The groupage of the seas

Attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and the associated detours and shipping delays are increasingly becoming a threat to the smooth transportation of goods and therefore also to international trade. In this interview, Christian Kruse, Head of Global Ocean Freight LCL, explains the role of intercontinental groupage, LCL (less-than-container-load) services, and the specific advantages they bring for customers.

Working locally – thinking globally: two decades of IT expertise at DACHSER Americas

Alexander Fink, Department Head IT Americas, celebrated his 20th anniversary at DACHSER in March 2024. Having built up the Americas IT team at DACHSER from the early beginnings, he can look back on two decades full of constant progress. Furthermore, with digitalization as one of the core pillars of DACHSER’s vision to become the world’s most integrated logistics provider, the adventure has just begun.

Ahead with foresight

Logistics - this means accepting and mastering challenges again and again. Especially when things get difficult. That is why our team at DACHSER is approaching 2024 with great confidence, even though we are still confronted with volatile markets and rising costs. Thoughts by CEO Burkhard Eling.

The first customers are using the DACHSER Platform for their day-to-day business

The first customers have been working with the DACHSER Platform since the end of August last year. After several intensive test phases, real customer data is now flowing through the system. This way, we learn daily which of the platform’s features are working smoothly and where there is a need for individual adjustments. The feedback helps to improve the platform step by step.

DACHSER showcases its logistics expertise in the aerospace industry by shipping a turbine from Brazil to Mexico

In December 2023, DACHSER has shipped an aircraft turbine for a Boeing 737 from Brazil to Mexico. With a weight of more than five tons and dimensions of 230 x 100 x 100 in, great commitment from the multinational teams was required to transport the shipment successfully to its destination over 4,500 miles away.

DACHSER strengthens air and sea freight in the Nordic countries of Europe

On January 1, 2024, Mattias Kellgren took over the position of Managing Director Air & Sea Logistics Nordic. With his appointment, DACHSER is strengthening its air and sea freight activities in the northern region of Europe.

Logistics 2030 – People make the difference

Logistics is a complex connection between flows of goods and information in intelligent networks. People are and remain the key to their success and reliability. The slogan “Logistics is People Business” has many faces—in DACHSER’s overall strategy as well as in the everyday life of the family-owned company.

Lunar New Year 2024 – Key dates and impact on logistics

The Lunar New Year for the beginning of the "Year of the Dragon" takes place on February 10, 2024, and is the biggest festival in Chinese communities where people celebrate the start of a new year with their families.

During the festive season, most shops and factories in mainland China will be closed and production will be paused. We would like to inform you about the most important dates on which Dachser branches in the Asia-Pacific region will be closed and the possible impact on your business.

The impact of the Lunar New Year on logistics and how to minimize it:

• Chinese suppliers start to wind down operations one to two weeks in advance of the public holiday. Even though the official holiday only lasts for a week, most factories close for an entire month and some even longer.
• While businesses are closed and there is minimal production from mainland China, carriers will deploy less capacity to and from mainland China.
• Holiday impact is about two months. Therefore, companies that depend on Chinese or Asian suppliers are likely to stock up inventories leading to a pre-holiday cargo rush. It will also take some time after the festival for market conditions to normalize.

While we do our best to minimize potential disruptions in your supply chain, you can help us by keeping the following in mind: 

• Communicate with your suppliers and customers to make arrangements for sufficient stock and manage expectations
• Discuss your planning with us and prepare an accurate shipment forecast for long-term planning, so that we can offer you the most suitable solution that fits your budget and schedule
• Place your booking earlier and pay attention to the cut-off dates
• For sea freight, it is recommended to book 4-6 weeks before the start of the holiday
• For air freight, it is recommended to book 1-2 weeks before the start of the holiday

Timetable for the closure of Asian branches on public holidays:

In addition to mainland China, other regions in the Asia-Pacific region celebrate the festival as well. Please note the public holidays below on which DACHSER branches are closed.

• Mainland China - February 9 - 17
• Hong Kong - February 10 - 13
• Taiwan - February 8 - 14
• Indonesia – February 9-10
• Korea - February 9 - 12
• Malaysia - February 10 - 12
• Singapore - February 10 - 12
• Vietnam - February 8 - 14

If you have suppliers or production lines in China or APAC countries, please get in touch with us to work out an operational logistics plan and together we can create a solid forecast for the New Year period and beyond.

We at DACHSER will do our best to ensure the flow of goods before, during and after Lunar New Year.

If you have any questions on this topic, please get in touch with your contact person at your local DACHSER branch.

"We are entering the new year with confidence"

Burkhard Eling, CEO of DACHSER, looks back on the year 2023, which was characterized by overcapacity, rising inflation and volatile conditions for the industry - in short: the special boom in logistics has come to an end. Nevertheless, there is good reason to start 2024 full of confidence and thirst for action.

“I have never experienced such a team spirit before”

For German-born Maureen Josling, customer service specialist at DACHSER’s branch in Detroit, her workplace is more than a perfect match. Having worked for the company in Germany for more than five years, Josling migrated to the United States in 2014. After pursuing her career stateside in other companies for a few years, she returned to DACHSER and found a piece of home overseas.

Decarbonizing logistics: Taking the long and bumpy road

Climate protection and achieving climate targets is a major and challenging task for everyone involved. But DACHSER is clearly committed to consistently moving towards more sustainable and climate-friendly logistics. CEO Burkhard Eling succinctly summarizes the strategy with the concrete measures in a name article.

Helping children back into life

In Ukraine, terre des hommes and DACHSER are providing psychosocial support for children, young people, and their families in a long-term project. Joshua Hofert, Director of Communications at terre des hommes Deutschland e.V., visited the project himself a few weeks ago and describes his impressions in an interview.

DACHSER Peru celebrates ten-year anniversary

In August 2023, the Peruvian subsidiary of DACHSER has celebrated its ten-year anniversary. Founded in 2013, DACHSER Peru has been dedicated to serving the local market for one full decade. As one of six country organizations in the Americas region, DACHSER’s representation in the Andean country is an integral part of the company’s global Air and Sea Logistics network.

DACHSER Norway opens branch in Kristiansand

The logistics provider is expanding its presence in the Norwegian market to provide logistics services to customers in southern and western Norway and give them access to EU markets.

Synfuels: A beacon of hope or a dead end?

From time to time, the debate over synfuels flares up in discussions on climate action in the transportation sector. Some see synthetically produced fuels as a valuable technology of the future, while others describe them as uneconomical and absurd.

Dedicated to fashion

The fashion world is fast-paced, seasonal, global—and increasingly sustainable. When garments arrive at fashion stores, they have to be pristine, wrinkle-free, and on time. A challenge the DACHSER Fashion Logistics industry solution is happy to take on.