Your company has a shipment of 8 pallets with car parts that need to be transported from China to France. Normally the logistics team uses sea transport, but shipping routes have changed because of the current situation. Due to the rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, the transit times to Europe increased on average by 30%, and also the shipping costs are rising. As the goods need to arrive on time, alternative transport modes are being considered.
Air freight emerges as the only transportation mode for this shipment to reach its destination on time. What type of time-sensitive air freight solutions are available and which steps should be taken to arrange the air freight?

Type of Air freight services

In certain critical situations, special air freight services can be the most viable and reliable mode of transport. When seeking time-sensitive air freight solutions, it is crucial to identify the service that best aligns with your company’s specific requirements. We specialize in three distinct types of air freight services handling special goods and time-critical deliveries.

Air Charter

With an air charter, an entire aircraft is exclusively rented to transport goods that require customized air freight services. This is different from a normal air freight shipment that can consist of goods from multiple companies.  Air charter provides maximum flexibility in scheduling, routing, and loading. It provides solutions for organizations that need to ship sensitive goods ( e.g. medicines, exclusive spare parts) or with limited route schedules to a remote location.

When to use an Air Charter?

It is mainly interesting for goods that have a high financial impact if not delivered in time. For example, if a car component for a production line is delayed, it can have a high financial impact when production needs to stop.  In such emergency situations, the cargo’s schedule must exactly align with the charterer’s requirements. 

Air charters can offer a cost-effective solution for transporting specific types of cargo that may not be feasible with traditional air cargo services. This includes large, heavy, or high-value items, as well as goods that require specialized handling or equipment. While air freight services are generally pricier compared to sea or road transportation, the overall cost can be balanced out through savings in areas like insurance and logistics maintenance.

Next Flight Out

As the name already suggests, Next Flight Out (NFO) is an express air freight service. In emergency situations time-critical goods will be dispatched onto the next outbound flight that is heading out to its destination. It is a premium service whereby the air freight team searches for the fastest route for the shipment. 

The difference between Next Flight Out and Air Charter is that with NFO, they will make use of scheduled flights. While with Air Charter, the flight is scheduled according to the exact needs of the company that needs to ship its goods.

Opting for Next Flight Out

Businesses in different industries sometimes have to make use of NFO. Not only for medical supplies, but also to keep production lines running, avoiding downtime. Manufacturers that miss the delivery deadline, make use of NFO to send the critical components over. When using this service, the components are picked up, and placed onto the next available flight without delay. A door-to-door service can be added to get the components to their end destination.

A car manufacturer that usually ships its pallets via Sea transport from China to the United Kingdom, was experiencing serious shipment delays due to the current Red Sea conflict. The company consulted us for Air freight solutions to make sure the car parts arrived on time at the factory, avoiding costly production stops.

On-Board-Courier

An On Board Courier (OBC), or similar used terms  such as ‘Hand Carry Service’ or ‘Personal Courier Service’, is used for the secure and fast delivery in person of high-value items or time-sensitive goods to its final destination. It mostly concerns small packages and parcels. An experienced transport team connects all stakeholders involved and arranges all necessary steps: from trustworthy courier, ticketing to airlines, customs brokers and the final mile. A dedicated courier will personally accompany the goods, ensuring safety and timely delivery. An OBC can hand-carry the cargo as a passenger on a commercial airline, ensuring a safe and unbroken chain of custody. The customs clearance process is done on priority. 

This service is not only used by the fashion industry for luxury goods but in fact, it is used for a wide range of goods, including intellectual Property documentation, medical supplies, and manufacturing components.

Considering OBC Service?

In a nutshell, OBC can be considered for time-sensitive or high-value goods that require special handling and urgent delivery. Items such as samples, prototypes, confidential documents, or supplies that require personal supervision and secure handling. Our transport team keeps the customer well-informed via real-time tracking.

OBC services do have restrictions on the dimensions and type of cargo they can handle due to safety regulations and air travel. The limitations depend on the luggage regulations per airline and should be checked per OBC request. Also the destination, and any other regulatory requirements may impact the limitations for goods. In general, 1 item cannot exceed the maximum weight of 32 kgs.

