NEWS from the world of STERAC

The first quarter started with new challenges. While the pandemic was still taking hold of our country, the UK officially exited the EU Single Market and customs union on 1^st January 2021. Agility was required and our colleagues from the UK department managed to adapt to the new situation quickly. We remained in the market while other companies left it on short notice.

However, agility doesn’t end here since flexible working is gaining in importance nowadays. That is why we introduced a flexitime system for our STERAC employees in April. We attached great importance to doing good in the second quarter of the year. We donated to the youth and addiction aid association in order to sponsor six monthly editions of the “SUCHT HILFE” guidebook.

Our mission to become greener will continue this year as well. Our old warehouses are gradually being retrofitted with photovoltaic systems, and the number of charging stations for our electric vehicles is expanding by eight stations.

Investing in the future – this would be a good summary of the third quarter of the year. In August, construction works for the new Hall 6 started according to the Green Energy Concept and KfW 55 guidelines. Our customers can look forward to state-of-the-art technology in warehouse logistics.

In September, we invested in the expansion of our fleet by purchasing 40 new Krone trailers equipped with Safe Curtain tarpaulins, which are to be used for our UK traffic.

The fourth quarter focused on certifications and safety. We passed the third higher level IFS Logistics recertification and were certified for information security according to VdS 10000 for the first time in November.

In keeping with the Christmas season, December brings us a special gift as we launch the new “Logistik Wald Mittelstand” project.

A little gift to nature – in cooperation with “Stiftung Unternehmen Wald”, we have come up with a new project which will be launched this December.

The foundation
“Stiftung Unternehmen Wald” is a charitable foundation, which was founded in Hamburg in 2006 and supports nature protection, environmental education and forestry research. It aims to maintain existing woodland, to protect it, and promote the creation of new semi-natural forests. The holistic approach also comprises the promotion of science and research in the field of forest and environmental protection.

The project
In cooperation with “Stiftung Unternehmen Wald”, we have developed the “Logistik Wald Mittelstand” project, which will be launched this December. The project starts with a donation that allows us to plant 500 to 1,000 new trees. Sponsoring a tree equals a donation of €5 per tree. In the future, partners should join us in driving the project forward through donations.

The objectives
Our planning includes quarterly donations and it is our goal to let our “Logistik Wald Mittelstand” grow by establishing additional partnerships. As part of our responsibility towards nature, we will also support joint activities such as tree planting with schools and partners or workshops on forest and nature conservation issues in the future. Our future starts now – Be a part of our common journey of forest growth.

It’s been almost one year since the UK left the EU Single Market and customs union for good. Having left the EU, the United Kingdom now has the status of a third country. The associated changes involved a lot of extra time and have also presented STERAC with one or two challenges ever since. However, we were able to adapt quickly to the new situation thanks to our flexible work processes, thus continuing to exist in the market while other companies had to leave it. On 1^st January 2022, the second phase of the Brexit will start. In the previous phase, the so-called “soft landing”, it was still possible to bring consolidated and general cargo shipments, duty unpaid, into the country and declare them on site in order to ensure smooth processes at the borders for the time being. This phase will end in the new year and these shipments must now be declared in advance or at the border before they can be imported into the country.

In order to adapt to the new changes in the best possible way, we get support from our partner. A customs clearance service provider helps to ensure that goods imported into the UK are declared in advance. The service provider prepares the shipments including all documents for customs after receipt of the order.

In the meantime, the shipments remain in our warehouse and are not scheduled until we are given the green light from our customs clearance service provider. The goods are still duty unpaid when being transported to the border, but are immediately declared upon arrival at the border and, at best, released by customs. If that is not the case, the shipment will remain in the customs warehouse on site until it is released. This procedure will lead to average delays of 1-2 days, which we will have to allow for in the future.

Thanks to our careful preparation, this phase will not catch us flat-footed and will soon become part of our routine. Our position remains unchanged: Instead of being dominated by the Brexit, we prefer to dominate it.

Megatrends such as climate change and neo-ecological thinking have become an integral part of logistics. A change in thinking has taken place in recent years that is no longer limited to the private sector. Today, sustainable action and the responsible use of natural resources have also become compulsory in industry.

The topic of sustainability is deeply rooted in STERAC's corporate DNA. As a medium-sized family business in the Hamburg region, STERAC bears responsibility for future generations and already committed itself to the green logistics idea five years ago. Aspects included in the green logistics approach are inventory, information management, transportation and warehouse management. Together with experts, a concept for the construction of new warehouses was developed: the so-called Green Energy concept. This concept includes interlocked measures for resource-saving business. The newly built warehouses 5 and 7 were equipped with photovoltaic systems. Solar-powered air heat and geothermal heat pumps ensure a pleasant working climate. Intelligent lighting systems equipped with LED lamps support economical and effective lighting.

