 net income was US$357.0 million, up from US$171.5 million in 2021. Full year revenue reached US$5.3 billion, up 26.0%, with double-digit growth in all business lines, with fourth quarter revenue of US$1.3 billion, up 2.0%. Quarterly operating income of US$104 million (8.1% of revenue) was driven by diversification of business and focus on transportation cost containment, yield management and operating efficiency. Gross margin for the quarter was 15.9% of revenue. EBITDA for the quarter was US$148.0 million.

Fourth quarter Intermodal and Transportation Solutions (ITS) revenue increased 5.0% to US$802.0 million, while full year revenue grew to US$3.3 billion. Intermodal revenue per load for the quarter increased 19.0% and volume decreased 12.0% as compared to prior year. Volume for the quarter was impacted by softer demand conditions as retailers’ inventory levels improved from the lows seen in 2021, which impacted demand for services. ITS gross margin decreased compared to the prior year due to lower volume, higher transportation and equipment costs, and lower surcharges, partially offset by higher pricing and accessorial revenue.

Fourth quarter Logistics revenue increased 9.0% to US$245.0 million due to organic growth with existing customers, and revenue from recently acquired TAGG Logistics, LLC (TAGG), partially offset by exited customers. Revenue for the full year increased 11.0% to US$989.0 million. Fourth quarter gross margin increased due to growth with existing customers, new business onboardings, yield management initiatives and the contribution from TAGG, partially offset by higher warehousing and transportation costs.

Full year Truck Brokerage revenue grew 52.0% to US$1.0 billion due to growth in revenue per load and the acquisition of Choptank but declined 11.0% in Q4 to US$238.0 million as higher transaction volumes were more than offset by lower revenue per load. Gross margin for the quarter decreased relative to Q4, 2021 due to lower revenue per load, partially offset by lower costs for purchased transportation.

Costs and expenses increased to US$100.0 million in Q4, 2022 due to incremental operating costs from TAGG, higher expenses for outside services, and lower gains on the sale of equipment as compared to prior year, partially offset by lower compensation expense. Capital expenditures for Q4, 2022 totalled US$61.0 million. As of 31 December 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of US$287.0 million.

Looking ahead, the Company expect 2023 diluted earnings per share will range from US$7.00 to US$8.00. It estimates revenue will range from US$5.2 to US$5.4 billion, and that gross margin as a percentage of revenue will range from 14.5% to 15.0%. The Company expect capital expenditures for containers, tractors, warehousing equipment and technology will range from US$170 to US$190.0 million.

Xpediator has reported trading during the final quarter of the year remained strong and that revenues for the 12 months to 31 December 2022 will be just below £400.0 million (2021: £297.0 million). As a result, adjusted profit before tax is expected to be significantly ahead of previous management guidance of £9.0 million.

As importantly, the net debt position which was identified by the new management team as too high and as a primary focus to reduce, is expected to have decreased to approximately £3.6 million at the year-end versus £8.0 million as at 30 June 2022. Positive trading and better cost control have driven this improvement and the goal in 2023 remains to move close to a net cash position.

The strength of the trading position stems from another excellent performance from the freight forwarding operations in Lithuania and other countries across the CEE region, in particular in Bulgaria and Romania, in the closing months of 2022. In the UK, the financial performance of Delamode Anglia also improved in the latter months of the year.

The logistics division is expected to deliver a satisfactory result after a slow start to the year with a good contribution from Pall-ex Romania, helped by better results in the UK logistics division in the last quarter of 2022. This trend will further benefit from the closure in February 2023 of the loss making Beckton warehouse, which specialised in high street fashion retail, as well as recent customer wins at the Braintree warehouse. Both will have a positive impact on future Group profitability.

With regard to the proposed offer for the Company announced on 20 December 2022, the board of directors of Xpediator continues to consider its position in relation to its previous statement that it was minded to recommend the proposed offer by the Consortium, assuming a formal offer were to be made for the Company. The Board will provide a further update in due course, and in the meantime, shareholders are recommended to take no further action.

Jones Logistics (JoLo), a US-national specialised transportation and logistics company, has acquired Nationwide Express (Nationwide). Based in Central Tennessee, Nationwide provides dedicated trucking services, warehousing, 3PL logistic services, recycling transportation, and waste management solutions. Its geographic footprint includes operations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

JoLo is a portfolio company of Jones Capital. Based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, JoLo delivers freight brokerage, managed transportation, and dedicated services to clients across the US. Through this acquisition, JoLo expands not only its geographic footprint, but also its service line offerings and capabilities, which will now include warehousing and enhanced intermodal and managed transportation solutions. Further, JoLo can now offer Nationwide's customers access to its broad and deep carrier base and its nationwide dedicated offerings.

With the acquisition of Nationwide, JoLo's headcount now tops more than 700 team members, with a fleet of over 500 trucks. The combination of the business further enhances JoLo's national presence, flexibility in operations and facilities, and breadth of service and logistics solutions.

For over 23 years, Jones Logistics has been focused on delivering freight brokerage, managed transportation and dedicated services to clients. The expertise of Jones Logistics has evolved beyond general transportation to include more specialised services such as brokerage capabilities, flatbed, heavy haul, transportation of forestry by-products, and the dedicated services division.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. has reported financial results for the quarter ended 31 December 2022. The Company is increasing its focus on delivering a scalable operating model to lower costs, improve the customer and carrier experience and foster long-term profitable growth through cycles.

The current point in the cycle is one of shippers managing through elevated inventories amidst slowing economic growth, causing unseasonably soft demand for transportation services. At the same time, prices for ground transportation and global freight forwarding are declining due to the changing balance of supply and demand. While a correction in the freight forwarding market was certainly expected, the speed and magnitude of the correction in only two quarters was unexpected, with ocean rates on some trade lanes already back to pre-pandemic levels.

In Q4, 2022, gross profits decreased 10.5% to US$761.5 million. Income from operations decreased 42.9% to US$164.0 million. For the full-year, gross profits increased 13.9% to US$3.6 billion as income from operations increased 17.1% to US$1.3 billion.

In Q4, 2022, total revenues decreased 22.1% to US$5.1 billion, driven by lower pricing and volume across most of services. Gross profits decreased 10.5% to US$761.5 million. Adjusted gross profits decreased 10.3% to US$768.2 million, primarily driven by lower adjusted gross profit per transaction in ocean and air. Operating expenses increased 6.2% to US$604.1 million. Personnel expenses increased 1.7% to US$427.3 million, primarily due to US$21.5 million of restructuring-related costs, which were partially offset by a decrease in equity compensation. Selling, general and administrative expenses of US$176.8 million increased 18.7%, primarily due to US$15.2 million of restructuring charges, primarily related to an impairment of internally developed software, and increased legal settlements, partially offset by a decrease in credit losses. Income from operations totalled US$164.0 million, down 42.9% due to the decrease in adjusted gross profits and US$36.7 million of restructuring charges. Adjusted operating margin of 21.4% declined 1,220 basis points. Net income totalled US$96.2 million, down 58.2% from a year ago.

For the full year 2022, total revenues increased 6.9% to US$24.7 billion, driven primarily by higher pricing in truckload, less-than truckload and ocean services. Gross profits increased 13.9% to US$3.6 billion. Adjusted gross profits increased 14.0% to US$3.6 billion, primarily driven by higher adjusted gross profit per transaction in truckload and LTL services. Operating expenses increased 12.4% to US$2.3 billion. Personnel expenses increased 11.6% to US$1.7 billion, primarily due to higher average employee headcount, which increased 11.7%. SG&A expenses increased 14.6% to US$603.4 million, primarily due to increases in purchased and contracted services, legal settlements, travel expenses and an impairment of internally developed software, partially offset by a US$25.3 million gain on the sale-leaseback of a Kansas City regional centre and a decrease in credit losses. Income from operations totalled US$1.3 billion, up 17.1% from last year, primarily due to the increase in adjusted gross profits, partially offset by the increase in operating expenses. Adjusted operating margin of 35.3% increased 100 basis points. Net income totalled US$940.5 million, up 11.4% from a year ago.