Obviously, dangerous goods and items containing any hazardous materials or liquids are not allowed. Common commodities being shipped via OBC can be aerospace parts, electronics, documents and automotive components.

A recent OBC shipment we took care of was for a manufacturer of cooling fans.

The business needed to transport 3 boxes of 12 KG each with spare parts from a specific location in Lithuania to their factory in Germany. Pickup and delivery needed to be done within a specific time frame and under high-security conditions.

Our Time-Sensitive Air Freight Solutions

Our well-trained team of air freight experts has a strong worldwide network and is connected to 300 airlines in over 120 countries. They know their way with general cargo but also specialize in express solutions for pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, and perishables. If your company would like to know more about our air freight solutions or desire a tailored quote, please get in contact. We are happy to support you, 24/7.
Read more about air freight here.

Spot shipping, spot-buy freight,  spot rates, spot freight market… you may have come across and read about these logistic terms.
Spot shipping is when a shipper (any company that needs to have goods transported from point A to point B) books freight transportation on a one-time basis without a long-term contract. The shipper receives a so-called “on the spot” price from a carrier or other logistic service provider to transport the goods.

Unlike contract freight, spot freight is not arranged via a fixed rate, contracted volume or lane over a set period of time. Also the type of freight can be different each time. Next to different types of freight, also the rates for spot shipments can change daily as they are based upon market conditions.

In the spot market, rates have little to no contractual obligations for both shipper and carrier. For contract rates, the pricing is more stable as it is fixed over a period of time for an agreed freight volume, lane, and vehicle. So it may seem that contract shipping is better, as companies may agree on a good deal. But this is certainly not always the case.
Although the spot market is more volatile due to numerous factors, it can be more suitable or cheaper than contracted rates in several situations.

When to use Spot shipping

In what type of situations do companies consider spot shipping? Is it only for smaller companies that cannot reach the minimum freight load for contract rates? And what if your organization already has a contractual agreement? Can you make use of spot shipments in a hybrid mode?

1. Seasonal demand

If your company experiences fluctuations in shipping demand due to seasonal factors, capacity availability is key.

In many sectors, the demand is irregular and so is the need for transport capacity. In addition, the volume difference can be unpredictable, especially for businesses that deal with peak seasons. In this case, spot shipping can be ideal. Companies can adapt the transport capacity needed per shipment, and select the right vehicle type and lane. This way, they can save resources during low season and they don’t need to comply with a certain freight volume.

Benefit: Meet increased demand during peak seasons without committing to long-term contracts nor minimum freight volumes.

2. Urgent or customized transport

For exceptional or time-critical shipments spot shipping can offer a pay-as-you-go approach. Interesting for logistic needs that are not part of the contracted agreement. 

No business can predict all its logistics needs all the time, hence time-critical or exceptional shipments can occur. Many companies use a hybrid mode, in which they arrange spot shipments next to their contracted lanes. Spot freight is chosen to arrange a fast, dedicated solution within a day or even within hours. Especially for high-value goods you may require specific transportation modes, routes or carriers that fall outside of the contracted agreement. With spot shipping, they don’t need to set up a whole contract for sporadic deliveries.

Benefit: Flexibility to transport goods fast, secured and easy outside of the contract agreement.

3. Cost optimization

Dedicated routes can be expensive for irregular or short-term projects. And in certain market conditions, spot rates can be more beneficial.
It is a common perception that spot shipping is by default more expensive than contract freights. But this is not always the case. As spot rates are determined by many factors in the market and are very volatile, it can also happen that spot rates are cheaper than contracted rates. In a recent report shared by the IRU, the spot rates fell below the contracted rates in Quarter 3 2023. With spot rates, you can compare prices in real-time, and choose the option you like best.

Benefit: Compare prices and capacity in real-time and choose the best rate.

How to arrange your spot shipments in Europe

Select the right shipping partner

Experience and reliability are key in selecting a shipping partner for spot freight. It is an inefficient process for a company to check carriers for spot business one by one.  Therefore it needs to be arranged via a trustworthy shipper partner that can do the work for them.

