Service provider & shipper

Shippers less pessimistic, but hiring outlook remains muted

Shippers slightly improved their assessment of current business conditions in May, although overall sentiment remains subdued. Expectations for the next six months rebounded after a sharp drop in April — yet pessimism continues to dominate, with many…

Expansion plans

Geodis eyes Spanish growth, sharpens focus on emissions cuts

Geodis plans to expand in Spain as part of a global strategy combining acquisitions and organic growth. “Spain is on our list for further investment,” said chief executive Marie-Christine Lombard in an interview with DVZ International. The French…

M&A

DHL chief: Tariffs slow trade, boost logistics demand

DHL chief executive Tobias Meyer has warned that US tariff hikes are weighing on trade volumes, while simultaneously driving demand for logistics services. “The 30 per cent tariffs between the US and China may seem moderate compared to the initially…

Company News

Heinrich Dehn deepens US presence via Port Group alliance

German freight forwarder Heinrich Dehn is expanding its US operations through a new cooperation agreement with long-time partner The Port Group. The two family-owned companies plan joint investments in services and technology, including a shared…

Road

Scania seeks EU backing for range-extender trucks

Scania is calling on EU regulators to approve battery-electric trucks fitted with emergency range extenders for type approval and zero-emission classification. Chief executive Christian Levin told DVZ International that the concept — a…

Rail

Rail transport down slightly in the first quarter

Germany’s rail freight sector posted a slight decline in the first quarter of 2025, as ongoing economic weakness continued to weigh on transport volumes. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office, rail freight performance…

Sea

Series of ship incidents highlights rising risk in ageing global fleet

A series of serious incidents since late May — involving the MSC Elsa 3, Morning Midas and, most recently, Wan Hai 503 — has drawn attention to a sharp rise in accidents across the global shipping fleet. According to a new study by classification…

Sea

Container lines seek further rate increases on transpacific lanes

Container shipping lines are planning another round of general rate increases (GRIs) on Asia–US routes, scheduled for 15 June and 1 July — the twelfth and thirteenth price adjustments so far this year. Hapag-Lloyd, Cosco, Evergreen and HMM are…

Road

Climate economist urges hauliers to fix fuel prices

With the EU ETS 2 coming into effect in 2027, logistics firms should secure fixed-price fuel contracts that include CO₂ costs, says Professor Matthias Kalkuhl from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Under the new emissions trading…

Inside Freight Markets

Export optimism drops, Allianz Trade survey finds

Global trade sentiment has weakened sharply following new US tariff announcements on 2 April. A survey by Allianz Trade of 4,500 exporters in nine major economies shows optimism has halved: 80 percent expected export growth before the announcement,…

Company News

German firms unprepared for EU Data Act, Bitkom warns

Fewer than five percent of German companies have addressed the EU Data Act, which comes into force on 12 September 2025. A Bitkom Research survey of 605 firms found that only one percent have fully implemented the rules, and four percent have…

Behind the Scenes in Berlin

German Transport Ministry reshuffles: Hirte takes over freight and logistics

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMV) has reassigned key responsibilities. Parliamentary State Secretary Christian Hirte (CDU) will now oversee strategic policy as well as freight transport and logistics, according to internal…

Behind the Scenes in Brussels

Poland pushes EU compromise on heavier trucks

Ahead of the 5 June Transport Council, the Polish EU Presidency is seeking movement on the directive for vehicle weights and dimensions. A Polish compromise aims to ease opposition to cross-border use of longer and heavier trucks, DVZ-International…

Logistics

Bertschi: Germany losing ground in freight logistics

The ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam are gaining significance for inland transport, says Hans-Jörg Bertschi, Chairman of Swiss chemical logistics firm Bertschi AG. “For modern land transport, Benelux is now at least as important as Germany,” he told…

Company News

Financial stability key priority for new Otto CEO

At the annual results presentation for 2024/25, Otto Group CEO Petra Scharner-Wolff reported a strong recovery in earnings. EBIT rose sharply from 8 million to 276 million euros, while the group returned to a post-tax profit of 165 million euros…