This document discusses opportunities for entrepreneurs in synchromodal transport in Northwestern Europe. Synchromodality involves supply chain management where logistics service providers make modality decisions to increase flexibility and robustness. It allows combining inland waterway, shortsea, and rail volumes to lower costs and improve service and sustainability. Shippers delegate modality decisions to logistics service providers. Leading companies in the Netherlands have developed synchromodal networks starting from maritime volumes and now including continental volumes. The document outlines several business cases and lessons learned from implementing synchromodal transport in 2014. It also discusses opportunities for logistics service providers and SMEs to develop synchromodal network capabilities in Northwestern Europe.

1. Synchromodal
Transport
Opportunities for
entrepreneurs in
North-Western Europe
Kees Verweij
Buck Consultants International
P.O. Box 1456, 6501 BL Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Phone : + 31 24 379 02 22
Mobile : + 31 6 511 00 950
E-mail : kees.verweij@bciglobal.com
DINALOG Congress
Logistics Innovations in Europe
Workshop Intelligent Hubs
Synchromodality
Amsterdam, April 1, 2014

2.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 1
1. Synchromodality: network management
Synchromodal transport:
 Supply chain/network management of
Logistics Service Provider is key
 Shipper delegates modality decision to
Logistics Service Providers (within SLA)
Benefits of synchromodality:
 Increase in opportunities to combine
inland waterway, shortsea, rail volumes
 Lower cost, improved service levels, and
sustainability
 Combination of flexibility (switching
between transport modes) and
robustness (transport with time tables)
Requirements:
 Fit for product/client requirements
 Larger volumes & SCM capabilities
Leading
Topic for
Dutch
Top Team
Logistics

3.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 2
• Start: Combination of flexibility and robustness in supply network management
• Essential: Shippers/freight forwarder delegates decision mode to LSP
Synchromodality: network management key

4.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 3
Synchromodality: Win-win-win
Benefits for shippers
• Flexible: barge/rail/shortsea
when possible, road when
urgent
• Lower cost/improved service if
in line with requirements client
• Dynamic planning makes
mode switching possible
• Step forward in sustainability
(CO2 target)
Benefits for service providers
• Opportunity: increase volumes
for barge/rail/shortsea transport
• Improved quality of service:
attracting clients and turnover
• Deepsea terminal: Barge/rail
volumes easier to handle than
road (max. 3 TEU/truck)
• Step forward in sustainability
(CO2 target)
Benefits for authorities/citizens
• Improved use of capacity
existing infrastructure
• Less road transport (congestion)
• Improved competitive position
and vitality of companies (job
security in long term)
• Step forward in sustainability
(CO2 target)

5.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 4
• Uncertainty about economic trends, but increase in container transhipment Rotterdam
• Drivers: easy approach of port, volume benefits, concentration shipping lines
• Sustainable solutions needed for hinterland transport: synchromodal transport through
Supply Network Management
Maritime volumes driver synchromodality

6.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 5
• White Paper on Transport EU: goal of
60% reduction emissions in 2050
• Essential: 30% road transport over 300
km shift to rail/barge in 2030, and 50%
in 2050
• Capacity: TEN-T network of 30
infrastructure projects
• Synchromodality: setting up effective
maritime and continental transport
services
Synchromodality: a solution for Europe

7.  Buck Consultants International, 2014
 ECT: build up network of synchromodal services to inland terminals starting in 2008
 Combination of barge, rail and road services
 Central inland nodes: Venlo, Duisburg and Moerdijk
 Synchromodality: starting from maritime volumes, now also including continental
volume
Synchromodal leader

8.  Buck Consultants International, 2014
Synchromodality: many different suppliers
Different suppliers of synchromodal services:
• Carrier haulage: services of shipping lines (e.g. Maersk, MSC)
• Merchant haulage: services of forwarders/LDV’s (e.g. Kühne & Nagel)
• Terminal haulage: services of deep sea (ECT) of inland terminals (e.g. BCTN)
• Rail/barge haulage: services of barge/rail operators (e.g. Alcotrans, Contargo)
• Network haulage: services of 4PL service providers (e.g. Wayz)
 Trend: Supply Network Management results in disappearing borders between modes
Manufacturers
Wholesale
Distributors
Suppliers
Supplier
Exchanges
Customer
Exchanges
Logistics
Exchanges
Contract
Manufacturers
Logistics
Providers
Customers
Contract
Manufacturers
Retailers
Information Flows
Goods Flow
Manufacturers
Wholesale
Distributors
Suppliers
Supplier
Exchanges
Customer
Exchanges
Logistics
Exchanges
Contract
Manufacturers
Logistics
Providers
Customers
Contract
Manufacturers
Retailers
Information Flows
Goods Flow