Fourth quarter total revenues for the NAST segment totalled US$3.6 billion, a decrease of 8.5% over the prior year, primarily driven by lower truckload pricing and volume. NAST adjusted gross profits increased 5.7% in the quarter to US$502.3 million. Adjusted gross profits in truckload increased 2.0% due to a 6.5% increase in adjusted gross profit per shipment, partially offset by a 4.0% decline in truckload shipments. The average truckload linehaul rate per mile charged to customers, which excludes fuel surcharges, decreased approximately 21.0% in the quarter compared to the prior year, while truckload linehaul cost per mile, excluding fuel surcharges, decreased approximately 24.0%, resulting in a 3.0% increase in truckload adjusted gross profit per mile. LTL adjusted gross profits increased 7.3% versus the year-ago period, as adjusted gross profit per order increased 8.0% and volume declined 1.0%. NAST overall volume growth was down 2.0% for the quarter. Operating expenses increased 4.0% primarily due to US$9.5 million of restructuring charges, higher legal settlements and increased technology expenses, partially offset by lower equity compensation. NAST average employee headcount was up 2.9% in the quarter. Income from operations increased 9.5% to US$162.6 million, and adjusted operating margin expanded 120 basis points to 32.4%.

Fourth quarter total revenues for the Global Forwarding segment decreased 52.7% to US$1.0 billion, driven by lower pricing and volumes in ocean and air services, reflecting softening freight demand. Adjusted gross profits decreased 39.0% in the quarter to US$188.7 million. Ocean adjusted gross profits decreased 42.7%, driven by a 36.5% decrease in adjusted gross profit per shipment and a 9.5% decline in shipments. Adjusted gross profits in air decreased 51.5%, driven by a 40.0% decrease in adjusted gross profit per metric ton shipped and a 19.5% decrease in metric tons shipped. Customs adjusted gross profits decreased 3.3%, driven by a 5.5% reduction in transaction volume. Operating expenses decreased 1.4%, primarily driven by lower incentive compensation and credit losses, partially offset by US$7.0 million of restructuring charges and increased technology expenses. Fourth quarter average employee headcount increased 5.8%. Income from operations decreased 80.8% to US$28.2 million, and adjusted operating margin declined 3,250 basis points to 14.9% in the quarter.

Fourth quarter Robinson Fresh adjusted gross profits increased 9.5% to US$28.5 million, driven by an increase in adjusted gross profit per case, which is primarily related to integrated supply chain and technology services and a 2.5% increase in case volume. Managed Services adjusted gross profits increased 12.2% in the quarter, due to growth in adjusted gross profit per transaction. Other Surface Transportation adjusted gross profits decreased 1.1% to US$18.9 million, primarily due to a 1.4% decrease in Europe truckload adjusted gross profits.

Capital expenditures totalled US$27.8 million in the quarter. Capital expenditures for 2023 are expected to be US$90.0 million to US$100.0 million.

Looking ahead, as inflationary pressures continue to weigh on global economic growth and freight markets present cyclical challenges, the Company needs to continue evolving to bring greater focus to its highest long-term strategic priorities, including keeping the needs of customers and carriers at the centre of what it does while lowering its overall cost structure by driving scale.

The Company expect this initiative will continue to drive improvements in customer and carrier experience and amplify the expertise of its people, all of which will is expected to drive market share gains and growth. The Company expect these efforts will also improve productivity, which will reduce operating costs and lead to improved returns for shareholders.

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. announced financial results for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended 31 December 2022. The Company produced fourth quarter financial results that allowed it to finish the year with Company records for annual revenue and profitability. The results for both the quarter and the year reflect a continued focus on the consistent execution of a long-term strategic plan. This plan revolves around the ability to provide superior service at a fair price while also ensuring that the Company has sufficient capacity to support anticipated growth. This helped achieve over US$1.0 billion of revenue growth for the second straight year in 2022.

Annual revenues climbed 19.1% to US$6,260.1 million, as operating income increased 32.3% to US$1,840.6 million. Net income was up 33.1% to US$1,377.2 million.

In Q4, 2022, revenues climbed 5.8% to US$1,491.7 million, as operating income increased 15.5% to US$430.2 million. Net income was up 16.2% to US$323.9 million. Revenue growth in Q4, 2022 included a 16.7% increase in LTL revenue per hundredweight, which more than offset the decrease in LTL tons. LTL revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges, increased 8.7% and reflects the continued execution of long-term pricing initiatives. As part of the pricing philosophy, the ODFL focus on continuously improving the profitability of each customer account through yield increases that are designed to offset cost inflation and support further investments in capacity and technology. It must continue to provide customers with superior service to support this approach, however, and it was proud to deliver 99% on-time service during the fourth quarter with a cargo claims ratio of 0.1%.

The operating ratio for Q4, 2022 improved 240 basis points to 71.2% as compared to Q4, 2021. ODFL continued to operate efficiently during the quarter, despite the decline in volumes, and it also continued a diligent approach to managing discretionary spending. Salaries, wages and benefit costs as a percent of revenue improved to 44.0% from 46.9% in Q4, 2021, and purchased transportation costs decreased 200 basis points to 1.9% of revenue. The combination of these improvements more than offset the increase in operating supplies and expenses as a percent of revenue that primarily resulted from the significant increase in the cost of diesel fuel and other petroleum-based products during the quarter.

Old Dominion’s net cash provided by operating activities was US$361.3 million for Q4, 2022 and US$1.7 billion for the year. The Company had US$186.3 million in cash and cash equivalents at 31 December 2022. Capital expenditures were US$270.4 million for Q4, 2022 and US$775.1 million for the year. The Company expects its aggregate capital expenditures for 2023 to total approximately US$800.0 million, including planned expenditures of US$300.0 million for real estate and service centre expansion projects; US$400.0 million for tractors and trailers; and US$100.0 million for information technology and other assets. Old Dominion continued to return capital to shareholders during Q4, 2022 through its share repurchase and dividend programmes. For the year, the cash utilised for shareholder return programmes included US$1.3 billion of share repurchases and US$134.5 million of cash dividends.

Emergent Cold Latin America (Emergent Cold LatAm) has announced the acquisition of Multifrigo, a leading operator in Santiago – Chile’s capital and largest city. Emergent Cold LatAm also announced plans to expand Multifrigo’s main automated facility in El Olivo to 35,000 pallet positions or triple its current size, creating additional capacity and service offerings.

Multifrigo was founded in 1987 by the Lyng family, and then further developed by Carlos and Jorge Lyng with important contributions from minority partners, the Falcone and Pavez families.

Today Multifrigo operates three facilities and close to 25,000 pallet positions of storage. Multifrigo has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative logistics companies in Chile. Its newest facility in El Olivo – located 15 kilometres from downtown Santiago – is 100.0% automated and allows Multifrigo to offer tailor-made solutions to its customers, along with value-added services such as picking, cross-docking and packing. The Company’s second facility is nearby in Maipu, and the third facility is in Casablanca – strategically located between Santiago and the Ports of Valparaiso and San Antonio.

Emergent Cold LatAm will immediately commence a fully automated 24,500-pallet expansion of Multifrigo’s facility in El Olivo. This investment will add significant capacity in a key metropolitan market and valuable new service offerings for customers.

Chile is an important market for Emergent Cold LatAm, as it continues to be a major food source for the world. The Company’s first investment was in November 2021 with the acquisition of Friopacífico in Chile’s Eighth Region of Biobío. In September 2022, Emergent Cold LatAm announced the construction of a new 37,000-pallet facility located in Talcahuano, which will open in January 2024 and increase capacity in this market by more than 65.0%.

44 Capital Finanças Corporativas acted as financial advisor and NLD Abogados acted as legal advisor to Emergent LatAm.

UPS has reported Q4, 2022 consolidated revenues of US$27.0 billion, a 2.7% decrease from Q4, 2021. Consolidated operating profit was US$3.2 billion, down 17.9% compared to Q4, 2021, and down 3.3% on an adjusted basis.

For Q4, 2022, GAAP results include a net benefit of US$299.0 million comprised of a non-cash, after-tax mark-to-market (MTM) pension gain of US$782.0 million, a one-time, non-cash, after-tax charge of US$384.0 million resulting from accelerated vesting of restricted performance units in connection with a change in incentive compensation programme design, a non-cash, after-tax charge of US$58.0 million due to a reduction in the residual value of the Company’s MD-11 aircraft and after-tax transformation and other charges of US$41.0 million.

In the US Domestic segment, revenue grew 3.1%, to US$18,252.0 million, driven by a 7.2% increase in revenue per piece. Operating profits declined 12.5% to US$1,840.0 million, as the operating margin was 10.1% with the adjusted operating margin at 12.8%.

In the International segment, revenue decreased 8.3% to US$4,950.0 million, driven by an 8.6% reduction in average daily volume due to lower domestic volume and softness in China trade lanes. Operating profit fell 23.1% to US$1,020.0 million. The operating margin was 20.6%; adjusted operating margin was 22.0%.

At Supply Chain Solutions, revenue decreased 18.1% to US$3,831.0 million, due to volume and market rate declines in air and ocean freight forwarding, partially offset by growth in healthcare business. Operating profit declined 27.5% to US$335.0 million. The operating margin was 8.7%; adjusted operating margin was 10.5%.

