Posted on December 4, 2023
Shipping lines are reporting declining container volumes, but despite this, APM Terminals in Gothenburg is bucking the trend. The terminal reported more than 215,000 TEU for the third quarter, its highest quarterly volume of containers ever – more than 15,000 higher than the previous record in 2011. At the same time, the terminal has maintained a consistently high level of service for its customers.
The biggest impact on volumes in Sweden are decreasing imports, as a consequence of inflation, a weak krona and more restrained household consumption. At the same time, exports are booming, especially of timber products and from basic industries, where efficient and environmentally friendly logistics solutions are high up on export companies’ wish lists. This development makes APM Terminals Gothenburg an attractive choice for export companies, and this is clearly reflected in container volumes.
“APM Terminals Gothenburg is one of just a few ports in the world that has increased volumes over the course of the year. In the third quarter, we achieved the highest turnover of TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent containers) in the port’s history,” says Brian Bitsch, Commercial Manager at APM Terminals Gothenburg.
Smart Rail Solutions
“The decisive factors that attract our customers, include our extensive shipping line network and our smart rail solutions. But it’s thanks to our efficient and seamless operations that we’ve been able to handle these volumes without compromising on our service to customers.”
Roger Bergman, Marketing Director at Stevenvall Trä, a leading player in the wood products industry in Sweden has plans to increase production by 50% over the coming three years.
The company switched to rail from a feeder solution during the pandemic and haven’t switched back. “Railways offer real security and reliability. Climate calculations show that the train also saves an incredible 83% in climate emissions, which supports our vision of building a fossil-free society,” he says.
“APM Terminals has shown a lot of care with the Norrland rail connection and we’re always given excellent service when we arrive there. We use a lot of train transports and of course things can happen along the way, but our perception is one of genuine adaptability and we’re very grateful for the smooth handling.”
Lisa Bengtsson, Ocean Freight Director at GEODIS, a global transport and logistics company which handles over 200 containers per day through APM Terminals Gothenburg echos this sentiment.
“Thanks to the good opportunities for transporting goods by rail between APM Terminals Gothenburg and virtually the whole country, we’ve also been able to change a lot of goods from road to rail,” she says. “The rapid turnover of trains is also a decisive factor for us to be able to use the train to such a large extent.”
“We also appreciate the clear environmental focus, such as the priority solution for electric trucks entering and leaving the port area. This is entirely in line with our own investments in electric transport between APM Terminals and our warehouses in Arendal. We’re experiencing significantly fewer problems and shorter waiting times at the gates, which is very important to our customers. I also want to highlight the customer service at APM Terminals.”
All vessels and trains handled on time
According to Martin Karlsson, Operational Manager at APM Terminals Gothenburg, truck turn times and vessel port stays are high on the list of priorities: “Despite unusually high volumes, we’ve maintained an average handling time for trucks of less than 30 minutes and serviced all vessels and trains on time. In addition, we’ve been able to meet the need for extra services, which has resulted in a weekly record of 15 ship calls.”
“By implementing efficient processes and ensuring the right number of employees, machines and cranes, almost anything is possible,” he adds. “Most important, however, are the outstanding efforts from our various departments, and I would like to highlight our employees in production in particular.”
Liridona Dogani, Port Operator at APM Terminals adds: “We’re constantly striving to work smarter, not harder, by optimising horizontal transport routes at the terminal, for example. The key to everything running smoothly is clear structures and good cooperation between our colleagues in production. We share the common goal of delivering premium service to our customers, and it gives us a lot of pride and motivation when we succeed time and time again.”
