Relationships between shippers and carriers would 'improve significantly' if collective carrier pricing and service agreements were ended, according to Peter Friedmann, executive director of the US-based Agriculture Transportation Coalition.
Mr Friedmann, who is due to speak at next month's Cool Logistics Conference in Hamburg, will consider how such a change could affect the cold chain in particular and impact on the shipment of items such as fresh produce.
The third Cool Logistics Conference is due to take place on 20-22 September and will feature a range of top-level speakers from the cold chain logistics, transport and retail sectors as well as prominent members of the fresh produce trade.
With container shipping not yet out of the woods and airfreight being plagued by its own set of challenges, shippers and carriers are set to enjoy a lively debate at Cool Logistics 2010.
The conference will consider whether or not there really is a supply and demand impasse, and look at what can be done to avert the transport capacity shortage that threatened this year’s fruit export season and also led to higher than expected perishable claims.
On a related theme, speakers will assess the potential for a repetition of airfreight capacity shortages in the run up to Christmas.
“We are delighted to have secured the participation of speakers representing all the different members of the coldchain” commented Alex von Stempel, event director for Cool Logistics.
Ken Kinscher, corporate finance/mergers and acquisitions manager at private banking institution MM Warburg, will ask if this is the time for renewed mergers and acquisitions activity in the reefer logistics supply chain.
He will also discuss the availability of financial resources for new technology and innovation in the reefer supply chain.
He will then take part in a panel discussion alongside other high-level speakers, including Phillip Symons, fresh produce category buyer at UK-based food retailer Marks & Spencer, and Dr Horst Lang, head of quality assurance at German independent retailer Globus SB-Warenhaeuser.
Speakers from Air France Cargo-KLM Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne & Nagel will join representatives from APL, CMA CGM, Damco, Hellmann Perishable Logistics, CoolBoxx and MOL in Hamburg this year, covering the latest trends in seafreight, airfreight, sea-air and intermodal transportation.
Continuing the successful format of 2009, Cool Logistics 2010 includes a two-day main conference on 21-22 September, plus pre-conference technical workshop on 20 September, where participants will explore how technology innovations can generate operational efficiencies and cost savings.
Cool Logistics Conference 2010 is officially supported by Port of Hamburg Marketing and has also gained the support of a number of prominent industry groups, including the International Freight & Logistics Network (IFLN), German Cold Storage and Logistics Association (VDKL), Multimodal and the Shippers Voice.
“We are particularly pleased to have tripled sponsorship support for Cool Logistics 2010,” Mr von Stempel added.
Current sponsors include Carrier, Daikin, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Identec Solutions, Johnson Controls, Mark-IT, Sensitech, Thermo King and Fruit Logistica/FreshConex.
