UPS releases fourth quarter results

UPS, the American international parcel delivery company, published its fourth quarter results yesterday.

The company announced earlier in the month that diluted earnings per share for the quarter would be lower than initially anticipated, owing to bad weather and the need to take on an increased number of personnel due to unprecedented order volumes in the run up to Christmas. In spite of this, 2013 results generally compared favourably with the previous year and UPS have promised even better for 2014.

Revenue for the US domestic package, the largest branch of the company, rose 4.2% to $8.9 billion. The international package climbed 5.3% year-on-year from $3.2 to $3.37 billion while revenue from the Supply Chain & Freight division dropped 5.8%. 

Consolidated revenue for the quarter amounted to almost $15 million, an overall 2.8% increase from 2012's $14.57 billion Q4 turnover.

The fourth quarter's performance provided a good end for the US courier - revenue increased 2.4% to over $55 billion and total operating profit rose to $7,034 billion compared to $1,343 billion in 2012. 

Kurt Kuehn, UPS Chief Financial Officer, said, "While the year ended on a challenging note, we are confident in our ability to adapt and we expect much better results in 2014. UPS expects balanced profitability growth across all segments in a slightly better economic environment, resulting in full-year guidance of diluted earnings per share of $5.05 to $5.30, an 11%-to-16% increase over our 2013 adjusted results."

Asia Pacific airlines reports year-on-year cargo growth

Asia Pacific airlines recently reported a year-on-year growth in freight tonne kilometres for the month of November 2013. Demand increased by 5.4% compared to November 2012, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

The Asia Pacific region constitutes by far the largest proportion of global freight traffic. Increased in demand in Asia Pacific have therefore contributed to the 4.4% increase in global air cargo demand for November reported by IATA this month.

The increase in FTK does not necesarilly indicate that all is rosy for the air cargo sector, however. The average freight load factor remained depress at 67.2% following a 6.1% increase in carrier freight capacity.

AAPA director General, Andrew Herman, commented,  "Air Cargo demand has remained relatively weak, with volumes 0.7% lower compared to the same period last year, but has picked up in recent months in line with steadily improving global economic conditions.

Source: Air Cargo Week

Etihad Cargo reports Q3 growth of 41%

Continuing its recorded growth throughout 2013, Etihad Cargo, the freight division of UAE's national airline Etihad Airways, has recorded a significant surge in volume for the third quarter. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier moved 132,448 tonnes of freight from July-September - a year-on-year increase of 41% compared to 2012.

An Etihad freighter craft

Revenue did not lag far behind volume in terms of performance: the carrier saw year-on-year sales increase by 39% to $244 million. Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Cargo James Hogan commented that the growth "occurred in a climate of increasing capacity and ongoing price competition. It also compensated for the reduced travel during the holy month of Ramadan". 

Taking the year-to-date volume and revenue figures as a whole, cargo handled is up 30% and revenue up 26% compared to 2012. Etihad's success is one illustration of how, in what is globally a challenging time for air freight, the Middle Eastern region is one of the few markets experiencing growth. 

DHL Express Panama receives grade A security certification

The DHL Express hub in Panama recently became the 200^th facility in the world to get ‘A’-security-verified by TAPA (Transported Asset Protection Association).

Image c/o DHL

Since 1997 TAPA’s leading security professionals from the high value and risk product sector worked on streamlining security guidelines which address handling processes and procedures as well as warehousing and transportation standards. 

“Currently, every one of our major global Hubs ad Gateways are all TAPA ‘A’ certified. In addition to our Panama Hub, we recently achieve certification of our new North Asia Hub at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China", announced Adrian Whelan, Senior Vice President an Head of Global Customs at Security at DHL Express at a recent press conference.

20 DHL Express facilities in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and other Americas countries have been TAPA-certified since 2010.

“The TAPA FSR is considered the benchmark security standard that is recognized around the globe. DHL’s multiple FSR certifications, across a variety of markets, highlight their strong global commitment to supply chain security”, said David Wit, Chair at TAPA Americas.