Whether it is domestic transport or international, it’s crucial to use a shipping partner that has experience and a proven track record. Especially for high-value, urgent and customized delivery, a shipping partner must be able to act quickly and accordingly. Redspher, with over 40 years of experience in time-sensitive shipments has an extensive network of over 15,000 vetted carriers. Convenient services for spot freight shipping are offered:

> Digital Marketplace: for shippers to procure from compliant vendors, ensure the best solution and manage budgets and approvals.

> Digital platform Shipper Portal: find, compare, and book reliable spot solutions within minutes. 

> Freight forwarding services: experienced transport team for personal, tailored assistance.

The German Federal Government is planning to expand the road toll by introducing a CO₂ emissions tax. This will come into force on Dec 1, 2023. The purpose of this tax is to reduce CO₂  emissions in the long term and to accelerate the adoption to more climate-friendly driving technologies in the transport sector.

According to the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the changes in the toll law are expected to result in additional annual costs of around €7.62 billion for the German economy, taking into account that the coalition agreement stipulated the avoidance of a double burden through the CO₂ price.

What type of costs will be part of the CO₂ emissions tax?

A CO₂ toll is expected to be introduced in Germany from December 1, 2023, based on the vehicles’ CO₂ emissions. An additional partial toll rate of 200 euros per ton of CO₂ will be charged. This means that vehicles that emit more CO₂ will have to pay higher tolls. Emission-free trucks will be exempt from the toll until the end of 2025. The exact toll rates vary depending on vehicle type and size, emission class and the type of road being driven on.

The toll is made up of the following four components: 

For example, the toll rate for a vehicle in the Euro 6 emission class with an axle and weight class of more than 18 tons and up to 3 axles is 30.50 cents per kilometer. This is made up of 2.2 cents for air pollution, 1.6 cents for noise pollution, 14.3 cents for infrastructure and 12.4 cents for CO₂ emissions.

To provide a concise illustration of the effects of the toll increase, see below example with a route from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen to Hamburg. The route covers a total of 660.1 km. If we consider a semi trailer truck with 5 axles, a total weight of up to 40 tons and emission class Euro 6, the following picture emerges: the current toll costs are 125.45 euros. The expected “new” toll costs as of December are 229.77 euros.

This corresponds to an increase of an impressive 83.2%. This example illustrates the significant additional financial burden that transport companies will face. For more environmentally friendly vehicles that are better than the Euro 6 standard, the toll rates are significantly lower. For example, a G5 category vehicle with more than 18 tons and up to 3 axles pays only 5.20 cents per kilometer, with the cost of CO₂ emissions set at 0 cents.

This cost factor is intended to create an incentive to purchase environmentally friendly vehicles. A detailed overview of the toll rates from December 1, 2023 can be found in this document: Toll rates from 01.12.23.

What are the changes in detail?

Introduction of the CO₂ toll: From December 2023, a new tariff feature will be introduced, the CO₂ emission classes. For each ton of CO₂ emitted by a truck, a surcharge of €200 will be levied. This means that all vehicles with a technically permissible total mass of more than 7.5 tons will have to pay a partial toll rate for CO₂ emissions in addition to the existing toll.

Exemptions from the CO₂ toll: Emission-free heavy-duty vehicles are exempt from the toll until December 31, 2025. After that, they are to pay a toll rate reduced by 75 percent.

Change in weight class: With the introduction of CO₂ emission classes, the basis for assignment to a weight class changes. Previously, the maximum permissible gross weight was used, but now the technically permissible gross weight of the truck and, if applicable, the trailer is used. This means that vehicles can fall into a higher weight class than before.

Toll obligation for natural gas-powered vehicles: From January 1, 2024, vehicles powered by natural gas (CNG/LNG) will be subject to tolls according to a classification into pollutant classes, similar to vehicles powered by diesel. The current toll exemption will therefore continue to apply until December 31, 2023.

Truck tolls for vehicles of 3.5 tons and over: From July 1, 2024, all vehicles with a technically permissible total mass of more than 3.5 tons will have to pay tolls for the use of federal highways.

