Many experts are testing the waters by voicing out positive prospects about the future as trading and leasing prices in China show a more confident dynamic of decreasing. The recovery still seems distant especially when ports start building “pyramids” of the piled-up containers.
Now when the dynamic of container prices in China for trading and leasing seems to be gradually plunging, it seems like we can start making very cautious statements that the situation is improving. Although it is still a matter of time to see how the market will respond with all the US port congestion and continuous challenges with the rail sector wherethe boom in China-EU rail freight is bringing blockages at key border crossings, there are good signs of the market correction. Average trading prices in China fall by 22% and leasing rates in China went down by 35%. If the prices do not decline further, perhaps, this trend can be considered a response to the upcoming Golden Week in the region. The container throughput has been enormous anyway, having reached 211 million TEU, representing a significant growth of 9.5% in comparison to the last year. The port congestion on the west coast of the northern United States has led to poor liner transportation turnover from the main Chinese ports to the ones in the States. To tackle the problem, the City of Long Beach issued an emergency order allowing businesses to temporarily increase how high they can stack ocean containers. This will apply only to apply to properties that are currently zoned. However, the root of the problem is in the fact that containers have few places to go because warehouses are overwhelmed, so the introduced measure is going to be nothing but a mere Band-Aid.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, instead of building “pyramids” of containers, Singapore is using its non-operational Tuas port to ramp part of its capacity while the Port of Singapore is going round the clock. In the big picture, it is obvious that ports are ticking to a more or less similar strategy. What other patterns can we expect in the future? Many experts predict that the government will take a more active role in 2022 because the crisis has reached so far that the private companies will not be able to resolve it on their own. Although the new regulation might involve tightening some areas of liability between parties, they will not govern capacity, equipment, or inventory. It is a pity that it has taken a massive, international disruption for the industry to reset, however, the future is bright according to the majority of the experts as everyone is bracing up to solve such fundamental problems as how we spend consume, and transport goods.
The road freight is in tune with the positive forecasts. At least in Europe. Despite the struggles with labor shortages, Brexit, and supply chain dysfunctions, it is showing signs of recovery. The data shows that it will be back on track by the end of 2021, with an exception of being slightly smaller than it was in 2019, by 1.5%. The latest report also highlights that one of the biggest contributors for improvements should be digitalization including digital forwarders, marketplaces, and TMS providers.
Apart from the big role of digital space, infrastructure improvements will have the back of the railway freight. A recent example is Norway where thanks to continuous development, it has become possible to expand fish industry capabilities by acquiring rail transport options. The new train service launched by OnRail will run along the Nordland railway line, the country’s longest route, starting from Bodø and reaching Trondheim. In addition, the company has ordered a couple of EuroDual locomotives to improve its services.
Are the prospects as promising when it comes to sustainability? The recent fire outbreak on the ZIM Kingston spread over 10 containers and aused serious environmental concerns. Although no damage has been reported, there is fear that the potassium amylxanthate carried in a couple of the overboard containers can form a flammable gas from contact with water. On a positive note, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group has taken another step towards green mobility – it is going to use eco tracking in the Czech Republic. Moreover, the sustainable transport scheme will be implemented on the Brno-Budapest and Melnik-Hamburg intermodal services, which is very vital if we take into account what role rail transportation takes in the nowadays world.
It is not a secret that shipping lines were using the mess in surcharges as a tool to trick their customers to follow the desired contracts and agreements, however, as soon as the tables turned, they flipped off and were quick to penalize the forwarders that have been taking contract rates, of some $4,000/feu from Asia to Europe, and reselling to customers for a price that is more than double. It does not feel good to be on a losing side, especially when some ports are going back to the pre-pandemic levels of throughput with no changes in capacity and elevated levels of worldwide congestion. The pressure from the environmentalists also does not add up to the table, as they demand to speed up the transition to an emission-free future. Will synchro-modality save the game? The transportation industry is becoming more and more like a web, so some experts believe that the key to faster recovery and following agility will be in transparency and cooperation among international terminals.
Embracing the interconnection has a strong potential, especially since one sector is doing better than the others and can become a much-needed catalyst for the change of the weaker ones. The railway industry has welcomed a new freight service launched from China to Russia, new electric locomotives that will be especially useful during heavy train operations, and much more that can be found on MAXMODAL. Sign up for the updates.