Source: DHL

DHL offers 2,160 apprenticeships in 2013

Deutsche Post DHL is giving away 2,160 apprenticeships to young people across Germany this year. 

Image c/o DHL

The global logistics and courier company has announced that all apprentice positions will be offered across 22 vocational fields and 17 specialties, providing young professionals with the opportunity to expand their skill set.

Angela Titzrath, Board Member for Personnel at Deutsche Post DHL justified the decision as follows: 

"Our most important resource for the future is qualified young people. This is why we invest in vocational training and, in doing so, set an example for the promotion and professional advancement of young people."

Getting into a Deutsche Post DHL division

As one of the largest international courier services providers, Deutsche Post DHL will offer most of the apprenticeships in its mail division. 

• More than 600 applicants will be given the chance to apply for a placement in DHL's freight forwarding, engineering, administration, real estate and warehouse logistics departments. 
• An additional 160 youngsters will be allowed to participate in a work-study programme, combining university studies with work experience.

Any formal and practical training will be carried out in a location close to the applicants residence.

Further information about the programmes, eligibility criteria and salaries can be found on DHL.com/Career.

Source: DHL

Shipping Dangerous Goods

Most of us know that it is forbidden to send dangerous goods such as toxins, explosives or munition via your usual courier service. However, few people are often aware that thermometers, magnets or batteries can also be classified dangerous or hazardous.

What are dangerous goods?

Dangerous or hazardous goods can be anything from solid or liquid to gas. This kind of goods are generally considered to be harmful to others, properties, the environment or animals. The most common types are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, bio hazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic.

Carriers' regulations

Depending on the courier company and carrier you will be using, restrictions may vary. Therefore it is important to check with your chosen courier before you package your shipment. Most UK carriers will not accept dangerous goods on any of their services. Similar applies to prohibited items.

You may be able to ship certain goods with your chosen carrier. However, in most cases, you as the sender will be liable for your shipment.

Sender's responsibilities

As the sender, it will be your responsibility to check that your shipment does not contain anything that could be harmful to others (see "what are dangerous goods").

Since you will be the one packaging your shipment, only you will be aware of its contents - the courier company and carrier will not know what is inside until your shipments reaches the depot. Should anything dangerous be found in your parcel(s), you will be made responsible.

Goods you may not consider hazardous

Did you know that nail varnish, glue or hair curlers are considered "dangerous" in the UK? Even airbags or seat belts for cars full under this term. You may not have had any intentions when you shipped these goods, but the carrier may charge you with a fine and reject your shipments.

In order to avoid scenarios like this one, you should always check back with the restricted items list provided by your chosen courier company.

UPS rates published for 2013

Last Friday, UPS published its new rates for the next year.

The rates for UPS Air and International services increased by 4.5 percent whilst charges for Ground services rose by 4.9 percent.

The change comes after significant increases in UPS' base rates. However, the courier company confirmed that the new rates would not take effect before 31^st December 2012. 

Customers can already download the rate guide from the UPS website.

Book your Parcel Delivery with a German Courier Company

Ever considered trusting a German courier company for your parcel deliveries? Germans are widely known for their high service quality and reliability. In fact, one of the UK’s leading courier companies, Transglobal Express Ltd, opened a subsidiary in Germany.

World-Class Carriers

Transglobal Express GmbH is one of the most dynamic, independent courier companies in Germany. It offers excellent rates for domestic, European and international parcel services provided by renowned carriers such as UPS and DHL Express. 

Multilingual Interfaces

Since the German market is amongst the strongest in the world, languages play a vital part in achieving customer satisfaction. For this reason, TransglobalExpress.de is available in English and German – whichever language you prefer. 

Import & Export

Unlike other German courier companies, Transglobal Express GmbH offers import and export services, so you can send your parcels via a courier to anywhere in the world. All you need is a German residential or commercial address.

Any Questions?

A dedicated team of expert customer service advisors is ready to answer any questions you may have. You can send them via email, call up or log into the live chat.

