Costs “going through the roof” gets a new meaning at Gebrüder Weiss
By installing further photovoltaic systems on the rooves of four of its locations, (Nuremberg, Esslingen, and Aldingen in Germany, and Lauterach in Austria), Gebrüder Weiss is not only lowering
its energy costs but, more importantly, ensuring that its pledge for greater sustainability is met. Together, those sites are able to generate around 1,540 megawatt hours (MWh) of solar power per
year, the equivalent to what roughly 385 three-person households in Austria consume during a year.
“Gebrüder Weiss has set itself the goal of achieving CO2 neutrality by 2030, and equipping our locations with photovoltaic systems to generate solar power is an important step in this
direction,” Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, emphasized, and announced that the company plans to equip another five Gebrüder Weiss branches, this time all in Austria, solar power
installations during the second half of 2021. Once in effect, Gebrüder Weiss will be able to produce a total of 8.4 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in 13 locations by the end of the year,
thus annually saving around 1,050 tons of CO2.
Meanwhile, over in Hungary, Gebrüder Weiss will be cashing in on the explosion in the Hungarian Home Delivery market segment which saw an 80% increase in 2020, compared to previous year. It
announced that it will be investing 30 million euros by opening two new, strategic locations (Zalaegerszeg in western Hungary, and Pécs in the south) in JUN21, and expanding an upgrading existing
locations. Györ will see new handling and logistics areas over 5,000 m² by 2024. The Hajdúdorog branch is being relocated to Polgár, 30 km away, at the end of this year, and will treble in size,
whilst Gebrüder Weiss’s largest Hungarian location in Budapest, will be massively revamped: 22,000 m² of new office and logistics complexes will be completed by 2023, almost doubling its current
presence of 23,000 m², and adding 100 new jobs, bringing the total employee number to 600 in Hungary.
Because time:matters at all times: quick booking solution
On 6MAY21, time:matters unveiled its new quote and booking channel which had been developed in collaboration with its long-standing customers. time:matters combined customer requirements
regarding functionality and user experience with what it had already learned through setting up its airmates app over the past years: “a software-based and award-winning platform for on board
courier services”. The result is an intuitive platform on which customers quickly submit transport requests, and receive a real-time, bookable quotes within less than a minute at any time of
day of night. They do not even have to invest time in registering first. Quotes for shipments requiring air, rail and road, or door-to-door global solutions, can be filtered by “most
favorable offer or the fastest solution based on the pick-up, transport and delivery times and rates displayed.” time:matters points out that customers can still opt for a personal contact
via global time:matters Customer Service units should they require further advice on the transport solution.
Alexander Kohnen, CEO at time:matters, explained: “The new quote and booking platform represents another key milestone in our focus on the customer and digital sales strategy. Our customers
can now use our platform to very easily and quickly compare and then book transport services based on the data they provide. This ensures a high degree of transparency and flexibility.
Long-standing partners who helped to design the new platform and have already been able to use the beta version have been impressed by the user experience and efficiency.”
Charities and IAG Cargo Volunteers join to send 27 tons of aid to India
The High Commission of India, charities including Khalsa Aid International, Neasden Hindu Temple (largest Hindu temple outside of India), and British Airways staff came together to arrange much
needed medical aid for India facing its worst Covid-19 health crisis to date. A special project team was set up to arrange the transport and a total of 1,349 items, together weighing 27 tons, set
off on from London-Heathrow, UK on the evening of 05MAY21, to Delhi, India. Flight BA257F carried hundreds of urgent life-saving oxygen cylinders and shipments of oxygen concentrators,
respirators and blood oxygen saturation monitors. On board were also care packages for families in need that had been donated by British Airways. The B777-200 was a special charter which was
fully funded by both British Airways and IAG Cargo, and an addition to the vital air link the two companies had set up to send aid goods on scheduled flights between London and India throughout
the pandemic.
John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo said: “We have all seen the terrible scenes in India of the deepening humanitarian crisis that has impacted the lives of many of our
people and our customers. Thank you to the team at IAG Cargo, British Airways and all the charities involved in this project – without their support this special mission providing essential
relief to communities in India would not have been possible.”
