Special equipment is available
Additional options for pre-carriage requirements in transport to the western ports.
Capacity shortages in global supply chains are currently as widespread as the sighs that bottlenecks are unavoidable. On the Rhine in Basel, however, there are competitive alternatives to the roads for the transport of Swiss goods to western ports – as well as the necessary equipment. Birsterminal’s Roger Löffler and Ozean’s Michael Bubendorf recently told the ITJ all about this modal split.
Cooperation is one of the magic words in international logistics. For the partner companies Birsterminal and Ozean their cooperation efforts initially began with pre-carriage activities five years ago. “Then we moved all our equipment here to Basel in 2019, in view of the differences in quality,” Michael Bubendorf reports. As the managing director of his own shipping agency he represents seven shipping lines, as well as the Indian NVOCC Sarjak Lines. Organising exports for shippers is one of Roger Löffler’s many fields of activity as Birsterminal’s head of logistics and industrial packaging.
New constraints and tangible opportunities
The fact that the logistics business has entered a new era, especially for Swiss export activities, doesn’t need to be explained at length. “A lot of business, especially in the heavylift or project logistics segment, has migrated recently,” Löffler says, summing up recent developments. It is no secret that some carriers are indirectly bringing strong pressure to bear on shippers and forwarders.
“Lead times are so tight and detention costs so high that the pre-feedering of goods to seaports is shifting to the roads,” is how Löffler described the changes in the modal split. One sticking point in planning, however, is the availability of special equipment, such as flat racks and open-top containers, of which there is currently a glaring shortage. The partners in Basel can offer a helping hand there.
“After a short truck pre-feedering leg we can carry out packing or stuffing and stripping here on the Rhine, as well as transhipment to an inland barge,” Löffler explained, adding that “this is competitive in terms of scheduling and prices, and also causes far fewer harmful emissions than road transport, which can simultaneously also generate additional costs on account of excess dimensions.” Compared to a 40 t semi-trailer truck an inland vessel consumes a third of the energy and emits far fewer harmful gases.
Reciprocal issuing of B/Ls in India and Switzerland
And the provision of special equipment? “We organise this, together with our principal, Sarjak Container Lines,” explains Bubendorf, who notes that these transports also run without empty containers.
With his experience he can dispel reservations about partners from India – albeit with a paradox. “While European carriers issue B/Ls in India, the Indian NVOCC issues them in Switzerland.” This works reliably.
This path is also open should a forwarder book permanently with a carrier. “This solution can be used almost anywhere in the world,” they both emphasise. A number of freight forwarders are now fully committed to this approach.