The most recent project is the construction of the new warehouse 6, which will be completed in spring 2022. The project also extends the Green Energy concept since the new hall will have an additional energy storage system. It will store surplus electricity, which will then be used to charge the forklift trucks at night. This aims to achieve a complete elimination of fossil fuels. But our commitment to green logistics doesn’t end here.

As a pioneer in digitization, we already introduced digital invoicing, thus a paperless office, in 2016. This saves around 6,000 sheets of paper per year. Further measures include the conversion of the company’s vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid models, which can be charged at in-house charging stations on the premises during working hours. In the area of transportation, environmentally friendly ways of transport such as multimodal transport are to be increasingly used and expanded in the future. The tractors will be converted to vehicles in accordance with the latest Euro VI standard and all drivers will be trained in economical driving on a regular basis. Vehicles can be refueled with AdBlue at the site, resulting in a reduction of up to 90 % in nitrogen oxides emitted.

Existing structures must also be modernized to operate in a holistically sustainable manner. Therefore, photovoltaic systems are currently being retrofitted piece by piece in warehouses 1-4. Since the beginning, a total of two million euros have been invested in green logistics projects and further projects are currently in the planning stage. STERAC is convinced that "profitability and sustainability do not have to be mutually exclusive!" (Nicola Rackebrandt; managing partner).

Use it or lose it – this applies not only to our tractor units. In the area of security and certifications, too, we have to keep moving and develop to always be able to offer our customers the best quality and security. We are very pleased that we successfully passed the audit for the initial certification of our information security management system (ISMS) on 27^th and 30^th September without any deviations. This certification is based on the industry-neutral VdS guidelines 10000 and especially suitable for SMEs. A tailored catalog of measures for management systems helps improve the information security of companies. Organizational as well as technical measures to protect information security are audited. These include measures to protect IT, the general handling of data, data protection, and access. Confidentiality, integrity and the availability of data and information were defined as the primary protection objectives, which is why there’s a special emphasis on these aspects. Regular staff training courses via an e-learning tool will be offered as a special feature in the future. The certificate is valid for three years, during which the maintenance of the standards will be checked annually. The certification according to VdS-10000 has numerous advantages, not only for our customers, but also for us as a company: among other things, risk transparency is increased and suitable measures can be identified quickly and easily.

By means of the fourth IFS certification – our third IFS recertification – STERAC proves its high standards in daily operation once again, referring to transport, storage, commissioning and value-added services. IFS Logistics is a certification of logistics activities in compliance with the International Featured Standards and guarantees that our internal processes and procedures have been checked with regard to the international standard for food safety. The Food Safety Audit, performed by the certification organization Dekra, even showed that the values have improved compared to 2020: Site Waldweg from 95.83 % to 96.80 %, Site Bergkoppel from 95.90 % to 98.64 %.

Our country experts and local partners in South-East Europe pay off for you even more now. As of now, we transport grouped goods to the Balkans – providing daily departures. Whether to Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania or Kosovo.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Frank Schäfer at +49 40 737 500 - 120 or osteuropasterac.de

After almost 2 years and some delay due to the corona pandemic, the first STERAC trainee program will be successfully completed this summer. This project is very dear to our management’s heart and was launched in 2019. Consisting of individual modules on different subject areas, the participants have taken part in seminars and worked on their personal development over the course of two years.

Our managing director Nicola Rackebrandt came up with the idea for this program when she was trying to improve her communication and presentation skills in preparation of various public appearances. Looking for appropriate support, she came across a company named TELEGENial that provides trainers for a variety of areas. Nicola Rackebrandt then participated in a training course which covered topics such as crisis communication, media training, presentations and interviews. Compared with previous training courses, this experience has been so valuable that the STERAC employees should also get the chance to benefit from it.

As a result, the STERAC trainee program was developed. In order to incorporate all modules and ensure sustainability, the program was designed to have a duration of 2 years. Thanks to the professional trainers (Ina Böttcher, former newsreader at Tagesschau, and Gino Naschke, media and marketing expert as well as CEO and founder of TELEGENial), the learning content was communicated in a very sustainable and productive way. The participants not only work out answers to the questions “How do I communicate correctly?” or “How do I present myself in public?”. They also learn how to reasonably organize their daily work routine and what kind of specialist knowledge they need for their own work and positioning in the company. Thus, the focus is not on the participants’ professional development, but mainly on their targeted personal development.