Envirotainer’s latest multifunctional cool container: Releye® RLP
“Simpler than passive, even better than active” is the claim Envirotainer makes in its press release regarding its newest cool chain solution: the Releye® RLP. It is marketed as “a
temperature-controlled air freight container with a revolutionary new footprint, unsurpassed autonomy, fully integrated live monitoring, and a unique air flow technology for maximum temperature
stability in the cargo bay.” The new container is the first in a set that Envirotainer is planning to roll out soon and, given its capacity of 3 euro-pallets on the space of two 1-pallet
solutions, it will be 50% more cost-efficient than its existing peers. In addition, it has a unique load height of 132 cm – the highest I the industry – and emits up to 90% less CO2 than
comparable passive solutions.
Bernt Anderberg, Chief Technology Officer at Envirotainer, summarized: “Apart from 170 hours autonomy, the Releye® RLP utilizes the latest technology to provide a homogenous temperature in
all areas of the cargo bay. It also comes with an airflow curtain that protects the pharmaceuticals when the doors are opened. This way it maximizes temperature stability in the cargo bay. In
addition, it is designed with the latest electrical heating and cooling technology as well as advanced vacuum insulated panel technology. The validated data from the built-in and fully integrated
sensors in the cargo bay provides a strong case for reducing or replacing other types of external data loggers.”
Fredrik Linnér, Chief Business Development Officer at Envirotainer, explained: “In today’s uncertain times, with the COVID-19 pandemic, cancelled flights, capacity restraints and constantly
changing directives from governmental bodies, we know that stakeholders in the industry need solutions that provides them with full visibility. The container, and its contents, are monitored by
18 integrated sensors, in essence providing the user with his or her own personal control tower available from any device.” Those 18 sensors provide full visibility and customers can program
their alert notification system based on their specific needs. They can localize the container, monitor important container capabilities such as cargo hold temperature and humidity, whether the
doors are opened, if there is cargo inside or not, and what the ambient temperature and humidity are.
Qatar Airways Cargo flies lions to freedom
As part of the second chapter of its WeQare pledge “Rewild the Planet”, Qatar Airways Cargo recently cooperated with the Ukrainian Warriors of Wildlife (WOW) NGO, which focuses on rescuing and
relocating wild animals. After six months of collaboration and planning, involving more than 12 departments and over 50 employees, seven lions were finally flown and handed over to the Kouga and
Swinburne nature reserves in South Africa on 29APR21. The three lions, one lioness, and three cubs had flown, free of charge, from Kiev to Doha and from there on to Johannesburg over the course
of three days. They were accompanied by NGO staff who tended to their well-being during the entire journey. Qatar Airways Cargo's Live Animals Handlers were also on hand throughout. Having spent
much of their lives in captivity, the lions which were now able to walk on grass for the first time in their lives, will remain in protected nature reserves as they will be unable to fully adapt
to living in the wild.
Lionel De Lange, Founder and Director of WOW, declared: “Repatriating wild animals is a major undertaking, especially over such a great distance. But we were able to count on the Qatar
Airways Cargo teams who are 100% behind us and the work we do. They played a critical role. Without them, these seven lions would still be in captivity in atrocious conditions. So thank you on
their behalf,”.
Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, stated: “I have great admiration and respect for Lionel and his staff, for all their efforts to ensure wild animals can return to
nature. This is something for us all to be proud of. Whether it's our staff who fully support our wish to give back to communities, or those who have contributed their expertise and enthusiasm,
we are extremely proud to be able to do our bit towards a fairer future.”
In other news: Frank Hermann, previously Senior Vice President Airfreight Central at DB Schenker, has joined Qatar Airways this month as Regional Cargo Manager Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg.
He succeeds Klaus Gries who has gone into well-deserved retirement.
Magma Aviation expands its fleet
The Chapman Freeborn company and member of Avia Solutions Group, Magma Aviation, is welcoming another Boeing 747-400F aircraft this month, bringing its fleet up to five. The latest addition,
which comes just 10 months after the last one, is due to a partnership with Plus Logistics Solutions Limited. This move was taken in response to the lack of global capacity caused by the pandemic
and the subsequent grounding of passenger fleets. The five aircraft will operate on routes to and from Asia-Europe, Europe to North America, Europe to Africa and Africa to Europe, on behalf of
Magma Aviation’s customers or freight forwarders, logistics providers, and charter brokers.
