Select a topic above and receive regularly updates by email.
Subscribe to these filters
Receive regularly updates of the selected filters by email.
Your subscription has been created successfully
For your security you need to activate your subscription. We have sent the activation link to your e-mail address.
Data validation failed on server.
Unfortunately, the validation of your entered data failed on server.
IP-adress denied
Unfortunately, your IP is blocked for about 1 minute. You have sent too many requests.
General system error
Unfortunately, there was a problem processing your request. Please try again later.
DACHSER & Fercam Italia gathers pace
DACHSER acquires majority stake in joint venture for groupage and contract logistics in Italy.
Effective March 28, 2024, DACHSER has acquired 80 percent of the shares in the joint venture DACHSER & Fercam Italia. This completes its acquisition of the majority of the groupage and contract logistics divisions of the Italian logistics company Fercam.
DACHSER & Fercam Italia gathers pace
Following a competition law review and approval by the European Commission in November 2023, Fercam began the process of carving out two of its business divisions—Distribution and Logistics, with almost 1,000 employees and 43 locations in Italy—from the rest of the company to form an independent organization for groupage and contract logistics operations in Italy. The joint venture, known as DACHSER & Fercam Italia, commenced operations at the beginning of this year. After a transition period, DACHSER joined the company on March 28, 2024, and the purchase was completed.
In addition to 20 percent of the shares in the joint venture, Fercam S.p.A. fully retains the divisions Fercam Transport (national and international road and rail transports), Fercam Air & Ocean, and Fercam Special Services (Fine Art, Fairs & Events, Removals & Relocation, Archive & Documents Management), including all international subsidiaries; these units will not become part of the new joint venture.
“DACHSER & Fercam Italia completes our European network for the transport and warehousing of industrial and consumer goods,” says Burkhard Eling, CEO of DACHSER. “This acquisition strengthens our expertise in serving customers throughout Europe with uniform quality and performance standards. To this end, we will also be investing in logistics capacity, digitalization, climate action, and especially in our employees in Italy.”
This acquisition strengthens our expertise in serving customers throughout Europe with uniform quality and performance standards.
Burkhard Eling, CEO of DACHSER
“The continuation of the groupage and contract logistics business under the umbrella of the DACHSER network is the right step to secure positive development and future growth in Italy and Europe,” says Hannes Baumgartner, Managing Director of Fercam. “The trustful cooperation we have enjoyed over the past decades underpins the fact that these two family-owned companies, Fercam and DACHSER, plan for the long term and share the same values. This made carving out the new company, DACHSER & Fercam Italia, easier at all levels.”
Full integration into the DACHSER network begins
DACHSER and Fercam can look back on 20 years of a partnership in which the Italian family-owned company, based in the region of South Tyrol, distributes groupage shipments of industrial and consumer goods from DACHSER’s European network in Italy and feeds corresponding shipments from Italy into the European network. Full integration into DACHSER’s systems and processes can now begin.
“DACHSER & Fercam Italia is very well positioned in the Italian market for groupage and contract logistics, thanks to its experienced management team led by Managing Director Dr. Gianfranco Brillante, its well-trained and motivated employees, and its modern logistics facilities and systems,” explains Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at DACHSER. “As part of DACHSER’s European and global logistics network, the company now enjoys completely new opportunities for growth in exports. For the employees of DACHSER & Fercam Italia, this means security and stability. Customers in Italy and throughout Europe will, in turn, benefit from consistent and standardized systems as a result of the integration.”
New custom fleet enhances DACHSER South Africa capabilities
DACHSER South Africa has expanded its Johannesburg-based road freight fleet with eleven new Hino trucks, further enhancing the companies road freight capabilities through Africa. Over the next few months, the vehicle fleet in the company’s Cape Town office will also be expanded. Growth in demand and delivering on the specialised needs of clients is driving the expansion of the South African operation of the international logistics leader as the country emerges from the challenges of the pandemic.
“We’re excited to extend our fleet of Hino trucks, which are robust, reliable and have sophisticated in-vehicle technology that makes them an ideal tool in the integrated logistics solutions we offer for customers,” says Detlev Duve, Managing Director of DACHSER South Africa. “Our decision to purchase these trucks, ranging from 4-ton to 15-ton vehicles and including flatbeds, tautliners and pantechnicons, was based on Hino’s proven track record for manufacturing high-quality, reliable vehicles. They are factory-fitted with all the creature comforts that make the driver's experience much more enjoyable, so that they can focus on providing the best service possible.”