The added value of such a program is not limited to the participating employees and their further development. Our employees’ development is very valuable for us as a company, too. The participants learn how to deal confidently with various interlocutors, which is particularly helpful in difficult situations. Recognizing one's own strengths in order to improve them and make weaknesses less important. The trainee program helps increase confidence due to the learned skill of a clear, structured and interesting communication style. Moreover, the seminars connect different employees within the company. This promotes understanding among employees, thus leading to an improved working atmosphere and internal communication. Employees from the controlling, sales, operations and accounting department come together. Different tasks and various interfaces often lead to problems of understanding in everyday operation, which are minimized by the joint training.

We are pleased that the first run was a great success and are already preparing the next STERAC trainee program.
Here’s what our employees think about the STERAC trainee program:

Thorben Og:
This special STERAC training program helped me gain a lot of knowledge and new techniques. I was trained in many different seminars, which were very professional and varied. I’m very glad to have taken part in this program as it strongly enhanced my personal development.

Patrick Sievers:
At first, I was a bit skeptical about the trainee program, but that feeling vanished pretty quickly. Thanks to video training, which was always played to you afterwards, targeted criticism and a very familiar atmosphere, you became more confident when giving presentations and dealing with customers.

The UK market is still one of our core businesses. For the benefit of this trading hub, we are investing one million euros in our trailer fleet: 30 Profi Liners and 10 Mega Liners are at our disposal now – consistent with England’s “hallmark” since they are manufactured by Krone (meaning “crown” in English), equipped with safe curtain tarpaulins.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Good things come to those who wait?

At STERAC, the BREXIT has been on our minds for a long time. On 1^st January 2021, the time had come: Great Britain left the EU Single Market and customs union. For us as a freight forwarder, it all went down to the wire because it was impossible to predict the upcoming changes, their extent and how they would affect us. But instead of being controlled by the Brexit, we prefer to control it.

Well positioned

It was difficult to prepare for what was to come because the political situation remained unclear until shortly before the Brexit. The full extent became apparent at the beginning of January. Traffic jams and long waiting times at the ferry ports, the inaccessibility of the British customs agents and new processes presented us with time-consuming challenges. In addition to working closely with our customers and adapting processes, we had no choice but to pursue a "learning by doing" approach in some cases.

What’s new

Transports from and to Great Britain is our core business. Due to the changes, we had to work out measures to train our employees and customers for the new situation regarding transports to Great Britain. In the beginning, many people were not aware of the fact that Great Britain will receive a third country status as a result of withdrawing from the EU. The imminent third-country transport is subject to special conditions. We tried to perform "damage control", offered to provide information on the subject of Incoterms and helped check and correct customs-relevant documents, which required a significant amount of additional time. This led to other competitors leaving the market without further ado.

The STERAC advantage

Thanks to our flexibility as an independent family business, we could react to every situation in an agile manner before and after the Brexit and to adapt and optimise accordingly. Owing to a fleet of 200 own trailers and the RORO transport system on the transport route to Great Britain, we were able to control our shipments at all times. Longer waiting times could thus be avoided and an almost continuous movement of goods maintained.

Today, almost three months after the Brexit, we can observe a positive trend despite the much higher requirements. We feel that the market situation has changed. Moreover, consultation on the new customs formalities remains very time-consuming. It is still difficult to predict when the situation will "normalise", since we are at the very beginning of the learning curve. One thing has not changed, of course: We’ll keep supporting our customers with help and advice at any time!

Forms, templates, leaflets: They are not only nerve-wracking when it comes to the Brexit amendments. Customs can be difficult sometimes, that’s why we make it all the easier for you. We and our partners Lüders & Stange and KTL would like to help you with customs formalities. Completely non-bureaucratic: Just call us at +49 40 737 500 721 or write an email to infosterac.de

There will be a new construction project this summer to expand the STERAC universe by a new warehouse. Hall 6 extends across 5,700 m² and is located right next to the A1. Our Green Energy concept is growing: temperature monitoring of the storage area, efficient lighting through light control and many other measures support the sustainability aspect of our company. The building is constructed according to KfW 55 standard, the underfloor heating and heating system are operated by air heating pumps and electricity is produced by means of a photovoltaic system. These measures promote resource-saving economic management. What’s new: Some of the surplus electricity can now be used thanks to an installed storage system. This electricity can then be used to charge the forklift trucks overnight. Our customers can expect warehouse logistics at the latest technical level. Divided into a staging area and a high-bay warehouse with an area of 4,350 m², Hall 6 offers sufficient space for the storage of high-quality goods with an emphasis on food and health care as well as an additional service area of 1,200 m² for value-added services. New storage space for 13,000 pallets will be generated as a result. Furthermore, we’ve set ourselves the target of establishing our company in the pharmaceutical sector and growing steadily. Hall 6 has been designed to meet the requirements of the GDP certification that we are aiming for in 2022. This certification will set new standards for STERAC. A spacious loading and unloading area of 2,000 m² provides sufficient space to enable cross-dock transport in the future.

