Girteka Logistics, the largest asset-based logistics company in Europe, indicated that it has continued the growth of its intermodal rail capacity, which has resulted in the impressive growth of the number of shipments done utilizing the sustainable transportation solution.
While in 2020, Girteka Logistics managed to double the number of trailers that were carried on its intermodal rail network when compared to 2019, this year, the company has already surpassed the tonnage of 2020. Thus, the logistics provider is on track to once again double its annual result. Overall, in 2020, 5% of the total kilometers that were completed by Girteka Logistics were covered via intermodal transportation, saving 8 tonnes of C02 by transporting almost 9,500 full truck loads (FTL) throughout the year.
“The growth of our intermodal rail capacity is not accidental,” notes Larisa Senkevičienė, the Head of the Intermodal Service Division in Europe at Girteka Logistics. “Utilizing intermodal rail transport is one of the pillars of our sustainability policy, as the company actively looks to reduce its impact on the environment, and utilizing rail transport is one of the ways to do so,” she adds.
Girteka Logistics has long invested in intermodal transport, as the way to transport goods plays an important part in the company’s future, especially as the pressure on the logistics industry to reduce its emissions is ever-growing. “While currently there are no widely-available trucks that are either electric or hydrogen-powered to help the sector to completely slash its emissions, utilizing the already-built train network is a great solution,” says Senkevičienė.
According to the Head of the Intermodal Service Division, the company is able to offer a unique proposition in terms of its intermodal rail network. “Since we own all our trucks and trailers, our solution is completely end-to-end, meaning that we control the whole transportation process, ensuring the quality of our offering.” Furthermore, if there any disruptions when carrying trailers via rail, the logistics provider is always ready to immediately alleviate the problem and continue moving the trailer on the road. “That is perhaps a great way to describe our offer – always striving to find a solution to keep goods moving, no matter what,” she notes.
While Girteka Logistics is a road transport-focused company, its intermodal rail network only strengthens its business proposition.
Transporting freight by utilizing rail when you’re a road transport-focused company is definitely not an easy feat to achieve. It requires extra attention at the planning level, as you must make sure that every participant in the transportation process is in sync since there are at least several trucks involved.
Nevertheless, despite the challenges and difficulties, the company plans to continuously grow its intermodal rail network. By 2025, Girteka Logistics aims to complete 20% of its deliveries using intermodal transport, as it is a sure-fire way to reduce the logistics provider’s emissions, in addition to other measures that the company has enacted to become more environmentally friendly.