BLG LOGISTICS is participating in the "Fit for Logistics" project as a practical partner.

In cooperation with ma-co maritimes competenzcentrum GmbH and the Bremen Chamber of Commerce - IHK for Bremen and Bremerhaven, the BLG Group supports refugees from Ukraine with targeted measures to help them enter the logistics industry and thus offers them concrete job prospects.

Ulrike Riedel, Labor Relations Director of the BLG Group, is pleased about the partnership: "The commitment to refugees from Ukraine is a matter close to our hearts. This project helps people get into employment and build a future for themselves professionally." In ten-day courses, the participants can expect not only a comprehensive skills assessment for work in logistics, but also individual job application coaching and practical job speed dating at BLG. Two runs of the information event and practical course took place in March and June and met with great demand. The courses are accompanied by interpreters so that all participants can also learn the helpful content in their native language.

"With our project, we want to cover as much content and as many topics as possible that can help Ukrainians seeking protection to get a job in logistics," explains Gerrit Küther, Managing Director of ma-co. In addition to providing basic knowledge about working life in Germany, the course content also includes the special features of the social system and the preparation of application documents. In the practical part, the participants discover their potential and strengths and find out whether they have the right skills for a job in logistics.

The project has already been successful: "We have found some very promising candidates with whom we are continuing to work. With targeted support, we are now in the process of further developing their German skills and making them fit for employment," explains BLG Labor Relations Director Ulrike Riedel.

Gerrit Küther adds, "It is important to us to give people something that will actually help them get into employment. In addition to a final certificate from the Chamber of Commerce, this is also the strong focus on practice. Thanks to the practical units at our training facility, participants can try out logistics hands-on, gain valuable insights and have a real chance of getting a job."

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) has partnered with Salesforce and Vonage to innovate its global customer service with a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution.

This provides customers with faster, better service by phone and digital channels, integrated into a single platform, with more tailored support. AFKLMP Cargo aims to deliver the best customer service worldwide by leveraging the latest technology and data combined with employee expertise.

The partnership with Salesforce provides customer service teams with a 360-degree view of customers, helping them to optimise services. AFKLMP Cargo sees customer service as a cornerstone of its strategy to create seamless, efficient, personalised customer experiences. The company considers the use of data and advanced technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) as essential in achieving this.

Having comprehensively assessed its global customer service operations, AFKLMP Cargo identified the untapped potential of data and technology. By implementing the new CRM solution, integrated with a contact centre solution, the company wants to transform the overall customer experience and streamline processes underpinning customers’ daily business operations.

Using technology from Salesforce and Vonage, customer service teams get a full 360-degree view of customers, allowing them to personalise interactions and provide tailored support across all channels. The full solution includes integrated telephony and AI-driven insights for a better omnichannel service experience. By analysing data on customer preferences, shipping patterns and feedback, AFKLMP Cargo can further optimise its service. The next step will be to explore the potential of generative AI to support service agents.

GertJan Roelands, SVP Commercial at AFKLMP Cargo: “Our decision to invest in a new state-of-the-art CRM and contact centre solutions is a key development and an important building block of our overall commercial transformation, which we started in 2020. On top of the technological advantages and possibilities, our customers will continue to benefit from our highly experienced and specialised customer service teams at over 60 offices worldwide, connecting them through our new CRM platform. This will help optimise time-to-market and improve overall service levels. All this fits in within our commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable airfreight, while passionately delivering best-in-class customer experiences.”

Michiel Hustinx, general manager of Salesforce in the Netherlands: "We are truly honoured to help Air France KLM Martinair Cargo improve their global customer service. With our solution, the company opts for innovation and a future in which they better meet their customers' needs and expectations, supporting their ambition to be an innovator in the cargo market. We thank AFKLMP Cargo management and their staff for the intensive cooperation over the past year and look forward to a fruitful and freight-ful future.”
Reggie Scales, SVP of Global Sales Applications at Vonage: “Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is focused on providing enhanced customer engagement through intelligent technology, and we are proud they chose Vonage Contact Center to bring even more automation, intelligence, and global calling capability to the innovative Service Cloud Voice solution. Through Partner Telephony, Salesforce customers like Air France KLM Martinair Cargo can enjoy the best agent experience within Service Cloud, powered by Vonage.”

