“There is not a lot of competition in this market sector, but there is a healthy working environment,” says managing director Frenk Snoeck.
There are neverthelss significant differences between the various companies involved in the lashing and securing of cargo and that competition tends to be through specialisation, rather then simply price, he adds.
In addition, Snoeck Services has a sister company that specialises in export packaging, which some customers see as a key value-added service, since lashing/securing can be combined with this and other related services to form a complete services package.
Mr Snoeck nevertheless points out that some companies simply stick with lashing. “Offering extra services could help the bottom line, but isn’t 100% necessary,” he says.
Lashing technology is improving, too. Since Snoeck Services began working in this area in 1960, Mr Snoeck says materials for undertaking lashing and securing nowadays give much better protection than was previously the case. “Our experience is that lashing is more difficult than it looks and you need experienced employees to do it well,” he says.
Qargo, which operates its own Project Freight Station at the Port of Rotterdam, is a fairly new market entrant. It offers a wide variety of export packing services. This – along with its ability to accept items of up to 45 tons – makes it unique, says company spokesperson Peter Bokhout.
He points out that Qargo offers value added services, too. The aim is to try to offer a complete range of services to its main customers, who are mainly (project) freight forwarders. By doing this, price becomes less important, because it is the overall level of service and quality that matters most.
Mr Bokhout believes that being a full service company in the out-of-gauge and project cargo sector does help in winning business. Indeed, the company produces all kinds of wooden export packages, including saddles and skids; will shrink wrap even the largest objects; cover cases of unpacked item with tarpaulins and nets; undertake export packing and corrosion prevention; and manage line item checking of inbound cargo.