Commissioning is scheduled for March/April 2022. We can hardly wait to lay this foundation stone for further exciting projects with our customers.

Whether lockdown or further measures – the Corona crisis has affected all of us in many different ways. These are snapshots of STERAC employees:

Claudia Triebler, service team:
For me as a mother, closed daycare facilities posed a real problem. By working from home, STERAC enabled me to combine my professional and personal life. It wasn’t always easy to reconcile the two things, but this way I was able to be there for my child as well as the customers.

Thomas Sperber, Traffic Manager Spain:
Corona had become the key topic of discussion. All of a sudden, there were many regulations by partners, customers and suppliers. Corona measures were communicated. Furthermore, customers had a lot of questions regarding the lockdown in Spain. Warehouses were closed and markets were not allowed to accept certain goods. This required a high degree of spontaneity of all dispatchers, e.g. for necessary rearrangements. The work volume has shifted significantly.

Lukas Kommer, former trainee and new dispatcher Italy:
My final exam to become a forwarding agent was supposed to take place in April. Due to Corona, the exam was postponed by two months. The past weeks were a very uncertain and stressful time for me because it was not certain whether the company would take me on due to the Brexit and Corona. Finally, I was lucky to get a takeover contract beginning on 1st July and will support the Italy department in the future. I have even been assigned my own area of work and I am very much looking forward to my new tasks at STERAC.

Is environmental protection profitable for medium-sized forwarding agents? STERAC believes it is! STERAC’s CEO Nicola Rackebrandt explains the Green Logistics concept in an article in the “Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung DVZ” (“German Traffic Newspaper”, Geman only).

Black sheep exist in our industry, too. There have been repeated attempts at fraud – as in the following case, where a vigilant STERAC dispatcher was able to prevent something worse.

It all started with an order from an alleged purchaser of a supermarket chain. Sausage products worth more than 70,000 Euros were supposed to be transported from Southern Germany to the UK. However, the STERAC dispatcher became suspicious due to the e-mail address that was unusual for the customer. Hence, he started to investigate. He actually found out about a case of identity theft and was able to stop the transport – much to the delight of the sausage manufacturer, who was spared a lot of damage and expressed his gratitude with a delicious thank you.

The cooperation between a dog food supplier and STERAC runs smoothly like a Greyhound thanks to a flexible vendor system. We store the customer’s goods, which they distribute via a premium consignor, in our logistics facility. As food for non-human consumption, dog food is subject to strict hygiene standards that are regularly checked by the Veterinary Office. The consignor (market leader) has rented a storage area from us for picking and packing and is supported in the transfer of the goods. Thanks to our digital flexibility, the customer was able to integrate his own EDP system.

In “Wirtschaft zwischen Nord- und Ostsee” (“Economy between North and Baltic Sea”), the joint magazine of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Schleswig-Holstein, STERAC’s chief executive officer Nicola Rackebrandt talks about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on STERAC and the logistics sector.

Find the interview here (German only)

We've already mentioned it: The Corona pandemic has upset the usual workflow to a great extent. Consequently, STERAC also needed to discuss working from home options. This affected not only but especially fathers and mothers whose children could not be looked after at daycare facilities. As a family business, we were absolutely aware of our responsibility and offered our support. Together with the employees concerned, we worked out solutions, distributed laptops and held meetings by videoconference.

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Italian Government closed several towns in the provinces of LODI-CREMONA-PIACENZA-PADOVA (postal codes 26, 29, 35). Any access to these cities is currently prohibited until further notice, our Italian partners report.

There may also be considerable restrictions in the surrounding areas. Please take this into account when planning your shipments. If you have important shipments to the areas and surroundings, please contact our Italy department:

+49 40 737 500 109 or by e-mail: italiensterac.de 

The following areas are affected: 
26845 Codogno (Lodi) 
26823 Castiglione d'Adda (Lodi) 
26841 Casalpusterlengo (Lodi) 
26861 Fombio (Lodi) 
26847 Maleo (Lodi) 
26867 Somaglia (Lodi) 
26821 Bertonico (Lodi) 
26827 Terranova dei Passerini (Lodi) 
26844 Castelgerundo (Lodi) 
26848 San Fiorano (Lodi) 
35030 Vo' Euganeo (Padova)

Outside these current named areas our service continues without restrictions.

