A German household electronics manufacturer was clocking an average of 112,500 road kilometres every month, hauling goods from Stuttgart to Sheffield with five trailer trucks daily. This long-haul trucking strategy was becoming unsustainable, impacting both operational costs and the company’s sustainability goals. NDQ stepped in to transform their logistics, slashing approximately 102,500 kilometres from their monthly shipping distance.
- Case study
How NDQ revolutionised a German company’s UK consignments
Where it all started: a tale of excessive road kilometres
The traditional route from Stuttgart to Sheffield involved a full truckload (FTL) from Stuttgart to the French port of Dunkirk, a sea crossing to Dover, and then another road journey to Sheffield. This added up to 1,125 road kilometres per trip.
Running five FTLs a day, five days a week, led to high fuel costs, road toll fees, and significant CO2 emissions. Aiming for net zero emissions by 2030, the company needed a smarter shipping strategy.
Customised shipping solutions
The German manufacturer challenged NDQ to devise an optimal solution. Our goals were clear: cut costs, implement sustainable logistics, and reduce environmental impact.
1. Switch to unaccompanied shipping
First of all, we decided to explore unaccompanied shipping. Instead of having a truck driver escorting the client’s cargo from pick-up to drop-off, including the oversea voyage, unaccompanied shipping includes trailers being unloaded from the truck and placed onto cargo ships to complete a large portion of their journey unaccompanied. Once they reach their designated port, they are picked up and driven to their final destination by a local transportation partner. This approach leads to considerable cost savings.
2. Optimise departure and destination ports
On top of being a cost-effective shipping solution, unaccompanied shipping also adds flexibility through route customisation options, adaptable pick-up scheduling, and extended operating hours, creating even more room for improvement.
We changed the European port of departure from Dunkirk to Zeebrugge, Belgium, and the UK arrival port to North Killingholme, closer to Sheffield. This reduced road kilometres per shipment by 345 km, resulting in a 34,500 km monthly reduction for five daily trailer loads.
This adjustment not only represents a decrease in operational costs, it also drives a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
3. Modal shift to minimise kilometres on the road
While technological advances are gradually reducing the environmental impact of truck transport, there are still much cleaner and greener modes for shipping your cargo. Shifting from road to rail transport can decrease CO2 emissions by 82%. Additionally, emissions from sea shipping are a staggering 97% lower than those from road transport. (based on data from European Court of Auditors).
In the case of the German household electronics manufacturer, our team drastically cut the number of road kilometres. On the European mainland, we implemented a near-total shift from road to rail between Stuttgart and the port of Zeebrugge. This impactful change saved an additional 680 road kilometres per shipment. On a monthly basis, this amounts to an astonishing 68,000 km reduction (5 FTLs a day, 5 days a week).
The final outcome? By combining the switch to unaccompanied shipping (intermediate approach) and rail transport, we achieved a significant reduction in road kilometres from 112,500 per month down to a mere 10,000 km.
By adopting our customised shipping solutions, the German manufacturer moved closer to their net zero emissions target. Moreover, they drastically lowered operational costs by driving fewer kilometres, reducing road toll costs, cutting fuel spending, and minimising time lost to traffic congestion.
Why Choose NDQ?
NDQ is the one-stop shop for all your UK & Ireland consignments. Contact us to discover how our experts can meet your unique shipping needs and craft the best logistics solutions for your business.