German-owned project forwarder Bertling Logistics has set up a joint venture with Clemenger International Freight in Australia. Clemenger Bertling Projects has a head office in Perth and a presence in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, along with a network of partners and suppliers throughout Australia.
The new joint venture will explore new business opportunities in Australia in energy, mining and construction.
It will be headed by Chris Nicholson (pictured) as general manager, who has worked at Clemenger since 2015 and brings over 35 years of experience in global freight forwarding and project logistics.
Bertling and Clemenger have been agency partners since 2015.
Bertling’s focus is on global project logistics and transport engineering solutions, while Clemenger primarily specialises in general freight forwarding and in-house customs clearance services in Australia.
It can also offer local logistics expertise, a partner network and access to modern vehicles and equipment. Bertling will bring in its global office and supplier network, a modern IT infrastructure, and a varied project expertise in Australia and neighbouring ASPAC countries, such as Singapore, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
With in-house customs consultancy and clearance services, the JV will offer door-to-door service, advice, and documentation services.
Clemenger managing director, Michael Clemenger, said: “We are proud to have in Bertling a loyal and partner to add value and broaden our local service offering in Australia and to diversify our portfolio. We know their dedication, go-anywhere-approach and high-quality transport engineering know-how very well from our long-term collaboration and look forward to consolidating our both companies’ competences.”
Bertling Logistics chief executive, Colin MacIsaac, added ““Clemenger’s skilled team, high-quality services and wide-spread local network are well-known within Australia. We are convinced that our new JV will obtain a leading position in the Australian logistics market and that we will be ideally positioned to adequately respond to and serve the logistics need arising from the ongoing energy transition.”
Online delivery specialist Seko Logistics has released its first ever Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, for 2022 to 2023.
Along with naming Kai Lincoln its first-ever global vice president of sustainability in 2022, the Schaumburg, Illinois-based company made a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050 and has submitted an initial commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
As part of this, SEKO also moved its global headquarters to a LEED Gold, ENERGY START, BOMA 360 and WiredScore Gold-rated building in Schaumburg.
Through its partnership with global humanitarian organization Airlink, SEKO donated 140 shipments totaling 914 tons of aid, reaching 2.2 million individuals in Ukraine, Türkiye, Syria and other regions impacted by conflict, global health issues and natural disasters.
It also established a Women in Logistics Leadership employee resource group to empower women within the organization in their careers and in their daily lives.
Kai Lincoln said: “I am excited to share our company’s first-ever ESG report. Last year was significant in SEKO’s journey, as we established the company’s first-ever ESG mission and goals. This report continues that momentum and serves as a benchmark upon which we can continue building. Our overarching ESG mission is to conduct business as responsible stewards of the people, the planet and communities in which we operate.”
Chief executive, James Gagne (pictured) added: “Despite 2022 proving to be a difficult year for the global economy and presenting unique challenges for our industry, we made significant strides toward our ESG goals. In particular, I am deeply proud of the work our team has done to show support for the people of Ukraine, Turkiye and Syria, as well as the work that we have accomplished to establish our carbon calculation tools, our facility energy and vendor audits, and the completion of this inaugural report.”
Since February 2022, SEKO has donated and provided more than $300,000 in goods and services to support those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. This includes hundreds of pallets of medical supplies, including emergency first aid kits and other trauma supplies, at no cost. In Türkiye and Syria, SEKO provided crucial trucking services to transport 58 pallets of clothing and other essential supplies that were delivered via a specially chartered Virgin Atlantic cargo-only flight.
SEKO has also joined industry-led initiatives such as the Sustainable Air Freight Alliance and sourced home compostable ecommerce packaging which breaks down in less than 180 days into completely non-toxic elements. In 2022, it also introduced sustainability training for its 3,000 employees.
German-owned company Dachser has appointed Juan Vilarino as managing director air and sea logistics (ASL) Argentina.
He is in charge of a team of around 25 people based in the country’s regional office in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires and reports directly to Ralph Riehl, managing director ASL Americas.
He has worked in the logistics industry for over 18 yearsand was recently sea & projects branch manager for DSV in Argentina.
Vilarino succeeds Eduardo Fernandes, who has been acting in a double role as branch manager South Brazil and managing director ASL Argentina since and will now dedicate his full attention to the latter region.
Dachser has been present in the Americas region since 1974 with around 700 employees at locations including the US, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Peru.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo has launched a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificate (SAFc) programme to help freight forwarders and shippers manage their carbon emissions whilst demonstrating joint commitment to green fuels.
