On October 1st, FREJA's new direct route between Poland and the south of Norway was established.
The new route has regular departures from Łódź in Poland to the south of Norway every Friday and returns to Poland on Tuesday/Wednesday. It goes via the ferry connection between Norway and Sweden to reduce the environmental footprint and costs without compromising quality. Freight to and from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other countries in Eastern Europe will go via our hub in Lodz before further transport. The new direct route is driven by regular English-speaking drivers as well as minimize reloading and thus ensure an even better quality both during transport, pick-up, and delivery. The investment in the new route is a part of FREJA's long-term strategy for developing our traffic to/from Eastern Europe.
We look forward to providing an even better service for both our existing and new customers. Feel free to get in touch with us if you want to learn more about our solutions and prices for shipments to or from Poland/Eastern Europe.
At the beginning of 2021, the merger between FREJA Transport & Logistics and TL TRANS, based in Kronoby, was announced, and it is now complete.
The transaction expanded FREJA's range of transport services with temperature-controlled road transport and around 80 thermo-trailers. From today, FREJA has an office in Kronoby, and all the payment transactions will be transferred from TL Trans to FREJA. “We are now able to serve our customers more comprehensively in their international transport needs”, says Matti Urmas, Managing Director of FREJA Transport & Logistics Oy.
The customers who transferred from TL Trans to FREJA have also been satisfied with the benefits resulting from the merger. “The feedback received from our customers has been positive, as we now have a wider range of services to offer and our customers now also have sea and air freight at their disposal from familiar customer service contacts,” says Jörgen Byskata, Director of Temperature Controlled Transport at FREJA Transport & Logistics.
TL Trans was owned by Jörgen Byskata and Marko Ruotsalainen. The acquisition is FREJA's first takeover during its operations in Finland.
FREJA originally started its operations in Finland in 2003, when the FREJA Group, together with Managing Director Matti Urmas, acquired the Finnish Maa ja Meri Oy. Maa ja Meri Oy was established back in 1942. At that time, its task as a forwarding company was to serve the Finnish Defense Forces by transporting military equipment. The name FREJA Transport & Logistics was adopted at the beginning of 2009 to harmonize all the names in the FREJA Group.
Besides international road transport (approximately 850 trailers), FREJA’s international transport services also include sea and air freight and project transport. In addition to the tarpaulin fleet, our fleet includes approximately 80 thermally controlled trailers that have been approved for ADR transportation and provided with the appropriate ADR equipment. The entire fleet is also ATP/FRC-rated. The fleet is suitable for transport at temperatures ranging from -25 to +25°C.
FREJA Transport & Logistics Oy's head office is in Turku and we also have offices in Kronoby, Vantaa, and Vaasa. In 2020, FREJA Transport & Logistics Oy’s turnover amounted to about EUR 86 million. FREJA in Finland employs around 60 professionals in their field.
As part of the FREJA Group, we are an independent affiliate that operates in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and China. We have a total of 32 offices. Our company employs about 960 people.
For further information and interviews, please contact:
As we have kicked off the last month of the year, we look back at 2021 as a year influenced by COVID-19, changed conditions for the transport industry, large deviations in transport volumes, and lack of components and raw materials. Especially, the road sector is influenced by increasing individual protectionism and changed conditions in various countries, which have had comprehensive consequences and set pressure on the supply chain in Europe and the rest of the world. Likewise, the sea and air sectors have experienced a severe lack of capacity.
In FREJA, we have also faced problems because of COVID-19 and the related challenges concerning the security of supply at the national as well as the international markets. Our competent employees have had a constant focus on readjusting and adapting to the situation. Therefore, we have been able to maintain the supply chain and service our customers in the best way possible.
In 2021, FREJA and SDK merged, and we are now in a position where all our 1300 committed employees give us the best conditions to service international and national transport and logistics markets.
I thank you for your cooperation and trust in FREJA during 2021 and look forward to continuing our cooperation in 2022.
