At the moment there is a great pressure on the European transport business because of new legislation which forbids drivers and hauliers to take their mandatory weekly 45 hours' rest in their trucks, which has always been standard practice.

Lately, Germany has forbidden drivers to take their weekly rest of 45 hours in the truck. The ban was introduced without warning effective of May 24th 2017.

In this connection, the German authorities have notified to carry out inspections/issue penalties, well knowingly that there are no alternatives of accommodation for several hundred thousand drivers in Germany nor in the rest of Europe.

It seems very difficult to observe these new regulations and if they will be enforced, the business will suffer severe financial challenges, which may cause serious consequences for the transport of cargo generally in Europa with Germany being the largest and most used country of transit.

As we have not yet seen political suggestions to carry out the new legislation, nor do we know the content of the controls, we have decided to await the situation. Therefore, we do not have further information about the consequences of the legislation. You can now turn any wifi tablet into a killer gps. Whether you have a gps enabled tablet or not.

We will keep you updated on all relevant news.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G3Hs2rVPls

New Church Organ from Austria to Finland’s Worlds Heritage Site Suomenlinna

Although road transports from Austria to Finland is business as usual, this time it was not. FREJA had the honour to be the dedicated professional to transport a new church organ from Austria to Finland.

[caption id="attachment_28323" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Since the service platform could only accommodate one truck and there was only one suitable departure time per day, the transport had to arrive at the departure pier at exactly the right time.[/caption]

In Finland, the destination was the church of Suomenlinna. Suomenlinna is a famous tourist attraction and a maritime fortress with a base built for the Archipelago Fleet off the coast of Helsinki. Work on the fortress began in 1748.

Suomenlinna was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991 to preserve it as an example of 18th-century fortress architecture in Europe.
The international transport was the first direct truck transport to Suomenlinna for Aleksi Elo, the experienced Operational Manager of FREJA Finland responsible for imports and exports from Eastern Europe.

[caption id="attachment_28358" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Special thanks goes to the truck driver, Jiri, who played a crucial role in the success of the transport.[/caption]

- Road transports from Austria are routine and a daily job for us, but this one was special because of the destination, Suomenlinna. The island and the site is a familiar tourist destination for me, but I wanted to be 100% sure that the route was clear for our truck. I worked closely with the church sexton and the suppliers of goods for the church renovation to ensure the route and timing of the shipment.

[caption id="attachment_28302" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Suomenlinna is a famous tourist attraction and a maritime fortress with a base built for the Archipelago Fleet off the coast of Helsinki.[/caption]

Import from Austria by road

• Date of loading Austria 13.4.2021
• Trailer arrival date in Hanko 17.4.2021
• From Katajanokka in Helsinki to Suomenlinna 19.4.2021
• Length of transport 17 m
• Combination weight 20 tonnes
• Load weight merely 3 200 kg

The service ferry that transported the trailer combination to the island from Katajanokka (Helsinki) was a new insight into the logistics of Suomenlinna for Elo.
Since the service platform could only accommodate one truck and there was only one suitable departure time per day, the transport had to arrive at the departure pier at exactly the right time.The organ pipes travelled from Austria to Finland, lying on their padded beds in the FREJA trailer. The organ pipes range in size from a few centimetres to over five metres.
After their arrival, the installation of the organ began. After the installation, the organ needs to be voiced. The voicing work will take place from the beginning of May until mid-June.

[caption id="attachment_28316" align="aligncenter" width="800"] After their arrival, the installation of the organ began. After the installation, the organ needs to be voiced.[/caption]

Anna Pulli-Huomo, lead church musician from the Tuomiokirkko congregation in Helsinki says that the new church organ is larger than the previous one, and Pulli-Huomo compares the new organ to a symphony orchestra.
- The organ could be described as a string orchestra with a trumpet section.
The official inauguration concert for the new organ will take place in September, but the aim is to play the new organ at Suomenlinna's summer concerts.

