SCHENKER REORGANIZES LCL BUSINESS

SCHENKER REORGANIZES LCL BUSINESS    Schenker, the German forwarding and logistics group, is reorganizing the way it handles less-than-containerload sea freight worldwide.
   The reorganization started in Europe, where Schenker said that it conducted a successful pilot project with
a new “gateway structure” for LCL shipments.
   European LCL traffic is now controlled via Schenker’s gateways in Hamburg and Rotterdam. Schenker subsidiaries in Europe direct the flow of goods through these two ports exclusively.
   Schenker said that this concentration leads to a better use of container space, including an increase in the frequency of use of 40-foot boxes. The use of the gateways also raises the efficiency of inland transportation and lowers costs, the company said.
   Schenker is now extending the gateway system worldwide, with implementation in the Americas and the Pacific Rim scheduled for this year.
   Schenker said that the changes will enable the company to offer customers denser LCL traffic and new routes, while lowering costs at the same time.