They have established themselves as a leading provider of logistics solutions and are now working on a vast project consisting of a network of highways and railways across Pakistan
Infinity Shipping Services, a Coop member in Karachi, Pakistan, completes 15 years in the industry. As a company specializing in handling breakbulk cargo and heavy machinery, they obtained several projects that allowed them to achieve their targets in the last two years. Some of these projects consisted of handling breakbulk vessels, minerals and iron ore for export from Pakistan to China.
To quote Mr. Faizan Sattar, the CEO of Infinity Shipping, “I am proud to announce that our business has been growing by the day. Moreover, even during the pandemic, we not only met our targets but even surpassed our forecast targets. This is largely due to our close relationship with carriers and airlines that has enabled us to offer the best rates and find space even in the busiest season.”
Infinity Shipping is presently handling project cargoes for the building of a vast network of highways and railways across Pakistan. The $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a collection of infrastructural projects across the country. For this project, they are mostly moving items like poles and street lights.
“Recently two sea ports are operating in Pakistan- Karachi Port and Port Qasim. We are one of the few forwarders in Pakistan with a shipping license for the above two ports. Moreover, we also have the license to operate in the newly established Gwadar port in Balochistan. The Gwadar port will be responsible for all vessels required in the movement of CPEC logistics to/from worldwide.
Congratulations to Infinity Shipping Services and wishing them all the best for their future projects!
Since their inception in 1996, they have made substantial investments to enhance their services, and deliver seamless transportation solutions to their clients
Delpa Group, a Coop member in Santiago, Chile, has recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. They started as a freight forwarder in 1996. Soon they began the expansion of their services in Latin America, and became the first company to establish weekly land transport services from Brazil and Argentina to Chile.
To quote Daniel Urra, the President of Delpa Group, “We celebrated our anniversary by changing our corporate image. We want all our clients and the world to know that we are celebrating and that we continue to move forward as a company. In the last 25 years, we have come up as one of the best land cargo transportation companies in Latin America. Moreover, another great milestone has been the incorporation of new technologies to automate our work processes.”
For 25 years, they have worked with a strategic plan which they have been able to achieve progressively and successfully. Delpa Group presently has offices in 11 countries in addition to their branch offices in Chile. After working with several large national and multinational brands, they understood the importance of digitizing their operations. They have created their own CRM and constantly invest in state-of-the-art technologies that improve the productivity of their logistics processes.
“The scenario of the world economy has changed and we have had to adapt to the paradigm shift of how users buy. Additionally, we need to be updated with the new technologies that have been developed, with the time that we must spend in the dispatch of merchandise, and lastly with the logistics communication process to fulfill the expectations of all our customers,” adds Mr. Urra.
Congratulations to Delpa Group on their 25th Anniversary and all the best for the future!
This international certification will greatly boost the reputation and prestige of the company and lead to increased industry recognition
Ilogs Corporate SAS, a Coop member in Bogota, Colombia, gets the IATA accreditation. This much-coveted accreditation enhances the prestige of logistics companies and helps them obtain greater industry recognition. The achievement of Ilogs Corporate is all the more praiseworthy because the requirements for this accreditation have become a little more demanding in the face of COVID.
Moreover, obtaining this accreditation by freight forwarders in Colombia has become difficult and requires several guarantees. Thanks to the experience and expertise of Ilogs, they were quite vigilant in complying with each and every one of the requirements. To quote Ms. Martha Mora, the Founder of Ilogs Corporate, “We are delighted to have become an IATA accredited Cargo Agent. Furthermore, this accreditation will secure our position as one of the best air freight forwarders in Bogota.”
The international airlines give free rein to agents who strive to obtain this important accreditation. Ms. Mora further adds, “The IATA accreditation has opened up an important opportunity for Ilogs in terms of enhanced service. Additionally, our expertise in the field of air cargo will make us the chosen forwarder of our customers and network partners from all over the world. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates for their dedication and effort which were the most important factors responsible for the success of our company!”
Congratulations to Ilogs Corporate and wishing them the very best for their upcoming projects!
