Author: Paweł Boratyński

Warehouses play a key role in logistics, as they are the glue that holds the entire transport process together. In today’s rapidly changing world, effective management of warehouse logistics can determine the success of a company, which is why the best solution is to use the services of experienced specialists such as ASL. It is thanks to well-organised warehouses that operating costs associated with transport, handling and other warehouse activities can be significantly reduced.

Functions of modern warehouses

The primary function of warehouses is to store goods, but modern warehouses are much more than just a storage space. Modern warehouse centres, such as Segro Logistics Park, where one of ASL Group’s warehouses is located, are equipped with advanced WMS management systems, which enable precise monitoring of goods, automation of processes and fast and effective preparation of orders for shipment. Such solutions minimise errors and improve overall operational efficiency.

Summary

Warehouses are an integral part of an efficient supply chain that allows companies to remain competitive and manage their resources efficiently. If you are looking for reliable A-class warehouses to provide full logistics services, ASL Group offers modern warehouse space in two strategic locations: Nadarzyn near Warsaw and Kowaly near Gdansk. Our warehouses are equipped with advanced management systems and optimised for fast and efficient distribution of goods. When you choose ASL, you gain a partner that supports the development of your business, offering reliability, flexibility and a full commitment to optimising warehouse logistics tailored to your needs.

Due to the dockers’ strike and an overlay of other problems, the Port of Hamburg halted the receipt of goods trains for 24 hours on Thursday. Delays at the Hamburg terminals now amount to more than 24 hours and negotiations between employers and trade unionists are still ongoing.

Will strikes become more frequent?

The carrier expects that customers will have to get used to such delays. Metrans points out that the main rail lines do not have sufficient capacity. These circumstances force the carriers to raise prices. Employees of the Port of Hamburg are also demanding social guarantees in the upcoming change of ownership of the port.

Who is organising the strikes?

The strikes in Hamburg are organised by the trade union Ver.di, which is trying to negotiate the best working conditions with the association of terminal operators ZDS. Parallel to the port strikes, there was a demonstration in the centre of Hamburg. The main reason for the strike is the planned sale of a 49% stake in HHLA, Hamburg’s largest terminal operator, to the MSC group. The union members want to conclude a collective agreement before the planned transaction in order to secure their jobs.

Disruption in logistics chains

Problems at the port and congestion on the railway infrastructure negatively affect hauliers causing a significant increase in transport costs. In recent weeks, protests by seaport workers have been a direct cause of disruption to freight transport in various parts of the world. Dockworkers have gone on strike in the USA, India and Australia, among others.

Dear customers, partners,

We are pleased to announce that we have decided to extend the working hours of our warehouse in Nadarzyn. This is a step aimed at adapting our services even better to your needs. This change will not only allow us to speed up the execution of unloading and loading, but also to provide greater flexibility, which is a particularly important element in a dynamic industry such as logistics.

As of 09.09.2024, the ASL warehouse in Nadarzyn will operate from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Longer working hours mean that we will be able to respond to your needs more quickly and handle more transports in a shorter period of time. You will benefit from shorter turnaround times and greater availability of our services. All of this translates into better fluidity for your business, especially when deadlines and urgent deliveries are crucial.

We believe that the changes we have made will allow us to serve you even better by providing the reassurance that you can count on us. Thank you for your trust so far and we look forward to continuing to work with you!

Have a great weekend,
The ASL Nadarzyn Team

The Central and Eastern European region is currently entering a key moment of transformation. It has the potential to make the region one of the most important logistics areas in the world.

Development of logistics in Poland

Poland has been consistently strengthening its position on the European logistics market for many years. This translates into clear growth, thanks to which we are constantly improving our position in the global TSL rankings. Our country is investing heavily in warehouse logistics, infrastructure and road transport, as well as developing seaports.

What influences growth?

The region’s growing importance is due to a number of strategic infrastructure investments, such as Rail Baltica and CPK. These projects aim to improve transport connections. Both within the region and with the rest of Europe, which is key to increasing the efficiency of supply chains. Although already, at least in road transport, Poland boasts some of the best results in Europe.

The aforementioned investments, combined with the growing importance of secure and disruption-proof supply chains, make the CEE region increasingly attractive to international investors. In an era of global challenges, such as geopolitical tensions or climate change, CEE is gaining importance as a stable and strategic location for logistics operations.

The Central Transport Port, which is to become an investment combining air, rail and road transport – is one of the key elements of this transformation. These investments will not only improve regional connections, but also strengthen the position of Poland and its neighbours on the global logistics map.

European opportunity

The transformation of the CEE region into a logistics hub of the future is not only an economic development opportunity, but also a response to the global difficulties the world is currently facing. Through strategic investment and cooperation, Central and Eastern Europe has the potential to become one of the key players in global supply chains.

The icon of Poznań, the famous ‘Okrąglak’, has been hosting a new branch of our company since the beginning of September. This is the 8th branch of ASL on the map of Poland.