Awareness about People’s Business combined with modern technology drives the ambitious FREJA towards new goals

The transport and logistics business FREJA Transport & Logistics Holding A/S presents a satisfactory result for 2017. Especially the subsidiary companies in Norway and Finland have delivered results much above market level. During 2017, FREJA has continued to invest heavily in as well the organization as in technology. However, a distinct awareness about the fact that transport is People’s Business means that we still have focus on creating strong relations with the customers. The ambitions are strong in the Danish transport enterprise. Adding the corporation Transcargo - which was purchased in 2018 - and the new possibilities coming with that, FREJA has good reasons to maintain the optimism in the future.

The FREJA Group continues the positive development in earnings for 2017
FREJA Transport & Logistics Holding A/S reports a growth in turnover from 2016 to 2017 of 5 %. The total turnover in 2017 comes to EUR 342 million.

EBIT amounts to EUR 5.58 million in 2017 compared to EUR 6.35 million in 2016. Profit before tax amounts to EUR 7.97 million in 2017 compared to EUR 6.16 million in 2016.

The Group equity has gone up from EUR 28.44 million in 2016 to EUR 33.89 million in 2017. Solvency ratio rises from 33.9 % to 37.2 % end of 2017. The development in the subsidiary companies in Norway and Finland is very positive, while Sweden does not live up to the expectations for 2017. We have reacted to the negative trend with a restructure of the Swedish management, and have employed a new country manager as well as HR manager. The segment Air & Sea has been strengthened by adding new resources, and the sales organization has been trimmed. We therefore have good reason to believe that Sweden will contribute in the future to the group’s development on the international transport market. Also in Denmark, we have invested in 2017 in new business areas and knowledge resources. In China the development has been stable and on September 1st we opened an office in Guangzhou.

In spite of massive investments in new technology, transport is still People’s Business
Throughout 10 years, FREJA has invested extensively in the IT-platform and 2017 is no exception. Partly, we invest to optimize our own business, partly to improve our competitiveness, but also to secure advantages for our customers in their value chain. We participate in a research project regarding exchange of data with customers and suppliers. We expect that the end product will give considerable financial advantages for all parties and thus help lift the Danish transport business.

”Our focus is still to develop the long-term relations with customers as well as suppliers. In spite of our focus on efficiency improvements, we are fully aware that humans are still the most important resource in the cooperation - transport is People’s Business. The keywords for us in a cooperation are openness, trust and credibility. We have always based our business on strong values. Every day, we work on making a difference for our customers and secure that together we will improve a little day by day”, says Jørgen Hansen owner and CEO in the FREJA Group.

Readiness and ongoing ambitions characterize the agenda in the always open-minded Danish enterprise
“A reasonable result for 2017, but we are ready and we have the ambitions to show that we can do even better. Sale and lease back of the property in Tumba (Sweden) has secured a record high result in 2017. In the coming years, the integration of the Padborg-based company Transcargo and our new position on the Polish market will have our main focus and will secure growth in turnover as well as earnings. We have the platform, and we are ready to reap the benefits of the massive investments during the past years in FREJA. Should there be further possibilities for consolidation, we will be ready to “take a look” at it”, Jørgen Hansen rounds off.

The transport of BESTSELLER's clothes becomes more climate-friendly when FREJA and BESTSELLER will use biodiesel trucks on freight in the Nordic countries and several European countries. It contributes to a significant CO2e reduction and is a step towards more climate-friendly transport.

A reduction of more than 500 tonnes of CO2 per year. That is how much the climate will gain when BESTSELLER and FREJA rearrange their transport across several European countries. In the future, a large part of the total transport, when customers shop online at BESTSELLER, will be with trucks running on biodiesel.

Biodiesel is better for the climate than conventional diesel fuel, and together with the significant CO2 reduction, it is one of several steps that BESTSELLER has taken towards more climate-friendly transport:

"At BESTSELLER, we work to reduce our total CO2 emissions. While transport is not the area that poses the biggest problem for us, it is an area where we invest and improve. That is why we are happy to join forces with FREJA and, with this more climate-friendly transport, take another step in the right direction”, says Anders Frost Nygård, who is responsible for BESTSELLER's online deliveries.