So far, the interconnected character of international terminals have been perceived as nothing but the reason of the domino effect and negative consequences, but what if the industry embraces it?
The roaring twenties of the 21st century surely have brought many surprises, and as the congestion crisis unfolds, the masterminds all over the world are preoccupied with finding the way out. It may seem that everything has been tried: around-the clock schedules, expansion of facilities, etc., and yet a new solution has emerged. Barge owners are calling for port operators to adopt “synchro-modality” based on complete reimagining” of how supply chains operate. The crisis has proven the interconnected character of all industry players, thus the focus must be on all stakeholders sharing vital information with each other, so that goods can move faster, more efficiently and as if there is a big wide web connecting international terminals. If we look at the current congestion state, it follows a 50/20/30 rule, in which 50% of capacity moves by barge, 20% by rail, and 30% by road. This would require prioritizing quay capacity, ensuring frequent rail services and ample gate space for trucking. Some companies are already building a system to fit this premise. Meanwhile, developing the routes promising sufficient volumes is another go for the win. The new Hamburg-Shanghai route can be one of such routes. The first eastbound train launched by DB Cargo Eurasia has the potential to keep exported volumes at a high level. However, it will still take time for synchro-modality to take off and the new facilities to have a desired impact on the congested supply chains; for example, the US ports are still struggling in California with $26B worth of cargo. In the meantime, such clogged ports as the Port of Felixstowe are still being omitted. Maersk reports increased consumer demand due to the approaching Christmas and the negative effect the UK bottlenecks are going to cause. At least the rates have plunged by 22% just in time for the new peak season. Moreover, in an attempt to attract large shippers, Maersk is going to handle only cargo from direct shippers, cutting out freight forwarders starting on November 1. Not all it seems – Maersk is seeking revenge because of the forwarders that have been taking contract rates, of some $4,000/feu from Asia to Europe, and reselling to customers for $20,000/feu. The “punishment” has not waited for too long to arrive.
However, if we look at the companies that really use Christmas as the main driver of changes, here comes China United Lines that has launched an express service to the Port of Tilbury to meet shipping demand. It is a big breakthrough because until now most liftings to the UK were delivered to Felixstowe (a new pain point of the EU), Southampton or Liverpool. The step aims to increase capacities, which comes on time with the new dynamic of the European ports – some are going back to the pre-pandemic level of container volumes. The same trend is at ports along the Gulf Coast because of the crisis on the west coast. Unfortunately, it seems like congestion in the UK will not be the only trouble – full customs declaration will come in full force at the beginning of the new year with no mercy for the pleading shippers.
Having identified the shipping sector as one of the main influencers on climate change, the environmental organizations have also granted it certain responsibilities such as a sped-up transition to carbon-free operations. The new deadline is 2030 despite that the big retailers chose 2040. The latter is decided as the most realistic one, according to the players. Nobody is refusing the commitments, however, it seems like the question of the deadlines will be the new stumbling stone between the industry and NGOs.
This week is topped with another railway freight service launched from Jinan, China, to Vorsino in Russia by Ruscon. Covering the all key transport hubs in Russia is the company’s primary strategy on the way to development and expansion. Jinan is an important point where the highways from Beijing and Qingdao intersect.
The differential between the surcharges increases, now reaching $20,000, and so does the number of smaller shippers falling into bankruptcy.
Just like in any other game, it is always the smaller players that usually take the most misfortunate position. In the foolish game of the surcharges, they are carrying immense losses, while some of them fall off the cliff into bankruptcy as the price differential between smaller shippers using spot cargo and larger shippers on contract continues to escalate. Now it is almost reaching $20,000. Although there was a subtle sign of spot rates topping out in recent weeks, many analysts are warning it will take many months for prices to truly cool down. What other Jack in the box is expected? The rise of the insurance costs has taken a strong grip around the throats of the shipping lines that used to be among those profiting from the current madness the most. The predictions regarding how much the price will increase vary from 15% to 25%, therefore life will not be honey-sweet even for the winning players. Sounds like an upsetting scenario, does not it? Especially when Christmas is approaching, and all the fears of empty shelves wash over the minds of not only customers but also of shippers. However, not everyone shares a pessimistic mood. Some sources admit that yes, there are shortages; yes, congestion is everywhere, etc., but if consumers do not engage in panic buying, there will not be any widespread empty shelf winter. They believe that the hysteria is being spread by the companies that lost their competitive advantage. Even if it is true, the current state of things does not provide much confidence in the future. China has not resolved the power crises yet, on the contrary, further disruptions are expected, and as a result, it will lead to longer lead times and a preference for high-value goods. Nobody knows when it ends. While it has become obvious that everyone is struggling with high rates and skyrocketing costs, even robbers have taken mercy on the ships. The recent data has shown that the number of armed robberies has declined by 27% in Asia during the January-September period this year compared to the same period of 2020.