Two of the new vehicles have been custom built for specific client needs, reflecting Dachser South Africa’s commitment to tailoring logistics to meet specific client requirements as a valued strategic partner. To meet the needs of the solar, heavy office equipment and medical industries, the trucks are equipped with tail lifts and cantilevers. This makes deliveries to smaller premises easier and safer, where forklifts are not always available. All vehicles are hazardous goods compliant and fitted with cameras and tracking devices to optimise track and trace capabilities.
“Our strategic goal has always been to work closely with our clients to ensure that we put structures and services in place to fit their needs, whether it be in the warehouse or on our vehicles. We build our longterm client relationships this way,” says Duve.
DACHSER South Africa has been providing a highly competitive road freight service for over twenty years, including over-border consolidation and full truckload services. The company provides general road, air and sea freight transport, supplemented by specialised transport services for industry-specific materials including foodstuffs, chemicals, spares and bulk mining machinery.
Road freight in Africa can pose clear challenges and logistics companies must be prepared to be competitive, according to Duve. “Transporting goods throughout the continent requires a strong fleet, an established network of support partners, a team that has up-to-date information on multi-country customs and border control changes or requirements, solid tracking processes, and hands-on knowledge of diverse infrastructures and the challenges they may present.”
A successful road freight service is one that is well coordinated and planned from the outset, as well as effectively tracked en route. DACHSER South Africa manages supply chains using its digital, real-time platform to ensure that both the client and the consignee are able to see where the consignment is at all times.
DACHSER South Africa further offers consolidation services where multiple consignments for different, medium-sized companies are transported in one truck, or a fleet of trucks. “Clients need to make sure they are dealing with established providers when it comes to consolidation, as shipments can be severely impeded by the clearing processes and turnaround times of the order from destination to origin,” says Duve. “We pre-empt any challenges through having strict protocols and detailed processes in place, including processing documents at the border prior loading, and getting all shipments released prior to truck arrival and subsequent departure.”
Another value adding service is the company’s full truckload 24-hour notice period. “This essentially means that a client is notified 24 hours prior to loading in order to check the availability of vehicles - a real advantage for our customers,” says Duve.
“With our strong network, we are continuously developing new routes, building our fleet and devising sustainable road freight and logistics processes. By doing so, we are supporting our client’s growth on the African continent and the continued development of Africa’s overall prosperity. It’s exciting to be a part of this growth.”
DACHSER's transport network is prepared for dynamic changes
DACHSER says thank you - over the past few weeks, our customers have informed us in good time about their current transport requirements and included us in their planning. This has enabled us to quickly adjust our capacities to the actual demand. Due to the sharp decline in transport volumes in recent weeks, we have temporarily reduced transport capacities and installed special schedules.
The many measures taken to reduce new infections with the coronavirus have had a positive effect in many European countries in recent days. Initial easing measures, for example a partial reopening of retail outlets, are making everyday life easier for people. Since many industrial companies are also resuming production - albeit mostly at lower output levels - we expect transport volumes to remain volatile, but to increase again in principle.
With the active support of our customers, we are very well prepared for the coming period and will also be able to handle rising transport volumes again with the well-known DACHSER quality. It will continue to be very valuable for us in the future, too, that our customers continue to provide us with all the planning information that will enable us to adjust transport capacities and planning in line with demand.
We would like to thank you for your active cooperation during this very challenging period and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration, in which you can continue to rely on DACHSER.
Following intensive preparation, DACHSER has obtained TISAX® Level 2 certification. This internationally recognized standard for information security and data protection in the automotive industry is becoming increasingly important in protecting automotive supply chains against cyberattacks. TISAX stands for Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange.
Step by step toward the goal — Sea freight groupage containers facilitate the continuous flow of goods
In turbulent economic times, sea freight groupage containers are becoming increasingly popular. Production bottlenecks, fragile global supply chains, and a container shortage have further increased the demand for small and predictable shipment sizes in sea freight. Michael Kriegel, Department Head DACHSER Chem Logistics, explains the service that enables a reliable flow of goods in sea freight. He also talks about why a good network connection is crucial, especially for goods with high security requirements.
