Roland Rüdinger Takes Over the Road Committee at DSLV

The Road Freight Committee of the DSLV Federal Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics has elected Roland Rüdinger, managing partner of Rüdinger Spedition GmbH in Krautheim (Baden-Württemberg), as its chairman during its November meeting. He takes on this role at a time of significant challenges for road freight transport.

(Berlin) “The policy of the DSLV is significantly shaped by the intermodal organizational and control function of the freight forwarder. Therefore, strengthening intermodality remains a core objective of the Federal Association as stipulated in its statutes. Nevertheless, road freight transport will continue to play a leading role in supplying industry, trade, and the population in all realistic relocation scenarios,” Rüdinger explains. “Especially in light of the climate protection policy established in the current coalition agreement of the traffic light parties, it is even more important that not only rail and inland shipping are strengthened, but also the ecological efficiency of road freight transport is promoted.” In order for the transformation towards a CO2-emission-free road freight transport to become a reality quickly, the Europe-wide establishment of alternative loading and refueling infrastructures and the energy transition must be accelerated, as well as the market readiness of zero-emission vehicle fleets advanced.

A pressing issue for road freight transport remains the management of the worsening shortage of drivers – again under challenging pandemic conditions. This could become another breaking point for supply chains. “Despite constantly rising energy, process, and personnel costs, the demand for transport services is growing, which can only be met today with significant effort due to the thin staffing levels,” Rüdinger describes the challenges facing the industry. The European mobility package offers little in terms of solutions for this.

EU Law Withdraws Additional Personnel Resources

Rüdinger explains the paradox associated with the new EU law as follows: “The social protection for employees in road freight transport, rightly strengthened by the regular return right, limits their deployment possibilities and thereby withdraws additional personnel resources from the market, which are currently difficult to replenish. Available loading capacities are lagging behind the increasing transport demand, which further increases the efficiency pressure for many freight forwarders. It is therefore all the more important that the implementation of the new competition and social protection regulations is carried out consistently and uniformly in all EU member states. Expanded deployment options for long trucks could additionally contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and addressing the driver shortage.”

Successor to Daniel Hensel

Rüdinger succeeds Daniel Hensel, managing partner of Hensel Logistik GmbH (Grolsheim), as chairman of the DSLV Road Committee, who stepped down from his position in the Federal Association upon joining the board of the DSLV state association of Hesse/Rhineland-Palatinate. Previously, Rüdinger was already the deputy chairman of the committee. His new deputy is Manfred Köhler, managing director of Huettemann Holding GmbH & Co. KG in Duisburg. As chairman of the committee, Rüdinger also joins the eight-member extended presidency of the DSLV. There, he decides together with the three members of the inner presidency and the chairpersons of the DSLV committees for rail freight transport, air freight forwarding, sea freight forwarding, inland port logistics, as well as social and tariff policy I labor law on the political guidelines of the Federal Association.

Photo: © DSLV