The situation in the sea freight market is extraordinary these days. Due to the Covid-19 situation, purchase and consumption of goods have grown significantly, which causes a great demand for transportation throughout the world.

The given situation and the effects after the container ship, EVER GIVEN, blocked the Suez Canal for six days, hasn’t eased the situation. The ship blocked about 360 other ships going through the Suez Canal. The full extent of this is still uncertain. However, there is no doubt that this will cause further delays, and impact the situation in all main ports in Europe, since ships will arrive at the same time after queuing in the Suez Canal,  hence challenges with the handling is to be expected.

There are already delays from before. We experience a lack of equipment, the normal flow for containers has been put out of play, and tight resources mean that ships are waiting for more than a week outside ports to be loaded and unloaded. This happens even though all ships that can sail have been taken into use.

Due to less productivity and rotation, the industry suffers cancellation and blank sailings, and an increase in the imbalance issues. We therefore expect a continued challenging situation for both imports and exports to/from Northern Europe.

We aim to do our utmost for you as our partner to solve the challenges in the best possible way. We will be in close contact with you and keep you updated regarding the development and possibilities. Even though we face a difficult situation, and costs will remain high, we fight for getting space on the vessels, and to help you move your goods.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and ask how we can help each other.

Despite all challenges, we will do everything we can to find solutions for your needs!

Please contact us for more information.

A settlement was reached in the stevedoring strike of the Federation of Transport Workers (AKT) on on the evening of 1 March. The agreement reached will end all industrial action immediately and work will resume as soon as possible. However, at the latest, the stevedores must return to their normal shift starting on 4 March.

The strike started on 15 February.

– Although transport can now be carried out and stevedoring will return to normal when the stevedores return to work, it will unfortunately take time for the situation to return to normal. Supply chains are now in disarray due to the strike. It will take time to reorganise and find the best possible routing, says Matti Urmas, Managing Director of FREJA Finland.

Goods are in the ports waiting to be shipped and it takes time to ship the cargo.

– If there are uncertainties about your shipment, your own dedicated contact person is happy to help and tell the status of your transport.

The Health Agency of Oslo Municipality has entered into an agreement with FREJA Transport & Logistics AS for the distribution of CoVID-19 vaccines to districts, GP offices, clinics, and pharmacies all around the city.

The Health Agency has been assigned the overall operational responsibility for handling CoVID-19 on behalf of Oslo Municipality. This includes the establishment of test centers, infection detection, and vaccination, as well as all associated procedures.

Focus on high quality

The assignment involves the distribution of urgent deliveries with vaccines that must be dispensed immediately after delivery. This requires quality and punctuality in all areas, both professionally and in terms of material equipment. FREJA's personnel have formal competence to carry out the assignment. The pharmacists at FREJA and Oslo Municipality work closely together to ensure that all the requirements are met. For Oslo Municipality, it has been crucial with a partner who has a full focus on product safety and quality when collecting, transporting, and delivering the vaccines and who could start immediately. FREJA's flexibility and ability to deliver on time meant that Oslo Municipality could make a quick decision.

FREJA will deliver the vaccines with approved distribution vehicles with two GDP-trained drivers in each vehicle to ensure that the vaccines arrive at the vaccination sites at the agreed time. Our teams will follow up on the weekly bookings with detailed route plans, strict control upon delivery, and daily reporting of different parameters such as transport temperature.

Understanding of the Health Agency's needs

According to Geir A Gundersen, head of Infrastructure, Operations and Logistics at TISK + V in the Health Agency, there are many good reasons to choose FREJA Transport & Logistics AS. «FREJA shows a high focus on quality, and they understand how the professional and material capabilities should be used to solve the Health Agency’s needs for this task. FREJA knows how safety and the handling of the task should be done to minimize deviations, and they are well prepared to handle any unforeseen situations that may arise. We look forward to working with FREJA. "

"We are very proud of the trust they have in FREJA and to contribute to a task that is so important to society. This assignment fits in very well with the other investments we are making in the pharmaceutical area for our many Pharma customers in Norway," says Kjell-Arne Eloranta, Managing Director of FREJA Transport & Logistics AS.

FREJA CHINA has finished the loading of 8 sets of transformers with a weight of 70 tons per set and a total of 2000 cubic meters.

The cargo was gathered by coaster from two different locations in China for further loading onto an ocean vessel in Shanghai. All went smoothly for the loading in Shanghai on the first day of 2017!

The journey to South America has started and in Uruguay the cargo will be reloaded onto another coaster going to the final destination in Paraguay.

