Freight rates: price hike expected to continue 
The European road freight rate benchmark for Q4/2021 shows that prices ended 2021 at historic highs in Europe. The index stood at 108.3, 1.1 points higher than in Q3/2021 and 3.2 points higher than in Q4/2020. Q4/2021 is the 6th consecutive quarter of rate increases in Europe.... more
80 biodiesel trucks join fleet in Bolzano
For Gruber Logistics in South Tyrol (Italy), sustainability and environmental conservation have been an integral part of its corporate philosophy for decades. The haulier invested in an additional new Scania R 450 4x2 biodiesel trucks in December 2021. All in all, the truck... more
Gothenburg: rail traffic at all-time high
The upward trend in rail traffic at the Swedish Port of Gothenburg looks set to continue, with a new record for rail-borne freight passing through the port last year. Some 458,000 teu were handled in 2021. This throughput is 9% higher than in 2020 and the highest annual... more
Hungary: first e-trucks now in service
Waberer’s has added Hungary's first series-produced electric trucks to its fleet. The two purely electric Renault trucks will be deployed for commercial freight services and distribution tasks within the cities. The haulier has already taken a number of steps in recent years... more
Short line rail network adds 210 km
US short line railroads operator R. J. Corman has purchased two railroad branches from Norfolk Southern, creating a new company to be called Knoxville and Cumberland Gap Railroad (KXCG). KXCG will have interchange cars in Norfolk Southern’s Sevier Yard. This acquisition will... more
Gazprom trials LNG-powered locomotive
Sinara Transport Machines Holding (STM) has received the Russian certificate of conformity for the TEMG1 shunting locomotive with two power plants running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The new locomotive has successfully passed all the necessary certification tests for... more
More than ever before
142 hydrogen refuelling stations went into operation worldwide in 2021, – setting a new record. 37 hydrogen stations were opened in Europe, 89 in Asia and thirteen in North America, according to an annual assessment. Meanwhile, hydrogen refuelling is possible in 33... more
Road congestion strengthens rail in Asia
DHL has seen significant uptake with its 2021 launched daily connection between Kunming, China and Vientiane, Laos. The rail service shortens transit time between these two destinations to about 20 – 24 hours, compared to 20-30 days with the present heavy traffic on the... more
Train instead of truck cuts CO2 by around 75%
A positive result: At the end of last year, automotive industry supplier Webasto tested the delivery of component parts for production by train at its plant in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany). The interim results of the pilot conducted by DB Cargo Logistics and... more
Geis banks on autonomous local transport
In Germany, the Geis Group is starting a project at its headquarters in Bad Neustadt to further develop autonomous truck driving using the 5G mobile radio standard. The project is designed to run for three years and is part of the "5G-InnoPlatt-NES" joint... more