For the year, UPS reached its targeted consolidated operating margin and return on invested capital goals one year earlier than originally anticipated. Full-year 2022 revenue increased 3.1% to US$100.3 billion. Operating profit was US$13.1 billion, up 2.2%, with adjusted operating profit of US$13.9 billion, up 5.4%. The operating margin was 13.0% with an adjusted operating margin of 13.8%. UPS Domestic annual revenue increased 6.5% as operating profit climbed 8.7%. International saw revenues increase just 0.8% as operating profit fell 6.9%, whilst at Supply Chain Solutions, revenue fell 5.7% as operating profit increased 2.5%. Adjusted return on invested capital was 31.3%. Cash from operations was US$14.1 billion and free cash flow was US$9.0 billion. In addition, the Company returned US$8.6 billion of cash to shareowners through dividends and share buybacks.

For the 14th consecutive year, the UPS Board of Directors has approved an increase to the Company’s quarterly dividend. UPS will pay a first-quarter 2023 dividend of US$1.62 per share on all outstanding Class A and Class B shares. The dividend is payable 10 March 2023 to shareowners of record on 21 February 2023. In addition, the UPS Board of Directors has approved a new US$5.0 billion share repurchase authorisation, replacing the Company’s existing authorisation.

Looking ahead, for the full year 2023, UPS expects revenue to be between US$97.0 billion and US$99.4 billion and consolidated adjusted operating margin of between 12.8% and 13.6%. The Company is planning capital expenditures to be about US$5.3 billion, dividend payments to be around US$5.4 billion, subject to board approval, and share repurchases to be around US$3.0 billion. The effective tax rate is expected to be around 23.5%.

On the basis of preliminary and unaudited figures, Hapag-Lloyd has concluded the 2022 financial year – in which it celebrated its 175th anniversary – with an EBITDA of US$20.5 billion (€19.4 billion). The EBIT rose to US$18.5 billion (€17.5 billion), which can primarily be attributed to higher freight rates. At the same time, disruptions in global supply chains and inflation have led to a significant increase in costs.

Revenues rose to US$36.4 billion (€34.5 billion), primarily owing to an increase in the average freight rate, to 2,863 US$/TEU (2021: 2,003 US$/TEU). However, already by the end of the year, the freight rate had significantly come back down as congestion eased and demand declined.

Transport volumes for full-year 2022 were roughly on a par with the prior-year level, at 11.8 million TEU (2021: 11.9 million TEU).

Hapag-Lloyd will publish its 2022 Annual Report with the audited financial figures and an outlook for the current financial year on 02 March 2023.

The year 2022 was marked by rising inflation worldwide and – in the second half of the year – a sharp slump in production in Europe’s chemical industry as a result of the massive increase in gas and electricity prices. Logistics bottlenecks were seen in H1 and volumes declined in H2. In this challenging environment, Bertschi was able to successfully confirm the one billion Swiss franc sales mark achieved for the first-time last year, increasing sales by 8.0% to CHF1.1 billion.

The Bertschi Group is focusing on the digital transformation of its processes. Last year, an important step was taken with the integration of all systems in European transportation, including the integration of customers and service partners. This transformation took place gradually, all the while carefully considering each and every employee. Further steps are planned for 2023 – including in the global logistics business.

The Bertschi Group is developing and implementing its digitalization concepts and the software required for this largely independently, with a team of 80 employees, including 50 software developers.

In 2022, Bertschi once again made targeted investments of CHF 120 million in expanding sustainable logistics infrastructure, expanding the tank and silo container fleet to 42,000 units (+5.0%) and the digital transformation.

With the construction of a new logistics centre for dangerous liquid chemicals in Zhangjiagang (China), which is close to Shanghai, an important investment was completed in mid-2022 after several years of planning and construction. This storage and filling centre with a capacity of 25,000 tons of liquid products for storage in tank containers and 25,000 tons of packed goods, as well as automated filling facilities, is now considered one of the safest and most sustainable chemical logistics centres in all of China, according to the Company's international customers. Following a successful trial operation period, the facility received its final operating license in January 2023.

As a result of the high rate of inflation and the associated interest rate increases, the global economy weakened significantly in the second half of 2022. European chemical producers are also suffering from the massive rise in energy prices, which is leading to facilities being closed and production being relocated overseas. The economic downturn is expected to become more pronounced in 2023. This is reflected in significantly lower demand for logistics services. At the same time, Bertschi is exposed to the sharp increase in energy costs of rail operators in European intermodal transport, which makes the Company’s services significantly more expensive.

Despite the challenging outlook, Bertschi is planning to make significant investments in the Company’s future in 2023. The focus remains on the sustainability of logistics. In January of this year, work started on the construction of a major rail terminal in Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe. The terminal also incorporates value-added services. Containers arriving in Antwerp from overseas can thus be delivered directly by barge to the new rail terminal, stored there and then intermodally distributed by rail across all of Europe. This will be achieved without burdening the road network right until the arrival at the destination terminal.

When it comes to sustainability, Bertschi Group is a pioneer and market leader in intermodal chemical logistics. The successful transfer of more than 90.0% of all transportation from the road to environmentally and climate-friendly rail and water routes, enables a 70.0% saving on CO2 emissions compared to direct road transport.

As part of this strategic objective, in 2022 terminal vehicles in The Netherlands were converted from conventional diesel to run on HVO biodiesel. Hydrated vegetable oil (HVO) is a renewable fuel and generates 90.0% less CO2 emissions than normal diesel. At the Birrfeld terminal, the buildings have been fitted with photovoltaic installations to generate electricity. Both these CO2 reduction measures – renewable fuels and solar collectors – will also be used at other Bertschi sites in future.

In 2022, Bertschi introduced the GLEC (Global Logistics Emissions Council) approach, which is a new method for calculating the CO2 emissions of all its transport services in Europe. Using this method, it is now possible to calculate the exact CO2 emissions for each variant of transport and transparently make them available to customers. The Company is preparing to offer customers alternatives such as hydrogen- and electric-drive vehicles for pre- and onward carriage by road to rail and water transshipment terminals in future. An expansion of this GLEC approach to global transports will be initiated in 2023.

DX has provided an update on trading for the 26 weeks ended 31 December 2022, the first half of its current financial year. Trading over the period was strong, in line with the Board's expectations, with Group revenue approximately 15.0% ahead of the first half of the previous financial year.

Customer supply chain issues have normalised, labour market pressures have eased, and costs have been managed effectively. The Board remains confident that the Group is well-positioned to meet its expectations for the financial year despite the economic headwinds, as it enters the second half of the year.

The Group's financial position remains strong. Net cash at the period end totalled £36.4 million (01 January 2022: £14.5 million) and the £20.0 million invoice discounting facility remains undrawn, giving the Group significant levels of headroom.

Both divisions, DX Freight and DX Express, contributed to revenue growth and both have improved margins against the same period last year, helped by operational improvements and price increases. Net new business at each division in the period continued to be healthy and the pipeline of new business opportunities remains strong.

Reflecting DX's growth opportunities and the pipeline of new business, the Group continues to expand its depot networks. Four new depots were opened in the first half, and a further two new depots are planned in the second half, with an additional three depots relocating to larger premises. This expansion will also drive productivity improvements and further enhance customer service.

Interim results are expected to be announced at the end of February 2023.

GLS and Tusk Logistics, a shipping platform led by former Google, ShipBob, and Shippo founders, have announced the public availability of GLS service via Tusk Logistics, a national network of regional parcel carriers that unlocks easy access to reliable, predictable parcel delivery at significant savings, with no additional software or operational overhead.

Regional carriers like GLS have been strong small parcel delivery providers for decades, but the ecosystem for regional carriers nationwide is fragmented and difficult for Shippers to access. Today, less than 3.0% of all domestic small parcel volume, a US$150.0 billion+ market, is delivered by regional carriers.

Shippers understand the value that regional carriers provide, but find it difficult to access the regional carrier networks due to each carrier requiring a negotiated account, bespoke technical integration and tailored operations. Tusk solves each of these challenges, enabling any Shipper to easily unlock regional carriers' low pricing and reliable service.

Tusk's pre-negotiated regional rates with leading regional carriers like GLS instantly lower shipping costs by an average of 30-40.0% below commercial rates with UPS or FedEx. In addition, Tusk eliminates complications with easy integrations while offering superior, proactive Shipper support. Shippers like Good Buy Gear are experiencing massive improvements to their customer experience and operations since integrating Tusk.