Anyone who stops being better has stopped being good – each year we give our customers the opportunity to evaluate our performance. As from 15th January we will send the questionnaires by email. We’d be pleased if you participated in the analysis. If you have not received an email, please feel free to request it.

We are also further expanding our customer service. Status reports, evaluations and KPI information are just as much a part of this process as data maintenance in the customer's own system and the pro-active information policy regarding shipment deliveries. Not worried at all – this is how you should feel as a STERAC customer. You can find your contact person here.

The winter driving ban calendar 2020 has just been published in Austria. As already announced, the Tyrolean state government has thus put into effect an extension of the existing state-wide driving ban on trucks with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 tons on the Brenner and Inntal highways. As already implemented in winter 2019, an extended HGV driving ban for transit traffic via the Inntal highway A 12 and the Brenner highway A 13 will apply each Saturday between 4th January and 14th March 2020 from 7 AM to 3 PM if the final destination is in Germany or Italy, or if destinations are to be reached by driving through Germany and Italy. Journeys to and from Tyrol are exempted from this. Subsequently, the regular weekend driving ban from 3 PM on Saturday to 10 PM on Sunday applies. Exceptions are regulated in §2 of the regulation, which was published in the Austrian Federal Law Gazette II on 30th December 2019.

Thanks to long-standing logistics customers as well as numerous new customers, STERAC was able to further improve its experience and competence with regard to container handling. This has resulted, for example, in better rates for our customers. For the Swedish company Axkid we can play to all our strengths. We provide the central warehouse for the European market. We handle the container deliveries from the Far East as well as the storage and distribution of their product range. Last but not least, we take care of deliveries to the specialized trade and also to final consumers.

Make use of our hall 7 as a warehouse for your non-EU goods. We can store your stocks there for up to 90 days without having to make a customs declaration. This gives you some breathing space for your sales activities and your goods a clean and dry home. 

Whatever the BREXIT may look like, STERAC will continue to offer you the “English route”. Thanks to further fleet expansion we will provide you with sufficient cargo hold – not only for this relation. You can also look forward to a STERAC veteran: In the framework of various marketing campaigns we will bring back the DINO.

According to preliminary budget figures, the federal transport rate is expected to increase slightly: In 2020, Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer is expected to spend 29.42 billion euros. That means an increase of about 0.5 percent compared to this year. Revenues amount to 9.54 billion euros, which is 8.1 percent more than in 2019. This is mainly due to the expansion and increase of the truck toll. Source: Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung

The subject of recycling and upcycling is on everyone's lips. In cooperation with the ELBE workshops, we lovingly hand-make bags from old truck tarpaulins. Have a look. We are giving away these bags to our existing customers. Be curious about the notification of the contest. In addition, we will be giving away some of the bags through our Instagram and Facebook social media channels. So you have the chance there on the high-quality processed bags from original truck tarpaulin.

Thank you for your participation in our customer satisfaction survey. If you stop getting better, you stop being good - that's why we take the points of criticism very seriously, even if we were happy about praise, of course. Your input has already led to first changes. The winners among all participants who have been blessed by Fortuna have already been informed.

Smoothness - one of the most important features of successful logistics. With the GS1 certificate, STERAC identifies itself as a licensee of a globally unique global location number (GLN, formerly EAN number). We are authorized to use GS1 identification standards (e.g., GTIN) and GS1 media standards, as well as to optimize our communication and process standards. More about our integrated management system can be found here.

No, we do not want to discuss the Brexit here again. And, yes, the topic is too important and momentous, that it could be ignored in the logistics industry. Find out in our Knowledge Forum on important documents from the General Customs Directorate to a possible Hard Brexit. Or let Philipp Sanftleben (divisional manager GB / IRL at STERAC) give you another go summarize all important information. The registration in our knowledge forum and the subsequent use are free of charge for you.

There must be time to say: STERAC wishes you happy Easter and beautiful, relaxing holidays. We will all be "on the road again", fast enough anyway.

Dear customers, as a precaution we point out possible delays in the next 2 weeks. Due to the current situation around the Brexit, the shipment volume has increased massively in recent weeks. Notably, these are warehousing goods for the UK, as many shippers fear delivery problems after a Brexit and UK customers are replenishing their stocks. The capacities of the existing trailers are accordingly in demand. We ask our existing customers to notify the transports as soon as possible. Our bookers and your sales contact persons are always available for further inquiries.

