Ro-Ro carrier Sallaum Lines has launched a European road-logistics company that will transport finished vehicles between factories, ports, distribution centres and dealerships.
Sallaum Logistics Ltd would begin operating with 50 vehicle-transporter combinations and planned to expand its owned fleet to 300 trucks by 2029, the company said.
Each transporter will be able to carry up to 10 vehicles, depending on the vehicle type, route and national road regulations.
Headquartered in Lithuania, the company will initially operate in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Sallaum Lines said its network would serve vehicle-distribution routes connected to ports including Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Marseille.
The company operates Ro-Ro services between Europe and South Africa. Its published schedules include calls at East London, Gqeberha and Durban.
It said the new road-logistics operation would connect its maritime services with inland vehicle distribution in Europe.
Sallaum Logistics will provide factory-to-port, port-to-dealer and cross-border vehicle transport, as well as fleet-distribution services. Vehicle processing, pre-delivery inspections and storage will also be offered at selected sites, building on existing operations at the Port of Antwerp.
The company will use a combination of owned and leased vehicles as it expands.
Fleet-management and logistics software will be used for route planning and operational reporting. The transporters will also be equipped with GPS tracking, telematics and driver-monitoring systems, according to the statement.
Sallaum Logistics plans to establish depots for vehicle handling, staging and regional distribution as it expands its European network.
The company said its future fleet measures would include fuel-efficiency programmes and the possible use of electric trucks on suitable shorter routes.