In addition to problems undermining positive prognosis regarding upcoming holidays, the EU does not bring any relief as companies continue to omit UK port calls, which causes a massive challenge for feeder operators tasked with relaying thousands of “overcarried” containers. The good news is that reports are stating that the worst is over and the landside congestion had eased. Meanwhile, the US continues to tackle the problem of bottlenecks by implementing the 24/7 operating hour schedule. More ports such as the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma have taken this approach. This is not going to be the only strategy. Recently, the Supply Chain Act was introduced to the officials, an initiative that proposes to monitor the supply chains of critical goods and design a response to disruptions, using a $500 million annual budget from 2022-2027. It follows up the already accepted Biden’s plan and takes a more detailed look at the hidden costs of faraway manufacturing and supports the idea of companies having more control of their suppliers.
The US ports are not the only ones experiencing the increased throughput. The Russian Container Market has processed 1.3 million TEU in Q3 of 2021, increasing 9% compared to the same period in 2020. However, the decrease is also common in the Northern Ports – a decline of 4.8%.
While Amazon was not the star of the positive news in recent days, it does not mean that e-commerce giants are not on the roll. Perhaps, for China that is still in the darkness in a literal sense, Alibaba will be that much-needed torch. It has gotten a stake in new liner operator Transfar Shipping, which launched operations with China-US west coast sailings in August. This is not just a follow-up of the trend of big e-commerce chattering their vessels. A unit of Alibaba logistics offshoot Cainiao, purchased a 10.33% stake in September last year, so now it is expanding which demonstrates a vertical integration that is different from what the competitors are doing.
It is impossible to decide which sector has been hit the worst, but without a doubt, it is clear that airfreight would share the pedestal. The crisis has shown that it was a big omission not to consider air cargo that important. It used to be the afterthought, but the capacity shortage revealed the pain point of the lack of focus. Now we are in for a big restructuring. Many believe that cargo strategy will now go into aircraft and network decisions, and as it has stepped into the spotlight, more talent will be attracted.
So far, the UK is not the one to be with empty shelves, at least thanks to the rail. Tesco is determined to increase its use of trains to distribute produce by almost 40%. However, the biggest issue of the lack of electrification remains unsolved for the railways to become the ultimate success. In fact, the UK is electrifying its railway at less than half the rate needed to decarbonize by 2050 due to the lack of expertise and the government falling behind its economic recovery initiatives. Meanwhile, STM and Kazakhstan’s Silway Transit join efforts to deliver new electric locomotives that will be especially useful during heavy train operations.
If there is one thing the post-pandemic reality has taught the market players then it is to be ready for unexpected disruptions (or at least try to). Although the industry had experienced a significant drop in Asian congestions and spot rates, it was soon topped with elevated bottlenecks in North Europe and new records in the US ports. The UK, being the new epicenter of the blockages, seems to be finally making the needed steps towards solving drivers shortages. Despite that the companies are still waiting for the government to stop pulling the cat by the tail, the authorities have introduced new measures regarding the cabotage movement that will provide short-term relief. Meanwhile, companies keep looking for alternative ways to charter their vessels in an attempt to deliver their goods on time.
Airfreight is still turbulent and as more talks about the future of it arise, it becomes obvious that even if the new services are introduced, it is the lack of qualified manpower that slows down the recovery. The same is true for intermodal. Some companies go as far as introducing networks between rail and rivers, but will it make sense if there is no one in the workplace? The strike in Italy temporarily causes new troubles. Sign up on MAXMODAL to receive the latest news updates.
When the congestion fills North Europe to the brim, the UK government seems to be ready to act. Why does a threat of collapse appear to be the only stimulus?