RXO has launched RXO Extra, an expanded suite of exclusive partnerships and discounts that incent carriers with key cost-savings that help grow their business. Through RXO Extra, carriers can save money on fuel, maintenance, tires, retail and more. These offerings are easily accessible on a streamlined online marketplace, bolstering carrier loyalty, RXO Connect adoption and shipping capacity for customers.

RXO Extra will put more money in carriers’ pockets, drive carrier loyalty in RXO Connect and expand RXO’s massive capacity that shippers count on.

As part of the launch of RXO Extra, RXO announced three new cost-saving partnerships that build on the Company’s pre-existing rewards offerings. Carriers can now access discounts on SiriusXM subscriptions for ad-free music, news, sports, talk and comedy; hotel discounts through CLC Lodging; and access to DAT Load Boards.

DP World has agreed to lease a 7,500 m2 site next to its Southampton container terminal to develop state of the art facilities for lorry drivers, as the leading provider of smart logistics solutions continues its major investment programme in the UK.

The £15.0 million project will deliver driver welfare facilities – including a restaurant, showers, toilets and 24-hour security – as well as increasing the size of the storage area used for containers moved by road and rail.

DP World is developing the facility to build on the £40.0 million which it has invested in the resilience of its operations at Southampton since 2021 and further develop its capabilities across the supply chain.

The new site, which was previously used for car storage and is expected to be fully operational this year, has been leased from Port of Southampton owner ABP.

The CMA CGM Group has become Official Partner in logistics solutions of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Group will make its expertise available to Paris 2024, handling the transport and logistics for all the goods, equipment and materials required for the event’s success at the Olympic and Paralympic venues.

Via its CEVA Logistics and CMA CGM Air Cargo subsidiaries, the Group will organise all the international transport and customs brokerage activities and provide and operate the requisite logistics facilities for Paris 2024. CMA CGM will also operate road and river transport and logistics services at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues, in metropolitan France and French overseas territories.

CMA CGM is joining forces with Paris 2024 to deliver more sustainable Games, careful of all of its operations’ environmental and social impact. The CMA CGM Group, which is committed to a sustainable approach targeting Net Zero-Carbon by 2050, will provide low-carbon, energy-efficient logistics solutions. CMA CGM will leverage its transport and logistics solutions powered by LNG, biofuels, electricity or sustainable fuels, as well as barge transport for intra-city deliveries, to reduce the carbon impact of international transport services. The Group will also ensure that packaging and warehouse waste are optimised.

The Group also undertakes to use its Official Partner status and the high profile this affords it to help create value across the regions and raise public awareness of the key goals of environmental protection and social inclusion. To carry out this partnership, CMA CGM will set up a dedicated social integration programme, respecting the principles of inclusion and diversity.

Maersk has announced a new multi-year partnership with ASOS, the global fashion e-Commerce destination headquartered in the UK. ASOS has appointed Maersk as its strategic logistics partner for Supply Chain Management (SCM), supporting the growth of the FTSE 250-listed company. ASOS serves over 26 million active customers in over 200 markets. These customers can shop a curated edit of nearly 70,000 products, sourced from nearly 900 of the best global and local partner brands and its mix of fashion-led own-brand labels.

Maersk first started working with ASOS during the pandemic, when it supported the business in a challenging market. This new strategic partnership is a testament to the strength of the relationship built during that period.

Over a short period ASOS has built a robust strategic relationship with Maersk, bringing together two leading businesses. Together they have continued to focus on driving speed to market, helping improve the customer proposition and support continued growth.

Under the agreement, Maersk and ASOS will partner on Supply Chain Management along with ocean and air services into all fulfilment centres globally. ASOS’ four fulfilment centres, two located in the UK and one each in Germany and the US, handled almost 100.0 million orders in the Company’s most recent financial year.

Rhenus Norway is starting a cooperation with the Norwegian developer of industrial battery technology Morrow Batteries ASA (Morrow). As a logistics service provider, Rhenus supports the delivery of production equipment for the Norwegian company’s battery cell production.

Supported by Arendal Harbour, a new logistics centre with its own container handling and storage operation is being built for this purpose. The first five hundred forty-foot containers with production equipment are to be shipped through this logistics centre. As a new hub between Larvik and Kristiansand with weekly departures to the continent, Arendal will have access to 18 port terminals across Europe.

Rhenus has developed a solution combining sea freight, integrated European locations handling and last-mile services in Arendal, tailored for this highly demanding logistics project.

Founded in 2020, the Arendal-based battery technology company has made it its mission to develop innovative next-generation batteries using cathode material (LNMO). In doing so, Morrow eliminates the use of cobalt and reduces the use of nickel and lithium to create a sustainable alternative to conventional batteries. With the new terminal at the deep-water port as a base, this endeavour will be advanced in collaboration with Rhenus Norway.

DHL Inside Track has announced a new three-year UK contract with leading global automaker Stellantis, whose portfolio includes Jeep, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, DS Automobiles, Abarth and Citroën.

Inside Track will operate Stellantis’ demo programme, managing the delivery and pick-up of test drive vehicles nationwide. The automotive specialist will handle the entire fleet and end-to-end consumer experience, from online ordering and pre-delivery preparation, through to customer satisfaction surveys.

A key part of the service will be the ‘white glove’ customer handover, tailored to each brand and delivered to a consistently high level by drivers trained as brand ambassadors.

Thanks to a new platform introduced by Inside Track, Stellantis now has real-time visibility of its fleet, with clear reports of vehicle utilisation right down to model variant, ensuring that the value of the fleet is maximised.

Inside Track’s management system and nationwide footprint allows the Company to coordinate collections at the same time as deliveries, to reduce unnecessary travel. The Company has also invested in its vehicle charging infrastructure to support the increasing electrification of the Stellantis fleet.

Inside Track has also been appointed to manage the Company’s Employee Car Ownership Scheme, which operates out of facilities in Luton, Coventry and Ellesmere Port. As well as storing, preparing and handing over the fleet, the team will handle all administration associated with the scheme.

Inside Track currently handles over 38,000 vehicle movements for its customers each year.

Menzies Distribution has won a five-year contract with the UK arm of Saint-Gobain Weber, one of the world’s leading industrial groups. Weber is a major building materials supplier, manufacturing external building renders, flooring products, tile adhesives and grouts. From January 2023, Menzies will manage the Company’s UK deliveries, including pallets and full loads, from its manufacturing sites to domestic customers.

Ahead of commencing operations, four Menzies team members attended the Weber Training Academy at the Company’s Flitwick site in Bedfordshire, providing an opportunity to learn more about Weber products, how they are applied and their main uses.

The contract is now live at the two manufacturing sites at Flitwick, Bedfordshire and Telford, Shropshire. Menzies will deliver render, tile grout and adhesive to national builders’ merchants and direct to construction sites, using an initial core fleet of seven vehicles. The fleet, which will be fitted with new technology allowing electronic Proof of Delivery and real-time order visibility, will be increased in line with expected peak activity over the summer months. Additional team members have been recruited as a result of the contract, including office staff, planners and drivers.

Menzies was awarded the contract at the end of a tender, so being successful is testament to its ability to create a competitive and compelling solution.

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has been awarded a contract to handle Zongteng Group’s new Boeing 777 freighter flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France. Zongteng Group is a leading provider of cross-border eCommerce services, including fulfilment and customised supply chain solutions provided by its sub-brands, YunExpress, Elogistic and Worldtech, and reported a turnover in 2021 of €3.85 billion.

The new Shenzhen-Paris freighter route is the Company’s latest initiative to realise the immense potential of Sino-European cross-border trade.

The new 777F service will provide 15,000 tonnes of annual cargo capacity, providing Zongteng Group customers with highly reliable eCommerce logistics services and optimised lead times. In Q3, 2023, the Group expects to add a second Boeing 777F to increase its Shenzhen-Paris CDG operations to 6-8 flights per week and lift its available capacity to a projected 28,000 tonnes per annum.

WFS has been appointed to provide ramp and cargo handling services for the cargo flights at Paris CDG, which are operated by Zongteng Group in collaboration with Central Airlines.

FIEGE has added a further warehouse to the multi-user centre located to the south-east of Hamburg, Germany. The region of strategic importance now offers around 90,000 m2 of logistics space to clients from a range of different industries.

The FIEGE Group has added to its location in Hamburg-Moorfleet. The new, modern building of the contract logistics specialist will offer a further 20,000 m2 of logistics space spread across two levels to clients operating in such fields as Industry & Tyres, Fashion & Lifestyle as well as Fast Moving Consumer Goods.

The multi-user centre offers convenient transport accessibility due to its direct proximity to the Hamburg-South-East motorway junction (A1 and A25). Following a successful launch at the start of January, the ramp-up is currently in full progress. FIEGE Real Estate oversaw the project’s realisation.

In light of the growth strategy of the FIEGE Group, the Company aims to further strengthen its presence in Germany’s north. Greater Hamburg is considered a logistics powerhouse, also due to being home to Germany's biggest seaport. By expanding the multi-user centre, the 3PL is on one hand setting the course to meeting the growing demand for logistical space while on the other handling ever-more complex logistical services including related value-added services for clients.

The addition of a new warehouse has resulted in FIEGE expanding its logistical space in Hamburg to almost 90,000 m2. The annex will have a living roof as the rest of the branch.

The new two-storey building offers light-infused offices and space for 85 VAS workstations. The quality property boasts a glass façade and a sprinkler system that complies with VdS safety standards. A special unique selling proposition is the WGK (water-hazard class) film that has been integrated into the flooring to allow for a professional handling of substances that are deemed hazardous to water. Deliveries are made via ten loading docks fitted with electric roller shutters. For reasons of sustainability, FIEGE has installed energy-efficient LED lighting at its location in Hamburg. In addition, the annex will have a living roof as the rest of the branch.

XPO has opened a new site in Lomme, France, in proximity to Lille and the Belgian border. The 4,400 m2 site serves growing customer demand in the north of France, together with the Company’s existing site in Libercourt.

The former La Poste distribution centre has been adapted for XPO's cross-dock activity. It has a surface area of 3,844 m2, including 1,200 m2 of storage and 630 m2 of offices, and is equipped with 15 dock doors, as well as a last mile loading ramp. The site distributes palletised and partial loads for companies of the European Metropolis of Lille in sectors such as automotive, do-it-yourself retail and other specialised retail.

XPO’s fleet of transport vehicles in Lomme will include two fully electric trucks as part of the Company’s investment in 100 electric vehicles from Renault Trucks in France. The purchase was made in anticipation of future greenhouse gas emissions restrictions in urban areas, including the city of Lille, which will be required to implement a low emission zone (LEZ) by 2025 due to its population density.

XPO’s expansion will also enable the Company to manage more last mile deliveries of heavy and bulky products, such as large household appliances, furniture and construction materials, inbound and outbound from all areas of France.

The opening of the Lomme facility is part of a strategic plan to develop the Company's palletised distribution network. XPO has been established for about 30 years in the Hauts-de-France region and it has built strong links with local customers. This site is ideally positioned to efficiently transport large volumes of goods and support customers’ growth. Its proximity to the European Metropolis of Lille also enables XPO to expand its local service offering, such as last mile delivery, urban storage and electric vehicle delivery.

XPO is the largest provider of LTL transport in France, serving 4,500 customers with national coverage and making approximately four million deliveries per year. The Company's LTL network consists of 30 integrated sites and includes more than 137,000 m2 of facility space, including nearly 120,000 m2 of docks. XPO’s professional drivers perform approximately 600 nighttime hauls and make more than 1,200 rounds per day in France.

The Kroger Co. has announced the opening of a new spoke facility in South Florida, USA. Joined by the local community, Kroger celebrated the expansion of the delivery service and welcomed 90 new associates. This facility opening means customers can access Kroger's selection of fresh items, unique Our Brands products and favourite national brands, as well as individualised offers for the groceries most important to their families – all delivered directly to their door by a friendly, professional Kroger associate.

The 5,575 m2 spoke facility will work in conjunction with the Groveland, Florida fulfilment centre. All orders are picked at the products' peak freshness within the Groveland facility. Associates carefully assemble orders and place them in climate-controlled vehicles to travel to Miami, serving communities between Port St. Lucie in the north to Homestead in the South, on both the east and west sides of I-95. Once the orders arrive, they are checked and placed on refrigerated delivery trucks that deliver directly to customers' doors, ensuring cold and frozen products remain at the perfect temperature from the supplier to the customer's refrigerator.

The expansion to South Florida, including Miami represents an extension of a collaboration between Kroger and Ocado Group. In 2018, the companies announced a collaboration to establish a delivery network that combines artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and automation in a bold new way, bringing first-of-its-kind technology to America.

The delivery network relies on highly automated fulfilment centres. At the hub sites, more than 1,000 bots move around giant 3D grids, orchestrated by proprietary control systems. The grid, known as The Hive, contains totes filled with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders. As customers' orders near delivery times, bots retrieve products from The Hive and present them at pick stations for items to be sorted for delivery, a process governed by algorithms that ensure items are intelligently packed. For example, fragile items are placed on top, bags are evenly weighted, and each order is optimised to fit into the lowest number of bags, reducing plastic use. Bags are also recyclable, reflecting Kroger's commitment to its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste commitment to rid its communities of hunger and waste.

Kroger's end-to-end cold solutions keep groceries fresh once loaded into a customised refrigerated delivery van, which can store up to 20 orders. Powerful machine learning algorithms optimise delivery routes, considering factors such as road conditions and optimal fuel efficiency. Vans may travel up to 90 minutes with orders from the hub and spoke facilities to make deliveries. Associates at the spoke facility will deliver orders within their service area, adding ZIP codes as demand grows.

Kroger currently operates customer fulfilment centres in Monroe, OH, Groveland, FL, Forest Park, GA (Atlanta), Pleasant Prairie, WI, Dallas, TX, Romulus, MI (Detroit) and Aurora, CO with additional customer fulfilment centres slated for California, Frederick, MD, Phoenix, AZ, Cleveland, OH, Charlotte, NC, as well as South Florida and the Northeast.

Serbia’s emergence as a manufacturing base with a skilled cost-effective labour force in close proximity to neighbouring EU markets, is driving a surge in leasings and built-to-suit developments across CTP’s four industrial and logistics parks in the country.

The growing outsourcing of Germany’s industrial supply chain to CEE markets, combined with the nearshoring trend, where companies are opting to build resilience into their global supply chains by locating manufacturing closer to their main markets, is generating strong demand for industrial and logistics space along the axis of CTP’s core markets from the Czech Republic to Romania, but it is also resulting in upward pressure on wages and other costs.

Serbia’s position outside the European Union means it is highly competitive on labour costs, with a skilled workforce strategically located next to neighbouring EU markets. International companies are increasingly taking note of these advantages, encouraged by supportive government policies.

CTP is seeing a growing number choosing to locate in Serbia and in CTParks, which offer the most modern and sustainable production and logistics facilities and broadest network available in this market.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, German multinational and engineering company Bosch took delivery of a 20,000 m2 built-to-suit facility in CTPark Belgrade West to produce motors for electronic window lifters and Milšped, the leading 3PL group, leased 16,000 m2 at the same location. CTP also handed over a 26,500 m2 BTS building to Japanese electromotors giant Nidec at CTPark Novi Sad in Serbia’s second largest city. Total developments of 60,000 m2 are due to be fulfilled for Nidec and its sister company Nidec-Elesys at CTPark Novi Sad.

At CTPark Kragujevac in central Serbia, Chinese automotive supplier YanFeng has signed a leasing agreement for a third production unit of 30,000 m2, where construction started in December 2022. Meanwhile in CTPark Belgrade North, around 25,000 m2 of the planned total development of 100,000 m2 at the park was completed last year and Slovenian 3PL InterEuropa, the leading supplier of complete logistics services in Serbia and southeastern Europe, took a lease on 14,400 m2 of space. The facility will be used as a regional distribution centre for EU markets by Gorenje – Hisense, a manufacturer of household appliances.

CTP is also progressing with the development of CTPark Belgrade City, located in the largest municipality in the capital, less then 5 km to the city centre and only 5 km from Belgrade Airport. The location is ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises in the FMCG, Pharmaceutical, eCommerce and last-mile logistics sectors owing to its inner-city location, along with excellent connections to the highway and surrounding urban traffic arteries. The first phase of the programme will be completed by the end of this year, with units starting from 2,500 m2 including showroom, office, and warehouse space.

ALDI has unveiled its completed regional headquarters and distribution centre in Loxley, Alabama, US, which will ultimately serve as many as 100 stores across the Gulf Coast. As one of America's fastest growing grocers, ALDI is committed to bringing fresh groceries and products at an affordable price to consumers from coast to coast, and the Loxley distribution centre will support this commitment.

The ALDI facility in Loxley, Ala. is the grocer’s 26th regional headquarters and distribution centre, enabling its growth across the Gulf Coast region.

The 52,400 m2 Loxley facility is equipped to service stores across Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. In total, the 100 stores that will be supported by the Loxley facility represent an opportunity to reach more than 8.0 million customers.