Taking stock is a lot more fun if the result is a positive one. 2018 will go down in our corporate history as one of the most successful years. We further encouraged digitalization and introduced a video chat and knowledge forum. We expanded our fleet by new trailers for GB and Italy, completed hall 7 and acquired further certifications. The good journey may continue like this.

Who ceases to be better, ceases to be good. This quote also marked our start into 2019. We’ll keep expanding innovations like our knowledge forum, maintain classics such as our newsletter, but above all, we’ll continue to do everything we can to the benefit of customer satisfaction. And then there’s our 40th anniversary this summer. There are rumors that hall 1 is to be converted into a refrigerator. But as we said: These are just rumors.

The older generation will remember: There used to be a world without social media. Autograph books instead of Facebook, daily newspapers instead of Twitter and slideshows instead of Instagram. These times are over. Let’s not discuss at this point if that’s unfortunate or a blessing. We’d rather announce that STERAC will present its multifaceted side on Instagram from now on. See for yourself.

STERAC knows why the French don’t like coffee. Because they want liberté(a). From where? We have further extended the French route and won new, reliable partners. It takes us 48 hours to reach Lyon; we also offer express deliveries within 24 hours. Find out more about our European land transportation.

Our new transshipment hall 7 should actually be called "Lucky 7" – especially since it is so environmentally friendly. A photovoltaic system feeds energy into the grid and charges the electric forklift trucks. The heat pumps of the air/geothermal system are supplied in this way and lead to an energy-optimized underfloor heating system. The cargo survey system is state-of-the-art as well, measures the pallets by means of a laser to reduce errors and perfectly harmonizes with the scale integrated in the floor. Click here and we’ll show you how quickly a hall like this is built.

STERAC has been specializing in land transportation from and to England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland since 1979. It is therefore not surprising that we are sought-after interview partners with regard to the Brexit. Only recently, the NDR (Northern German Broadcasting) paid us a visit. Of course we put our experience and expertise at our customers’ disposal and provide them with information on the “never ending story”.

Since 1st December 2018, the new Hall 7 at our department "Bergkoppel" has been put into operation. The hall with 3,000 sqm is a pure transshipment hall with 17 loading and unloading ramps, of which one ramp is at ground level. It has a cargo survey facility, a photovoltaic system on the roof and a heat pump, and is expanding our second location. Another milestone for our customers and our Green Energy Logistics concept has been created. The move from Hall 1 at our department "Waldweg" to Hall 7 at our second department "Bergkoppel" has been successful.

The German government has approved the amendment of the federal highway toll law. The new calculation rates, which come into effect on 01.01.2019, consisted of three sub-areas: air pollution, infrastructure and noise pollution. For this purpose, the declaration of the weight category on the OBU from January 1, 2019 is obligatory and mandatory. In addition, the number of axles must also be stated for vehicles and vehicle combinations over 18 tonnes gross vehicle weight. For more details on the toll increase, we will forward you to the page of Toll Collect.

That’s been the credo of the German government for some time. How the current and upcoming changes in the toll system will affect the industry, what costs and consequences we all have to expect and what’s particularly important as of 2019 – you can read all about these issues in this study.

There has been some chaos and hullabaloo at STERAC’s administration building in the last few weeks but it’s been worthwhile: Everything shines like new. Old offices were refurbished; flooring, lighting, walls, restrooms and kitchens were modernized. The offices are now airier and provide a pleasant working atmosphere to the staff. Additionally, new conference rooms offer a quieter, separated work environment. In this way, work becomes even more enjoyable.

You can take a look at our new offices here.

STERAC’s flawless quality along the production chain has been further documented so that the company is now certified according to IFS Logistics 2.2. This applies both to the non-food and the food sector which are subject to special quality controls. All logistics activities are thereby under control, providing security to our customers and saving them both money and time since we don’t need to be audited again as a service provider.

The turn of the year approaches faster than you think. This is why we have already prepared our departure schedule for the public holidays and the turn of the year so that you can start planning in good time. Take a look at the scheduled times here.

If you have any shipments that collide with the departure schedule, don’t hesitate to contact us directly. At STERAC, we will do everything humanly possible to implement your customer requirements.  

On 23^rd August 2018, the British government described the possible consequences of a hard Brexit (no-deal) for the loading industry and gives specific advice on what should be done to prepare for a scenario like this. Visit our knowledge forum website for further details and register for our expert panel on the Brexit to get more information.

