Public opinion on the idea of Autonomous Vehicles is mixed, as expected. However, this technological breakthrough has proven worthy due to its benefits to businesses, the public, and the environment.
There are four key benefits of autonomous delivery:
Less Road Accidents
The top benefit of autonomous delivery is that it actually improves road safety. Some studies estimate that by implementing high levels of automation on the road, we are looking at a possibility of cutting down accidents by 80% by eliminating typical driver errors caused by negligence or recklessness. Which, according to Jean-Francois Gaillet, Chief Innovation Officer at Vias Institute, accounts for 90% of road accidents.
No Noise nor Traffic Jams
Forget about getting stuck in traffic because of a bunch of delivery vehicles during rush hours!
Autonomous mobility on roads, rail, and water will decongest the roads. Not only do these present more eco-friendly delivery options for consumers, but AVs can also make deliveries at night because of its noise-free electric motor.
Fresher Air
Replacing traditional road transportation with electric AVs cuts down significantly on carbon emissions. Compared to human drivers, AV software can minimise energy consumption, contributing to a significant decrease in air pollution and promoting environmental recovery.
Higher Workforce Value
Automation removes driving tasks from the overall workflow and opens up new opportunities, time, and manpower to higher value tasks and responsibilities. This tasks include innovation and remote fleet operations.
A Closer Look at the Zeigler Autonomous Delivery Vehicle Project
In response to these concerns, Ziegler is pioneering autonomous delivery in Europe to aid in building healthier roads for EU cities.
Ziegler, together with several organisations such as the Vias institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BECI, the Ministry for Mobility, and the Department of Public Works and Traffic Safety of the Brussels-Capital Region will start closed-course testing to assess the efficiency of AVs in terms of production and ecological efficiency and prove its potential to the public.
With Ziegler piloting this project, the entire AV project is deemed more credible due to the family business’ genuine drive towards sustainability supported by vast experience in logistics in general.
As Stefan Vadenhende, Advisor and Minister or the Brussels Capital Region, says “the chances of success are then also a bit higher if you’re not just living on this hype, but if you’re actually really trying to do this from your core business, seeing how you can sustainably change your core business for the future.”
The growth of international trade has been a major driving force behind the sea freight forwarding industry, leading to significant structural changes in the shipping industry since the end of World War II.
Historical background
The subprime crisis in 2008 led to a slowdown in global trade, causing a decline in sea freight transport growth and initiating a global economic crisis. This resulted in a collapse of demand for sea freight transport and freight rates, negatively impacting the profitability of shipping companies. As a result, the European Union revoked liner conferences that had been in operation for many years due to its opposition to rate agreements. This led to the creation of new agreements between shipowners called shipping alliances.
The health crisis
The subprime crisis in 2008 led to a slowdown in global trade, causing a decline in sea freight transport growth and initiating a global economic crisis. This resulted in a collapse of demand for sea freight transport and freight rates, negatively impacting the profitability of shipping companies. As a result, the European Union revoked liner conferences that had been in operation for many years due to its opposition to rate agreements. This led to the creation of new agreements between shipowners called shipping alliances.
The present day
The pandemic and geopolitical conflicts have led to a rise in raw material prices. This has caused many companies to order in bulk to reduce costs and prevent possible shortages. As a result, there is now an overstocking of goods and a decrease in demand for transportation. At the same time, we are witnessing a slowdown in world demand with a possible recession.
In 2023, new vessels are being introduced, and some older vessels are being withdrawn due to the need for shipping companies to bring their fleet into compliance with the new IMO 2023 regulations to reduce carbon emissions from international shipping.
The acceleration of the decarbonization of the fleet should lead to a reduction or even disappearance of the chartering offer, i.e., vessels chartered on an ad hoc basis to relieve port congestion. However, it will also lead to a reduction in capacity on the main shipping lines. To meet emission standards, ships will need to sail slower, which will require 10% more ships to transport the same amount of goods. This could drive up transportation prices even further. Rail transport is indicated as an effective alternative.
