Logistics Innovation – A Chat with Geert Bergsma at CEVA Logistics

Certainly. I’ve been the Carrier Manager responsible for our partnership with Emons Cargo for about three years. The collaboration itself traces back five years. Quite a journey of collaboration. I have different responsibilities now. I’m in charge of relationships with customers rather than partners, that responsibility is now of one of my colleagues.

I did not witness the start of the collaboration in person, but I can say that the main focus initially was on the increased loading capacity to reduce costs. It still is. Of course, a 2WIN ships more pallets, so the price per pallet goes down. Cutting costs is a matter of great importance for any company. Sustainability considerations came later. It is really important as well, but in the beginning was just a matter of saving money.

Currently, two of our clients are fully using 2WIN. However, expanding its adoption faces challenges. Selling the concept is not easy due to its non-standard nature. Most people don’t really understand the concept, or they are not ready to make a change in their supply chain to implement it. Of course, some do understand the concept and are all for it but don’t have enough volume to benefit from it. Also, some want to stay loyal to their carriers and don’t want to change, no matter the advantages.

In our case, it’s easier because the operations are done in our own warehouses. ‘CEVA to CEVA’, so to speak. We decide and for us, it works perfectly. The 2WIN concept is really interesting. Especially in the time we live in now. There is a need for different ways of transporting goods. 2WIN allows for increased volume transportation with one truck. It means less costs per pallet, who wouldn’t want it? Also, it’s a solution that increases the volume without requiring extra paperwork or permission to circulate in Europe. That’s because the trailers have the same dimensions as the standard ones. On the outside at least, inside it’s another story! CEVA Logistics aims to see more clients adopt it.

Emons has a substantial network and a large fleet of trailers, but issues arise when shipments deviate from convenient lanes. The challenges are complex and linked to each other. For Emons to open new corridors it’s necessary to have enough volumes and frequency of shipments. So, we go back to the first issue: volume. As for us, now we have lanes going to Germany, France, and a significant amount of shipments from and to the UK.

Quite smooth. As I said, we work with our own warehouse. We grasped the concept and all the advantages, so we were ready to adopt it. As for the integration process, Emons Cargo has a very structured and efficient approach. I would recommend other companies to consider similar methods of standardization.

Emons Cargo’s service fully meets our expectations. Trailers consistently adhere to the schedule and, when a delay does occur, communication is precise and punctual. Additionally, Emons Cargo’s commitment to CO2 reporting shows transparency in operation. It’s one of the signs showing how Emons Cargo is different from others. It’s an open-minded company. Always keen to experiment and adopt new solutions.

Undoubtedly. The CEVA-Emons Cargo partnership excels in communication. We can count on a connection almost every month. This level of communication nurtures a strong business relationship. But I notice that it is the way with Emons Cargo. It’s their human touch. You can see it in their willingness to listen. And it is also evident in how much they invest in people, for example, their efforts to attract and value young talents in their company. That is a valuable quality that you don’t see that often, especially with large organizations. I have the feeling that nowadays connections are getting a bit loose in general. So, when you get a bit of human touch you notice the difference.

All positive. I’m considering all the assets like efficiency, communication, the excellent service level. I’m also quite impressed with the quality of their presentations. The way they show data and how well-prepared they all are. You don’t see that kind of quality and attention to data often. Then, the operational team in particular is always on top of things. There are advantages in terms of cutting costs and improving sustainability standards. To all this, we can add communication skills and human touch. It’s not for nothing that Emons Cargo is on our “Wall of Fame”!

We started it a couple of years ago. It’s a way to give more attention and the deserved spotlight to our carrier providers. We asked them to provide a model of their trailers and most of them obliged. You can see it at the entrance of our building here in Nijmegen. And a 2WIN trailer is also there. Emons Cargo also participated in our Carrier Champions League. If I’m not mistaken, it was on that occasion that Stijn van den Bogart (Sales & Marketing Manager Emons Cargo) presented us with the 2WIN model. The year before we awarded Emons Cargo with our QESH award. That is a reward for their policy on quality, environment, health and safety including also their corporate and social responsibility.

The 2WIN concept can hardly be compared to others, simply because no other carrier offers a similar service. Its financial benefits and CO2 savings make it a standout solution. While the primary focus is on cost savings, the increasing concern about CO2 emissions, especially with maut increases and mandatory reporting, adds another layer of significance. And there is one more added value that, in my opinion, does not receive the right recognition. The driver carries out the operations of loading and unloading. It is not widely understood, but it’s a service that contributes to increasing both cost and time savings. I’m sure this partnership is a lasting one.