If we talk about digital transformation today, it can be both a curse and a blessing. To us, as a logistics service provider, it has become more important than ever to put data availability and transparency at the service of customer orientation. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute and consulter Edgar Geffroy we have therefore expanded our corporate philosophy by the component of communication logistics. The main idea is to not just offer a product to our customers but a comprehensive solution. This also means that we want to grant our customers access to the knowledge and competencies which our staff have acquired over the years. Our employees and customers will tell you how this works in daily business in our new image film.

Do you remember the EU cucumber directive? Even though it was repealed it continues to be a synonym for the EU’s bureaucracy that often appears exaggerated. Anyone moving goods today is confronted with a large number of regulations and directives. This is why we integrated a knowledge forum into our website which does not only contain a glossary with terms and abbreviations of the transport and logistics sector but shall offer added value to our customers. We also want to provide interesting video clips, whitepapers, check lists and event tips in order to share our knowledge with our customers. Just take a look at

Having passed his exam, Dustin Mencfel is now a certified customs declarant and supports the STERAC team in this important area so that we can comply with the so-called AEO supply chain. The term Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) describes an authorized company that enjoys certain privileges within the framework of the European Union’s customs legislation. This represents an interesting service for our customers, in particular with regard to the Brexit and reintroduction of customs barriers.

Cargo measurement constitutes a crucial component both in customer invoicing and loading capacities of trucks, planes and ships. Automated cargo measurement, which we can offer in our new hall as well, has numerous advantages:

• Calibratable, thus legally relevant measured data with high precision
• Increase of the throughput resulting in reduced costs
• Exact determination of height, width, length and weight
• Automated acquisition and transfer of measured data to your supervisory IT system
• High economic efficiency due to more precise customer invoicing
• Image documentation of the cargo measured
• Customer-specific connection to IT systems
• Automated shielding of hand pallet trucks and forklifts to accelerate the measuring process

STERAC warmly welcomes organic goods. We are authorized to receive organic goods thanks to our certification. The background to this is that importers and initial recipients are subject to control procedures in accordance with the EU-Eco-regulation. Appropriate packaging, containers, means of transport and many other factors are reviewed. The initial recipients are of special importance since they are in a certain sense the touchstone when it comes to implementing the EU-Eco-regulation correctly. We are pleased that we can offer this service to our customers in this growth market.

The members of PartnerLink Europe gathered at Sterac on 21^st June 2018 and exchanged experiences. PartnerLink Europe is an association of 11 forwarders. 7 of a total of 11 members from Italy, Austria, England and Germany were present.

They discussed current topics like Social Media Networking, lack of drivers and Brexit. It has become evident that Social Media Networking plays an important role in terms of marketing. The lack of drivers was also discussed and some forwarders have even started to offer own training courses in order to counteract this lack.

With regard to the upcoming Brexit, forwarders from England stated that they haven’t felt any significant impacts so far but the demand for storage space has been increasing in the United Kingdom. Conversely, German warehouses are noticeably full.

PartnerLink Europe wants to further expand as networking is becoming increasingly important in times of globalization. 

Ahrensburg: The issue is more relevant than ever. Each year, numerous children are involved in road accidents because they get into the blind spot and are overlooked by truck drivers. The Round Table 60 Ahrensburg has been organizing the school project “Get out of the blind spot” regularly since 2006. 

On 30^th May 2018, the Round Table conducted a specially designed training for third and fourth graders at the elementary school Bünnigstedt in Ammersbeck/Bünnigstedt. About 80 children participated in this training which had taken place in collaboration with the logistics company STERAC for the 8th time. For training purposes, a semi-trailer was brought to the school and an entire class stood in its blind spot. The children then entered the driver cabin one by one. When sitting inside the cabin they could watch their classmates disappear in the blind spot of the rearview mirrors. Based on this experience, they learn how important it is to have visual contact to the truck driver and how they can get out of the blind spot by keeping a greater lateral distance to vehicles and – as a precaution – taking a look over their shoulder before crossing intersections or side streets.

The teachers had already been part of the school’s road safety education prior to this event: They provided the children with background information and visual aids in class. “We are very happy that we were able to implement such a great and sustainable project this year, once again, in order to contribute to road safety”, says Round Table member Patrick Hartmann. “We would also like to thank the company STERAC which generously offered its support in recent years by providing a truck and driver.”

Every child got a truck cabin made of cardboard so that they won’t forget what they have learned. When looking through this cardboard you get a view that is similar to the one you have inside the cabin. The children can reenact the blind spot scenario and tell their parents about the dangers.

