GCD Glomb Dienst GmbH, a member of New Silk Road Network (NSRN) shares a unique experience of one of their recent transports from Poland to Portugal. GCD Glomb believes that transporting cargo by trains has the apparent benefit of covering more extended parts of the journey via rail and the shorter distance by road. This benefit also protects the environment while at the same time saves costs and optimises transit time.
The New Silk Road is a perfect example of leveraging such a benefit. Depending on the route and the destination in Europe, the total length from China can be up to 11,000 kilometres. The terminals in Europe are generally selected based on keeping the journey as short as possible, considering that the road transport to and from the terminal can account for a large share of the total freight costs.
However, in a situation when the train is delayed, and the goods are required urgently, the story might proceed differently. A delay in moving cargo can cause a standstill in production, default on contracts and expiry of letters of credit. In such cases, it makes sense to pro-actively work and pick up the containers from the first European railway terminal in Malaszewicze, Poland. Once picked up, the containers can be promptly forwarded to the destination, instead of waiting to be moved to the nearest terminal which can add extra handling fees.
Recently, a well-known German forwarding agent contacted GCD Glomb and presented the trucking specialists with a challenge. The job required a container with production components for an automotive supplier to be picked up as soon as it arrived in Europe and forwarded speedily to the production plant in Portugal. The client was under massive pressure as a shortage of the pieces could potentially halt production and cause severe financial consequences. The container was approaching Malaszewicze and had to be transported as quickly as possible over a distance of 3,335 kilometres to Ponte Guimares in Portugal in no more than three to four days.
The whole procedure was hurdled by the fact that it was just before the weekend, and many transit countries have weekend driving bans for trucks. Due to the urgency of the task at hand, GCD Glomb took advantage of its excellent connections and personal contacts in Malaszewicze to have all the necessary preparations made before the arrival of the container. To ensure a swift and smooth release of the container, GCD Glomb completed the formalities with the rail operator in advance as well as checking the availability of the container, arranging for the issue of the T1 customs transit document, and deploying a vehicle operated by two drivers.
The container pick-up was executed without delay or hitches on a Friday at lunchtime. The customer received an internet link with which he could continuously track the position of the truck using GPS. After a record-breaking transit time of just under four days, the truck reached the customs office in Braga early on Tuesday morning, where the T1 was closed. The goods were subsequently unloaded in Ponte Guimares according to schedule. The customer was delighted and extremely grateful for this extraordinary service.
NSRN congratulates GCD Glomb for their marvellous effort which exemplifies their ability to achieve even the most difficult of transport challenges and offer their customers a whole range of primary and ancillary services.
Click to view their homepage for more information: https://www.glomb.com/home/