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To mark the occasion: update of our Brexit checklist
The EU withdrawal of the United Kingdom was completed on 31.01.2020. Currently we are in a transition phase which ends on 31.12.2020. A further extension of this transitional phase should have been agreed until 01.07.2020 and is therefore no longer possible. Thus, the United Kingdom will no longer be part of the internal market and the customs union as of 01.01.2021. If no agreement is reached between the UK and the EU in the remaining time of the transition phase, trade would in future fall under the rules of the World Trade Organization.
We at DACHSER cannot influence the political situation in the UK, but we can prepare you in the best possible way for regulated customs procedures. We have therefore adapted and updated our Brexit checklist to the current circumstances. You can download it here free of charge.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with your responsible contact person at the respective DACHSER branch
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.”
Name change in Hungary after joint venture takeover
Since June 1, 2024, the former company Liegl & DACHSER continues its logistics activities under the name DACHSER Hungary comprising the business fields Air & Sea Logistics and Road Logistics with its business lines European Logistics and Food Logistics. This administrative step is the last step in closing the acquisition, which took place in December 2022: the German logistics service provider then bought the former co-owner's remaining 50% stake in the companies.
Latest update: Current loading restrictions in Europe due to Covid-19
In the following you will find the current loading restrictions that apply to Europe (see download). Food transports are excluded from this. This document here will be updated on a regular basis.
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.