On behalf of FREJA Transport & Logistics A/S, I wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
FREJA's Torben Mortensen (left) and BESTSELLER's Anders Frost Nygård
BESTSELLER expands the partnership with FREJA on HVO biodiesel trucks from Poland to Belgium and The Netherlands
Since the 14th of October, 2021, FREJA has been using HVO biodiesel on truck movements from Poland to Belgium and The Netherlands for the Danish family-owned clothing and accessories company, BESTSELLER. BESTSELLER employs more than 15,000 people in 38 countries working for more than 20 known fashion brands such as JACK & JONES, VERO MODA, VILA, and many more.
The decision to implement more environmentally-friendly routes is based on BESTSELLER’s ambitious Fashion FWD strategy, which aims at making sustainability central to the way of doing business.
“In a market facing severe conditions like lack of drivers and high demand for external hauliers, it was a must-do to inhouse these transports in order to allow ourselves to drive with alternative fuels like biodiesel. We are very pleased about this sustainable solution with FREJA, who has been a trusted partner throughout the years. We are looking forward to further expanding the use of HVO with FREJA on daily departures to the Nordics from January 2022”, says Anders Frost Nygård, E-Commerce Distribution/Carrier Manager at BESTSELLER.
What is biodiesel?
There are different types of biodiesel, but overall, they can be categorized into first- and second-generation biodiesel. B100 is first-generation biodiesel that comes from common feedstocks (primarily rapeseed crops), and it provides up to 60% CO2e reduction. HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), on the other hand, is second-generation biodiesel produced from waste products (e.g. used cooking oil), and it can provide up to a 90% reduction in CO2e. These types of biodiesels are both considered climate-neutral in the combustion phase, but the emissions that come from processing the biodegradable products into fuel cannot be completely reduced, however, they are limited.
Long-term and trusted partnership
At FREJA, we are always looking for sustainable and environmentally-friendly transport solutions, and we are very positive about expanding our collaboration with BESTSELLER. We want to develop together with our customers and try out new types of sustainable alternatives to diesel that benefit the environment, but we cannot do it alone. A green transition comes with increased costs, so it is important with partners who are willing to invest in this type of fuel.
“Our partnership with BESTSELLER is unique, and this project has become a reality because they are willing to invest in sustainable fuel. For this specific collaboration with BESTSELLER, we have chosen to use our own trucks to gain valuable knowledge on HVO biodiesel. By using our own trucks, we can measure the consumption, service intervals, etc., and we are certain that HVO is always used”, says FREJA’s Chairman of the board Poland and Regional Director South Denmark, Torben Mortensen.
FREJA repacks more than 1000 gift boxes for Pierre Fabre just in time for Christmas
When the French company Pierre Fabre needed to get their gift boxes ready for the 2021 Christmas shopping, FREJA was ready with a helping hand.
Pierre Fabre was founded in 1951 and is a French company that makes pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic products, which they distribute to pharmacies, dermatologists, and hospitals. Since 2017, Pierre Fabre and FREJA have engaged in a close partnership. We carry out various logistics tasks such as repacking and re-labeling their products in Scandinavia, and we do ongoing optimizations of their logistics flows.
Most recently, Pierre Fabre asked for a repackaging task of 1320 gift boxes for the Christmas shopping in Norway, and naturally, we accepted this task. FREJA lined up with a team and got the job done in a short time, so the gift boxes could be distributed to the pharmacies in Norway and be ready to be placed under the Christmas trees in the Norwegian living rooms.
“It means a lot to us that a company of Pierre Fabre's caliber chooses to use FREJA as a logistics partner. We appreciate the close collaboration we have established with Pierre Fabre, and we are happy that we could help with this task”, says FREJA’s Logistics & Healthcare Director, Morten Bruun-Kristensen.
This job is one of many special tasks we perform for Pierre Fabre and other companies, and we are also ready to help your company. If you want to know more about our Pharma & Healthcare logistics services, you are always welcome to reach out to Morten Bruun-Kristensen.