Logistics UK has today (05 July 2023) announced the appointment of Mariefi Kamizouli as the business group’s new Head of Economics & Productivity within its policy publications team.

With a Master of Science in Environmental Economics & Climate Change from London School of Economics and Political Science, and over five years of economic experience, Kamizouli will bring experience and insight to the organisation’s work with key stakeholders.

Kate Jennings, Policy Director at Logistics UK, comments: “We are thrilled to have Mariefi join the policy team here at Logistics UK as she brings a wealth of experience to the role from across a range of diverse sectors, including government, manufacturing, built environment and transport. Her knowledge and understanding of economic analysis and strategic development, combined with her commitment to sustainability, will allow her to provide unique insights and drive informed decision-making for our members, as well as the wider logistics industry.”

Ms Kamizouli comments: "I am delighted to join Logistics UK and am ready to push forward on evidence-based policies that promote sustainable growth and innovation in the logistics sector. By working together, we can unlock the full potential of logistics and promote the vital role the industry plays in the UK's economic prosperity."

Crowley has acquired Tamarind Consolidated, a logistics services company serving the U.S. to the British Virgin Islands in a merger enhancing end-to-end supply chain capabilities for the Caribbean region.

The acquisition will transition Tamarind’s operations and services, including warehousing and non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) services, to Crowley. The expansion complements U.S.-based Crowley’s existing maritime and logistics solutions and will expand solutions for customers in Virgin Gorda and surrounding BVI locations. Tamarind President Ralph Nazario will transition to Crowley in a consulting role.

“Since 1985, Tamarind has offered containerized cargo transportation and related services that provide customized solutions that customers depend on between the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands,” Nazario said. “Crowley has the capabilities and technology to elevate the service we offer to the importers in Virgin Gorda, and I am confident the evolution by merging with Crowley will provide our customers with the customer service and logistics capabilities they need to succeed and grow.”

Crowley has provided ocean shipping, warehousing and distribution, customs brokerage, insurance and door delivery for more than 60 years in the Caribbean. With real-time technology, the company provides a diversity of supply chain management solutions to ensure cargo arrives when it is needed.

“Tamarind and Crowley are a natural fit with our shared understanding of the supply chain needs of customers in the British Virgin Islands and the companies’ commitment to being a lasting partner for customers,” said Brett Bennett, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Logistics. “This is an exciting expansion for Crowley, and we look forward to building on the success of Tamarind so customers can benefit from the efficiencies, scale and technology available at Crowley.”

Each vibrant array of flowers or colourful variety of fruits and vegetables displayed in shops and supermarkets around the world, is the product of an intricate interplay of well-coordinated logistics processes, high-tech cooling equipment, state-of-the-art temperature-controlled facilities, and experienced, trained staff.

Qatar Airways Cargo, which annually carries in excess of 285,000 tonnes of perishable goods on its global network, has streamlined its Next Generation Fresh process for all kinds of perishable shipments ranging from fruits or vegetables to seafood or flowers. Three sub-categories, Fresh Care, Fresh Passive, and Fresh Advanced, ensure that the fragile cargo is carefully and professionally handled according to industry-specific standards, with the utmost attention given to product-relevant temperatures, handling, transportation, storage and hygiene. An in-depth IATA CEIV certification process has validated Qatar Airways Cargo’s perishables expertise and resulted in IATA CEIV Fresh accreditation.

“Since launching our Fresh service in 2014, we have continuously enhanced every single process step, establishing handling standards that go well beyond those internationally prescribed for perishables. Our Next Generation perishable handling processes, as well as our facilities and training methods, have been audited and confirmed by IATA, and we are now delighted to add IATA CEIV Fresh certification to our existing IATA CEIV Pharma, IATA CEIV Lithium Batteries and IATA CEIV Live credentials,” says Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways. “While Qatar Airways Cargo’s internal regulations and quality targets are far stricter than those on industry level, external IATA CEIV audits are a great source for further improvement initiatives. We are already working on adding new tiers, Fresh Care, Fresh Passive and Fresh Advanced to our service offering, with an ongoing focus on greater sustainability and digitalisation.” In addition to its state-of-the-art Climate Control Centre at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways Cargo has placed particular emphasis on the most vulnerable segment of the perishables supply chain, deploying temperature-controlled trucks and securing quick ramp transfers within 90 minutes to minimise ramp exposure. Improving protection along the cool chain reduces the risk of food wastage and ensures that products arrive in good, saleable condition with an optimum shelf-life.

