Looking back on the past year and its many challenges, I want to highlight first the accomplishments of the Ucomar team. What characterizes them is their knowledge of the many different aspects of the logistics industry. And believe me, there are some. The workload was unseen high, and yet everyone was there for the other and covered when needed. This created an even closer bond and a great working atmosphere. At Ucomar, we like to think in terms of solutions rather than problems. A skill that was particularly needed last year.
Our 24-hours service
What characterizes Ucomar is our commitment to provide customers with answers or solutions within 24 hours. The new way of working (working from home) at both shipping companies, clients, and government agencies, is not yet optimal and often has a negative impact on response times. It was a serious challenge for our team to keep the overview and offer the same service to our customers. When circumstances beyond our control risked to jeopardize our service engagement, our customers were always kept informed of problems and possible delays.
Timely handling of incoming and outgoing goods
Congestion … In the logistics world, the word of the year. Congestion is the additional delay caused by the handling of incoming and outgoing ocean vessels. And in a port, it can be quite busy! Because of this congestion, almost all terminals take measures. Containers may only be delivered a limited time before the arrival of the ocean vessel. This means shorter schedules between the number of containers being delivered. A particular challenge in operational handling for both shippers and carriers.
Providing alternatives to shipping options
Container ships often faced capacity problems depending on the destination. As a result, they must either wait or seek alternative terminals and/or ports. In 2021, there were still quite a few alternatives with breakbulk or roll-on/roll-off shipments (roro), but this year we noticed a change there. Roro carriers also face problems with their capacity, punctuality, congestion, and shortages of Mafi trailers. At Ucomar, we pride ourselves on being able to offer just then alternatives to get a load from A to B.
You could call us the Waze of logistics.
So, what will 2023 bring?
The world of logistics is constantly changing. Personally, I think it is the most beautiful sector I know. My wish for this new year is that more and more people go for it because there is always room for skilled and enthusiastic personnel!
Together with the entire Ucomar team, I wish you an exciting 2023.
We remain at your service!