As the 26th regional headquarters and distribution centre for ALDI, and its sixth to be opened in the southern US, Loxley will support the grocer's rapid expansion in the region. ALDI is now operating 30 stores in the Gulf Coast, having opened 20 stores in the area last year alone. It plans to add another 13 stores in 2023.

The Loxley facility was designed with sustainability top-of-mind and will feature some of the most innovative and efficient design components included in any ALDI facility to date, including roof-mounted solar panels, LED lighting, an environmentally friendly refrigeration system and metal panel insulation. These elements work together to create a thermally tight and efficient building.

The Loxley distribution centre will create approximately 200 new jobs in the area with competitive wages and benefits. ALDI has already staffed 120 of these positions and plans to continue hiring.

Bobcat Company has expanded its US, nationwide aftermarket parts distribution centre (PDC) network with the opening of a new, 36,790 m2 facility in Atlanta.  This new facility, located in the West Fulton Commerce Park (1850 Oak Lawn Ave.), is the second, new Bobcat PDC opened in the past months to meet growing demand for Bobcat equipment in the marketplace. Bobcat also opened a new PDC in Reno, Nevada, in September 2022. These two new facilities join the Company’s existing Bobcat PDC near Chicago in Woodridge, Illinois. 

Strategically located in Atlanta with accessibility to major airports and highways, the new PDC provides Bobcat dealers and customers with enhanced service options, increased inventory and faster parts delivery.  

Bobcat’s PDC facilities support same-day order processing and extended order hours; expanded dealer support programs and customer service hours; improved speed of delivery times; and additional shipping carrier options. 

With the opening of these two state-of-the-art facilities in Reno and Atlanta, Bobcat has nearly doubled its warehouse footprint. Between the three locations (Woodridge, Reno and Atlanta), Bobcat’s combined warehouse footprint in North American is now 83,240 m2. The Bobcat PDC facilities are managed and staffed by APL Logistics, with the Atlanta location employing 85 people. 

Groupe CAT and P3 Logistic Parks have inaugurated a new warehouse in the P3 Illescas logistics park, located in Plataforma Central Iberum (Toledo), Spain. P3 Logistic Parks has developed a build to suit (BTS) project which will be managed by Groupe CAT. From these facilities, the Company will provide warehousing and capillary distribution services for Continental’s products, a leading tyre manufacturer. In this way, the new asset becomes the largest distribution centre in Spain of the high-profile German manufacturer.

The BTS asset has a Gross Lettable Area (GLA) of 28,251 m2, with 27,704 m2 of warehouse and 547 m2 of offices. The warehouse has a total height of 12.35 metres, while the free layout is 9.62 metres. Overall, the project will have 27 loading docks and ramps, and also 120 parking spaces.

The site will apply the highest standards of sustainability and energy efficiency, in line with the ESG pillars of Groupe CAT, P3 Logistic Parks, Continental and Plataforma Central Iberum (PCI). As such, the project complies with all requirements for a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification for sustainability, with the aim to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

One of the highlights of this new warehouse is its strategic location in Illescas, an area that has become a national hub of logistics activity thanks to its excellent connections and that offer great potential for the companies located there.

In this facility, where warehousing, quality checks, IN/OUT, preparations and distribution activities will be performed, Continental will optimise the opportunities offered by the prime location and Groupe CAT to increase its warehousing capacity by 25.0%, improving delivery times.

This new opening also offers important economic benefits for Illescas and especially for the region of La Sagra. The different phases of the project shall create more than 100 new jobs.

The Plataforma Central Iberum enjoys a privileged location 40 kilometres from Madrid, in the heart of the central logistics corridor and with direct connections to the A-42 and the AP-41. P3 Logistic Parks and Groupe CAT are committed to Illescas, a key area due to its importance for national logistics and its strategic position in the central corridor with key connections to the Mediterranean corridor. Companies such as Amazon, Airbus, Correos, Seur or Toyota are already present in this location.

IVECO and Plus announced that this month the companies are starting public road testing of their jointly developed next generation highly automated trucks in Germany. As a part of the public road testing, the companies will collect road data to validate their autonomous truck’s operations and start designing the potential factory production. The PlusDrive-enabled IVECO S-WAY truck is designed to improve safety, efficiency, driver experience, and to provide a more sustainable option for fleets.

This is an important phase in Iveco's plans to bring highly automated trucks to market. Real-world experience is an invaluable part of the testing and validation of the technology. Given that Germany alone faces a shortage of 60,000 truck drivers, the highly automated driving solution, PlusDrive, will help improve road safety, sustainability, and driver recruitment and retention issues confronting fleets in the region.

The public road testing starts in Germany, and will expand to Austria, Italy, and Switzerland in the coming months. Each country’s unique roadways and driving conditions will expose the highly automated truck to a broad range of terrains, road gradients, weather conditions and driving scenarios. This will help to continuously expand the capabilities and features of Plus’s autonomous driving technology.

Ashdod Port Company has signed an agreement with Maersk North America to collaborate on innovation opportunities in supply chain logistics. The agreement enables Israeli startups that are participating in Ashdod Port’s Blue Ocean for Startups technology incubator to be considered for pilot projects in North America to test the proposed technologies in landside operations.

The Board of Directors and the management of Ashdod Port are continuing their efforts to expand Ashdod Port’s collaboration around the world, to promote new technologies and innovation in the logistics industry. This type of collaboration is critical, so it can upgrade the entire supply chain, the source of the modern global economy, and make it more efficient.

The pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chains to constantly improve. This new partnership enables Maersk to accelerate and test technology and new ideas in its operational processes using Ashdod Port’s tech incubator.

The announcement builds on an earlier innovation agreement Maersk signed in 2021 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation & Logistics. An agreement that takes advantage of MIT’s world-renowned engineering expertise and data scientist teams to research new ways of improving Maersk North America’s logistics and data processes.

DHL Supply Chain has become the first company to achieve commercial application of Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot developed for carton unloading of trucks. The successful deployment of the robot comes just one year after DHL Supply Chain announced its US$15.0 million investment in robotics solutions from Boston Dynamics.

In the application, Stretch robots take packages from the back of trailers and place them on a flexible conveyor. Unloading boxes is a strenuous, physically demanding work process which can impact an associate’s ability to work efficiently. By automating this process, DHL Supply Chain not only addresses safety concerns but also the ongoing labour supply challenge by redirecting skilled labour to focus on value-add, strategic tasks in other areas of the warehouse.

The speed at which Stretch can unload cases varies by product; however, in all tested environments the case unload speed exceeded the manual approach, driving significant advantages in efficiency and productivity.

The custom-designed, lightweight arm of the robot has seven degrees-of-freedom, which gives it the length and flexibility to reach cases throughout the trailer or container. Advanced sensing and controls enable it to handle a variety of package types and sizes while maximising pick rates. Boston Dynamics’ computer vision technology enables the robot to identify boxes easily and without any pre-programming. Stretch is capable of working autonomously through complex situations like mixed stacking configurations and recovering fallen boxes.

The insight and experience gained from this ongoing strategic collaboration will be used to deploy additional innovative robotic technologies in the future. DHL Supply Chain plans to continue working with Boston Dynamics to enhance Stretch’s key performance and consistency metrics, aiming to decrease the number of human interventions required while improving the robot’s automated recovery process for fallen boxes. The companies are also looking to gradually scale the robot for additional tasks, tapping into the encouraging potential of mobile robots in the warehouse.

DHL Supply Chain plans to deploy Stretch robots across multiple warehouse operations in the coming year.

Warehouse inventory management is one of the most important barometers for supply chain flow, financial cost exposure and business decision-making. It is also one of the most difficult, repetitive and tedious tasks to perform consistently in warehouses, with quality of data often questioned and requiring workers to work at heights.

As a supply chain integrator, Maersk is constantly looking for new innovations and engineering solutions in its warehouse operations. It wanted to deploy a safer, more accurate, data-driven inventory solution that addressed decarbonisation goals for customers and prevented its workforce from working at heights. Verity’s system has delivered data accuracy, safety and speed which makes its warehouse management system stronger, faster and more effective for customer decision-making.

Verity’s warehouse drones navigate from pallet to pallet, collecting accurate inventory data in three dimensions by scanning barcodes at any height using onboard, high resolution cameras. The system requires one day of operator training, and the electric powered drones return to the battery charging pad when necessary, operating on nights or weekends and without overhead lighting turned on.

The drones take photos of SKUs on pallets to identify inventory errors, such as missing or misplaced pallets. Once the data is collected, the system compares the findings with data stored in the warehouse management system (WMS) and then distils that information into critical insights delivered directly to users via the user dashboard. The results are cloud-based, shareable and provide actionable warehouse data that offers better analytics for supply chain leaders.

