Page 30 - Port of Hamburg | Port of Hamburg Magazine 1.2022

■ CONTAINER WORLDS
A side loader allows the driver to lift containers independently.
30 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2022
fer the advantages that many problems can
be sorted out in advance,” reports Glomb.
Yet forwarders are also requesting a further improvement in the form of increased tran-
sit time for trucks at the terminals, plus availability of more time windows.
The Bremerhaven-based forwarders operate with 60 of their own trucks, including five low-loaders, 120 container chassis and around 200 vehicles from sub-contractors. Like terminal operators HHLA and Eurogate, they are continually striving to make con- tainer transport more efficient and sustainable. At the turn of the year 2021/2022, for example, the company almost completely digitalized its bookings file. With the aid of electronic fleet management, track & trace and complete electronic booking transmissions, in- cluding status reports for the customers – primarily shipping companies, seaport forwarders and tran- shipment companies – Glomb can present boxes as punctually as possible at the loading point, proactive- ly notifying customers.
Finally, this family business needs to handle import and export bookings reliably and flexibly for tramp ships, often at short notice. “Since the pandemic,
however, ‘turbulent times’ have set in,” reports Glomb. “Virtually no ship arrivals can be planned, and on imports, especially, dates are frequently put back at short notice. Especially with those at weekends, that’s a real challenge.”
Yet currently scarce cargo capacities have caused something of a change on the customer side: “You realize how hard it is to obtain truck capacity and how high fuel prices have risen. Furthermore, freight costs for the land route are only a fraction of those for sea freight.” Unlike the situation previously, higher costs can therefore be passed on: “The thinking has com- pletely changed,” stresses Glomb.
BOOSTING STAFF LOYALTY IN A
FAMILY-RUN COMPANY
In challenging times, the invariably high status of the 170 staff in this family business counts for more than it usually would. Glomb accordingly still relies on its own upcoming generation, annually training between three and five truck drivers, and five to seven office
© Glomb
© Glomb