The “Sulphur Directive”, new regulations regarding winter tires in Norway, stricter cabotage rules in Sweden, as well as the Russian embargo and the German minimum wage law – these are the main events that will determine the TSL market in 2015 in the Poland-Scandinavia route, according to the “Course for Scandinavia” report prepared by the team at Scandinavian Express, an independent logistics operator.
Experts from Scandinavian Express, an independent operator specializing in freight forwarding and transport on the Europe-Scandinavia route, have examined what will matter in the TSL services market in the Scandinavian direction in 2015. To this end, they analyzed economic data, business trends, and key industry events from the past year.
The analysis shows that in 2015, the experience and specialization of companies will be of particular importance in the logistics service of the Scandinavian direction. This is primarily related to the introduction of new legal regulations, such as the “Sulphur Directive”, requirements for fitting winter tires in Norway, or new rules regarding cabotage in Sweden. These force carriers to make new investments and strictly comply with the law.
– Stricter regulations in the internal markets of Scandinavian countries and the introduction of the “Sulphur Directive” will translate into an increase in transport operating costs, and consequently, the price of services offered. New market conditions will be a serious test of the operational efficiency of TSL operators. Contractors should, especially in the first quarter of 2015, pay attention to these elements when choosing a carrier for the Europe-Scandinavia route – comments Patryk Szymański, Vice President of Scandinavian Express, on the report’s findings.
The prolonged Russian embargo on the import of food products from the European Union, which was introduced in August 2014, and the temporarily suspended German minimum wage law will also have a significant impact on the TSL market in the Poland-Scandinavia route. Because of them, many carriers will look for freight in other markets. One of them will certainly be Scandinavia, which, especially in the spring-summer period, may become a very popular alternative for vehicles withdrawn from service on the eastern route. At first, this may result in lower prices and a decline in service quality. However, in the long term, it will lead to the stabilization of the market, which will itself eliminate carriers unprepared for the specifics of this direction.
– The coming year may be difficult for carriers who are just opening up to Scandinavian markets. If they have not made precise preparations well in advance, sudden adaptation to regulations and customer expectations may prevent them from competing with experienced operators solely on price – adds Patryk Szymański, Vice President of Scandinavian Express.
The structure of trade between Poland and Scandinavia and forecasts for its development, especially regarding the specifics of the most popular commodity groups, necessitates an adequate adjustment of fleet capabilities, with particular emphasis on the multifunctionality of equipment. They want to be sure that if necessary, they can use transport suitable for a given situation – from fast delivery vans with tail lifts and standard sets to oversized transport sets ready to serve, for example, the dynamically developing steel construction market.
A detailed analysis and all forecasts for 2015 can be found in the “Course for Scandinavia” report. The Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce (SPCC) has provided substantive patronage for the report.