Logistics are plainly under stress at a time when there are driver and employee shortages, as well as record-high gasoline prices. The recent fall in petrol prices has helped to alleviate the tight situation to some extent. Nonetheless, according to Wilfried Wirtz, general director of Bornheim-based specialist freight forwarder Franz Wirtz Ltd, fresh product logistics will continue to encounter some inevitable obstacles in the foreseeable future.
Looking back, Wirtz believes the fourth-generation family firm fared well during the previous pandemic period. “Only when loading and unloading on site did our drivers have to consider hygiene and protection laws, which resulted in some additional effort.” Thankfully, we probably had very few Corona-infected persons in our organisation, which is why we escaped with our lives.” Wirtz’s first three generations concentrated on fruit and vegetable commerce. The shift to a modern transport service provider took place in the 1980s under the leadership of Martina Zimmermann and Wilfried Wirtz. “Of course, the fruit and vegetable industry is highly seasonal. Currently, in the middle of the season, sales account for around 50-60% of total orders, however in the winter, sales account for about 20-30%. Aside from that, we handle the shipping of dairy and meat goods, as well as electronics and medications. Since the pandemic, the latter area has increased by around 30%.
Wirtz noticed a dip in sales in the fruit and vegetable market during the start of the Corona outbreak, he added. “Our sales in this division levelled off at around 70% of the previous year’s level in a relatively short period of time.” However, in the following months, we had a considerable boost in sales, so we’re talking about a 15-20 percent gain over the previous years.” Several reasons, according to Wirtz, have contributed to the increase in fruit logistics. “My old customers have been able to acquire new consumers, which is linked to market concentration.”
Nonetheless, he is concerned about the paucity of fresh talent among both drivers and office personnel. “Trainees are hard to come by, not least because we logistics service providers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My succession is assured with my son Jan (r), but we need a team to support him “Wirtz, who will be in charge of the company for 40 years next year, agrees. “Despite everything, we are in a strong position, and it will continue to be our goal in the next years to take our clients’ logistics challenges and handle them appropriately.”
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