Customers participating in the scheme will receive a SAF certificate for the associated Scope 3 emissions reductions as well as detailed insight into their emissions though Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s air freight carbon calculator. Developed in-house and independently certified, the calculator uses an industry recognised methodology and Virgin Atlantic’s actual flight emissions data, enabling customers to take action on their carbon footprint.
DB Schenker is the first customer to participate in the scheme with the purchase of several thousand tonnes of scope 3 emissions reductions.
Virgin Atlantic is committed to use 10% SAF by 2030 on its way to net zero by 2050 and took delivery of its first 2.5 million litres of neat SAF from Neste Oyi neat at London Heathrow in 2022
Virgin Atlantic vice president and managing director, cargo, Phil Wardlaw, said: “We already have one of the youngest and most fuel efficient fleets in the sky, but after this, SAF represents the greatest opportunity to decarbonise aviation in the short to medium term, but we still require cross industry and Government action to support commercialisation of SAF at scale, particularly in the UK.
“Our fuel programme will help us as we continue to work closely with our sustainability and cross industry partners to find innovative solutions to achieve this goal.”
Freight forwarder DB Schenker is launching a training program in the US for logistics professionals, modelled on the dual training system in its home country, Germany. From the end of August, 16 students will work toward a degree in Freight Forwarding at eight different stations at the company’s Chicago site. At the end of their training, the junior employees receive an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Supply Chain Management as well as a Freight Forwarder Apprenticeship Certification from the Department of Labor. They will complete the theoretical part of their training two days a week at Harper College, just outside of Chicago. The training lasts for two years, and includes a full-time salary and is combined with a benefits package including health insurance and paid vacation for the trainees. DB Schenker also pays the college fees. DB Schenker board chairman Jochen Thewes said: “I am proud that we at DB Schenker have set up a logistics apprenticeship program for young people in the USA modelled on the successful dual training program in Germany. This shows how excellently the cooperation between our teams across the globe works at DB Schenker. The US is an important growth market for us, and this training program can help us attract the best employees to DB Schenker.” President of Harper College, Dr. Avis Proctor, added: “We are delighted to be working with DB Schenker to launch this promising training program for the next generation of logistics professionals. Students will learn while they earn, combining the knowledge they acquire in the classroom with the advanced practical experience they’ll gain at DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading logistics service providers. This apprenticeship program is an excellent pathway to a rewarding career in the logistics industry.”
Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) is supporting Frankfurt Airport-based air freight logistics services company CHI Cargo Handling International to convert its truck fleet to climate-friendly propulsion.
CHI has commissioned HPC to identify the propulsion technology suitable for the areas of application in a feasibility study, to appoint an efficient truck manufacturer and to compile a funding application for the investment.
The study centres on short-haul transport but the performance requirements for future use of CO2-free trucks in long-distance transport between Frankfurt Airport and Nuremberg Airport were also examined.
HPC also assisted CHI in applying for funding for the procurement of its first electrically powered truck, including charging infrastructure. The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport with around €500,000.
Nippon Express USA has opened a dedicated semiconductor warehouse in Mesa, Arizona. The Mesa Logistics Center is about 15 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and has ready access to nearby semiconductor plants less than an hour away. The warehouse is compliant with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements and offers temperature and humidity levels, dust, and static controls.
UK-based specialist aerospace logistics company B&H Worldwide has been awarded a two-year extension to manage inventory in Singapore and Australia for end-of-life aircraft and engine firm AerFin. The company manages both aircraft teardown and engine disassembly at sites around the world, B&H will support AerFin’s expansion with storage and 3PL solutions in both countries. The contract was signed at MRO Americas in Atlanta.
The decline in global air cargo volumes eased again in June but the ‘fear-of-missing-out’ created an irrational airline and freight forwarding market as shippers indulged in a 41% year-on-year fall in the general airfreight spot rate, said industry analysts, CLIVE Data Services, part of Xeneta.
Air cargo capacity rose 8% year-over-year in June but despite this surge in availability, the drop in global chargeable weight stayed at -1%, repeating the market performance seen in May. However, the -41% fall in the market average took the global air cargo spot rate down to US$2.31 per kg.