Oil on canvas: containerships waiting at ports have become a common scene for the canvases of the EU, The US, and Asia. Even when the situation in NorthEurope is less severe than in the States (although some of the vessels at anchor in northern Europe are far larger than those in San Pedro Bay waiting to berth), the recent data has shown that, at least 20 boxships heading towards Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe (where the stack density is reaching 92%), or other major ports are queuing. America keeps breaking new records. The Port of Long Beach has registered its second-highest September as unprecedented numbers of vessels wait off the West Coast to unload cargo. At the same time, empty containers moved through the port also dropped by 3.6%. Overall, there is a 5.9% decline in throughput compared to the same period in 2020. So far, moving operations to the 24/7 work schedule has seemed the only solution. Rates and capacity are still tight as more ships start to omit ports; the spot rate for a 40ft to the US West Coast jumped by 8.5% on the week, to $17,377. For East Coast ports, the spot rate increased by 6.5%, to repass the $20,000 marker at $20,695 per 40ft. On the EU tradelane, the rates are still plateaued at $14,492 per the same container in North Europe, and some experts are hopeful for a possible decline. The ships’ prices are soaring too alongside the elevated spot rates. This disrupts the intention of the South Korean authorities to provide funding to local liner and feeder operators through ship sales and leaseback. The plan was crashed after the prices went up, leaving the officials waiting for better times when the residual value drops.
The fate of the businesses struggling with drivers’ and overall delivery options has become a routine for the UK companies long ago. After the government After the UK government botched attempt to belatedly relax visa rules for a limited number of EU hauliers, many enterprises failed to attract significant interest to the sector by using their stimulus. It became clear that the solution is in the hands of the officials, thus they proposed a possible temporary unilateral legislative extension of road haulage cabotage. The proposal is to allow unlimited cabotage movements of heavy goods vehicles for up to 14 days after arriving on a laden international journey into the UK. However, it is still a short-term solution and does not diminish the importance of developing a more diverse domestic workforce.
With shipping prospects rising, there is still a problem of the existence of too many shipping stocks instead of consolidated categories. Although an updated analysis has shown that this number is shrinking, the remaining public players are no bigger. Consolidation has been the major cause of it as well as takeovers by shipping companies – a big trend of acquisitions that goes beyond U.S.-listed shipping stocks all the way to North Europe. Another trend of companies starting to charter their vessels is evolving too. Amazon decided that it would send boxes on the deck of the Norwegian multipurpose operator that is ideal for carrying unconventional containers.
With more challenging on the way, the environment will continue to encourage companies to explore methods to organize their supply chain models in an effort to get their products to market and avoid shortages. This search for a new strategy concerns other sectors that Amazon is willing to explore. For example, airfreight. Some sources report that Amazon is going to acquire a significant number of long-range, wide-body freighters that could fly goods from China and the Asia Pacific region to the US to tackle the problem of bottlenecks. The e-giant has declined this statement, although this method (especially since airbus freighters announced their commitments to e-commerce) should not be underestimated as it would allow the company to establish an ex-Asia airbridge, channeling shipments directly into airline arm Amazon Air’s US network of dedicated airport hub, avoiding delays. The latter is extremely important in the light of the peak season and the forecasts that air capacity will tighten before we even blink. Amazon has already missed the moment when transport costs surged. Now it is trying to induce consumers out of their homes to collect their online purchases from a drop-off point nearby. Anticipating the coming issues, such companies as FedEx have already launched additional flights.
No sooner did the EU recover from the German strikes than the new ones crushed it, this time in the south. Following the introduction of “corona tickets” at workplaces, hundreds of strikers have flooded the Port of Trieste’s area. Supply problems are expected, however, they probably will not last for long as the majority of the ports support this sanitary measure. As for Germany that is gradually recovering, the recent initiative concerns the strengthening of the freight traffic via the Betuwe route – where up to 70% of the traffic between the countries occurs – by starting the new tests of the Automatic Train Operation. The goal is to have a locomotive ready for testing on the route in 2025. More connections are on the way in India as well. APM Terminals Pipavav has become the first Indian port to connect to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor after
The drop in congestion has not lasted for long. The new epicenter has emerged, this time in the UK.