9.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 8
2. Business cases 2014: maritime volumes
Synchromodaily
• Containers: road to barge/rail
• Re-using containers at inland terminal
• Switch > 10.000 TEU in 2013
SYFLON
• Containers: road to barge/rail
• Maritime containers to Rotterdam in
combination with continental volumes
TICS
• Containers: road to barge
• Maritime containers on Rhine river
• Bundling of volumes ‘competitors’
Synchromodal
Planning Tool
• Containers: road to barge/rail
• Operational cooperation between 2 inland
terminals (integral planning)
European
Gateway
Services
• Set-up of network synchromodal services
• Start: maritime, now including continental
• Switch > 100.000 TEU since start

10.  Buck Consultants International, 2014
Business cases 2014: network volumes
Cool Port
Control Tower
• Containers/reefers using barge transport
• Control Tower: maritime and continental
• Opportunity for port-greenport links
Synchromodae
Control Tower
• Focus: Control Tower management
• Synchromodal services for clients
• Use of inland terminals: Venlo/Duisburg
Greenrail
• Containers: road to rail
• Start of services to Italy, Romania, Spain
• Greenrail: alternative for flower/plant traders
Lean & Green
Barge
• Impulse shippers: DE, Friesland-Campina,
United Biscuit in favour of barge
• Development of continental network
Continental
Rail Services
• Development continental rail services EU
• Synchromodal network for clients
• Opportunity: attracting volumes for services

11.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 10
 Products: often standardized transport (e.g. containers), bulk less common.
 Substantial volumes needed, with comparable origin-destination routes
 Start: focus on maritime transport to/from ports, Now: development of maritime/
continental synchromodal networks
 Use of advanced IT-platforms, connections between company and sector
platforms (e.g. Portbase in NL). Availability/transparancy of data is big plus.
 Certain clients want to outsource all logistics: ‘a-modal’ bookings
 Importance of human factor: transport planners need to get synchromodal
planning into their ‘system of working’
 Setting up and expanding synchromodal transport has different growth phases
 Success factors: requirements/attitude of customers, volume, reliability and
costs, effectiveness of network management, trust and dedication in chain.
.
Synchromodality: Lessons learned 2014

12.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 11
3. Synchromodal European Gateway
Opportunities
for maritime
and continental
services to
inland terminals
+
European
Gateway
opportunities in
long term
 North-Western Europe: European Gateway with > 2,500
Central European Distribution operations of overseas
companies
 Development of advanced synchromodal services essential
to maintain competitiveness of logistics sector

13.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 12
LSP can develop synchromodal network capabilities
 North Western EU is European Gateway with dense network of barge/rail/ shortsea
services. This creates volume, and continental synchromodal services can be set
up using these volumes.
 Start of continental synchromodal services from inland terminals, and LSPs need
to develop logistics control tower
 Synchromodal transport often developed on top of intermodal services: clients
need to be convinced that a-modal bookings are possible en beneficial
Synchromodal transport also created opportunities for SMEs
 4PL: chain/network management skills already developed, including several modes
 Attitude of shippers essential: are they interested enough in optimisation of goods
flows to hand over decision of transport mode use? Have they already optimized
their own logistics operations?
 Combination of IT and human operations: IT platforms have to be ready, but
essential that transport planners are able to think ‘outside the box’
Synchromodal opportunities for LSPs

14.  Buck Consultants International, 2014 13
Kees Verweij
Buck Consultants International
Principal Consultant
kees.verweij@bciglobal.com
+ 31 6 511 00 950
Thanks for your interest and good luck!
Feel free to contact me if you have questions or remarks