Xeneta chief airfreight officer Niall van de Wouw, said June’s air cargo data demonstrates the jumpiness in the market. “The surprise in June is the difference between the sentiment in the market and what the actual data is showing us. It is getting pretty nasty out there and stress levels among airlines and forwarders are clearly rising, but we see a clear distinction between market sentiment and market fundamentals and sentiment is more negative right now.
“Airlines and forwarders are getting jumpy because of falling rates, not so much the volumes. It’s the fear-of-missing-out that is driving the aggressive drop in cargo rates because no one wants to lose volumes, and they also want to get more of the cargo that’s in the market. We can see forwarders taking big risks,” he said.
A slowing decline in volume and a slowdown of capacity growth versus previous months protected against a big drop in dynamic load factor in June, CLIVE’s market analysis measurement of cargo load factor based on both volume and weight perspectives of cargo flown and capacity available. It fell at a slower pace of 3 percentage points year-on-year to 56%, a 1 percentage point recovery on the May level.
Looking into major freight corridors, Xeneta’s latest market data shows that the average spot rate level from Northeast Asia to the US remained 70% above its pre-pandemic.
The Europe to the US air cargo spot rate experienced a large decline of 14% month-over-month to US$1.92 per kg in June, down 45% from a year earlier. It is the only corridor among the three sectors referenced where the air spot rate (valid for up to one month) fell below its seasonal rate (valid for longer than one-month).
The air spot rate from Northeast Asia to Europe of US$3.25 per kg in June was down 1% from a month earlier, and 55% down year-on-year. The Northeast Asia to US air spot rate, in contrast, rose 3% from a month earlier to US$4.19 per kg, but this still represented a fall of 49% from a year ago.
Sentiment on the seller side of the market appears to remain pessimistic. Some freighter airlines are currently undertaking major reviews of their route and capacity strategies as demand for all-cargo aircraft returned to pre-pandemic levels due to the recovery and availability of belly capacity.
Freight forwarders still ‘handcuffed’ by high airfreight rates locked under BSA (blocked space agreements) with airlines, are also facing growing pressure from shippers pushing to relaunch tenders to negotiate freight rates down to the new market level, inspired by the aggressive pricing policies of other forwarders trying to gain their volumes.
This can be seen in the shipper contracts negotiated in the second quarter. Xeneta saw 6-month and 6+ months contracts gaining more ground as the airfreight market continues to normalize. The 6-month contract remained the most preferred option for shippers, accounting for over one-third (37%) of all valid contracts existing in Q2. The 6+ months contract also gained in popularity, with a share of 28%. The most time-consuming spot market negotiation option shrank from 25% in the second quarter of last year to only 14% in the corresponding period in 2023.
Looking ahead, the summer months air growth will likely remain muted, given the continuing uncertainties around the market. The possibility of no peak season in the ocean freight market could provide a boost to air cargo’s recovery later in the year if shippers need urgent shipments or consumer spending suddenly picks up. However, Xeneta expects any airfreight peak will be short-lived and not at the level seen previously.
“The air cargo market is a toxic mix at the moment. We see some forwarders agreeing to 12-month fixed rates with shippers, including fuel, that are lower than the rates we see in the market overall. That is nearly ‘going to Vegas’ in terms of risk, but forwarders are anxiously looking to secure volumes in the face of fierce competition. Shippers we are talking to are, in general, not looking for a massive overhaul of their supplier base, but they do want to see a benefit because rates and market conditions are so much lower than they were 6-9 months ago.
“The big question now for carriers is do they go for margin or volume? No one wants to be flying empty, and even the most respected airlines seem to be recognizing they have to join the game because if they keep their rates at a high level, they just won’t get the volume. Two years ago, airlines were asking ‘what am I going to do with my belly aircraft’ and now it’s a case of ‘what am I going to do with my freighters?’ It’s going to be a long summer for airline cargo departments, and it looks as though it will take a few quarters for the market to move away from the current irrational pricing environment,” van de Wouw added.
Airfreight container operator Jettainer has put the first fully certified fire-resistant containers into service with Lufthansa Cargo. The AMX containers are manufactured by US-based Satco and are certified in accordance with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)‘s latest Technical Standard Orders (TSO) C90e specifications. They can contain a fire for up to six hours, making them the safest certified ULDs on the market, says Jettainer. Lufthansa Cargo will be the first Jettainer customer to use then and has been providing the carrier with 50 of these containers for this purpose since the beginning of June. Jettainer adds that the Satco containers are made of sustainable materials and are lighter, durable, and long-lasting.
