Forwarders face profitability test as freight markets look set to stabilise
As global freight markets begin to show signs of stabilisation after months of disruption, the industry’s largest forwarders have shown ...
By Alex Lennane
DHL Freight has warned of potential delays to European shipments this month, as a planned strike by Italian haulage groups threatens to disrupt intermodal and cross-border operations.
A nationwide stoppage of road transport services has been called by industry association Trasportounito for 20 to 25 April, amid concerns over the high cost of diesel.
Kuehne+Nagel said the action would be supported by a series of coordinated protests, with umbrella body Unatras organising around 100 “garrisons” across cities and towns nationwide.
If the strike proceeds, the movement of containers to and from Italian ports is likely to face severe disruption.
————————————————————————————————————————————
Inside the industry’s AI shift
Complete The Loadstar’s ‘State of AI in the Supply Chain’ survey — and receive the full report and data before release.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
DHL noted that a significant share of the traffic to and from Italy was handled via intermodal transport, with trailers moving part of the journey by rail. Disruption to road and rail networks could have wide implications for European supply chains.
The company said delays to collections and deliveries would be expected.
“DHL Freight is closely monitoring the situation in cooperation with its transport and logistics partners, and is taking the necessary measures to minimise delays and secure transport capacity. Shipments will be moved to the next available departures without any action required from customers.”
Italy is a key hub for north-south European freight flows, and any prolonged disruption risks causing backlogs at ports and inland terminals, creating knock-on effects across the region.
Comment on this article