Environmental- and climate-friendly transport has been a focus area in FREJA for a long time
Over many years and with great success, FREJA has used unaccompanied transports for our services between Denmark-Finland and Denmark-Norway. Since 2019, it has also been a highly used tool for the route to and from Sweden. The first destination in Sweden was the route between Jutland and Skaane, where there is much inter-state trade.
Unaccompanied transports mean that a Danish truck collects a consignment from a Danish customer and brings the trailer to the harbor. At the harbor, the driver can then connect another trailer which he drives to the Danish recipient. Likewise, this is done in Sweden, where Swedish hauliers and drivers bring trailers between the ferry and the recipient or shipper. The delivery time is short because there are departures from both sides twice a day.
The advantages of this kind of transports are many. We avoid having a large number of trucks passing Funen and Zealand, which helps reduce the massive traffic on our roads. The solution also has a green profile because many highway kilometers are replaced by consolidated transports by ferry via Kattegat. An additional advantage is that a driver can handle 4-5 loads per day. Lack of drivers is a great challenge right now because many drivers choose to leave the transport industry in favor of jobs with more normal working hours.
Over the years, FREJA has added more routes to the unaccompanied traffics, and now we also have a solution where we load trailers on trains at the destination Taulov-Katrineholm. Both terminals are located strategically well. Taulov is a logistics hub in Denmark, and the terminal in Katrineholm is located in Mälardalen, where you have easy access to Ørebro, Eskilstuna, and Stockholm. This route offers three departures per week. The railway is electrified, and as an example on the route between Kolding and Ørebro, you will be able to have a Co2 reduction of up to 80% compared to traditional road transport.
The most recent offer is a combined solution to Oslo, Norway. The trailers are sent by ship from Grenaa to Halmstad. Directly at the harbor terminal, the trailers are loaded onto trains which takes them to a terminal in Oslo, where a truck then brings the trailer to the recipient. The solution is brand new, and we have great expectations to offer this green solution with constant capacity.
FREJA offers to calculate the Co2 emission for various solutions so that you can consider the emission before making your solution. You can also try our online Co2 calculator and see the Co2 emissions from your transports with FREJA.
FREJA Transport & Logistics A/S strengthens its position in Norway with the acquisition of Thoresen Transport AS
As of October 1st, 2021, the Danish logistics operator FREJA Transport & Logistics A/S acquired 80% of the Norwegian company Thoresen Transport AS. FREJA is part of the international group United Shipping & Trading Company (USTC), and the acquisition strengthens the group’s position as one of the leading companies in the Nordic transport market.
Thoresen Transport has had a positive development for many years and is recognized for its good customer service and high quality. In the current financial year, a turnover of a minimum of 135 million NOK is expected.
“We have been looking for the right partner for a long time, and when the opportunity arose to acquire the majority stake of Thoresen Transport, it was quite an easy decision. With the acquisition, we are now ready to deliver even better service to our customers through higher quality and a broader portfolio. There is no doubt that their customer segments fit perfectly into FREJA’s Norwegian business”, says Ulrik Rasmussen, Group CEO of FREJA Transport & Logistics Holding A/S.
Thoresen Transport is a well-established transport and forwarding company in Larvik, which was founded in 1982 by the current owner and founder Lars Thoresen and his brother Knut Thoresen. The company currently has 25 well-qualified employees working with national and international transport, container transport, and customs/forwarding. Following the acquisition, Lars Thoresen will continue as head of Thoresen Transport, which will have its office, warehouse, and terminal facilities at the current central location at Larvik Harbor.
“Since we founded the company, it has been our ambition to create growth and expand our business areas. I am very proud and happy that Thoresen Transport from now on will be part of FREJA as we have collaborated for the past nine years in Vestfold, Buskerud, and Telemark. We have full confidence that the culture and the strong values that characterizes the company will continue, even with a new main shareholder”, says Lars Thoresen, the current owner of Thoresen Transport.