[caption id="attachment_51347" align="alignnone" width="1200"] More than 64 thousand people visit Transport Logistic over four days.[/caption]

The Transport Logistic fair will take place in Munich from 9 to 12 May. The event brings together the major service providers in the transport, logistics and forwarding sector. FREJA Finland will participate in a trade fair showcasing its comprehensive transportation services, including international road transport, sea and air freight, and demanding special transports.

"We are one of Finland's most significant service providers in international transportation and the long-term choice of our customers as a transportation partner. We have versatile transportation solutions for import and export, and in road transportation alone, we have about 850 box trailers and approximately 100 temperature-controlled trailers," says Urmas.

FREJA is particularly known for its customer satisfaction and problem-solving abilities.

According to Urmas, international trade fairs play a significant role in the transportation industry.

"It is important for us to participate in these international transport fairs. This year's fair is particularly meaningful as the 2021 fair was only held virtually," says CEO Matti Urmas.

"The transport industry is based on partnerships, and it is important to meet face-to-face: virtual communication alone is no substitute. It's important for us to keep up with developments in the industry and the world's largest transport trade fairs also give us a glimpse of where the transport sector is heading."

We will be in our familiar stand location: hall B3, stand 321/422

Germany's Transport Logistic is the world's leading event for logistics, IT and supply chain management.

The world's largest transport trade fair attracts up to 64,000 visitors from more than 125 countries. Some 2 374 exhibitors will be present.

In addition to road transport service providers, the fair will also feature maritime and air cargo service providers.

All aspects of freight services are represented, from transport and forwarding services to IT software and equipment for freight handling.

The event has been held in Munich since 1978.

We warmly welcome you to meet us and discuss international transport!

Frejan’s participating in the fair:

[caption id="attachment_29336" align="aligncenter" width="800"] One tank weighed about 120 thousand tonnes.[/caption]

In the world of international transport, anything is possible. But with foresight and good planning, delays caused by many unexpected twists and turns can be avoided. The Covid-19 epidemic is no longer an unexpected turn of events, but the Ever Given ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal in March was exactly the kind of event that is impossible to foresee when planning international project transport.

- Fortunately, we survived that too with only my heart taking a couple of extra beats, says Tom Lunabba, Project Director at FREJA Transport & Logistics Oy, about the recent project transport.

Ever Given was refloated before the project ship carrying the LNG tanks was in the Suez Canal. The Ever Given container ship has still not been unloaded, and the goods left in its holds are still missing from the shelves of shops in Europe.

Project Forwarding as a part of a major change

The LNG tanks arrived on schedule in Turkey in April. The tanks are part of a major global change as large ships and tankers switch from diesel and oil to gas. It was a long-term project that started already last year.

The LNG tanks were first transported to the port of Shanghai by barge, from where they were shipped and transported to Turkey. In Turkey, the tanks were loaded onto trailers and then transported by barge to the shipyard.

- Delays in this project were caused by problems at the ports.

Before reaching Shanghai, the ship stopped in Sri Lanka, where there was a shortage of terminal workers, and unloading took longer than usual due to the pandemic. The ship then faced a real traffic jam at the port of Shanghai.

- It is not an easy situation for shipping companies either, with costs of between 16 and 17 thousand dollars a day while the ship is waiting. In the world of semi-liner shipping, we operate in a world of reservations, and in this case, the problems in the Sri Lankan port messed up the schedule, and the ship missed its reservation and had to queue.

[caption id="attachment_29357" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Huge LNG tanks are part of a global shift in maritime transport from diesel and oil to gas.[/caption]

According to Lunabba, the girth of the LNG tanks, which was around six metres, was a decisive factor in this project transport. The length of the tanks was less than 26 metres.

- Sometimes, it is possible to get project shipments in container ships, but often it makes more sense to use heavy-lift ships to ensure that the unloading of the cargo goes smoothly.

Own fleet plays an important role in the smooth running of international transport

FREJA's advantage has been its extensive in-house capacity for road transport, with 850 trailers and 80 temperature-controlled trailers available to move goods out of Finland and to the main European ports.

Do you need project forwarding services? Don't hesitate to contact us!

“In order to be able to grow and be proactive, we need a partner in logistics, who is able to think outside the box as well as capable of adapting to the changing markets. With this in mind, we contacted FREJA and explained our needs and future plans”, says Freddy W. Hansen, Nordic Supply Chain Manager, B. Braun Nordic.

In the Norwegian Magazine, Moderne Transport, you can read more about FREJA’s unique collaboration with the German company, B. Braun Melsungen AG; one of the world’s leading providers and manufacturers of Healthcare products.

You can read the article right here (in Norwegian)

[caption id="attachment_5992" align="alignnone" width="800"] Managing Director in FREJA Norway, Kjell-Arne Eloranta (left) and Nordic Supply Chain Manager in B. Braun, Freddy Wilhelm Hansen agree that quality is of highest priority[/caption]