Having released less than auspicious trading figures for the first quarter just two days ago container shipping giant CMA CGM has revealed in detail the plans it has long hinted at with a remodelling of the organisations five multi modal subsidiary companies. What the group is calling France's first tri-modal operator was set up in April with the objective of centralising all freight movements within the world's third largest box carrier.
The new organisation, called Greenmodal Transport, apparently combines five companies in the CMA CGM Group including Rail Link Europe (offering combined rail-road services for France, Germany and Belgium) established in 2001, River Shuttle Containers (combined barge-road services) set up in 2000, Progeco (container storage and repairs) established in 1980, and TCX (warehouses) created in 1975. In 2011, the combined turnover of these five companies, which between them employ 530 people, was euro 120 million.
The objective is to provide a door-to-door service by barge or rail with the "last kilometre" by truck and CMA CGM claim the main advantage being that as a multimodal operator Greenmodal Transport will have total control over all methods of transportation. As a result, any major logistics problems can be overcome by replacing one saturated or disrupted means of transport with another. The new company will also offer solutions for Equipments and Containers (container storage, repairs, sale & rental) and goods (storage, packing, unpacking, palletizing). |