Focusing on growth going forward
FREJA Transport & Logistics looks forward to the new collaboration and emphasizes that the growth ambitions have not been reached with this acquisition:
“We are constantly looking for good, well-operated companies that share the same values as us and can help us meet our long-term goals. Therefore, this acquisition is a natural step towards developing FREJA and our growth strategy”, says Ulrik Rasmussen.
Lars Thoresen will continue to hold the remaining 20% of the shares in Thoresen Transport, and the company will keep the name Thoresen Transport AS.
The agreement is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. The transaction price will not be disclosed.
Matti Urmas, Managing Director of FREJA in Finland, starts his third year in the advisory delegation of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) in 2022. EK is the leading business organization in Finland.
The business delegation consists of business executives from different industries.
The members are nominated by the member associations of EK.
EK is the leading business organization in Finland. EK has 24 member associations, and 15,300 member companies across all business sectors (96% SMEs). The business delegation is elected yearly.
EK represents and defends the interests of the Finnish business community. It engages in dialogue with decision makers at the national level as well as in the EU and international level.
Urmas started in the delegation in the beginning of 2020.
The acquisition of IRT Logistics brings new colleagues and a strengthened business area for groupage transport between Sweden and the UK to the fast-growing Danish logistics company SDK FREJA.
To strengthen the competencies of road transport of groupage between Sweden and the UK, the Danish company SDK FREJA has invested in the Gothenburg-based niche logistics company IRT Logistics.
“IRT Logistics has been on our radar for a long time, and now the time was right for us to enter into an agreement. It is an acquisition that will strengthen our business considerably on groupage transports between Sweden and the UK. At the same time, both existing and new customers will experience that the new customer-facing IT solutions that a company of SDK FREJA's caliber brings to IRT Logistics, will strengthen the services they demand”, says Søren Skive, EVP in FREJA Transport & Logistics AB.
Founder of IRT Logistics, Björn Steenstrup, is also pleased to know that his life's work will continue under SDK FREJA.
“For a long time, we have considered FREJA a qualified partner to run our company with the right visions, and now it was time. This year, we were able to celebrate our 20th anniversary, and it seemed an appropriate time to pass on the torch to someone who shares our values and who can and will further develop the company that we have built”, says Björn Steenstrup.
IRT Logistics itself has been on a growth journey with a 65 percent increase in the annual result over the past five years, and it is acquired with an expected annual turnover of SEK 45 million. All nine employees in IRT Logistics will continue under the new ownership.
The growth journey continues in 2022
The acquisition of Swedish IRT Logistics is the third acquisition under FREJA Transport & Logistics in 2021, and it is the latest addition to SDK FREJA's growth journey. Since the two logistics companies merged in December 2020, the journey has included a partial acquisition of the Danish company Nordic Waste and three acquisitions of logistics companies throughout the Nordic region: Finnish TL Trans, Norwegian Thoresen Transport, and now Swedish IRT Logistics.
It is this acquisition approach that will ensure continued growth towards SDK FREJA's goal of a total turnover in 2025 of DKK 8-10 billion.
“We expect an increasing need in the market for one-stop-shop logistics services. By always being on the lookout for new partners and companies that can supplement and improve our services, we are well on our way to being the obvious choice”, says Ulrik Rasmussen, Group CEO of FREJA Transport & Logistics Holding A/S, and elaborates:
“The most important thing in our acquisition strategy, however, will always be that we can find common ground between potential companies and ourselves in both values and business. Logistics is a people business, and it is best built on trust and understanding. A motto that governs everything we do in our business”.
SDK FREJA is part of the Danish family-owned group United Shipping and Trading Company, USTC. An international conglomerate with a wide range of companies in areas such as logistics, shipping, bunker, IT, and alternative energy.
In connection with the Chinese New Year, which takes place from January 31 to February 6, 2022, we bring some useful information for our customers.
Most factories close one week before and up to 1-3 weeks after the Chinese New Year, as it is common for Chinese people to travel home to their families.