“Our Next Generation Fresh product offers an effective end-to-end solution for the unique requirements of different kinds of perishable shipments such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish/seafood, meat, hatching eggs, and several other commodities. The impact these goods have on people’s lifestyle, on nutrition and production industries and the overall food supply chain, make it imperative to provide a strong, reliable product of the highest quality,” says Miguel Rodríguez, Head of Cargo Products at Qatar Airways. “Next Generation means delivering best-in-class performance, and offering customers tailored solutions that can be booked and tracked quickly and easily.”

With the launch of its redesigned website last year, Qatar Airways Cargo now provides full transparency on the Fresh handling capabilities of each station. Lane risk assessments are available via Validaide, and perishable cargo shipments can be booked online through Qatar Airways Cargo’s Digital Lounge. Improvements have also been made to internal training processes: the ‘Perishable Cargo Regulations’ training module which all Qatar Airways Cargo personnel involved in handling perishable shipments must complete, has been digitalized to further improve its reach and effectiveness. Qatar Airways Cargo is an active member of the IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board (LAPB), the IATA Perishable Cargo Working Group (PCWG), the Cool Chain Association (CCA), and Validaide, sharing its experience and ideas in expert working groups, to advance consistent and uniformly high standards in perishable air cargo transport across the industry.

*With the launch of Next Generation, Qatar Airways Cargo is defining the future air cargo industry in terms of digital enhancements, new products, a new website, a new business approach in perfect alignment with today's requirements and, above all, a complete corporate mindset shift.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) (CPKC), CSX Corporation (NASDAQ: CSX) (CSX) and Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) today announced they have reached agreements that when completed will create a new direct CPKC-CSX interchange connection in Alabama.

As part of the series of proposed transactions, CPKC and CSX would each acquire or operate portions of Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, L.L.C. (MNBR), a G&W-owned railway in Mississippi and Alabama, to establish a new freight corridor for shippers that connects Mexico, Texas and the U.S. Southeast.

“This strategic acquisition will bring more shipping options to intermodal, automotive and other customers by providing a new, efficient corridor connecting expanding markets in Mexico, Texas and the U.S. Southeast,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and Chief Executive Officer. “With this new east-west connection taking advantage of each railway's routes and service, we can extend our reach converting more freight traffic to rail and off our highways.”

“CSX is excited to establish this new interchange connection with CPKC, which provides shippers with a compelling transportation option with access to markets in Texas and Mexico as well as into the heart of the thriving and dynamic U.S. Southeast,” said Joe Hinrichs, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSX. “This new service is a demonstration of our commitment to creating product offerings for shippers that help them leverage the efficiency and sustainability advantages of rail to drive growth.”

"We are pleased to have entered into agreements with CSX and CPKC that will enable MNBR to continue providing customers with outstanding short line service from Linden, Alabama, to Meridian, Mississippi, while enabling our Class I partners to create a new connection into the Southeast U.S.,” said Jack Hellmann, G&W CEO. “At the same time, we have enhanced several agreements related to other G&W short line railroads and are collaborating on the expansion of our service to Alberta and the Alberta Industrial Heartland in conjunction with CPKC."

The MNBR runs between Meridian, Miss. and Montgomery, Ala., and currently is operated under a combination of ownership and operating agreements.

Under the agreements announced today, CPKC would acquire and operate the segment of the MNBR between Meridian and Myrtlewood, Ala. and CSX would operate the lines currently leased by MNBR east of Myrtlewood. As a result, CPKC and CSX would establish a direct CPKC-CSX interchange at or near Myrtlewood, Ala. In exchange, G&W would acquire certain Canadian properties owned by CPKC and other rights. MNBR would receive rights to continue to provide local service to existing customers on former MNBR-owned lines and connect with other railroads without interchange restrictions.

Terms of the transactions were not disclosed and will be addressed in definitive agreements that the parties have agreed to negotiate. Certain portions of the transactions are subject to regulatory review and approval from, or exemption by, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

CEVA Logistics recently launched a new international road transport (TIR) route along the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan corridor, opening new trade routes in China and central Asia.

The opening of the new route is expected to boost trade growth among the three countries and deliver benefits across the region.