Strategic location

This is what Mariusz Rogowski, board member and partner at ASL Group, says about the new investment: ‘Poznań is a strategic location for the logistics industry due to its central location in Europe and excellent transport infrastructure, including motorways, railways and proximity to the airport. The city also offers a developed network of logistics and warehousing centres, which attracts investors and facilitates the distribution of goods to national and international markets.’

A modernist gem

It is impossible not to add a few words about the unique location of our Poznań branch: ‘Okrąglak’ is a modernist building in the centre of Poznań, located at 14 Mielżyńskiego Street, on the corner of 27 Grudnia Street. It was designed by architect Marek Leykam and built between 1948 and 1954. For more than 50 years it served as a department store, and is now an office and service building. ‘Okrąglak’ is distinguished by its unique cylinder shape and glazed facade, which makes it one of the symbols of Poznań.

We invite you to visit our branch in Poznań.

In the last week of August, in the presence of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure, a contract for the construction of the MOLF offshore structure was signed. This specialised structure will be part of the infrastructure accompanying the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant.

What is MOLF?

It is a special structure designed for the offloading of oversize and oversize cargo that cannot be split into smaller pieces. MOLF is an abbreviation for Marine Off-Loading Facility.

What does the scope of the signed agreement cover?

The scope of the signed contract includes the design of a bridge for the unloading of indivisible oversize cargo required for the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant. The project also includes a section of technical road to allow further transport of the transshipped cargo.

The contractor for the project documentation is a consortium of WUPROHYD Sp. z o.o. and INGEO Sp. z o.o., and they have 14 months to prepare the complete documentation.

Summary

This is undoubtedly an essential investment, needed to build the first nuclear power plant in Poland. It is an investment of strategic importance, of great significance for the future of our country, energy stability, defence and the climate.

Poland is becoming an increasingly important player in the global cosmetics trade, exporting more and more cosmetics to foreign markets. Poland’s share of world GDP is about 1 per cent, while its share of world cosmetics exports is 3.8 per cent.

Polish products are increasingly recognised

Cosmetic products from Poland are gaining increasing recognition thanks to their high quality, innovation and competitive prices. Poland is an increasingly popular location for production facilities of companies from all over the world. This provides an opportunity to utilise the potential and knowledge of Polish specialists. This, in turn, is increasingly contributing to Poland’s growing importance as an exporter.

The commodity structure of cosmetics exports is similar in most countries around the world. However, there are some minor but important differences due to specialisation and advantages in the production of selected commodities.

How do we stack up against European competition?

Poland is the fifth largest exporter of cosmetics in the European Union with a share of 8 per cent. As much as 65 per cent of the cosmetics exported from Poland go to the EU market. The ratio of exports to imports of cosmetics in Poland in 2023 was 1.72. This means that the value of exports was 72 per cent higher than the value of imports.

What do we export?

Skin care preparations are the dominant category, accounting for 47 per cent of cosmetics exports worldwide. For Poland, this category accounts for 43 per cent and is also the largest part of exports.

Since Poland’s accession to the European Union, cosmetics exports have increased 8-fold and GDP 3.6-fold. The average annual growth rate of cosmetics exports has been very high – since 2004, it has been close to 12 per cent. In the last ten years, the rate has been over 9 per cent.

This year, PIP will carry out over 60,000 control. Among transport companies, he will especially check the compliance of remuneration payments and working hours. This is an area where a significant number of violations occur. The legality of employment of foreigners will also be verified. What inspections should companies in the TSL industry be prepared for?

Transport is a disgraceful leader

The National Labor Inspectorate announced that it would carry out 2,000 inspections. They will concern regulations regarding working time, remuneration and other benefits resulting from the employment relationship. According to previous inspections carried out by the National Labor Inspectorate, violations in this area are among the most frequently violated regulations. Warehouse management and transport are the areas that take the lead in terms of the number of complaints regarding violations in the area of working time and payment of wages.

Driving and rest time will also be part of the control

The Road Transport Inspectorate will take a closer look at issues related to the correctness of access to entrepreneurs’ bases or to drivers’ places of residence. The driver can drive the vehicle for a maximum of half a day. But only if you take appropriate breaks from driving to reach the place where you will take your weekly rest.

New tachograph – what to pay attention to?

First of all, drivers need to acquire new skills in operating recording devices due to their upcoming replacement with new generation tachographs. However, installers and users of tachographs notice a number of problems resulting from the early stage of development of the new technology.

The issue of legality of employment of foreigners

The aim of the actions taken is also to eliminate illegal workers. Inspectors will pay special attention to verifying the legality of employment of people from areas of high migration risk, such as North Africa or Asia.

PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has signed a contract with Nokia Solutions and Networks sp. z o.o., a company that is one of the leading suppliers of equipment for the GSM-R system. Under the terms of the contract, the necessary software upgrades and reconfiguration of the radio network will be carried out to integrate it with the new automatic telephone exchange provided for in the framework of the national GSM-R network implementation project.

What is GSM-R?

The GSM-R system is based on the basic GSM system. However, it has been enhanced with functions required for the operation and maintenance of railway infrastructure and train traffic management. The system also allows for optimised train flow and trains can reach higher speeds. This means shorter journey times for passengers.

Efforts to develop GSM-R systems will lead to the expansion of the network coverage and allow for progress towards standardisation.

The first visible result of the work will be the launch of GSM-R voice communications on the railway line connecting Warsaw with the Tricity, which is scheduled for the third quarter of next year. This type of operation involves testing and monitoring the new system in real-world conditions to gather experience and ensure its safest possible implementation. This will allow us to test a number of operational scenarios in which GSM-R communications will be used for communication. The system being implemented will allow communication between PLK SA traffic managers and drivers who operate the operators‘ trains, as well as between PLK SA employees and operators’ employees.

The experience gained will influence the final form of the instructions and rules adopted by PLK SA and the operators. Once the observed operation is completed, voice communications in the GSM-R network will be available for use on the remaining railway lines covered by the project.

It is estimated that the project will take about 13 months to complete.

EU introduces new sanctions on Belarus – what changes await Polish carriers?

The Council of the European Union has announced new sanctions related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. This time they hit Belarus directly because of its increasing involvement in the conflict on Europe’s eastern border. The new regulations primarily affect the transport of selected categories of goods to and from Belarus. They also introduce restrictions on the vehicles that can carry out these transports.

New rules on transport and technology

The extended sanctions include a ban on exports of dual-use products and technologies, as well as advanced goods that could support Belarus’ industrial potential. In addition, further export restrictions have been imposed on goods that could particularly contribute to the country’s industrial sector.

Import restrictions and ban on trailers

The sanctions also include a ban on the import of certain products, such as marine navigation components, mineral products and oil, from Belarus. In addition, the new rules introduce a ban on the transport of goods from Belarus to the EU using trailers and semi-trailers registered in Belarus. Transport companies with a share of at least 25% of Belarusian capital will not be allowed to operate in the EU.

Penalties for breaching sanctions – imprisonment and heavy fines

Carriers need to familiarise themselves carefully with the new regulations in order to avoid serious legal consequences, including financial penalties and imprisonment, for breaching the current rules.

EU Council Regulation – latest changes to sanctions

The changes were introduced by Council Regulation (EU) No 2024/1865, which updates the earlier Regulation (EC) No 765/2006. This is a key document for Polish hauliers as it contains the full catalogue of newly introduced sanctions for Belarus. In addition to the EU regulations, Polish operators are also bound by national sanctions regulations.

The new sanctions package came into force on 1 July 2024, introducing significant changes. They could significantly affect the operations of transport and export companies.

In June 2024, the railways carried nearly 19 million tonnes of freight, an increase of 4.8 per cent compared to June last year. This is equivalent to an additional 0.9 million tonnes of freight transported.

Transport work performed by the railways in June exceeded 5.1 billion tonne-kilometres, an increase of more than 4% year-on-year, or 0.2 billion tonne-kilometres more. The average distance carried per tonne of freight was over 270 kilometres, a slight decrease of less than 2 kilometres compared to June 2023.

Increases seen on a monthly basis

Compared to May, June was better in terms of the weight of freight carried, which increased by 1.5%. Goods train work also increased by around 0.6%. However, the work in service decreased slightly by 0.1 million train-kilometres, and the average distance carried per tonne of freight also decreased by more than 2 kilometres.

Rail services in the first half of 2024

In the first half of 2024, goods trains transported more than 110 million tonnes of goods. Freight work exceeded 29.3 billion tonne-kilometres and operational work reached almost 40.7 million train-kilometres. Compared to the same period in 2023, this is a decrease of 4.6 million tonnes of freight transported, a decrease of 4%.

Positive outlook for the near future

The last two years have been challenging for rail freight, as evidenced by the results for the first half of 2024. June this year saw a significant increase in rail freight. Despite some challenges, the rail sector is showing signs of stabilisation and growth. Rail freight data has been published by the Rail Transport Authority.

Last week, German unions went on strike at the terminals in Hamburg, protests were taken up by port workers in Wilhelmshaven and Bremerhaven. Despite the fact that several days have passed since the protests, their effects are still being felt now. The strike ended after 48 hours, and it will take about a week to decongest the resulting congestion. Strikes in the logistics industry are a major setback, the delivery process to the customer is lengthening and the costs for the extra storage time continue to rise.

Rising costs and waiting times

The average container dwell time at the port is also increasing, with a 9% increase during the strike period, while the average dwell time at other European ports has remained constant. If there are strikes next month as well, delays will accumulate, and be even greater. Meanwhile, the situation in maritime transport is difficult enough without protests. Container transport prices are rising, already reaching $9,000, and transit times are extending to over 50 days.

Strikes at other ports?

The load on medium-sized terminals, hitherto not as heavily used, is also increasing, which puts these terminals and their employees in a new, more difficult situation. – There, too, there are already calls for potential strikes due to huge overloads in relation to previous loads. The terminals in question are those such as Tangier or Le Havre, which carriers use for transhipment to shorten the loop on which ships run.