Exceptions apply to zero-emission vehicles with a technically permissible total mass of up to 4.25 tons. These are permanently exempt from the toll. Similarly, so-called craftsmen’s vehicles with a technically permissible total mass of less than 7.5 tons are exempt from the toll.

What revenues does the German government expect?

With the new toll rates, toll revenues of more than 71 billion euros are expected by Dec. 1, 2027. Truck tolls have been levied on federal highways in Germany since 2005. In several stages, the toll was extended to all federal highways and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 7.5 tons or more. In 2022, revenue from the truck toll amounted to around 7.4 billion euros.
The use of the toll revenue is also being reorganised. Half of the toll revenue will continue to be reserved for improving the transport infrastructure for federal highways. The remainder may and will now be allocated to mobility in general and to railways.

As the name suggests, air freight includes all goods that are transported through airspace. In terms of the weight of the transported goods, air freight has a very low importance with a share of about 1%. However, when looking at the value of goods, this share is around 40%, which is due to the fact that air freight traffic is concentrated on particularly high-value, low-weight goods.

Type of goods for air freight

Typical air cargo items are mostly valuable items, very urgent spare parts and time-sensitive shipments, goods with short product cycles and products where fast market penetration is of enormous importance. In the event of a disaster, fast action is required. For this reason, relief goods are often sent by airfreight to the relevant crisis areas so that they reach those affected as quickly as possible.

When to choose air freight

When choosing the right mode of transportation, it is essential to weigh costs, transit time, and reliability.  Air freight is particularly popular for time-sensitive and temperature-sensitive goods. To ensure continuous availability even when demand suddenly increases, more and more companies are opting for air transportation.

Advantages

• Speed on medium and long haul routes 
• Reliability, because flight schedules are strictly adhered to
• Security, because there is relatively little transport damage and theft

Disadvantages of air freight

• Costly compared to ground transportation
• Location-dependent because transportation is tied to airports
• Pre- and on-carriage to and from the airport must be organized

Forms of air freight

Belly Freight means that air cargo is carried by normal passenger aircraft in the lower decks of the aircraft. This applies to approximately 85% of the air cargo volume.

Freighter-only, on the other hand, is a cargo-only aircraft that carries only cargo. This applies to about 15% of the air cargo volume. Cargo-only aircraft have the advantage of offering more space and capacity than passenger aircraft. This means that exceptionally large and bulky shipments can also be transported.

What to consider for air freight as a shipper

The transportation of air cargo is associated with strict regulations and guidelines. In order to avoid unnecessary delays in customs clearance and to ensure smooth handling, the shipper should have prepared and provided all necessary paperwork.

The most important documents in air freight include:

• Air Waybill: the air waybill must be prepared according to IATA guidelines and is internationally recognized as the sole accompanying document.
• House Air Waybill (HAWB): on receiving the goods from the shipper, this document is issued by the freight forwarder to deliver the goods as agreed upon in the terms. It outlines the specifics of the individual shipments within the consolidated cargo.
• Master-Air Waybill (MAWB): upon receiving the shipment, as specified in the shipping terms, the carrier issues a document to the freight forwarder, confirming their agreement to deliver the shipment to the designated location.
• Dangerous goods shipper’s declaration (DGD): key document necessary when sending dangerous goods.
• Commercial invoice: bill for the goods from the seller to the buyer.
• Packing List: provides a detailed overview of the contents of the shipment.
• Other accompanying documents depending on the regulations of the respective countries.

Redspher – above the clouds for you

Benefit from over 40 years of expertise in handling time-critical shipments. We set everything in motion for you! Find out more about the type of air solutions here.

Our team of transport experts is also available to you at any time, around the clock. Get in touch with us, we look forward to hearing from you and are ready to assist you in word and deed. 

Contact our air freight experts here

What is digital freight forwarding?

Digital freight forwarding is the practice of coordinating and controlling the shipment of goods using digital technologies. By automating involved tasks, digital freight forwarders are able to offer a more efficient and cost-effective service to shippers. Companies that need to ship goods, whether it is a regular shipment or urgent, can manage the entire booking process by themselves. They can get a view of the available loading capacity without the need of a third party. Shippers insert their transport request, receive solutions and prices within minutes, and instantly select and book the best solution.

Difference between traditional and digital freight forwarding

The main difference between traditional and digital freight forwarders is their way of interacting with both shippers and carriers. Traditional freight forwarders act as a middleman between shippers and carriers. They mainly use phone calls and emails to communicate shipment quotations, bookings and status updates. The freight forwarder compares quotations of carriers and offers the best one to the shipper. This process can be time-consuming and more prone to error. When the shipper agrees upon the quotation, the freight forwarder needs to react fast to book the transport solution. Next to that, traditional freight forwarders often rely on the manual process of creating freight documents.

Digital freight forwarders use technology to deliver a seamless customer experience and to optimize business operations. By eliminating the need for intermediaries and automating manual processes, shippers can interact directly with carriers. This enables faster and more efficient operations. Digital software systems such as freight forwarding platforms offer instant quoting, transparent pricing, and online booking. In addition, these digital tools often offer automated documentation, visibility on real-time capacity and shipment tracking. Shippers and carriers can upload and share all documents on one single cloud-based platform, providing easy access for all stakeholders.

What are the benefits of digital freight forwarding?

Digital freight forwarding can be faster and more efficient than traditional freight forwarding, and less prone to errors:

• Efficiency & fast response time: by automating the freight forwarding process can help reduce time to request, book and track shipments, as well as integrating financial systems. Quicker quoting processes, seamless documentation handling and automated invoicing improves efficiency.
• Cost reduction: less need for manual labor and time can save on labor costs. Also switching to electronic documentation and invoicing can contribute to a cost reduction.
• Customer service: be able to provide real-time and up-to-date information to end-customers about their shipments 24/7. It provides transparency in available solutions and prices.
• Visibility: real-time tracking information improves the visibility of each shipment. The shipper stays informed about each stage of the transport. The recorded data can be used for reporting and business analytics. Analyzing data can provide valuable insights for better forecasting.

Digital freight forwarding in time-sensitive delivery

When it comes to urgent and unforeseen transport needs, speed and reactivity are crucial.A digital freight forwarding platform can support shippers and carriers in overcoming logistic disruptions. If you’re looking for a digital freight forwarding platform that is specialized in handling time-sensitive shipments, check out our Shipper Portal. With over 40 years of transport experience we’ve developed a seamless platform that adapts to the custom needs of your shipments. Feel free to contact us, we’re happy to provide you with a short demo and answer any questions you might have.

Businesses and nations are looking for ways to become more resilient and secure their supply chains. The global disruptions of the past 2 years shows the fragility of offshoring. From semiconductors, to farming materials and food supplies, shortages affected all industries. In an attempt to prioritize supply chain resilience over costs, many corporations are looking into reshoring: nearshoring and friend-shoring. What do these terms imply, and will these fix the weaknesses in the supply chains?

Offshoring

It all started with offshoring in the 1960s by which companies started to transfer the operating activities (mainly manufacturing) to other countries or overseas. With this business operations model, corporations moved partly or completely their operations abroad in order to reduce costs and increase profit margins. The reason to offshore was mainly because of lower labor costs (access to larger workforce), closer proximity to raw materials and more favorable government and regulatory policies. This was the start of economic globalization in which businesses produced and bought products where costs were low. And in a world where goods can be moved faster and cheaper. Will the opposite now be set in motion due to the numerous supply chain disruptions that occurred in the past 2,5 years?

The mentioned disruptions have shown the disadvantages of offshoring – with long and complex supply chains. In order to overcome these vulnerabilities, many businesses as well as governments are trying to regain resilience via policies, incentives and by reviewing current processes. According to an article by Deloitte many businesses are looking into reshoring their critical supply chains.

What is Reshoring?