Free quotes are available on Transglobalexpress.de without having to register first. If you are happy with the prices and transit times, simply register for free and book your parcel delivery.

Unilever and EU commission embark on new sustainability project

Unilever is going to embark on a new project which will see the company introduce new transport management scheme. 

The main goal is to reduce carbon emissions and the impact that Unilever's supply chain network has on European roads. Together with the EU Commission, Unilever plans to establish a new transport hub network across the European continent. It will be co-managed by Unilever's main centre operations centre in Katowice, Poland. 

"This project is a major step forward in the delivery of Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. Reducing the number of kilometres the number of kilometres that our trucks will need to travel will result in a significant reduction in the environmental impact of our supply chain operations. But the business benefits of this initiative are equally important and they demonstrate, once again, the business case for driving sustainability into our business", said Jan Zijderverld, President of Unilever Europe.

Unilever intends to reduce its carbon emission to the same or even below the ones of 2010 by 2020. The project will also see the annual removal of 154,000 truck voyages from the Brussels-Warsaw route and 260,000 between the cities of Berlin and Brussels. 

EU funding will be provided as part of the Marco Polo programme - one of whose main concern is traffic avoidance.

Transglobal Express donates £5k to The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity

Bromborough, 25^th September 2012: Transglobal Express, one of the leading UK courier and freight forwarding companies, has donated £5,000 to The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.

“I believe Clatterbridge provides vital services to people with cancer. My stepfather spent his final weeks in Clatterbridge some years ago suffering from cancer. More recently a close colleague was diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment at the Centre”, said Lawson Archer, Managing Director at Transglobal Express Ltd.

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre focusses on providing outstanding care for approximately 27,000 cancer patients at their centres on the Wirral, a satellite radiotherapy centre in Liverpool and their network of chemotherapy units across Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire. Transglobal Express’ donation will help with the funding of vital research and world-class equipment needed in order to provide support services which would otherwise be unavailable.

Kim Smith, Corporate Fundraising Manager: “Support from businesses in the local community is vital to us. With so many people being touched by cancer, a lot of workplaces will have colleagues, clients, friends or family who may have experienced the work that we carry out. These donations and partnerships make a huge difference and allow us to raise awareness of the centre and charity. We would like to thank Transglobal for this amazing donation that will really help to make a huge difference.”

Transglobal Express proactively supports local and international charitable organisations such as 3^rd World Hope and most recently, The Bowel Movement. For further information about how to donate to The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, please visit www.clatterbridgecc.org.uk.

- End -

Media Contact

Transglobal Express – PR & Media
Miriam Sauter

Tel.: +44 (0) 845 145 1212 

Email: miriam.sauter@transglobalexpress.co.uk

Internet: www.transglobalexpress.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/transglobalexpr

Company Profile

Transglobal Express is one of the UK’s leading independent freight forwarders. Since its incorporation in 1993, Transglobal Express has gained an excellent reputation for our high quality air freight, sea freight and international courier services. We aim to provide value for money, worldwide delivery services through a range of top carriers.

For more information: www.transglobalexpress.co.uk

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International Air Freight Market Remains Low // Travel Grows

The international air freight market continues to decline as recently confirmed by the Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Weak export markets forced a decline of 5.1% FTKs in July alone with freight capacities dramatically decreasing by 5%.  

International passenger traffic, however, grew by an impressive 3.2% RPKs especially on short regional routes with seat capacities increasing by 3.5%. One of Asia’s major airlines, Asia-Pacific, reported an international passenger capacity number of 18.5 million for July 2012.

AAPA DG Andrew Herman said that “Asia-Pacific airlines registered an impressive 8.1% increase in the number of international passengers carried during the first seven months of the year. (…) However, international air cargo demand fell by 4.4% during the same period”.

The current international air freight load factor remains low with an average of 67.2%.

Sources: atwonline.com / thehandyshippinguide.com

Qantas announces Star Track Express sale

Qantas, one of Australia’s leading air freight carriers, has confirmed plans to give away its 50 percent stake in the trucking business, Star Track Express.