The Proud Korean Character Awards, the International Peace Contribution Awards and the World Luxury Brand Awards collectively took place at Yonsei Alumni Center on 12th Nov 2021
Shine Logistics Co Ltd, a Coop member in Seoul, South Korea, has garnered the Economic Development Contribution Awards. This award is a part of the 2021 Proud Korean Character Awards. In fact, the three award ceremonies of Proud Korean Person Awards, the International Peace Contribution Awards, and the World Luxury Brand Awards were held together at Yonsei University Alumni Hall on 12th November.
In the words of Mr. Chan-Bin Im, President of Shine Logistics, “Marking its ninth anniversary this year, the ‘Proud Korean Character Awards’ is an event that discovers and awards people who contribute to the development of the country and society with a sense of responsibility and mission in each field. Moreover, the fact that we are the proud recipient of this award goes on to prove our credibility and expertise in this sector.”
In addition, the “World Luxury Brand Awards” and the “International Peace Contribution Awards” are events that award people who have managed and developed products and services. Therefore, they have contributed to the development of the national economy. Meanwhile, to quote the organizing committee of these awards, “We aim to respect people who have been actively doing their job throughout society. This includes politicians, social group heads, celebrities, athletes, artists, organizations, associations, media, and companies.”
“Above all, this award helped us firmly secure our position as one of the top players in the logistics sector. Lastly, I would like to thank all my colleagues, partners and, most importantly, our clients. They have definitely contributed to the success of our organization,” adds Mr. Im.
Congratulations to Shine Logistics and all the best for their future endeavors!
FreightViewer was launched three years back and, nowadays, it’s becoming the reference software for The Cooperative members. Unlike other transport management softwares in the market , such as Freightos, Flexport or iContainers; FreightViewer has the great advantage of being developed within an international logistics network, enabling members to access to online rates from reliable agents all over the globe.
This week we are publishing an interview with Tobias Teichmann, head of the airfreight department of Kopf + Lübben, a Coop member in Hamburg, Bremen and Frankfurt, and one of the founders of the network . This is a special interview where our topic in focus is FreightViewer, the Coop’s member- exclusive freight rate management software. During the past year, The Coop’s FreightViewer Department and Kopf + Lübben Cargo Services worked closely to improve the software. In this interview, Mr. Teichmann talks about the utilities of this platform and how it is helping their team to accelerate their everyday work processes.
Q. Since when have you been using FreightViewer?
A. Kopf + Lübben started working with FreightViewer almost one year ago. Initially, we requested a demonstration of the system, and we soon realized the software would be very useful in our office. We started to use FreightViewer with one regular client who submits many inquiries to us. Initially, we uploaded our local charges and rates, which took some time and effort, of course. However, that soon paid off. After we got a routine with the first client and learned how to use FreightViewer, we have quickly customized it for further clients and the team immediately felt confident about the process. Until today, we have reached almost 900 quotations saved in FreightViewer and we are now planning on managing our ocean freights with FreightViewer as well.
Q. How is FreightViewer helping you to enhance the efficiency and overall output of your office tasks?
A. FreightViewer enables K + L’s Air Freight department to reduce the time needed for a quotation. All of our quotations now have the same homogeneous format and proper layout. FreightViewer also offers useful statistics for our customers’ operations as well as a quotation workflow. Furthermore, the implementation of FreightViewer in the Air Freight Department has meant a significant change for our team who previously used to work with corporate design excel sheets and needed to recalculate costs for each inquiry.
“FreightViewer enables our air freight department to reduce the time needed for calculating a quotation. Furthermore, the implementation of FreightViewer has meant a significant change for our team who previously used to work with corporate design excel sheets and needed to recalculate costs for each inquiry.”
Q. What is your opinion about the new updates added to the FreightViewer? Are they adding to the usability of this platform?
A. Some of the improvements suggested and finally implemented in the tool was integrating a calculator for the cargo dimensions, duplicating quotes for offering several options to customers, the option to amend remarks in the quotation or to modify the validity date in a specific quote. We’re very pleased with the performance now. Calculating and submitting a quote just takes a few minutes, it is a great simplification. The Coop’s FV team has been very supportive, little hiccups in the program have been improved immediately. We strongly recommend users experiencing problems with the software to contact the FV team at The Coop who always help quickly and reliably.
