LOGISTICS PROVIDERS ADD VALUE IN OCEAN FREIGHT, SAYS SCHENKER CHIEF

“The market share of ocean freight forwarders is growing faster than the market share of the shipowners,” said Dr Thomas Lieb, chairman of the management board of Schenker AG, when he spoke to delegates at the recent CI Global Liner Shipping 09 conference.

Lieb believes that major logistics companies will play an increasingly important role in future. “Only logistics providers enable the comprehensive control of logistics costs, especially in respect of the ratio between the costs of warehousing and the transport costs. Logistics providers enable their customers to control the supply chain by determining both the inventories as well as the size and frequency of transports.

By constantly developing and expanding the supply chain, providers of integrated logistics services create significant added value for carriers and customers. Thanks to more cooperation at the interface to the carriers, they can offer more reliable cargo space for both carriers and customers. The customer benefits from tailor-made solutions for optimizing and completing his supply chains.

The Schenker chairman pointed to green logistics as one of the four key trends for the future: “We already have a whole number of options for designing logistics as a truly sustainable process. These include lowering CO2 emissions, close cooperation with partners and suppliers, solutions such as a combination of ocean and air freight, choosing the most suitable transport mode, as well as measures to save energy,” said Lieb.