Changes in international pallet transport vs. customer wishes

The speed of delivery and availability of exported and imported goods is not a given, and we have to accept relatively steep price increases. Covid, the crisis in international transport, BREXIT, unavailability of materials, complicated customs processes... And the list goes on. However, in light of all the difficulties, there are also interesting challenges to improve and refine the service so that cross-border pallet clients get what they are used to. The logistics company Geis knows this.

Similarly, as the energy crisis at the end of last year showed, the times favour large reliable logistics providers who have created the right conditions for serving their clients. Daniel Knaisl, Managing Director of Geis CZ, says: "Although we have experienced a lot in cross-border transport over the last two years, we still try to adapt our service to ensure that every customer is satisfied. We currently have regular routes to more than 30 countries, most of them with daily departures. We can adapt flexibly and quickly send exceptional or completely new services out into the world."

After experience, international shipping customers are increasingly asking about delivery times, they want to be sure that their goods will be where they need to be on time. What used to be standard is now something that many companies cannot provide to clients. In order to respond to fluctuations and guarantee on-time reliability, a broad base is required. An in-house distribution network, no unnecessary transshipments, direct connection to the international transport network - all this helps Geis. For example, to our neighbours in Slovakia, Geis dispatches several lines every day from several branches, so that we can ensure short delivery times of up to 24 hours from pick-up in the Czech Republic to delivery in Slovakia for some clients or regions. This is quite extraordinary in this relatively strong competitive environment. For many clients, the delivery time is also linked to the production process, which places extraordinary demands on the delivery time of the pallets according to the original plan.

According to Knaisl, the service offered by the carrier for the export of their palletised shipments is also important for the clients: '"Geis pays personal attention to each customer. The human element is often so important to our clients that we are always recruiting new sales managers to provide the much needed service. Although we are by no means small with a turnover of over €1 billion and over 6,000 employees, we remain a traditional family business where relationships matter." Individual care can reveal, for example, what shipments a customer usually carries, what the seasonal fluctuations are, and thus individualise the offer. This is then very cost-effective and precisely tailored.

With a unique domestic network and a strong fleet, Geis has built a strong foundation for quality international services over its 15 years in the market. The trucks depart daily with pallets to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Scandinavia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Several times a week to other European countries. Daniel Knaisl adds, "Customers are pushing for flexibility. It often happens that they order express pallet shipments today and we deliver them the same day. We are able to do this mainly thanks to the number of vehicles we have on the road as standard, and we have no problem driving to more remote regions."

Certain additional services are already standard in the transport of pallets abroad - for example, real-time tracking of shipments, temporary storage, easy ordering "in a few clicks", etc. But clients often request additional services to make the process easier. Assistance with packing shipments and handling all customs obligations are increasingly popular services at Geis.