Q. Do you think FreightViewer is helping the Coop members to take the first step towards digitization?
A. FreightViewer is a free and exclusive online software to generate quotations that enables the members to send accurate quotations instantly. From my experience, this platform enormously simplifies the process of generating quotes. The updates added to FreightViewer have enabled our team to quote in a couple of minutes resulting in an average of twelve quotes per day. I am certain that this software can be a great way for members to take the first step towards digitization. Most importantly, in a time when the logistics industry is struggling with so many hindrances, independent freight forwarders need to digitize their operations by using solutions like the FreightViewer.
Q. What rates have you uploaded to FreightViewer?
A. We have uploaded our import and export local, transport and Air Freight rates to FreightViewer. Therefore, all agents are able to check these instantly. They just need to access the Members Area and go to Freight Viewer’s rate browser. We have now inserted all shipments from-to Hamburg, Bremen or Frankfurt in FreightViewer. All members in The Coop can check our rates online at any time. FreightViewer then forwards these quotations straight to us by an automatic email to ensure that we get all of them.
Q. Would you like to recommend the use of FreightViewer to your network partners?
A. FreightViewer is a brilliant platform that allows members to organize their rates with their local and transport charges on a single platform. Furthermore, the platform allows the members to be at the cutting edge of technology and compete with the stalwarts in the industry by digitizing the majority of business processes. The software stores all data needed for organising a shipment. In other words, a tool like FV will allow the users to come up with an accurate door-to-door quotation. Additionally, it allows forwarders to respond to their customers’ enquiries immediately
The change in name was the result of a merger and from now they will be operating as a group company
Seven Borders Lojistik Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, a Coop member in Bursa, Turkey, has changed the name of their company to Giritli Taşımacılık A.Ş. They have change the name of their organization following a merger with Giritli Global.
To quote Mr. Goksel Giritlioglu the Managing Partner of Seven Borders, “From now onward, we will operate under the umbrella of Giritli Global. We are hoping that this merger will allow us to offer enhanced service to our clients in the coming days. Moreover, the union of the workforce of two pioneering logistics companies will lead to faster, safer, and cost-effective transportation services in every country of the world.”
Their company which started its journey in 1999 are leaders in the maritime logistics sector. “We want to further increase our credibility by including it in our group company. We know that this will affect us positively and we have received good feedback so far,” adds Mr. Giritlioglu.
The Coop wishes the very best to Seven Borders Lojistik for all their future endeavours!
The staggering profits for sea freight forwarders have surpassed the combined industry profits made over the whole decade and the shipping trends in 2021 have shown us that the shippers are ready to pay a higher price for their cargo
As we approach 2022, the time is now to look back at the international container shipping trends in the last year. Here is a special report about the Container Index Availability (CAx) at all the major global ports, compiled by our partner Container xChange– the leading marketplace for container trading and leasing. According to Johannes Schlingmeier, the Container xChange Co-founder, “Over the last two quarters, the industry has faced skyrocketing container prices. However, these increases first leveled off and have now started gradually decreasing. It seems, what we’re seeing now, is a turning point.”
A guide to container prices around the world
All the important ports in China, the US, the UK, and Germany are showing a decline in container prices between August to November. In the last 3 months, the price of containers in the US has gone down by almost 15%. The Port of Qingdao has registered the sharpest fall in container prices from September to November 2021. Here the average price of 40 HC containers has been reduced by 23% coming down to around $1756. In the Ningbo Port, a 40 HC container cost $959 less in November compared to the price in September.
What is Container Availability Index?
Container Availability Index or CAx is an index (or tool) that permits interested parties to oversee the container availability in certain ports through the import and export moves of full containers. A CAx value of 0.5 indicates that the number of containers that left and entered the port in one week is the same. CAx value greater than 0.5 indicates more containers have entered the port. On the other hand, CAx values lesser than 0.5 mean that more containers have left the port. The data from millions of containers are tracked to come up with the CAx value. Container xChange has collected this data from shipping lines, terminals and depots.