The hopes to see the ease of congestions last for a bit longer have been crushed way before shippers had a chance to gulp fresh air as UK’s Port of Felixstowe has added up to the chaos. The notoriously famous drivers’ shortage has contributed to an immense backlog of the port that handles a significant amount of the UK’s containerized freight. The delays will affect all sectors from marine to retail and if the ice does not break, they can potentially impact nearly $2 billion of trade imports. As congestion continues, such big companies as Maersk chose to anticipate the problems and divert ships from Felixstowe. Sleepless nights are ahead for everyone trying to get out of the blockages as well for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that are officially expanding their operating hours to 24/7 schedule. The government backs the decision. Big retailers are also going to use night hours to move their cargo. Although the sector is still deep into a soaring demand, there are indicators that consumer behavior will eventually stabilize and now it seems to be shifting towards services. The question of “when” it is going to happen remains unsolved. The future is a mystery, besides, it is better and more pragmatic to focus on the present especially when the US congestion spills further in Asia. If before it was mostly Chinese blockages affecting the countries across the Atlantic, now it is vice versa. Normally outbound containers are moved into yards in the port to await loading, but because of the worsening congestion in the US West Coast ports, shipping schedules and high volumes of transhipped cargoes from China have led to a relentless arrival of outbound containers. As a result, Busan is becoming increasingly congested and forcing the officials to create temporary storage from the hinterland of the West Container Port in Busan New Port. A further increase in spot rates is probably right around the corner. According to the predictions, on the global scale, consumer inflation will hit 4.5% by the end of this year with container freight prices and soaring commodity prices highlighted as a big contributor, adding 1.5% to the countries from the G20 list economic state.
It is obvious shipping sector is one of the biggest and hulking when it comes to change. Indeed, the industry moves 80% to 90% of the world’s traded goods. From the environmental perspective, it contributes to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, so consequently, shipping has to contribute to the reduction of emissions the most. To put it in numbers, 70% of the shipping industry’s energy mix needs to be green hydrogen-based fuels by 2050. Experts claim that a realistic carbon levy will be critical, putting an adjustable carbon price on each fuel to prevent new fossil fuel investments and stranded assets. However, to follow the deadline, a much faster pace should be implemented.
Congestion is not solely a marine phenomenon. To resolve the bottleneck on the rail, a new, large logistics center is going to be built in Malaszewicze, Europe’s main gateway on the New Silk Road in Poland. Despite the promising future, the construction will take significant time and investments, so In the meantime, delays will be the ultimate part of the daily routine. It is not only the EU’s headache – the total rail freight volume in Horgos, China’s closest port to central Asia and Europe by land transport, is up to 48.5% year on year leaving the country no other option but to develop intermodal. This is where partnerships become the biggest assets, thus Bangladesh CCBL is going to build a rail Inland Container Depot in Chittagong to boost the transportation of containers by trains. Among other developments, is the vigorous attempt of Hupac to strengthen its positions by taking over the operations of the Novara CIM terminal in northern Italy through a subsidiary. The company went further and projected further investments in upscaling of its services. Meanwhile, France taps into an interesting rail-river alliance. SNCF Réseau and VNF want to work together and improve operational complementarity between rail and river networks to enhance the modal shift. The focus will be on transparency, cooperation, and digitalization. Waahaven South in the port of Rotterdam sees a temporary solution for its fire extinguishing system. Although the final one is yet to be implemented in 2023, the current change might allow the terminal to continue operating.
Post-pandemic talks to some extent remind of discussion about post-apocalypse. Well, taking into account the cost of all the disruptions, it does seem like one. Resilience is equivalent to the new armor that will protect the industry like a shield. When it comes to airfreight, the outlook is bright no matter the challenges. World trade is forecast to grow at 9.5% this year and 5.6% in 2022, e-commerce continues to grow at a double-digit rate, therefore, joint efforts and modernization should be the man pillars. Moreover, let’s take the positive effect of the mentioned e-commerce – south-it is a great opportunity for intra-Asia trade, as investments are already pouring into improving cumbersome cross-border logistics.
The market finally experiences a drop in congestions and spot rates, but is it really a moment to lay down arms?