Image c/o startrackexpress.com.au

According to Analytiqa.com, Star Track failed to increase its net growth. Moreover, Alan Joyce, Chief Executive of Qantas, stated that the air freight forwarder would no longer be focussed on trucking as a central business arm.

If Qantas went forward with the sale, it could gain a potential sum of US$ 304 million. Speculations about the company selling off Australian Air Express were confirmed untruthful.

Source: Analytiqa.com

Parcel delivery unsuccessful - what's next?

What happens if the delivery of your parcel wasn't successful? 

If the courier driver has attempted to deliver your parcel three times without being successful, it will be held in the local depot. It is important to keep in mind that this practice may differ depending on the country your sending to and on the carrier transporting your shipment.

Normally you should receive a notification card from the driver telling you to contact the depot, arrange to go there and collect your shipment. 

What's next though?

First of all, don't panic! If you forgot to collect your parcel or have not received a notification card, you can still get it back.

Tip: Keep hold of your tracking number and the contact details of your courier / carrier, so you will able to ring them personally and ask where to collect your parcel from. Before sending anything, make sure to check the collection and delivery times for your courier service.

Your parcel(s) will be put into storage at your carrier's local depot for an average time of 3 to 14 days.

Image c/o DHL

Should you fail to collect your parcel(s) within this time period, they may be processed for a return back to the sender - who may liable to pay for any additional surcharges.

In worst case scenario, your shipment may be abandoned.

DHL Break Bulk Express opens up new revenue stream for DHL Express Russia

Last week, DHL Russia introduced its new import service, DHL Break Bulk Express. DHL Express announced that it will offer customers a single customs clearance and tax payment process for parcels from Russia. The new DHL express delivery service is going to available for any shipments going to countries outside of Russia.

“As one of the biggest customs brokers in Russia, we always aim at improving our service. Most of the shipments imported by DHL Express are cleared within one hour of the aircraft landing”, confirmed Elena Emelyanova, DHL Express Russia.

In future, customers will also benefit from minimised warehousing costs. This is due to the fact of DHL having implemented this parcel delivery service which will transport consignments to the receivers as soon as customs have cleared them.

DHL Express Russia also mentioned that it may give discounted rates to first-time import customers.

Sources: DHL.ru, postandparcel.info

Korean air freighter reports net loss of $158.48 billion for Q2

The air freight carrier, Korean Air Lines, recently repoted a net loss of $ 158.48 billion for the second quarter of 2012, marking a dramatic shift from a net profit of 21 billion won in 2011.

Image c/o latestpilotjobs.com

A company spokesperson said that "a weaker won drove up the value of dollar-denominated debts, which left the company with foreign exchange translation losses worth $ 136 billion won [in the second quarter]."

With regards to profit, Korea's second largest air freight company made an operational profit of $ 128.48 billion with sales rising up to 11 percent. 

"Increased outbound demand on long-haul routes to Europe and the U.S. decreased jet fuel proces helped buoy the second-quarter operating profit."

Source: online.wsj.com

Can you collect my parcel from my home address?

Most courier companies carry out parcel collections from the sender’s home address. In fact, this is a very convenient, popular alternative to queuing up in the post office.

However, there are a few points which you should consider before booking a home collection with the courier company of your choice.

1. Labelling

Always ensure that your parcel has the label and packing list attached to the outside packaging. If you send multiple parcels, each of them has to have these two items. This is a simply way of ensuring that none of your parcels get lost or put together with a different shipment.

2. Be at home!

Somebody needs to be available for the hours of your requested collection also known as “ready-time”.  If you know in advance that you will not be at home, ask a neighbour or a friend to cover for you and to hand the parcels over to the driver.  

3. What if my parcel does not get collected?

Should your parcel collection fail, always ring the courier service with whom you booked and ask them to arrange a second collection. Sometimes a driver may leave a notification card, so remember to check your letterbox. 

