Brexit logistics - in British eyes 
Six months after the actual implementation of Brexit, driver shortages remain the single biggest crisis in the haulage industry, according to the Road Haulage Association. The current shortage, which affects both HGV drivers and drivers of small vans, is due to two main reasons.... more
Scottish JBT Distribution taken over
Menzies Distribution has acquired JBT Distribution (JBT), a Scottish logistics business with a yearly turnover of about of GBT 23 million. In total, 200 vehicles and six operating sites changed hands. Based in Bathgate, West Lothian, with further depots in Aberdeen,... more
Reopening routes for freight traffic
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is reactivating 20 lines, with 245 km of track, for rail operations in Germany. These lines are the first batch of previously closed routes which are to be reopened to passenger or freight traffic in future. In recent months, a team of DB experts has... more
HL orders ULCVs
The German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd recently finalised an order for another six 23,500 teu ultra-large containerships, bringing the number of ULCVs in the carrier’s pipeline to twelve. The move “won’t provide immediate relief for the current capacity shortage,” the line said,... more
Welcome back, David Shepherd!
IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has appointed David Shepherd (right, together with ITJ editor Andreas Haug at Air Cargo Europe in Munich, 2017) as managing director. Shepherd will report to David Podolsky, who will continue in his role as... more
Pall-Ex renews last-mile fleet
Pall-Ex, a major British player in palletised freight distribution, is seeking to increase its market share by adding new urban delivery vehicles to its fleet. The new vehicles, including three Isuzu N75 Curtainside 7.5 t trucks, with tuckaway tail lifts, are deployed for... more
e-van becomes moving solar power unit
Electric utility vehicle manufacturer Tropos is testing integrated solar power facilities in its vehicle box bodies. Thanks to this forward-looking technology, it should soon be possible for operators to use the Tropos ABLE models regardless of whether they have any contact with... more
Analysing wind propulsion for commercial ships
The Marin research institute and the American Bureau of Shipping classification organisation (ABS) have launched a joint industry project to facilitate wind propulsion as an important tool in the decarbonisation of shipping. The second ‘Wind-assisted ship propulsion’ project... more
Joint effort to halve emissions
VR Transpoint and SSAB have signed a contract on rail transport services for raw materials and other products. The aim is to halve emissions in the transport of steel coils and iron ore pellets covered by this cooperation by 2024. Most of the iron ore pellets come from Sweden... more
Pilot train run from Finland to India
The first container block train from Finland bound for the Indian port of Nava Sheva has departed from Helsinki. The block train service via the international north-south transport corridor is operated by a JV of Russian Railways Logistics (RZDL), ADY Container and Tarkib... more