Pyka has unveiled the latest addition to its fleet of purpose-built industrial aircraft; the Pelican Cargo. Featuring unprecedented payload and range capabilities, Pelican Cargo is the world's largest zero-emission cargo airplane and the first autonomous vehicle of its class.

With a range of up to 200 miles, a payload of up to 400 pounds in 66 cubic feet of cargo volume and a nose-loading configuration with a sliding cargo tray, the Pelican Cargo platform will enhance express logistics networks, enable connectivity of remote rural communities, and ensure fast and reliable access to vital goods and supplies for areas in need.

Pelican Cargo offers a significant speed advantage over ground transportation and operating costs at a fraction of conventional air transportation.

Following the commercial success of its agricultural spray aircraft, which led to a US$37.0 million Series A raise in April 2022, Pyka has secured pre-commitments of over 80 orders and options for its Pelican Cargo from three launch customers across North America and Europe. The aircraft is currently undergoing rigorous testing at Pyka's flight test facility in Northern California. The first commercial operation of the new product is expected for the second half of 2023.

Skyports Drone Services is one of Pyka's launch customers for Pelican Cargo. The aircraft will enable it to continue a mission of solving complex logistical and operational challenges with tailored drone services. In its eyes, the Pelican Cargo is the most advanced product in its payload class on the market.

Lufthansa Cargo will begin equipping all Boeing 777 freighters with AeroSHARK from 2023. The innovative surface technology from Lufthansa Technik and BASF improves fuel efficiency and helps achieve sustainability goals.

Lufthansa Cargo's first AeroSHARK-modified Boeing 777 freighter, registered D-ALFA, took off for the first time on 03 February 2023. Under flight number LH8410, the B777F started from Frankfurt (FRA) to Bengaluru (BLR), from where it will fly on to Chengdu (CTU).

AeroSHARK is a surface film that mimics the microscopic structure of shark skin. Its structure consists of ribs around 50 micrometers in size - so-called riblets. If the flow pattern on the fuselage and engine nacelles of the Boeing 777F is optimised in this way, significant savings in fuel and thus emissions can be achieved.

This modification, developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, will now gradually be used on Lufthansa Cargo's entire fleet of 777 freighters, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing emissions.

For the modified Boeing 777F, Lufthansa Technik expects fuel savings of slightly more than 1.0%. Extrapolated to Lufthansa Cargo's entire 777 fleet, this will result in annual savings of more than 4,000 metric tons of kerosene and nearly 13,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to about 53 individual cargo flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

In cooperation with BASF, Lufthansa Technik is responsible for the specification of the material, the airworthiness certification and the implementation of the aircraft modifications, which are carried out during regular maintenance layovers. In December of last year, the Company obtained a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for two types of Boeing 777 from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), paving the way for the serial application now underway on the 777 freighter fleet.

CitySprint, the UK’s largest same day distribution company, has announced the expansion of their electric vehicle (EV) fleet with the acquisition of 40 new electric vans from vehicle manufacturer Maxus.

The new electric vans, which have an impressive range of up to 213 miles / 344 kilometres on a full battery, will add to CitySprint’s expanding green fleet to offer customers a range of sustainable delivery options.

They have been strategically deployed across the UK with the aim of helping to reduce pollution levels in key cities in which CitySprint operates, including London, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham.

With the expansion of Low and Ultra-Low Emission Zones in cities across the UK, the electric vans will be a valuable addition to CitySprint’s existing fleet and will play a part in ensuring the business continues to offer its customers a seamless and premium sustainable experience year-round.

As a result of this acquisition, CitySprint’s electric vehicle fleet now comprises of 43 electric vans, 24 cargo bikes, six electric motorbikes and four electric bicycles, with the business continuing to explore ways to further grow this in the year ahead. This news follows the announcement last year that CitySprint has achieved carbon neutral status, 18 months ahead of schedule.

Apex Logistics International, a Kuehne + Nagel company, will put into operation the last Boeing 747-8 freighter as part of the long-term charter agreement with Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.. The aircraft will support customers on volatile trade lanes with reliable service, reduced transit times and increased efficiencies.

After a half-century production run of the jumbo jet, the last Boeing 747-8F under the name ‘Empower.’ was presented during the official ceremony at the Boeing Everett Delivery Centre in Seattle. The event marks the end of the ‘Queen of the Skies’ that helped catapult the global air logistics industry with its unique nose-loading capability, payload capacity and fuel efficiency.

Following the first Kuehne + Nagel aircraft ‘Inspire.’, ‘Empower.’ will operate on the Transpacific routings strengthening the intra-Asia network with better connectivity.

As the world’s largest operator of 747 freighters, Atlas is especially proud to take the last 747 ever to be built. The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the US. Often referred to by the nickname ‘Jumbo Jet’, it is among the world's most recognisable aircraft and the first widebody ever produced.

The first 747 was the result of the work of some 50,000 Boeing people. Called ‘the Incredibles,’ these were the construction workers, mechanics, engineers, secretaries and administrators who made aviation history by building the 747 - the largest civilian airplane in the world - in roughly 16 months during the late 1960s. Since then, over 1,500 planes were manufactured in several different versions.

In November 2005, Boeing launched the 747-8 family - the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter. The 747-8 Freighter first flew on 08 February 2010. The airplane is 76.3 meters long, which is 5.6 meters longer than the 747-400 Freighter. The stretch provides 16.0% more revenue cargo volume compared with its predecessor which translates to an additional four main-deck and three lower hold positions.

The Boeing 747-8F serves a crucial role in global air freight, with advanced technology that allows for lower fuel consumption, higher capacity and unique nose-loading capability.

American Airlines Cargo announced its transition to BioNatur Plastics, launched by M&G Packaging, for use in its cargo operations. The carrier has already begun replacing its current plastic products with the BioNatur brand across most major hubs, an adoption that has allowed American to reduce its long-term plastic waste in landfills by more than 130,000 lbs. or 6.4 million water bottles, in 2022 alone.

BioNatur Plastics is a growing line of biodegradable plastic products manufactured with proprietary formulations that make them the most sustainable plastic options available. Regular plastic can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill. BioNatur biodegradable plastics will biodegrade under landfill conditions in only 5 to 10 years. The end products are fully recyclable in normal waste collection streams, and with added strength, the plastics can be used in thinner amounts – thus minimising the quantity of plastic use overall.

American began making the transition to BioNatur Plastics in early 2022. The biodegradable plastic is currently in use for cargo operations in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Miami International Airport (MIA), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), with plans to continue adopting the plastic across its network.

BioNatur Plastics is manufactured with a 1.0% load of an organic, food-safe proprietary additive that allows anaerobic bacteria to digest the plastic in a landfill. Outside of a landfill, the plastic has an indefinite shelf life and performs exactly like traditional plastic products.

A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and the Berlin-based start-up Cozero have announced a partnership to develop analytics tools to improve Green House Gas (GHG) emissions visibility for international parcel deliveries in Europe. Since entering the European eCommerce logistics sector in 2021 with the acquisition of B2C Europe, Maersk has delivered millions of international parcels for European online-sellers. Due to a higher supply chain complexity international parcels usually have a larger GHG footprint than domestic parcels.

With Cozero’s technology, Maersk can provide customers with detailed information on their emissions on every step and component of their international parcels' journey. This will help them to make smart choices and significantly reduce their GHG footprint.

Maersk’s goal is to be a net zero business across all scopes by 2040 with ambitious near-term targets for 2030 in all its business segments from ocean and air to landside logistics. Emission visibility across the whole transport chain is a core prerequisite to reach these targets together with customers.

Selected Maersk E-Delivery customers in Europe will be able to register for the new tool as from February 2023 to trace and analyse the emissions of their international parcels. To do so, detailed information on every parcel, including weight, routing, and vehicle used to transport it in every leg of the cross-border delivery will be processed according to the globally recognised standards of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. Accurate emissions data and valuable insights will be visualised in a simple and intuitive way, making it easier to identify the main emissions contributors and take the needed actions to reduce them.

Maersk has already successfully tested Cozero’s platform with first customers. The pilot offering will now be rolled out to more eCommerce clients. The project is key to Maersk’s strategy of providing end-to-end visibility to its customers and will eventually be integrated into Maersk’s existing Emissions Dashboard, providing it with a new parcel delivery emissions module. Since 2021, Maersk has developed the Emissions Dashboard to provide a one-stop-shop to consolidate emissions data across all carriers and transport modes. It is accredited by Smart Freight Centre (SFC) with an industry-leading calculation methodology that is in conformance with the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) framework.