Sea freight groupage containers facilitate the continuous flow of goods
Companies are already analyzing their global supply chains and increasingly shifting their shipments to sea freight groupage (called “less than container load,” or LCL for short). The big advantage of groupage for customers is that they can ship smaller loads without having to pay for a full container. As a result, they can maintain a continuous flow of goods, even in the event of production bottlenecks, and also respond more flexibly to seasonal fluctuations. LCL containers are often prioritized over full containers in the loading process, which provides an additional time advantage and allows for better planning of transportation times. DACHSER markets what it calls “consolidation boxes” - customers pay only for the space they actually occupy in the containers. In addition, the company plans departures weeks in advance rather than only once production volumes are known. This means that containers, which are still in short supply, can be pre-booked in good time and customers retain flexibility when booking.
Many companies, especially in the automotive, life science, and healthcare industries, have been using groupage shipments by sea for years. But this service is also suitable for the chemical industry, which places particularly high demands on safety and transparency during transport - and thus needs a logistics provider with the appropriate experience. DACHSER is one such provider. It set up a purchasing partnership with the German Chemical Industry Association (Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V., or VCI) in 2009. This successful alliance for European groupage shipments from Germany was then expanded in 2015 to include air and sea freight. Member companies of the association now benefit from globally standardized core services in the groupage network - transport, warehousing, and IT solutions. All this specialist industry experience has been pooled in the DACHSER Chem Logistics team.
“In shipments from customers in the chemical industry, which sometimes contain dangerous goods, the decisive factor is always safety. We have to protect life, limb, and the environment,” says Claus Freydag, Managing Director DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics Germany. “DACHSER also boasts global dangerous goods expertise in the groupage container segment and covers all LCL-compatible IMO classes in its own network and in its partner network,” he adds. The company’s central dangerous goods management system and its more than 250 regional safety advisors monitor compliance with special regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods. In addition, many DACHSER employees are trained annually in the particular requirements of chemical logistics.
For sea freight groupage, the sea freight team consolidates various LCLs and loads them into a full container. This optimizes utilization of container capacity, which in turn provides the basis for economical transport costs. Maximum utilization also improves transport sustainability while reducing the risk for individual companies at a time when supply chains are fragile. “Ports around the world have been clogged for months, causing significant delays - and making it rare, if not impossible, for shipping companies to stay on schedule. Instead of sending a full container on its way, which can get held up if loading windows are missed, more and more customers are opting for sea freight groupage containers. This reduces their risk by spreading it over several departures and ships and ensures a more timely transport,” Freydag explains.
Intelligent logistics solutions and a strong network are crucial
Demand for LCL services will continue to grow, even apart from the impact of the pandemic. That’s why DACHSER, as a market leader in the German and European groupage market, has also expanded its maritime LCL network to include 70 weekly direct services to and from Germany. “With a focus on the main global routes, we are systematically expanding our dangerous goods capacity as well. This of course means serving the major markets in both the eastern and western hemispheres, such as China, India, and the US,” Freydag says. In 2021, DACHSER shipped around 19,700 cbm of dangerous goods as LCL with customers in the chemical industry. Dangerous goods thus already represent 15 percent of DACHSER ASL Germany’s LCL business. In addition to the usual port-to-port services, DACHSER also operates various direct import services to the hinterland or other European cities. For example, once a week LCL groupage containers travel directly from port locations such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Ningbo to ports such as Hamburg and Bremen - but also with direct loading to Frankfurt, Kaufbeuren, Cologne, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart as well as Copenhagen and Gothenburg. Direct loading minimizes the risk of cargo damage and provides additional safety by eliminating deconsolidation at the transit terminal.
Furthermore, this increases profitability and achieves additional lead time advantages by rectifying bottlenecks in the port. “DACHSER’s global network connects all groupage transports on land and water. We link our own sea freight groupage container services to and from Germany to the comprehensive range of services offered by DACHSER European Logistics, thus enabling end-to-end service throughout Europe,” Freydag says. For storage and unloading, DACHSER is increasingly using its own branch infrastructure in addition to the standard container freight stations (CFS) at the ports. When port capacity is limited, companies thus benefit from additional dispatch quality and shorter transit times.
This concept, in keeping with the idea of “everything from a single source” links the European overland transport network with the global sea freight network - a feature that not every company can offer. “Thanks to the end-to-end solution of our LCL product, which goes beyond just sea transport, we can maintain high quality across the aforementioned carriers and offer transparent traceability of the goods,” Freydag adds.
The past two years have seen risk minimization in the global movement of goods become a crucial factor for success. To take full advantage of LCL shipping, it is crucial that pick-up and onward carriage are also handled in an integrated manner, thus ensuring expertise in the safe transport of dangerous goods along the entire transport route.
