DACHSER – Chemical logistics: Change…

Safety, quality, and reliable partnerships are constant requirements in chemical logistics. However, megatrends such as digitalization, globalization, and sustainability are changing their characteristics—and demand new answers to familiar requirements.

An old Chinese proverb says: “When the winds of change blow, some build walls and others build windmills.” The chemical industry has always placed high demands on its logistics partners, but the form those demands take is becoming much more acute.

Companions and drivers of change: Global networks
Global supply chain changes, customs duties, and constant updates to regulations all require an agile network. The tougher the times, the more efficient the logistics services must be. Ever since the pandemic and the subsequent supply chain crises, it’s been clear that, today, chemical logistics is more than just transportation and warehousing—it’s part of corporate resilience. For DACHSER as a service provider, this means we’re growing and expanding around the world so that we can map changing flows of goods in our network.

The industry’s global activities necessitate new, multimodal, and seamlessly integrated solutions. Networks that combine overland transport, air and sea freight, and state-of-the-art warehousing form the backbone of reliable logistics. Seamless transitions and integrated processes are essential here—ideally from a single source and with system continuity.

Pacesetters of the transformation: Digitalization and AI
Clipboards and manual tracking are history. The need for real-time information is growing with globalization. Today, transparency is as important as punctuality, and it’s based on intelligent systems, standardized interfaces, and real-time data.

AI-supported forecasts, digital twins, autonomous transport systems—all of these show how processes can be automated without creating security risks. DACHSER platform integrates transport, warehouse, and tracking data, while the @ILO digital twin identifies, localizes, and measures packages fully automatically. This increases efficiency and security while maintaining the same expectations of fulfillment.

Committed to the future: Sustainability and CO₂ assessments
In pursuit of climate targets, the industry’s focus is shifting to the carbon footprint and supply chains. Implementation is often the responsibility of the logistics partners. DACHSER is following a clear course with its DACHSER Climate Protection strategic focus program. For one thing, the company is seeking to avoid and reduce emissions instead of offsetting them. Investments in new technologies, multimodal transportation, and green electricity in logistics facilities are additional first steps that are already producing significant results. Sustainable logistics can succeed only if all the parties involved and all the available technologies work together.

Initiative to combat the lack of drivers and qualified personnel
Even the most sophisticated technology can’t replace people in logistics. The shortage of qualified personnel, especially drivers, is hitting the logistics sector particularly hard. Security of supply depends on the attractiveness of the profession and the training it provides, because logistics is and remains a people business—run by people, for people.

Logistics experts are in demand. Training campaigns such as that of DACHSER Service und Ausbildungs GmbH show how young talent can be inspired and retained over the long term. Modern working conditions, health programs, and prospects for development create trust and appreciation.

In sum: The future of chemical logistics is a task for the whole industry
The challenges are growing, but the principles remain: safety, quality, and partnership. What’s needed are new ways to implement them. Long-standing relationships such as DACHSER’s membership of the Chemical Business Association, demonstrate the added value of an established collaboration. CHEManager, as the leading industry publication, is also a constant that we will continue to rely on in the future.

Daniel Bateson, Regional Chemical and Cosmetic Solutions BDM UK and Ireland, DACHSER Ltd