Reshoring is also known as nearshoring, inshoring and backshoring. It is the opposite of offshoring. Reshoring emerged as an alternative strategy for companies by bringing operations back or close to the core country – shortening their supply chain and mitigating risks. Shorter supply chains are easier to manage and more durable. Bringing at least part of the manufacturing back home or changing to local suppliers provides more flexibility and control. Companies are eager to increase their resilience, even if it lowers efficiency.
But not all supply chains can be reshored. For example, critical scarce resources that can only be sourced at a few locations in the world, such as lithium for batteries of electric vehicles. Or specialized knowledge and equipment for manufacturing semiconductors. And some industries are just too complex to replicate locally, such as electronics.

Friend-shoring

It is important to mitigate risks of supply chain cuts from single source countries and rebuild strategic relationships. Therefore nations seek to establish a network of trusted suppliers from friendly and stable countries (with similarity in strategic and geopolitical interests) called “friend-shoring”. By completing national supply chains with a diverse set of trusted international suppliers, nations can improve their resilience. According to an article of the Wall Street Journal countries around the world are looking for friendly supply routes. It is described as “a new kind of global trade, one that confines commerce to a circle of trusted nations”.

Are reshoring and friend-shoring the solution?

In general, changes in supply chains happen continuously. According to an article of ING, the past global events show a trend towards more self-sufficiency. Also the recent regulations, such as the Supply chain due diligence act prepared by the EU, seems to favor the concept of friend-shoring.

However, in general there seems to be a shift towards supply diversification. It has become more important to extend the amount of suppliers in different countries for security reasons. Even if it implies more costs and losing competitive advantage. 

According to the ING, there will be more self-sufficiency initiatives taken in Europe and the US for risk reduction and diversification, mainly in strategic sectors. Supply shifts from China to other Asian countries are occurring, as well as more inventory building strategies relating to the “just-in-case-model”.

What can companies do next to diversifying their suppliers?

Companies and governments can take the following steps to build resilience:

• Collect supply chain data:  gather and monitor data of your supply chain from beginning to the end to improve visibility. Evaluate the suppliers from the sourcing of raw materials until the end product or service.  This overview will help you to expose where possible weak spots lie and makes it easier to take precautionary actions. 
• Make use of multiple transport suppliers to spread the risk and secure flexibility. Cover both your regular transport needs as well as your  time-sensitive shipments. Make use of specialized time-critical transport services.
• Embrace digital platforms: to assist in digital and real-time monitoring and transparency. Digital platforms enable you to search and compare the available transport solutions in real-time. At the same time,  you can collect relevant data on your past shipments creating transparency and full visibility.
• Just-in-case inventory management: build up precautionary stocks or diversify suppliers to be prepared for times of scarcity and disruptions.  

If you are looking for an easy to use digital platform that allows you to find, compare and track transport suppliers, please check out the services of our Shipper Portal. The platform provides visibility and flexibility for your supply chain, regardless of changing strategies or global developments.

In today’s freight world, tracking and tracing is the standard norm to create real-time visibility. 

To ensure tracking compliance European drivers are requested to download a lot of different tracking apps. This can result in lower adoption rates and usage because the installation, registration and onboarding can be time-consuming. Rubiwin, the carrier platform of Redspher, was looking for a user-friendly alternative for drivers and carriers to ensure 100% tracking compliance.

Rubiwin has found the perfect solution and is happy to announce its partnership with ZeKju.

ZeKju offers a digital, app-free and GDPR compliant tracking solution with a high degree of flexibility. It connects perfectly with popular and widely used messenger apps such as Telegram, Viber and WhatsApp. The technology eliminates the need for drivers to install another tracking app on their phone or any additional software for dispatchers.

ZeKju makes it very easy for drivers to adopt and start using the GPS tracking in a fast and efficient way. Via their favorite messenger, they can easily share their exact location, communicate via chat and share digitally images of transport documents. 

Especially for carriers without proper telematics systems, they can now automatically communicate their position via the application.  All information is routed via secure ZeKju servers to safeguard data privacy management and data security. The ZeKju solution contributes to the end-to-end digitalization process of the Redspher platform. E.g. digital transmissions of transport documents can be arranged directly from the driver towards the Rubiwin carrier platform.