The German government has now decided to extend the toll to cover all A-roads. The legislation covering the expansion of the toll to all A-roads by 1st July 2018 already came into force at the end of March 2017. The toll network will be expanded by 36,000 kilometres of A-roads to cover a total 51,000 kilometres of highway in Germany.

HGVs from 7.5 tonnes permissible total weight are subject to the toll, which is based on emissions class, number of axles and length of the toll route.

Toll Collect has been commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) with further technical development of the HGV toll system and with preparation for the demands it will face in the future. For this reason, around 600 control pillars are currently being installed on A-roads. These should henceforth monitor compliance with the toll. The control pillars supplement the mobile controls carried out by the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG). Control bridges, such as can be found on motorways, will not be constructed on A-roads. The control pillars are equipped with technological functions similar to that of the control bridges. The near four metre high, blue control pillars will be situated at the side of the roadway. The approximately 600 control pillars monitor whether passing vehicles are subject to the toll and have paid it correctly. The control pillars are easy to tell apart from speed camera pillars due to their colour and size.

The time has come and we launch our online video chat since STERAC does not only transport goods but also communication!

From now on, it’ll be easy and comfortable for you, as a customer, to talk to us personally via video chat. Just visit our homepage between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and click the video chat button. We will be right there for you – live and in color.

We would like to point out that this is a testing phase in which technical malfunctions may occur. Therefore we’d appreciate your feedback should you encounter problems or difficulties. We are grateful for any feedback. 

We hope you enjoy the new feature and look forward to personally welcoming you.

Your communication logistics specialist STERAC

STERAC’s company diesel vehicles (cars and trucks) can be filled up with AdBlue now, a liquid used for the exhaust after-treatment in diesel engines. For this purpose, STERAC has an IBC with a volume of 1000 liters and an automatic dispenser on its premises.

The aqueous urea solution is standardized according to ISO 22241-1 and allows a reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 % through SCR (selective catalytic reduction). Fuel consumption of commercial vehicles is reduced by up to 6 %. STERAC thereby adds another component to its Green Energy Strategy.

High competitive pressure also requires innovative solutions in terms of loading times which, however, must not be detrimental to safety. With the new trailers, STERAC relies on the tarpaulin technology Power Curtain. The tarpaulin’s reinforced aramid belts allow certified load securing even without laths. The Power Curtain is fully operational due to its XL, beverages and Daimler certificate. Additional load securing for interlocking load is not required.

Moreover, each Power Curtain is equipped with a theft-protection tarpaulin as standard. It has a deterrent effect, prevents deliberate cutting of the tarpaulin and therefore protects the cargo against theft.

Digital change and, consequently, digital service remain an important issue in the logistics sector. Therefore STERAC will launch an offensive strategy in the field of digital service this summer. Customers can get in touch with members of staff in a fast and informative manner via video chat. What kind of information does the customer need, what’s on their mind – these questions can be clarified quickly and in person. Furthermore, we will offer a knowledge forum with numerous digital information services (webinars, whitepapers, videos, etc.).

In addition to that we are currently working on our new image film. All employees were involved and lent strong support in order to give you a close insight into the world of STERAC.

2017 starten wir mit einem neuen Angebot in der Spanien-Logistik: Ab sofort bieten wir eine direkte Verbindung nach Valencia. Wir fahren das neue Umschlaglager unseres spanischen Partners EKOL mindestens ein Mal pro Woche an. Die sonst üblichen Zwischenstopps in Barcelona gibt es bei dieser Tour nicht. Das verkürzt die Transitzeit deutlich, sodass die Waren unserer Kunden rund einen Tag früher an ihrem Bestimmungsort ankommen. 

Zur effizienten Verteilung der Waren innerhalb Spaniens kooperieren wir mit unserem zuverlässigen Partner EKOL: Der spanische Logistikdienstleister betreibt in Ribarroja del Turia in der Nähe von Valencia ein neues 3.500 m² großes Umschlaglager. Etwa 90 % der Lkw-Transporte von Spanien nach Deutschland sind dem Kühl- und Lebensmittelbereich zuzuordnen. Jedes Jahr transportieren wir rund 30.000 t Stückgut zwischen Deutschland und Spanien. Mit der direkten Tour können wir unsere Lieferungen jetzt noch schneller und effizienter in Spanien verteilen.

Weitere Informationen zu unseren Transporten nach Spanien finden Sie unter: <link unsere-leistungen europaeische-landverkehre spanien>www.sterac.com/unsere-leistungen/europaeische-landverkehre/spanien/