September 3, 2021

Marine Logistics - COVID-19 impact

Andreas Schwertfeger, Crane Worldwide Logistics' Cruise, Marine and Hospitality vertical lead in EMEA, has been working in the maritime logistics market for over thirty years and is a marine logistics expert. Based in Germany, Andreas brings significant expertise to Crane Worldwide's clients throughout the region.

Andreas recently took part in our 'Coffee with Crane' podcast series sharing his insight and experience with regards to the maritime industry and the current state of the market given the COVID-19 pandemic. What's the latest marine logistics news? 

Below is an exert from the podcast interview discussing our marine logistics support available worldwide.

What type of clients do you cover within the Cruise, Marine, and Hospitality logistics vertical?

It is very complex and there are a number of industries that this vertical covers including supply chain management of cruise lines, ship owners, ship management companies and hotel chains. Within this vertical, you also find companies that are involved in technical spare parts, consumables, food and beverages, interior outfitters, the chemical industry and the consumer and retail industry. If we are talking about the cruise, marine and hospitality vertical, we could also call it 'horizontal' given the fact it covers so many different industries. 

With regards to marine logistics specifically, what is needed from a 3PL Logistics Provider to add value in this market? 

What is very important is that you need to have the right mindset and understanding of the specific marine industry logistics requirements. Vessels are considered to be moving targets, so clients demand responsiveness, proactiveness and a keen sense of urgency. On-time delivery is a key metric here. There is no second chance to supply a vessel as they will have departed the port the next day. Shipping schedules can be very unpredictable therefore a high level of flexibility is needed to work in the maritime market, especially if we are talking about deliveries to tanker vessels for example. 

What are the key locations in the European, Middle East, and African market for this industry?

The key locations in the EMEA region are the main shipping regions: Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands but also the Nordics is a very key market in the maritime market and where a number of suppliers are based. Crane Worldwide has an excellent logistics network throughout the EMEA region, for example, we have just opened a new Amsterdam warehouse to serve as a vendor hub for the maritime industry. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with many challenges around the world, how has it impacted the marine industry?

COVID-19 has impacted the maritime industry as it has with many other industries. Ports have been closed to ensure the well-being of workers. Marine vessels have been banned from entering certain countries and therefore vessels were on the water for weeks and in some cases months. Health authorities also banned imports and exports into some countries and the industry has experienced various types of discord between ship owners and charterers of vessels due to loss of time and money. The most challenging situation was with crew changes because of travel restrictions and many small companies engaged in the maritime industry have faced bankruptcy. 

What are the key services that Crane Worldwide Logistics is offering to support the maritime industry?

Crane Worldwide is focusing on many services within the maritime industry in addition to the standard service offering of air freight, ocean freight, road freight, and warehousing, Crane Worldwide also arranges urgent spare parts through time-critical services and air charter flights when needed. We work on dry docks having our own personnel on-site, coordinating all the incoming flows of goods with authorities, with shipyards and shipping lines, and so on. We can support vessel logistics management in many different ways. We also offer vendor consolidation programs to the maritime industry through our own warehouses providing end-to-end visibility. 

We also have niche services, for example in countries like Turkey and South Africa we store and distribute chemicals from our hubs to all kinds of vessels, container vessels, cruise vessels, and tanker vessels. 

Our greatest value is that we build trust with our clients and offer tailor-made services to address their challenges with logistics solutions. Let us help you with your pan marine logistics services. 

If you are interested in learning more about the maritime supply chain support available from the experts at Crane Worldwide, please reach out with your inquiry here. Let us help you make your marine supply chain a competitive advantage. Listen in to the full podcast:

Podcast

You can watch the full episode here: