A learning evolution

The coronavirus pandemic is transforming global trade, the economy, and even how we work. Employees are leaving the office to work from home and personal communication has gone digital. This calls for new approaches, including for exchanging knowledge and training employees. Niko Zdravkovic, Department Head DACHSER Academy, explains how content is being communicated in this exceptional time and how employees can stay on top of their jobs.

“Things just clicked”

Burkhard Eling became the new CEO of DACHSER on January 1, 2021. Previously, he was responsible for the finance department of the family-owned company for more than seven years. However, Eling is a manager who thinks strategically and far beyond key financial figures, as demonstrated by his responsibility for the global ideas and innovation management program Idea2net, among other things. In this interview, the 49-year-old answers questions about how he sees DACHSER, his move to the top of the company now, and what distinguishes him as a person and a leader.

DACHSER Mexico delivers shipment to automotive manufacturer by helicopter

Special requirements call for special solutions: for an automotive supplier from Celaya in central Mexico, DACHSER Mexico swiftly organized a helicopter transport to the capital some 300 kilometers away. With the threat of a production stoppage looming, this unusual logistics solution saved time and, above all, money.

Satellite-based positioning - A look at future technologies

What is satellite-based positioning actually about? And what benefits does this offer specifically for logistics?

“The divergence in supply and demand in ocean freight continues to drive prices up”

The coronavirus crisis has not spared ocean freight. Tight capacity, higher rates, and the digitalization of shipping companies are making the market more complex and volatile than ever. Rolf Mertins, Head of Global Ocean Freight at DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics, explains.

DACHSER enhances its strong air network with more of its own capacity in 2021

Building on work that began last year, DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics will be increasing its own capacity in 2021. Starting in mid-January, its air network will cover the Hong Kong-to-Frankfurt and Frankfurt-to-Chicago routes and returns.

“Hydrogen will make ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers possible in the future”

In the push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years, alternatives to diesel are in demand, especially in the transport and logistics sector. In addition to battery electric vehicles, which are already on the road today for city-center deliveries, trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells (H2 trucks) could be an option for zero-emissions transportation over longer distances. A feasibility study conducted by Kempten University of Applied Sciences on behalf of DACHSER has now come to the conclusion, based on simulations, that the use of H2 trucks in DACHSER’s groupage logistics network is in principle possible. An interview with Prof. Werner E. Mehr from Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Andre Kranke, Department Head Trends and Technology Research at DACHSER.

DACHSER becomes a member of DWV

On January 1, 2021, DACHSER joined the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), a lobbying group that has been advocating the rapid deployment of hydrogen as an energy source and promoting fuel-cell technology since 1996. DACHSER will also participate in DWV’s HyLogistics cluster.

Chinese New Year: Impact on logistics

In 2021, Chinese New Year falls on February 12, it is the biggest festival in China where people celebrate the beginning of a new year with their families. The week-long national public holiday has consequences on global supply chains. 

The following information provides an overview of some key facts of the festival and its possible impacts on logistics.

Dates and key facts

• February 12, 2021 marks the start of the Chinese New Year (the year of Ox).
• Chinese national holiday begins on February 11 and ends on February 17, meaning that most of the businesses, including DACHSER branches in China, will be closed and resumes on February 18.
• Factories and manufacturing sites used to be closed for a longer period of time. Production might pause already one week before Chinese New Year, some factories will only resume one month after.
• The long holiday allows workers in the city to travel back to their hometown for a family reunion, though it might not be the case this year due to the pandemic.

Impact on supply chain

• Extensive holidays in China can lead to delays to your shipments for up to one month.
• Due to the abovementioned closing period of manufacturing industries, there will be no productions from China for at least a week. Even though factories will be restarting gradually, operations will not resume to full swing immediately.
• Productions from other countries in Asia will also be impacted as some parts might come from China or the assembling processes are done there.
• Most shippers will stock up inventories that are sufficient to cover the Chinese New Year period, this leads to a pre-holiday cargo rush; it will also take some time after the festival to normalize the market conditions.

To avoid unnecessary price hikes and delays, it is strongly recommended to place bookings well in advance. At DACHSER, our logistics experts can help you to plan together. Feel free to discuss with us about your needs and we can work out the best to maintain your supply chain uninterrupted throughout the Chinese New Year.

Adverse weather conditions in Spain

Due to the Filomena storm that has affected all Spain in recent days and especially the Community of Madrid, we inform you of the following restrictions:

Road Transport:

• Traffic restrictions for heavy vehicles imposed by the DGT (partially open on some roads).
• Restrictions on access to industrial estates due to accumulation of snow and vehicles.
• Difficulty in collections, deliveries and shipments to other delegations. Journeys to and from Madrid may suffer significant delays.
• Difficulties in distribution activities throughout the week, mainly in the branch in Madrid.
• Temporary reduction of long-distance routes between delegations.

Air Transport

• MAD airport starts operating slowly but suffers long delays due to canceled flights.
• Handling personnel are severely restricted and therefore air cargo operations start to run very slowly.
• Customs operations are giving priority to express shipments.
• Road access to and from Madrid suffer significant restrictions.
• During this week, the alert is still active due to very low temperatures (in some places below -10ºC), so we still expect strong restrictions and incidents in all transport and distribution services.

If you have any questions, please contact your local contact at the respective DACHSER branch.

First DACHSER block train from China to Europe

Logistics provider DACHSER organized its first block train from China to Germany. Carrying fifty 40-foot containers (FEU), the train reached Ludwigshafen, Germany, in late December.

Brexit deal agreed - customs administration from 01.01.2021

On 24.12.2020, an agreement on future cooperation and trade was reached between the EU and the UK.

An essential point is that between EU and UK for goods deliveries from both areas no customs duties are to be levied. However, this does not mean that the administrative "customs clearance" will be eliminated. This means that all documents and customs relevant information must be submitted by the customer in advance and only after the shipment has been released by the customs team of DACHSER, the shipment can be accepted for dispatch.

Please note that from 01.01.2021 this applies to all shipments between the EU and UK, only shipments from the EU to Northern Ireland are excluded. In particular, proof of preferential origin of goods should be provided. The most important necessary information for exporters and importers can be found in the document below.

A transition planned well in advance

“We didn’t tell people what they should do. We communicated to them a conviction that they should create one of the most renowned networks to span to the globe”

Natural remedies on safe paths

Healthy international supply chains are vital to the pharmaceutical sector. In its collaboration with A.Vogel, a manufacturer of natural remedies, DACHSER has applied its own interdisciplinary, quality-driven consulting approach to designing and implementing a value-added logistics solution.

The new DACHSER magazine is here!

As the year draws to a close, many of us use this time to look back and reflect, but also to prepare ourselves for the new challenges of the future. And that’s exactly what we’ve done in the latest issue of the DACHSER magazine.

“Employee connection and loyalty is what makes DACHSER stand out”

From one-man company to global player – In its 90-year history, DACHSER has become an international heavyweight in the field of logistics. But how has the logistics provider benefited in that time from the loyalty of its employees and its structure as a family-owned company? Dr. Andreas Froschmayer, Corporate Director Corporate Development, Strategy & PR at DACHSER, explains.