Learn more about the evolution of rates in sea freight from our e-book. 👇
Today, we celebrate the beauty of our planet, raise awareness about the environmental challenges we face, and renew our commitment to protect it for future generations.
We are proud of our dedication to reducing our environmental impact.
We are aware of transportation being a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and as a transport company, we recognize our responsibility to reduce our environmental impact. That’s why we have made a commitment to sustainability that includes reducing our carbon footprint, using alternative fuels, optimizing our routes, and strenghtening our modal shift expertise.
One of our top priorities is reducing our emissions. We have invested in alternative fuels and electric vehicles, which emit fewer pollutants than traditional diesel-powered trucks. We also optimize our routes to minimize the distance we travel and the emissions we produce. By using the latest technology and data analytics, we can plan the most efficient routes for our trucks, reducing our fuel consumption and emissions or offer alternative modes of transportation like train or barge.
In addition to reducing our emissions, we are committed to reducing waste and conserving resources. We have implemented a range of measures to reduce waste and recycle materials, from using reusable pallets to separating waste and energy saving at our facilities. We also work with our partners and suppliers to promote sustainable practices throughout our supply chain.
At the Ziegler Group, we believe that sustainability is a core value that should guide our actions every day. That’s why we are continually engaged in exploring new ways to reduce our environmental impact and promote sustainable practices throughout our industry.
This Earth Day, we invite you to join us in our commitment to sustainability. Whether it’s recycling more, reducing your energy consumption, or choosing sustainable products and partners, every action counts. Together, we can make a positive impact on the planet and create a brighter future for all.
Following the recent acquisition of a new branch in Southampton earlier this week, Ziegler UK are delighted to announce another exciting expansion with the brand new opening of Ziegler Glasgow in Scotland.
This venture, across the border not only brings exciting new opportunities for local and nationwide businesses, it also signifies a milestone moment with a Ziegler presence in England, Wales and Scotland for the first time.
The new branch will be headed up by newly appointed Branch Manager Scott Stewart. Having been in the road freight industry for nearly 20 years, Scott started off in the warehouse as an 18 year old, working in many different departments whilst gaining knowledge and expertise over that period to the present day.
The new office is situated perfectly within a short drive of both major cities; Glasgow and Edinburgh and will be facilitating mainly road freight. The new location means Ziegler now have a groundbreaking Scottish presence, adding new lanes in the company’s ever growing successful expansion, always aiming to achieve our common goal of building a truly exceptional and world class organisation.
Ziegler UK are delighted to announce the latest exciting development as part of the Ziegler Group’s evolution with the acquisition of Comac Freight Services based in Southampton, a reputed company in our industry who specialise primarily in Ocean Freight achieving a turnover in 2021 of £8.5 million and £6 million in 2022.
We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues from Comac Freight Services into our group and we have high hopes for the future prospects of this business.
Comac will continue to trade under the name Comac Freight Services for the coming months with the intention to fully integrate this business into Ziegler UK Ltd in the near future where it will be known as Ziegler Southampton.
The previous owners of Comac Freight Services – Philip Copland & Julie MacGregor will remain with the business and Phil will assume the role of Branch Manager reporting Directly to Andy Burnham – Ocean Freight Director.
This acquisition is a significant milestone for our organization as it represents a strategic move to further expand our reach in the Ocean Freight market in a key UK port location of Southampton, and further strengthens our position as a leading player in the industry. The addition of Comac Freight Services to our portfolio brings immense opportunities for further growth for the UK business.
With this acquisition, we intend to work even harder towards achieving our common goal of building a truly exceptional and world-class organisation.
We welcome our new colleagues into our company and look forward to a bright future for our Ziegler Southampton branch.
At Ziegler Group, we pride ourselves on our commitment to spreading knowledge and collaborating with academic institutions to advance cutting-edge technologies and sustainable development. Recently, we had the privilege of working with Ghent University in collaboration with Université Libre de Bruxelles on their Tango expedition to the Southern Ocean.