Amsterdam-based freight forwarder platform, Cargoplot raises €425K
Launched last year, Cargoplot is a Dutch startup that aims to help e-commerce importers find applicable freight forwarders for their types of cargo. The freighttech platform which has a simple
and intuitive user experience design, based on customer input, deploys machine learning to match the two parties based on the specific routes required and the commodity types. “Our aim is to
match your logistic needs with the market's best freight forwarders. Freight forwarding forms an essential part of the logistics industry, but it faces challenges and limitations due to its
pricing transparency and online capabilities,” is the claim on its website, going on to ensure that an appropriate match “will lead to competitive pricing and a better quality of service
due to niche players having superior pricing and knowledge.”
The startup has now raised a pre-seed funding of €425K from ASIF Ventures and number of angels, and will use the money to improve its product and ramp-up sales. Maarten de Reij, founder and CEO
of Cargoplot, confirmed: “This investment allows Cargoplot to increase efficiency and scale in providing international traders with the right freight forwarding partners. The investor base
brings industry expertise as well as a rich network in the startup community, both will be invaluable to our future course.” Kyra Dresen, director at ASIF Ventures, added: “The
relentless drive and knowledge around the freighting sector allowed Cargoplot to execute adequately and create a product that solves a real problem. Bringing transparency and connectivity to a
sector that is in need of this digital transformation.”
DB Schenker AG appoints Christa Koenen as new CIO/CDO
Current Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer (CIO/CDO), Markus Sontheimer will be leaving DB Schenker on his own accord on 31MAY21. The Supervisory Board of Schenker AG dappointed
Christa Koenen on 07MAY21 as the new Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer (CIO/CDO). The 49-year-old will join from Deutsche Bahn, where she has worked since 2004, on 01SEP21. An
economist, Christa Koenen, has held numerous positions including Chief Financial Officer from 2014 and as Chief Executive Officer since 2015 at the IT subsidiary DB Systel, and more recently, CIO
of Deutsche Bahn AG since 2018.
“In her work for Deutsche Bahn, Christa Koenen has proven that she is an outstanding leader and can successfully shape complex transformation processes in IT. I would like to thank Ms. Koenen
for her achievements to date and am very pleased that she will now bring her expertise and assertiveness to DB Schenker,” said Levin Holle, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schenker
AG.
Jochen Thewes, Chairman of the Management Board of DB Schenker said, “I am looking forward to working with Christa Koenen and I am glad, that we were able to find a successor for this
position from within Deutsche Bahn Group.”
She will be taking over from Markus Sontheimer, who is leaving the company on his own accord on May 31, 2021. “With Markus Sontheimer, DB Schenker has made great progress in its digital
transformation. On behalf of the entire Management Board, I would like to thank him for his commitment and successful work,” said Jochen Thewes.
sennder brings in freight forwarder expertise
Berlin-based sennder, with an employee base of 840 and a network of over 12,500 trucks operating in seven European countries, has become Europe’s leading digital freight forwarder since its
inception in 2015. It announced on 06MAY21, that it has appointed Nicholas Minde as General Manager for the DACH region. Minde, who will take up his new Berlin, Germany-based role on 01AUG21,
comes over from Kuehne+Nagel, where he held the position of Senior Vice President Road Logistics Germany. Prior to that, his 20-year logistics career includes a number of roles within
Kuehne+Nagel as well as in DHL. In his new function, he will be responsible for expanding sennders’ existing offering, shaping its innovative technology, and growing its customer base across the
DACH region.
Nicholas Minde stated: “There’s an ongoing requirement for the logistics market to adapt and digitalize at an incredible speed. I’m delighted to join a positively disruptive company in
sennder that is building an offering benefiting carriers, shippers and the transportation industry. Through leveraging modern technology, sennder has the potential to revolutionize the way our
industry works; also helping make transport fit for a sustainable future. I’m thrilled to be taking on this role in August to advocate for more efficient and sustainable transportation options in
the DACH region.“
Tom Christenson, COO at sennder, added: “We’re thrilled Nicholas will join sennder and help accelerate our journey to drive digitalization in the DACH logistics market with a digital platform
and value-added services centered around carriers and shipper‘s needs. The combination of Nicholas‘ strategic leadership and more than 20 years of operational experience will be a huge asset to
our team. As sennder continues to grow across Europe, we are excited to have Nicholas lead our DACH operations.“
Brigitte Gledhill
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