The SVTL invited participants to Herznach (Fricktal) to discuss current electricity price trends, new approaches in logistics training, and innovative role models using the logistics service provider Galliker as an example.
The fact that logistics, and especially the temperature-controlled sector with its rising energy costs for cooling, are under considerable pressure in light of upcoming challenges is not currently causing many existential problems. However, it will likely require significant efforts in the coming years to efficiently address changing climate conditions and the demands for sustainable methods.
Skilled worker shortage
It is welcomed that the logistics sector has gained attention due to the current crises, the coronavirus pandemic, and the sometimes extremely professionally managed supply bottlenecks. However, according to Beat Duerler, President and Managing Director of the Swiss Association for Vocational Training in Logistics ASFL – SVBL, the shortage of skilled workers is casting its shadow.
The «Apprenticeship Pulse»
A skilled worker index from the economic consulting firm BSS (Basel) from November 2022, which is composed of coverage rate, immigration rate, unemployment rate and number of vacancies, shows that the demand has increased by 19 percent throughout Switzerland.
Logistics, which in previous decades was at best a minor player, has now worked its way up to third place (Duerler: "Only bronze...") among important occupational fields, after information and communication technologies (ranked 1st) and finance and insurance (ranked 2nd) (although it still remains in 8th place in the popularity ranking). According to official statistics, 1,771 young people completed their vocational training as logistics specialists in 2020.
Duerler, drawing on his many years of experience in the "Organization of the Working World" (ODA), also knows that a "Generation Z" has grown up, one that is happy to look for jobs on TikTok and wants to be treated as an equal. "Employers have to be able to deal with that." He points to new qualification procedures that could enable significantly more young people to successfully complete an apprenticeship. "I am convinced that the conventional procedure is not ideal for most professions and in some respects even contradicts the fundamental principles of vocational training." The ability to work practically is always more meaningful than a school-based final exam. In his view, final exams should be more strongly oriented towards practical skills.
Direct effects
Energy prices are currently having a more direct impact on cold storage facilities and temperature-controlled logistics providers. According to various analyses, electricity costs now account for up to 15 percent of storage costs in temperature-controlled areas. Therefore, the increased electricity prices also have a significant impact on storage tariffs. Customers, says Georg Burkhardt, Managing Director of SVTL (Swiss Association for Cold Storage), are now prepared for the fact that price negotiations and the passing on of costs are unavoidable. The futures market reports from ElCom (the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission) could serve as a basis for potential adjustments. While these reports are quite complex, as a glance at ElCom's website shows, they provide a reasonably reliable basis for use as a guideline.
The “energy floater”. Graphics: Galliker
Corinne Galliker, Marketing and Sales Manager at the transport and logistics service provider of the same name, points in Herznach to the company's "Energy Floater," which is accessible online and is based precisely on this futures market report from ElCom. Depending on the various storage temperature ranges, the surcharges that can be expected soon can be seen on it.
Sustainable profile
Within its own company, Galliker is a leader in implementing innovative solutions for sustainable logistics. With 3,300 employees (2,800 of whom are in Switzerland) operating a total of 680,000 square meters of warehouse space, the company runs a fleet of 1,165 trucks and 115 vans, along with 1,181 trailers and semi-trailers. Galliker's own photovoltaic systems, covering 74,877 square meters, generate 13.775 MWh (equivalent to the electricity needs of 2,923 households). In the field of lithium-ion technology, Galliker handles international transport, including customs clearance, offers storage and repair of battery components in a certified workshop, and, in cooperation with Librec AG, even battery recycling. Pick-up and delivery services for hybrid batteries are also available, as is the rental of high-voltage quarantine boxes for ADR-compliant transport of lithium-ion batteries. During storage, the condition of the sensitive goods is monitored using thermal imaging cameras and manual inspections. Modern logistics solutions are employed, for example, at the Imbach logistics center in Lucerne. At a height of 34.8 meters (high-bay warehouse and automated small parts warehouse stacked one above the other!), maximum utilization of the available space is ensured with the lowest possible CO2 footprint.
Galliker already operates 45 vehicles with alternative drive systems (this number is expected to increase by half by 2040), and the entire city logistics operation is slated to be CO2-neutral by 2030. The fleet already includes 15 electric trucks, 6 hydrogen-powered trucks, three liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks, an electric car transporter, and a 3.5-ton electric courier. Combining road and rail transport using 40 to 50 railcars will eliminate approximately 16,000 truck journeys, theoretically saving 4,274 tons of CO2 and nearly 1 million liters (935,950 liters) of diesel fuel annually. "We promise," says Galliker, "we're on our way."
The «energy floater» from Galliker here