The Tango expedition aims to gain more knowledge about marine biodiversity in the Southern Ocean while minimizing environmental impact. We were tasked with delivering the necessary gear and instruments for the expedition, which required careful planning and execution to ensure the safety and efficiency of the journey.
The goods traveled via Buenos Aires and Ushuaia in Argentina before finally starting toward the southernmost point on Earth. This successful delivery in cooperation with High Flight Logistics showcases our ability to deliver anything, anywhere, and puts our footprint on yet another continent. Successful research in the Antarctic is always the result of a large collaborative work, so this is in the spirit of everything that happens in such extreme places on the globe.
We are proud to have contributed to the Tango expedition and encourage you to learn more about their important research by visiting their website at www.tango-expeditions.be.
Ziegler Group remains committed to partnering with organizations and institutions to make meaningful contributions to sustainable development and innovative technologies.
Ziegler is pleased to introduce you to Patricia and Gilles Bonaert, who have embarked upon an epic ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe by e-bikes.
With the pandemic slowing everything down, they realized they also wanted to take a step back from some of their more demanding obligations and take the time to explore things that were most important to them.
They bought a farm, which was in need of renovation. They envisioned that this could turn into a bigger project involving four overarching values: Humanity, Art, Nature and Economy (HANE). They understood that their project would be enhanced by encountering people and visiting different places. With this in mind, they decided to start a ‘Grand Tour’ around Europe and to use sustainable transportation.
So they set out on their journey on e-bikes, covering up to 250 km in a week. And even amid some difficulties from time to time on the road, the experience is very rewarding.
“Because it’s a slow pace of travel, we can visit all these people and places that would inspire us. While you’re biking, you have a lot of ideas because you have time to think – it’s like a kind of meditation, like being in a bubble, free of all distractions. You can act as a sponge, absorbing what your surroundings have to offer. You experience this with all five of your senses,” Patricia says.
Currently coming back from Nordkap, Norway (which they reached in August) they’re traveling Europe with HANE in mind.
“These are the four pillars that we really are focusing on for reconnecting and regenerating,” Gilles said.
And this vision matches Ziegler Group’s very well, since our ‘Ziegler. Now even greener’ programme was designed to help fulfill the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Patricia and Gilles reached out to Ziegler a few months ago for assistance in transporting their bikes for an overseas leg of their journey.
That’s when Ziegler learned of the vision for their ‘Grand Tour’, and since Ziegler is very passionate about encouraging the use and development of sustainable transport, it was a perfect match for Ziegler to support their journey with our services.
Just as Ziegler, Patricia and Gilles are discovering new ideas, concepts, and individuals, guided by the principles of authenticity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and best practices. This corresponds with Ziegler’s own values on our current path to become an even more responsible and sustainable company.
As a result, Ziegler Group has become a partner to support them on their journey.
“It really was a very nice surprise when Ziegler decided to partner with us! The way our values aligned with Ziegler’s was truly fortuitous!” Patricia said.
Gilles has been and remains involved in Belgian companies and investments while Patricia is still involved in creating vibrant live communities in large organisations. These experiences in business and community have given them tremendous respect for what can still be learned and improved on.
You can follow their journey through the PolarSteps app which is available for iPhone and Android. Just search for ‘PatriciaBonaert’, and you can request to become a follower of their journey.
They look forward to your comments, ideas and encouragement there!
As the season shifts from winter to spring, it serves as a visible reminder of the importance of embracing change and welcoming new possibilities. We extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your unwavering loyalty and support as we venture into the future together.
With Easter just around the corner, we would like to take a moment to express our appreciation for your continued commitment and confidence in us.
As the weather warms and nature flourishes, we are reminded of the potential that lies ahead. We wish you a prosperous and inspiring new season filled with exciting opportunities and personal growth. May this time bring you new energy, ignite your creativity, and inspire you both personally and professionally.