Everyone’s hearts must have skipped a beat when the notorious congestion in China has finally shown a sign of…relief? Indeed, the latest data has demonstrated a decline of 47% in just two-and-a-half weeks. What does it mean for the market? Are we in to screw the recent forecasts about postponed recovery or is it a mere exception? Rates have reacted almost immediately, dropping to $13,025 per 40’ FEU on Asia-US direction, however, it does not concern all indexes reporting the updates. With the confusion of surcharges and fees, the situation remains foggy – some shippers are currently able to ship without paying guarantee surcharges, while others are not. Having taken into account such factors as the time needed to solve backlogs, the rates for containerized freight, and the price for sustainable fuel that the industry is planning to switch to, experts assume that the rates will remain elevated and are less luckily to drop below pre-pandemic levels ever again. In addition, nobody can control the weather as a massive disruptor. There is already a red alert in the ports around China’s Pearl River Delta where they have been forced to stop operations because of Typhoon Kompasu, so delays continue.
Paired with inefficient management, port’s bottlenecks can become a real nightmare, and the case with Rotterdam serves as a perfect example. Due to poor yard management, barges with containers on board are being left to stand idle for a week as ECT Rotterdam first approves berthing windows, and then cancels them. Chaotic play board expands as far as India where its largest operator has suspended all containers to and from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The radical decision has been announced after Indian officials seized nearly three tons of heroin worth $2.65bn originating from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Canada is having a rough time too as the on-time arrivals have slumped to 16%. The surging traffic at the port of Vancouver causes major shortages and difficulties to transloading activities.
Bottlenecks in the air logistics supply chains spark vigorous discussions on the future of the sector. It is clear that in order to move on, the industry has to get used to the “new normal” when the traffic is soaring. This realization should lead directly to the rethinking of the recruiting policy because more manpower is needed ASAP. Among other issues to be solved is better communication of the terminals and the question preighters that has proven to be not that effective.
The unbothered players are still shipping lines as more profits increases are on the way – it has been estimated that if the situation remains the same, the figure will reach a massive high of US$150 billion for 2021. Sustainability should not be understated as one of the drivers of future market changes especially when big companies continue to undertake major steps. MSC is strengthening its partnership with China in collaboration with China Waterborne Transport Research Institute amid to find the best ways for energy transformation for shipping. In addition, the Port of Rotterdam has become the choice of Norwegian clean energy company Horisont Energi and Koole Terminals for the development of an ammonia terminal, so the new technology could reach all clients thanks to Rotterdam’s favorable location.
Although it is impossible to predict what can possibly disrupt rail next, there are some points that companies may consider and measures they can undertake to eliminate some of them. For instance, to improve the safety measures to minimize the number of accidents. The Sheffield station learns from mistakes. A long assessment has revealed the changes that need to be made to the implementation of processes for identifying high derailment risk locations; the implementation of safety-critical changes to its processes; standards governing fitment of check rails; and track geometry data formats. This will require significant infrastructure changes. Another country that taps into them is Moldova where FM-Moldova Railways agreed on a 23,5 mil. euros loan for rail development, especially in safer locomotives. Rhenus Logistics is also embracing the building momentum of the rail market and launching a landbridge service between South Korea and Europe. In addition, it makes an ambitious 80% acquisition of Belgium-based Wijnands Bulk Care to increase its range of services in the Benelux proving that intermodal solutions hold the prospects for the future.
It is no secret that even such giant e-retailers as Amazon have been experiencing pressure on their supply chains, however it does not prevent the same Amazon from baring its teeth at outside deliveries. So far, it has not been its primary focus, but now the company is seriously considering diving into competitors’ shares and providing much cheaper delivery services. Hopefully, the e-retailer will not bit more than it can swallow.
The rush of big revenues and high rates are making the heads of shipping lines go right round to the point when they start playing a trick on customers with surcharges, and the market chaos plays in their favor. The latest forecasts predict that they can enjoy this turmoil until 2022, a new deadline until when the awaited recovery might be achieved. The waiting game is already taking too long, so companies start focusing on the present and value immediate steps more than strategies for the long run. Thus, more ports’ are undergoing expansions, the authorities call for round-the-clock operating hours, significant investments in infrastructure are expected, and acquisitions take place not only in Europe and the US, but in the Middle East as well. However, none of the additional financial expansions will do any good, if the most fundamental problems are not solved. Issues such as drivers’ shortage. The initial plan to wait until the new visa policy is implemented are long forgotten, and companies are going to focus on bringing back the drivers who left the industry for more attractive jobs. Retailers are acting rapidly too, revolutionizing their delivery policies in accordance with what is really needed on the market – quality and speed.