Tim Moonen, Fleet Manager at Rubiwin states:“With ZeKju, we are now able to offer an app-free tracking solution to our carriers and drivers, next to our apps Easy2Trace and Shippeo.  ZeKju is very easy to implement, and the driver has full control over it. At the same time, this key solution contributes to achieving a complete real-time tracking view.” 

ZeKju is fully integrated into the TMS system of Rubiwin, creating a seamless user experience for the dispatchers of Redspher.

Co-founder of ZeKju, Max-Alexander Borreck comments:“We are very happy to work with Redspher! From day 1 onwards, the Redspher team was convinced of ZeKju’s vision of an app-free transport execution digitalization. Together, we have developed a solution that will help close visibility gaps for the customers of Redspher”. 

76% increase in digital transactions in Q1 2022 compared to 2021

Promoted to CEO of Redspher in the midst of the pandemic crisis, Jean-François Collenot has had to face many other challenges, be they economic, geopolitical or environmental. In this portrait, he emphasizes that Redspher’s resilience lies in its proactivity. Indeed, since 2015, the company has been able to focus on digitalization while integrating ecological issues. An adaptability that makes it today the most fluid time-sensitive delivery platform in Europe.

A logistics specialist at the helm of the executive

The appointment of Jean-François Collenot to the position of CEO of Redspher in November 2020 came as a high point in the career of this logistics expert. Indeed, Jean-François Collenot has always worked in the transport sector with an experience of more than twenty years in the field. 

He started at the end of the 1990s as a Manager at Taxicolis, then a leader in personalized urgent transport. For this group, he was in charge of the Chronopost entity as Regional Manager for the South of France. 

In 2008, when Taxicolis was acquired by Flash (renamed Redspher in 2018) in the midst of the global economic recession, Philippe Higelin, President and Founder of Redspher, appointed him Operational Manager of Taxicolis to manage the integration of the entity into the group and to manage the transition. 

For thirteen years, Jean-François Collenot was successively within the Redspher group as Country Manager France, then Managing Director of the Automotive and Industry sector for Europe and finally Managing Director of Flash for all sectors. 

His appointment in November 2020 as CEO of Redspher splits the group’s decisions into two parts: on the one hand, Philippe Higelin focuses on the strategic aspect; on the other hand, Jean-François Collenot takes care of the executive part.

A proactive vision of the logistics market trend

Jean-François Collenot has been confronted with many crises during his first years in office in addition to the Covid-19 crisis, such as the shortage of electronic components and cables, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the increase in fuel prices. However, Redspher did not wait for the crises to anticipate developments in the sector. As early as 2015, Redspher was already setting up a platform because the company was aware of the importance of digital technology for its international development ambitions. Today, 80% of orders are placed via the platform, and 50% of shipments put the shipper directly in contact with the carrier without any intervention from Redspher teams. 

Redspher’s main ambition is to become a leading company in the “time sensitive” ecosystem, i.e. to succeed in managing emergencies upstream and downstream of production, in complete confidence and transparency. This ambition is made possible by constant investment: 6% of Redspher’s net income is reinvested in Research & Development each year.

“My extensive experience in the logistics sector and my gradual evolution within the Redspher group have enabled me to deal effectively with the various crises the group has faced. However, we always keep in mind the importance of anticipating the evolutions of the sector, to lead our colleagues towards solutions more adapted to the new expectations of the carriers and shippers while having a high level of requirement of respect of the environment”Jean-François Collenot, CEO of Redspher

Environment and digitalization at the heart of the group’s strategy

In the face of today’s global supply chain challenges, the increasing digitalization of the logistics and transportation industry is giving shippers more transparency and visibility into their processes, costs and enabling them to become more resilient. This digital push is resulting in a sharp increase in digital requests and bookings for spot market shipments. 

On its digital platform, Redspher is seeing strong growth in traffic with:

• A 76% increase in transactions in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 last year
• A 21% increase in activity compared to the 4th quarter of 2021 with customers using its platform, despite the difficult economic context.

Accessible at any time, Redspher’s Shipper Portal allows shippers to indicate their shipping needs in a few minutes and receive solutions from carriers all over Europe in a very short time. In addition, they have real-time access to their transport data and the status of their shipments. At the same time, the platform on the carrier side allows carriers to offer their fleet to shipment requests matching their location and vehicles. This allows carriers and drivers to optimize their fleet capacity and avoid empty miles.