If you are importing from China, please note the following:
Check the delivery times of the factories to make sure that most orders are shipped well in advance of the Chinese New Year.
Make a plan with your freight forwarder as the period affects the schedules and the available capacity.
Check the opening hours of your factory and when they can deliver again after the holiday period has ended.
Impact on freight rates
During this period, you might experience a significant price increase. From December, shipping prices usually increase due to the rising demand. Furthermore, because of the ongoing pandemic and COVID-19 mutations, the logistics supply is expected to be low due to restrictions worldwide. E.g., we still experience ports closing down without any notice from day to day, which influences the flow and the price.
Shipping tips for the Chinese New Year
Make a delivery plan in advance with suppliers and freight forwarders.
Try to avoid orders at short notice.
Book your transports well in advance – preferably 2-3 weeks before departure for sea freight.
Terminals and warehouses are congested in the weeks before the Chinese New Year, so make sure to check the sailing plans if you have LCL movements.
Air freight and rail transport are alternatives for urgent deliveries. However, flights must be scheduled a few weeks in advance.
Check everything again and get the schedule confirmed with everyone involved in the pre-holiday period.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact your local FREJAN.
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.
Cost increase on road freight due to the EU Mobility Package and tax regulations in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria
First of all, it is very positive that there is a common approach in the EU to improve conditions for drivers such as increasing salaries and a generally improvement of living standards for drivers.
The next step of the EU Mobility Package will become effective on the 2nd of February 2022 and will lead to large changes.
The changes are quite comprehensive, especially salary regulations to match the collective agreement in the country in which the driver is transiting or staying, new cabotage rules and the fact that the vehicle and driver every 8 weeks must return to the country where the vehicle is registered. Furthermore, the driver must be given the option to return home every 4 weeks and last but not least there is a demand for documentation requirements of salaries as well as manual registration in a central database in the EU until a new digital unit will replace the manual process by the 20th of August 2025.
Below we have listed the most important changes which affect the costs upon implementation of the EU Mobility Package for Road Freight:
Harmonization of salary depending on in which country driver is driving or staying
The driver can ask to return to his home country every 4 weeks
The driver and the vehicle must return to his home country every 8 weeks
Every 2 weeks, the driver must take rest outside the vehicle
Manual registration in the central EU system called IMI
Changes of the tax systems in Poland, Rumania and Bulgaria
Improved conditions for drivers, taxes and increased administration are the main factors which affect the freight rate structure for the immediate future. Regretfully, the cost development is of large uncertainty and will with very short notice have a large impact on the price structure.
All the above will increase the pressure on capacity and further increase the costs for our customers. We will come back with further information very soon.
In July 2020, the EU passed the so-called mobility package that determines the salaries and working conditions for truck drivers. Parts of the mobility package were already implemented in 2020 and 2021. From the 2nd of February, 2022 another part of the package comes into effect. This involves the part of the agreement that mentions the harmonization of salaries.
We find it positive that the EU has a common wish to improve the conditions for drivers and create better salary- and living conditions, but it is not without extra costs. Specifically, better conditions for drivers and increased taxes and administration are the main contributors to the increase of prices in the future. Unfortunately, the cost development is attached with great uncertainties. Because of this, FREJA will roll out the consequences of the mobility package partially and closely follow the effects of the EU mobility development.
The conditions, we currently know, are changes in salary and tax relations after the 2nd of February, 2022. This means that FREJA will charge extra EU Mobility Package fees from the 7th of February, 2022.
We apologize for the late announcement, but we hope you understand that these regulations of labor costs are happening across all of the EU, and the changes are out of FREJA’s control.
When we enter the next phase of the EU Mobility Package, which goes into effect on the 21st of February, 2022, a significant increase in costs will be that drivers and trucks have to return to their home country with an interval of 8 weeks. FREJA will continually reevaluate the development of the cost level when we have more experience with the changes connected to the EU mobility package. Due to this, we reserve the right to adjust the EU Mobility Package fees.
For more information please contact your daily FREJA representative.
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