Benelux and the Nordic region

FREJA and BESTSELLER sent the first trucks with biodiesel on the roads in November last year, where the transport of online purchases between Poland and the Benelux countries was included. The successful introduction is now expanding as all transports in the Nordic region will also take place with biodiesel trucks.

“Our partnership with BESTSELLER is unique, and this project has become a reality because they are willing to invest in sustainable fuel. We want to develop together with our customers and test new types of sustainable alternatives to diesel, but we cannot do it alone, which is why the collaboration with BESTSELLER is valuable to us”, says FREJA's Chairman of the Board Poland and Regional Director South Denmark, Torben Mortensen.

FREJA's trucks will run on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), which is produced from waste products such as used cooking oil. HVO can provide up to a 90% reduction of CO2e compared to conventional B7 diesel. HVO biodiesel is, therefore, considered to be climate neutral in the combustion phase, and even though the emissions from the processing of the biodegradable products into fuel cannot be completely reduced, they are, nevertheless, limited.

“There is no doubt that the future transport will be better and have less impact on the climate and environment. In collaboration with BESTSELLER, we have chosen to use our trucks. This makes it possible for us to gather knowledge about consumption, service intervals, etc., and thus be able to develop the product”, explains Torben Mortensen.

More initiatives on the way

In total, transport accounts for eight percent of BESTSELLER's total CO2 emissions, and by collaborating with FREJA and other companies, BESTSELLER has already cut off part of the emissions in the company's value chain.

The Danish fashion company is working on reducing its emissions considerably, and in the coming years, they will work intensely to become climate neutral. Therefore, BESTSELLER will also continue to introduce and invest in new and better solutions:

"Right now, we are looking at all the areas where we can choose better solutions, and we are well underway. But we still have a long way to go to succeed. We, and other companies, are limited by technology, which must be developed for this to be a success. However, we will do what we can, and we will continuously initiate smaller and larger solutions, which, all together and individually, can contribute positively”, concludes Anders Frost Nygård from BESTSELLER.

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Facts - Biodiesel

HVO Diesel is categorized as second-generation biodiesel, as it is made from waste products from vegetable cooking oils. Through a chemical process with hydrogen, it is transformed into a product that has the same qualities as ordinary diesel oil. HVO Diesel can be used directly in new diesel engines without compromising engine performance or affecting service intervals, and it can be combined with regular diesel in any mixing ratio, making it the only real sustainable alternative to today's trucks in international traffic.

The Finnish Transport Workers' Union (AKT) is supporting the Industrial Union’s collective agreement negotiations by implementing port handling blockade measures. The blockade will commence on January 27 at 06:00 and conclude on February 1 at 16:00.

These measures are expected to cause delays and disruptions in international transport. Although the exact extent of the impact remains uncertain, we advise our customers to anticipate possible delays in deliveries.

The blockade applies to all Finnish ports and affects the handling of goods and raw materials for specific companies in the technology and chemical industries.

The companies affected by the blockade are listed in AKT's official announcement. However, the measures do not apply to transports that may pose a risk to life, health, or the environment.

We thank our customers for their understanding and patience during this exceptional situation.

FREJA is closely monitoring developments and will provide further updates as needed.

For additional information, please contact your FREJA representative.

At the moment we see that Spanish farmers establish blockades at the Spanish-French border but also further inland in Spain.

Unfortunately, this causes delays and problems in delivering on time.

Please contact your usual contact person in FREJA for more information.

FREJA participates at Breakbulk Europe. The exhibition will take place from 29th - 31st May 2018 in Bremen, where we look forward to meeting our customers and partners at stand No. 552 for a closer talk about how we might assist you in 2018.

During the past 10 years, Breakbulk has served as networking hub for industry professionals across Europe and Asia. Exhibitors and participants are freight forwarders, ocean carriers, ports, heavy hauliers etc.

See more and register at the link below. Use the code 10283 to obtain 25 % discount.

BREAKBULK 2018

Our Global Project Forwarding team wants to thank you for taking the time to visit us at our stand at Breakbulk in Antwerp last week - it was exiting to meet you all.

We are happy to say that the exhibition was a great success for FREJA and we are already looking forward to next year in Bremen.

See you there!