The high CAx value in major ports due to inbound containers
This report by Container xChange took into account 83 important ports around the world. Nevertheless, only 9 of these 83 ports, have CAx values lower than 0.50. In 74 out of these 83 ports, the CAx values were higher than 0.50. Last year, 61 ports had CAx values lower than 0.50 while before the pandemic only 34 ports had CAx values lower than 0.50. This clearly shows how the pandemic has disrupted the regular port operations. Usually, the year-end is the time when there’s a surge of containers in the UK and USA while the Asian ports record a lesser container volume. However, this year, only a few ports in China have a low CAx value while the rest of the ports have higher CAx values. This indicates that containers around the globe are either delayed or stranded.
Trading and leasing rates
A look at the regional trends in container shipping
Container availability in the US
Last year the CAx values at the Port of Los Angeles went down from 0.85 to 0.34 in the first to last week of November. In 2021 this value has dropped from 0.88 to 0.87 at the same time of the year.
The CAx values at the Port of Savannah were high all through this year ranging between 0.90 and 0.96. This suggests tremendous port congestion and container load of inbound shipments.
At the Port of Long Beach the CAx values ranged between 0.86 to 0.89 in the last week of July and in November, this value is at 0.86. Even though we noted a drop in these values last year, the predictions are not showing signs of revival this year due to the current situation of the gridlock.
The CAx values at the Port of Houston, Texas, in 2020 was half of this year. In November, the CAx at Houston Port was 0.89 while in 2020 it was 0.48. Undoubtedly, the port witnessed an increased burden of inbound containers all through 2021 as compared to 2020 and 2019.
Container shipping trends in China
A fall in container prices
The average one-way pickup rates of containers from China to Germany and the UK have gone down between September to November. This rate will fall further in the future. The average leasing rate from China to the US has dropped by 25% between August to September. Nevertheless, this rate has gone up in October and November.
We can see a drop in the prices of 40 HC containers across 14 ports in China. Furthermore, a similar trend can be seen for 20 DC containers. The average cost of containers reached an all-time high in September. After that, the price fell steadily till the end of November. In Shanghai, the price of 40 ft HCs fell by 21% from $6,686 in September to $5,746 in the first week of December. In the Port of Yantian, this fall in price was around 12%, around 7% in Shenzhen, 12% in Tianjin, 7% in Dalian, and 23% in Qingdao.
The ratio of inbound containers in China is highest since 2019
Last year in November the CAx values in Shanghai Port hit an all-time low of 0.05. This year, the CAx values went down to 0.50. This indicates that the number of containers coming and leaving the docks is the same. Yantian Port has an average CAx value of 0.27. This shows that the number of outbound boxes is more than the previous year but still has not reached the pre-pandemic level.
CAx values at the Ports of Dalian and Tianjin
In November, the container availability index in Tianjin was higher than that of Qingdao and Ningbo Ports. By the end of November, the CAx values stood at 0.71 while in 2020 it was 0.16. In 2019 this value was 0.39. Therefore, we can see the presence of more inbound containers at both these ports. In the Port of Dalian, the average CAx values were 0.49 last month. This value is 4 times greater than the value in November 2020.
CAx values in Tianjin and Shanghai are higher than in Qingdao and Ningbo
We can see an increase in the CAx value at the Port of Ningbo which is slowly going back to the pre-pandemic levels. Last year this port witnessed a substantial decrease in CAx values. This year the drop in the CAx value is considerably less. We can safely conclude that in November 2020 the volume of inbound containers was lesser than that of outbound containers. This year, however, the number of outbound containers was not greater than the inbound ones.
Container shipping trends in India
In Chennai, the price of 40ft HCs went down from $5550 in August to $5323 on the 1st of December. In Nhava Sheva Port, the price for 40ft HCs fell from $5044 in October to $4875 in December’s first week. The cost for the same in 2019 was around $1000 for 20 DC and $2000 for 40 DC. The Port of Chennai also went through a 17% jump in average prices of 20 DC containers. The average container cost in the Nhava Sheva Port went up from $2292 in October to $2320 in November.
The CAx is probably not going to rise in 2022
CAx values at the Nhava Sheva Port were around 0.78 in the end of October. In the last two years, this value was lower demonstrating a downward trend till the year ending. This implies a larger number of outbound containers at the Nhava Sheva during close of the year. Nevertheless, the trend isn’t similar in 2021. The numbers indicate a fall in the number of exports. Additionally, containers have also piled up at the ports while the number of inbound containers is getting higher.