Depending on the carrier, a failed collection surcharge may still apply. Also be aware that some carriers may only attempt to collect your parcel for a limited number of times.

4. Re-arranging your parcel collection

If you would like to re-arrange your collection because you cannot make the original date, get in touch with courier company and ask for a re-booking. Collections will usually be carried out during the weekend and not on the weekend. Have this in mind when asking for a new date.

Have your parcel collected by a fast, cost-efficient and reliable courier service. Visit TransglobalPremium.co.uk and get a free, no-obligation quote.

Lufthansa Cargo's air freight volume plummets

The German Lufthansa Cargo is losing air freight volume faster than its competitors.  
Last May, the volume was down by 12.3 percent compared to the same time last year. A continuing trend that also left its mark on overall performance. In fact, Lufthansa Cargo carried 713,000 tonnes this year; 10.2 percent less than in 2011.

Image c/o mediabase.lufthansa.com

In order to stay profitable, the air cargo company has decided to cut it capacities and resist the challenges of the current market. According to Air Cargo Week, the decreasing volume is a result of the night-flying ban which was imposed on Lufthansa Cargo’s hub at Frankfurt am Main airport last year.

There may be an increase in volume in the second half of this year but nothing is certain.

Source: ACW, The Journal of Commerce

New air cargo security pact between Europe and USA announced

The Association of European Airlines (AAE) recently confirmed plans for an EU-US air cargo security pact. The new agreement is supposed to simplify the transatlantic transport of air cargo shipments.

Before the agreement, both, the EU and USA, obtained two individual sets of guidelines, which caused problems amongst many European airlines shipping air cargo to the USA as Margreet Lommerts, Manager for Security and Cargo at AEA, explained:

“From today, the US Transport Security Administration (TSA) and the European Commission will recognise each other’s air cargo security measures as equal to their own. This will eliminate duplication, cut equipment costs and reduce the administrative burden for our member airlines.”

During the last few months, the USA as well as numerous EU-member states had already agreed to the new air cargo rule set over the last few months. In future, a joint European agreement is supposed to replace these individual arrangements. 

Source: AEA

IMT facility to replace 1.2 million trucks with sea freight services

Soon Australia will be able to pride itself with, yet, another great sea freight facility, the Morebank Intermodal Terminal (IMT). In 2017 the IMT is said to receive its first ocean freight shipments.

Not only is the new facility going to cope with approximately 1 million containers per annum, but it also going to incorporate environmental safety and sustainability in its operations. Once up and running the IMT sea freight terminal is supposed to replace 1.2 million trucks.

Those trucks usually transport freight on Sydney’s roads. However, they are going to be replaced with the IMT’s new freight forwarding and connected rail services. In fact, last mentioned will transport the goods directly to the terminal.

By the end of 2014, the School of Military Engineering (SME) will be located to a new facility near Holsworthy Barracks in order to make room for the Morebank Intermodal Terminal.

Any interested freight forwarders, logistics groups or construction companies are invited to join the next IMT meeting on 21^st May. (For further information, please contact Rebecca Drescher-Boulos – rdrescherkpmg.com.au.)

Source: handyshippingguide.com / finance.gov.au

DPD offer special courier service to Russian online shoppers

From now every distant-selling company will be able to ship its parcels from Russia via DPD courier services.

As a response to the rapidly growing eCommerce sector, DPD decided to update its “DPD Consumer” industry solution which can be used in over 3000 Russian towns and cities. 2600 out of these 3000 cities have the option to pay cash on delivery.

By offering this updated parcel service solution, DPD hope to encourage more users of online stores to use their services as well as to provide them with sufficient delivery information.

Leonid Zondberg, Commercial Director of DPD Russia, said that “[DPD was] aware that the logistics component is a key factor of success for an online store".

According to recent stats, an estimated 70 percent of residents living in major cities use online stores up to four times a month.

If you intend to send parcels to Russia and would like to take advantage of highly discounted rates with DPD and other major courier company, please visit TransglobalExpress.co.uk.

Source: DPD / Transglobal Express