CEVA Logistics held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of the new route as the shipment convoy of six trucks departed from western China’s inland city of Kashgar, crossing into Kyrgyzstan. Loaded with industrial components, auto parts and consumer goods, the first TIR trucks on the new route successfully arrived in Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, Samarkand, after approximately 1,100 kilometers.

Joanna Zhu, Managing Director of Greater China, CEVA Logistics, said: “With the successful pilot, CEVA is expecting more regular TIR operations on this new route with around 100 trucks every month. CEVA will continue to optimize ground and rail product portfolios to open direct routes while strengthening intermodal capabilities. We will develop more trade lanes from China to the west and enhance trade resilience along the corridor.”

Central Asia is the main passage along the Han-Tang Silk Road. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Ground Transportation Corridor is concrete example of China’s "Belt and Road" initiative. The opening of a southern passage has the capacity to change the entire transportation pattern of Western China. The southern corridor is expected to broaden the transportation range of the Eurasian Continental Bridge. As more logistics parks settle in Kashgar, export companies shipping goods such as auto parts, finished vehicles, and consumer and eCommerce goods will greatly benefit from the new route. As the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route becomes more established, CEVA anticipates making Kashgar a ground consolidation center for Western China.

In addition to the TIR solution, CEVA continues to explore and strengthen its multimodal solutions and open new direct routes as infrastructure in the region develops. Current plans call for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway to be completed in 2025 and will make it the shortest freight route from China to the Middle East and Europe. The railway is expected to span more than 500 kilometers—more than 200 in China, 250 in Kyrgyzstan and the final 50 kilometers in Uzbekistan.

Yan Zhou, Chief Representative of East and Southeast Asia, IRU, said: “IRU and CEVA Logistics have established fruitful cooperation since TIR was implemented in China in 2018. From the historic first China-Europe round-trip TIR pilots to the recent new TIR route along the strategically important China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan corridor, IRU has been partnering with members to develop innovative trucking services under TIR. Together with our members and partners, IRU will continue to promote faster, safer and more efficient road connectivity between the East and the West.”

CEVA Logistics has been an IRU member since 2019, and CEVA’s global leader for cross-border and multimodal solutions, Kelvin Tang, was recently awarded the IRU New Industry Shapers award in acknowledgment of his accomplishments in pioneering TIR transportation in China and promoting Asia-Europe trade.

IBS Software, a global leader of SaaS solutions to the travel and cargo industry, has been selected by the air cargo unit of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as a strategic partner in a bid to digitally transform its air cargo operations.

iCargo, the Software as a Service solution for air cargo management from IBS Software, will install a true digital platform that covers cargo sales, operations, cargo accounting and portal for MSC. The standard product implementation will help MSC to go-live faster and start business operations at the earliest opportunity. Once fully implemented, iCargo will enable MSC to have full visibility of its air cargo value chain, covering sales, operations and accounting, while also gaining insights for continuous business improvement.

The partnership enables IBS Software to deploy iCargo for a company that is already the world’s largest container carrier and which is now growing its MSC Air Cargo unit, as a complementary business to its core ocean shipping solution. iCargo adheres to best practices in the air cargo industry and is fully compliant with global industry standards and initiatives – such as Cargo iQ, C-XML, OneRecord, e-AWB and e-Freight – making this latest development a remarkable moment across the logistics industry. It is an important step toward achieving seamless operations across multi-modal logistics models, increased efficiency and the productivity to power rapid global trade and growth IBS Software has long advocated for.

“This is our first step into this market, and we plan to continue exploring avenues to develop air cargo in a way that complements MSC's overall solutions to our customers. This is why we’ve engaged IBS Software in a strategic agreement to implement their industry leading iCargo platform. While we appreciate that many existing processes may remain relevant, our business is continuously evolving; and we believe that improvements in how a multi-modal business operates internally can help its customers achieve success. We see great potential in IBS Software’s capabilities and solutions, through which we expect to harness the power of digitalisation to help achieve MSC Air Cargo’s objectives” said Mr. Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President, MSC Air Cargo.

“We’re thrilled to embark on this partnership and to support MSC Air Cargo’s new business objectives in the cargo industry. We’re confident the iCargo solution and the team that continuously innovates our products will take MSC’s multi-modal business model to new heights.” said Ashok Rajan, Head of Cargo & Logistics Solutions at IBS Software.