To guarantee and secure digital transactions on its platform, Redspher offers its customers and carriers:

• Real-time access to the largest transport capacity in Europe.
• Fast, efficient and transparent overview of shipping options.
• Real-time tracking and tracing of shipments

In addition to the digitalization of the sector, sustainability is a major strategic pillar for the group. With multiple certifications (ISO 14001:2015, 3rd star in the Lean & Green program and Ecovadis gold medal) the company has launched a wide range of initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of its teams but also to engage carriers on the path of ecological transition. This strategy at various levels has enabled it to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its activity by more than 25% between 2017 and 2019. Very focused on reducing the impact of last mile delivery, Redspher intends to continue its efforts by obtaining the 4th Lean & Green star, with the objective of achieving a 55% reduction in carbon footprint by 2030. 

Estimated at $ 957 billion, the logistics market is expected to grow 7.9% by 2027. In order to improve productivity and to overcome the constraints of an increasingly competitive market, companies need to optimize their supply chain. To do so, they must rely on the support of innovative and efficient software that allows them to efficiently manage the daily flows.

A digital marketplace that facilitates on-demand delivery by connecting shippers and carriers: Easy4Pro simplifies the management of purchasing processes and helps reduce costs by providing real-time information on market trends.

Logistics has become one of the most important aspects of business management. In a global context of a health crisis, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has added additional tension on supply chains which are already being tested by many disruptions.

To guarantee the smooth running of logistic operations, it is crucial for companies to find reliable suppliers and to be able to benefit from effective assistance in the event of a problem.

For this, technology is the solution for seamless logistics. Indeed, companies are increasingly investing in better digital technologies to support their transportation operations. Transportation procurement management software, for example, makes it easy to find the best carrier for each transportation need and tracks the progress of their service. But before choosing the right logistics tool, it’s essential to consider a few factors to make the right choice.

1 – Select new and reliable suppliers

The amount of 3PL logistics services available can be immense. Logistics software should provide access to a large number of providers. At the same time, it should make it easy to identify the trustworthy ones. And above all, it should know how to measure the price/quality ratio of existing suppliers and perhaps even expand the collaboration. For example, the ability to invite new companies, but also to access the history of suppliers, are highly desirable features.

2 – Helpful Data Analytics

Logistics is a complex process involving various factors such as delivery time, costs, and administrative procedures. If companies do not automate their logistics processes, they may lose the chance to collect valuable data insights.

A system that is capable of collecting this information in a transparent manner, processing it and presenting it in an easy way, offers a variety of opportunities to optimize the process.

Tracking costs over time, the number of delayed shipments and supplier-specific key performance indicators provide useful insights for selecting the right supplier for the next order.

3 – Facilitating transparency and regulatory compliance

With importing products a large number of regulations have to be taken into account, which can differ per country. At European level, 2022 is the year when several regulations from the EU mobility come into effect. These will substantially change the legal framework and governance of road transport in Europe. It is therefore important to examine to what extent the chosen logistics software is oriented towards procedural compliance. Some platforms like Easy4Pro include freight auditing services, and even intermediation in case of delivery problems.

4 – Finding the right balance between automation and support

Next to having access to reliable suppliers and a relevant analysis, the ability to receive effective support in following regulations is also important.

Hence, the combination of automatic processes and real-time support is probably the best approach, and this is where Easy4Pro excels. Thanks to a very quick and simple transition in the system, companies can start optimizing their logistics processes almost immediately.

“The deployment of the Easy4Pro solution did not cause any difficulties internally. From the moment I presented the solution, the teams immediately understood the importance of a platform that would allow us to bring transparency in our purchasing process while also reducing costs. The training provided by Easy4Pro allowed the teams to ask the more technical questions, even though the tool itself is quite intuitive and easy to use.”Olivier Gouzou, supply chain regional manager of Magneto Automotive, CLN Group

Visit www.easy4pro.com for more information.