The container availability index at Mundra Port was five times greater compared to the previous year. In addition, it is around 3 times higher than the pre-pandemic level. This trend has been consistent all around the year. At the Port of Chennai, the CAx values in November are twice that of the previous year. The pre-pandemic trend in the Chennai Port was low CAx values because of the large number of exports. The year 2021 has indicated a contrary trend of high CAx values till the end of the year.
The situation at the Ports in Europe
High CAx Values at the European Ports with heavy inbound containers
In November, we have seen a 5 times growth of CAx values at the Port of Antwerp as compared to 2020. This shows that a large number of containers are docked. The CAx values at the Port of Valencia are six times greater than in 2020. In the Port of Barcelona, the CAx value is also double that of the previous year. The CAx at the Port of Sines was 0.09 last year, while this year it is 0.85. This is a great increase. The CAx values at the Port of Hamburg are three times greater than last year. The average CAx values at the Port of Felixstowe were 0.65 in the last 3 years. However, this year in November this value stands at 0.89.
All the European Ports have higher CAx values than the last two years. Furthermore, we can also notice a consistent increase in the number of inbound containers at the European ports.
The Coop’s 2nd Virtual Meeting that enabled the members to do remote networking registered a record attendance
Leading supply chain websites covered the news of the success of The Cooperative Logistics Network’s 2nd Virtual Meeting. Over 140 Coop members came online on 15th and 16th November to participate in The Coop’s 2nd Virtual Meeting. Furthermore, the 5000 one-to-one videoconferences hosted during the meeting allowed the members to get new project opportunities. Members also got to promote their companies, and expand their international presence. Three leading logistics webzines -Newscouple, AJOT, and Logistics Business have published the news of Cooperative Logistics’s Network’s 2nd Cloud Conference.
Newscouple is a news website with all the latest news from the fields of logistics, e-commerce, business, commodity, and entrepreneurs. It features industry analysis from expert and celebrity columnists to provide the readers with unique insight into several international business related topics.
AJOT or the American Journal of Transportation is a web portal dedicated to the logistics industry. Moreover, this website features the latest and most pertinent news and reports from the international freight forwarding industry.
Logistics Business is a UK based supply chain magazine with an extensive reader base. Additionally, it covers news on topics such as transport and distribution, warehousing, packaging, green logistics, and the use of IT in transportation and logistics.
The news covered in the above web portals talks about the successful outcome of the meeting and how it helped the members to increase the number of collaborative projects. Moreover, it also mentions the FreightViewer workshops held in the course of the cloud conference.
To find out more about their coverage of our Virtual Meeting just click on the above links.
Today we are publishing an interview with Anibal del Diego, the Membership Development Coordinator of The Cooperative Logistics Network. Anibal’s primary task consists of researching and recruiting the most competent freight forwarders for membership in The Cooperative. Additionally, he plays a vital role in seeking out new sales opportunities and selecting and engaging reliable members for The Cooperative. Before working at The Coop, he spent many years in the Sales and Customer Service department of a few multinational companies which gave him an in-depth knowhow of working with a goal driven basis and ensuring client satisfaction. Moreover, Anibal’s skills in interpersonal communications lends a positive, confident and determined approach to customer relationship management.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your experience at The Coop. A. I really enjoy what I am doing and so far my experience with The Coop team has been nothing short of delightful. We are a close knit team and my associates within the organization are very amiable. We work harmoniously to come up with innovative solutions for our network members. In the course of my service at The Coop, I have learned a great deal about enrolling new members, client research, the importance of concise and precise communication and much more.
Q. Can you tell us something about the beginnings of The Coop?
A. The Coop started its journey from September 2014 has completed 7 years in business. We started with members from over 60 cities across 50 countries and today we have recruited over 310 reliable agents across 134 countries. Moreover, the pandemic has clearly demonstrated the need for independent freight forwarders to band together and successfully compete with the big players. Notwithstanding the several challenges of this industry since 2020, we have been able to maintain our quality standards and significantly expand our member base.