DPD Poland is expanding the range of its zero-emission fleet. Last year saw 300 electric delivery vans, which handled over 4.5 million parcels and covered almost 2.0 million kilometres. Since November 2020, DPD Poland has also been developing the fleet of cargo bikes, operating in DPD Urban Depots. In 2022, couriers on 60 electric bicycles handled 600,000 deliveries in the largest cities in Poland. Currently bike deliveries take place in Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin, Gdynia, Częstochowa, Toruń, Olsztyn, Kalisz and Sopot.

The gradual growth of the low- and zero-emission fleet of DPD Poland results from the green transformation implemented by DPDgroup which has assumed a sustainable development plan in the spirit of carbon neutrality. It is also responds to the growing expectations of today's customers, who more frequently choose sustainable services and require the companies and the brands to take a responsible approach to lessen the impact on the climate change and strengthen the protection of natural resources.

In pursuit of this goal, DPD Poland is not only developing the e-fleet and vehicle charging infrastructure but is also increasing the density of the DPD Pickup network (currently 12,100 outlets), which reduce the carbon footprint of deliveries thanks to consolidation of more shipments in one location. The recipients can pick up their parcels in the local shop, while walking the dog or shopping in the supermarket.

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. announced that Jessica Powell has joined Knight-Swift's Board of Directors (the Board) effective immediately. Ms. Powell will serve until the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders and will be subject to annual election thereafter. Ms. Powell was also appointed to the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board.

Ms. Powell currently serves as Associate General Counsel for California Closet Company, Inc., a large custom storage business operating throughout North America. During her legal career, Ms. Powell gained extensive experience in legal, regulatory, compliance, and governance matters, and frequently advised clients on securities, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property matters, amongst numerous other issues.

GXO Logistics, Inc. has announced Rui Marques as the Company’s new Managing Director of its business in France. Marques will be based in GXO’s Neuilly office. Rui will lead the management team to help grow business in France, where GXO is already among the top three logistics providers.

GXO’s business in France comprises more than 80 sites with a total of approximately 2.8 million m2. GXO manages logistics for nearly 150 customers, primarily in the eCommerce, retail and consumer industries. The sites deploy GXO’s innovative technology and automation to help improve employee safety while increasing productivity and efficiency.

In his previous role at GXO as Managing Director for Spain and Portugal, Marques helped triple the size of the business in just over a decade. Before joining GXO in 2010, he served as President Advisor for Balearia Group, focusing on major acquisitions and integration in the passenger shipping sector in France, Spain and Morocco. Prior, he was a Board Member and the CEO of Compañía Trasmediterranea, where he had responsibility for shipping; transport and logistics and external and support services. Earlier in his career, Marques served as Executive Managing Director for Hays Logistics Europe and a Managing Director for Salvesen Logistics.

Stord continues to attract and retain industry-leading finance, people, technology, go-to-market, and supply chain experts as part of its leadership team in order to execute its mission to make supply chain a competitive advantage.

Stord has announced two additions to its executive team, Stephanie Fielding as Chief Financial Officer and Sara Feulner as Chief People Officer. Stephanie brings a wealth of experience in high-growth businesses. Most recently, Stephanie was at Butterfly Network, a digital health company, which went public during her tenure. She also spent eight years at Amazon, where she led teams across Amazon Web Services, Operations, and Marketing Finance. Stephanie is well positioned to guide Stord through this next phase of growth.

Sara has been promoted from her role as Stord's Vice President of People. Prior to Stord, she held leadership roles at Bumble and ARM. Her background of leading HR functions through periods of immense growth is tightly aligned with Stord's business goals and vision. Sara's experience specialising in technology companies during periods of aggressive growth and change will enable her to balance people, Stord's culture, and deliver valuable results to benefit the business.

In addition to Stephanie, Sara, and co-founders Sean Henry and Jacob Boudreau, Stord's C-Suite leadership team includes Tom Barone, CCO and President (formerly CommerceHub, Radial); Steve Swan, COO (formerly Amazon); and is supported by an extensive executive leadership team including Doug King, VP of Transportation (formerly of Ferguson Enterprises and QVC); Dan Klenkar, VP of Sales (formerly of Nimble Robotics and Radial); Shyam Sundar, VP of Engineering (formerly Amazon, Zendesk, and Mapbox); Bradley Weill, VP of Product (formerly Walmart and Apple); Mario Paganini, VP of Marketing (formerly Shippo and DocuSign); and Austin Pauls, VP of Finance (formerly WeWork and Borderfree).

Stord has significantly expanded its physical offerings, including additional port-to-porch logistics capabilities and increased network capacity. It has also introduced new technology offerings, including Stord Parcel, a carrier-agnostic last-mile delivery solution with advanced modelling to automatically choose the most efficient and cost-effective carrier and service level that meets the expected delivery date for all packages, and Stord One Commerce software that helps brands connect, orchestrate, and optimise their entire supply chains.

FedEx has embarked on a transformation effort to create the world’s most flexible, efficient, and intelligent supply chain for its customers. This process is critical to ensure it remains competitive in a rapidly changing environment, and it requires some difficult decisions.

In a message sent from the FedEx President and Chief Executive Officer, to all employees globally, the Company announced that it is in the process of informing a number of team members across the global enterprise that their positions have been eliminated as it reduces the size of its officer and director team by more than 10.0% and consolidate some teams and functions.

The Company believes that this was a necessary action to become a more efficient, agile organisation. It was considered necessary to look closely at the size of its leadership team and functions that could be consolidated.

FedEx Express has appointed Ee-Hui Tan as the new Managing Director of FedEx Express in Vietnam and FedEx Express Cambodia. She succeeds Hardy Diec, who has departed from FedEx after 12 years of distinguished service.

In her new role, Ee-Hui will lead a team of more than 650 team members in Vietnam and Cambodia. She is responsible for building smarter and more sustainable supply chains and an efficient network enabling businesses in Vietnam and Cambodia to harness the full potential of global trade opportunities.

Ee-Hui started her career with FedEx Malaysia in 2008 as an Engineer. She rose through the ranks by assuming multiple roles in Operations Management in Malaysia and Singapore. Her most recent role was Senior Manager of Ground Operations in Singapore, overseeing pickup and delivery operations across Singapore.

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. announced that effective 01 July 2023, its Board of Directors has elected Kevin M. (Marty) Freeman to succeed Greg C. Gantt as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Gantt will retire from the Company effective 30 June 2023, but expects to remain a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Freeman, who has served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since May 2018, joined the Company in February 1992 and has assumed ever-increasing roles and responsibilities over the past 30 years.

This change in leadership was part of a long-term succession plan, which has supported the Company's ability to develop leaders from within the organisation and prepare them to lead the Company into the future.

DX has announced the appointment of Paul Ibbetson, Managing Director of DX Freight, as Chief Executive Officer of the Group. His appointment takes immediate effect and accordingly, Mark Hammond, Executive Chairman, relinquishes his executive role to become Non-executive Chairman.

Paul has over 25 years' senior experience in the freight, parcels and logistics sectors. He joined DX in November 2017 as a senior member of the incoming turnaround team. Since then, he has led the DX Freight division as its Managing Director and has been instrumental in its transformation to profitability, cash generation and growth from its prior position of substantial losses. He has also been responsible for the division's restructuring, including the sales and commercial functions. Paul is retaining responsibility for the management of DX Freight in the short-term until a new appointment is made.

Before joining DX, Paul worked at Tuffnells Parcel Express where he was a Board Director for eight years and played an important part in the successful turnaround of the business, leading to its sale to Connect Group in 2014. Before that, he worked respectively at Target Parcels Express for 10 years in senior management roles and at Business Post for seven years.

XPO has published its 2022 UK Gender Pay Gap Reports on its website, with data related to the impacts of its gender pay policies and its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. The Company strives for pay parity between men and women.

The Gender Pay Report shows near parity in its Transport Solutions employee population and a slightly higher comparative pay for female employees of its Bulk Transport business.

Whilst work continues to achieve pay parity, progress in the Company’s DE&I efforts highlighted in the reports are:

> An increase to 42.0% of XPO’s graded roles held by women across all UK operations, reflecting success with recruitment and talent development initiatives;
> An increase to 42.0% of XPO’s apprenticeship opportunities filled by women, reflecting the growing diversity of the company’s training initiatives;
> An increase in the number of women participating in XPO’s leadership development programmes, to 30.0% of Level One and 31% of Level Two;
> The successful development of female employees and the proportion of outperforming females, evidenced by the higher average bonus amounts for female employees than male employees.