Logistician asks for patience: "The distribution of the vaccine will take time"

Logisticians ask for patience
"Distribution of the vaccine will take time"

First Brexit, then a pandemic. These are challenging times for the international movement of goods. In the "Zero Hour" podcast, the managing director of the logistics company Kuehne + Nagel, Trefzger, speaks about new customs regulations, patient patience and staff management in times of crisis.

Thousands of trucks jammed at borders and ports on Christmas days after France closed its border with Great Britain for fear of virus mutations. Corona has brought the movement of goods to a standstill. Many feared a foretaste of Brexit. On January 1st of this year, the United Kingdom left the EU customs union. "The logisticians have been able to show in the last twelve months that they are systemically relevant and what they can do," said Detlef Trefzger, head of the logistics company Kuehne + Nagel, in the podcast "Die Null".

A month after Brexit, the head of logistics took stock. "The situation at the border is very relaxed at the moment," said Trefzger, who has been running the company based in Schindellegi, Switzerland since 2013. One reason is the "historically low volume". At the end of the year, 9,000 trucks per week were still being processed at the border, currently around half of them.

Because many warehouses had been filled beforehand, and "there are more congestion at the manufacturers or the exporters". The reason for this is the new documentation requirements, which have overwhelmed many companies. There were "big surprises" for many companies, even if Kuehne + Nagel digitally dispatched its trucks and ships beforehand using software. In addition, the logistician had prepared and trained his customers for Brexit for months, said Trefzger.

With more than 78,000 employees and branches in over 100 countries, Kuehne + Nagel is one of the world's leading freight transport and logistics companies. After Kuehne + Nagel's sales fell by 7.5 percent in the first half of the year, the second half of the year saw a strong upward trend.

The company is currently significantly involved in the delivery and storage of the corona vaccine, in the case of the Moderna vaccine, sometimes up to the last mile. "We have been dealing with the subject of recovery since the summer of last year and have prepared ourselves for vaccine logistics," said Trefzger. Nevertheless, he asked for patience and realism in the vaccination campaign. "It will take longer," he said.

Hear in the new episode of "The Zero Hour"

  • How the company supports and motivates its employees in times of crisis
  • What role does sustainability play in the logistics industry?
  • How Detlef Trefzger assesses the general economic situation

You can find all episodes directly at Audio Now, Apple or Spotify or via Google.

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