Q. What does your job consist of? Do you find your day-to-day tasks exciting?
A. My everyday work is very interesting and even demanding at times. My primary task entails doing research about the applicant companies and determining their membership eligibility. Moreover, as the Membership Development Coordinator, I am the first point of contact between the members and the network. Additionally, I also contact potential members and communicate about the advantage of joining our network. It is my responsibility to keep the number of members growing for further expanding our coverage in the coming years.
Q. Which is the most challenging part of the job? A. The Coop accepts a maximum of 3 agents per city with the exception of busy cities where the maximum is 5 members. Therefore communicating with so many agents each from several cultural backgrounds surely poses a considerable challenge. However, my previous experience in the Customer Service Sector has taught me how to effectively deal with my clients and attend to each of their questions, issues and requirements.
Q. In your opinion, which is the greatest advantage of The Coop members in terms of sales?
A. The Coop’s referral programs can be of great financial advantage for the members. The Coop’s Referral Program gives the agents 25% discount on their first yearly membership fee for each agent that they recommend who gets accepted as a member. All members need to do is refer trustworthy agents and they get to obtain 25% discount of their membership fee if that agent eventually becomes a Coop member. They can avail of up to 4 discounts of 25% every year implying the possibility of paying zero membership fee for the coming year! Additionally, members who want to represent more than one location within a country get to pay just 50% of the posted membership fee for every additional branch.
Q. What is the most important objective of the sales team?
A. Simply put, the most important job if the sales team is to increase the number of members within the network. To this end, we constantly undertake many promotional projects and get in touch with trustworthy freight agents who could be our potential members. Additionally, we are not on the lookout for the largest forwarders in each city. What we try to find are the most reputable, well managed and financially solvent companies that also have a substantial business volume and a good credit history with their partners.
Q. What do you like about working at The Cooperative?
A. The friendly office environment fosters creativity and allows me to try out new approaches towards aspect of my job. Thanks to the constant help of my colleagues and the encouragement of the management, I think of my workplace as an extension of my family! Despite all the challenges of my work, I find it very interesting and constantly trying out new techniques to expand the outreach of our network.
My teammates are always there to help me with the task of reaching out to quality agents and offering the best customer services. The frequent board meetings and discussions help me to brainstorm and find new ideas to enhance our services and outreach. The Coop offers a proactive work environment that permits me to be innovative and creative. Over the years my colleagues have eventually become like a close knit circle of friends who work together with one common objective: to better serve our agents and to enable independent freight forwarders to become truly global.
Q. What are the values that motivate you?
A. Honesty, originality, and the wisdom to make important decisions are some of the factors that allow me to be good at what I do. In my opinion clear communication, operational integrity, and an aptitude for problem solving are crucial for expanding our network. Above anything else the agents need to feel that we care for their business. The success of our network is directly related to the success of our member companies.
What matters in my line of work is to show my clients how we really care about them. At the end of the day it all boils down to trust and it is this trust of our members which keeps us moving forward. In this context I would like to quote American business author and management guru Michael LeBoeuf -“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy,”- and this exactly is my work motto!
They started their journey 25 years back with a vision of constant progress and the objective of offering positive solutions and improvements in each operation related to foreign trade
Talwin Transport Service, a Coop member in Buenos Aires, Argentina, recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. It was in 1996 that they decided to create this company and started offering bespoke solutions for the transportation needs of their customers. Presently, they cover all the necessary areas to provide the most comprehensive logistical services. This has enabled them to become an integral part of their customers’ growth. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, they have kept the celebrations for later.
As stated by Francisco Muñoz, Business Development Manager of Talwin Transport, “The beginnings of our company were hard considering the instabilities in our country and in this sector. However, with great force driven by our founding partner and current President Gabriel Taberna and his sister and current Vice President, Monica Taberna, we were surrounded by excellent collaborators, who allowed us to grow year by year.”
Their IATA Certification and a competent team of professionals allowed them to offer world-class services in the air freight and international logistics sector. Moreover, despite the pandemic, Talwin has considerably expanded their business volume and their expectations for 2022 are very bright.
“In the last 25 years, we have achieved the recognition of many international clients and partners who are happy to work with us. Our client satisfaction is our greatest reward. This is what motivates our team to put forth an even greater effort,” adds Mr. Muñoz.
Congratulations to Talwin Transport Services and all the best for their future projects!
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