'Sustainable logistics is the only way forward' | Etienne Attard
The majority of what we consume has to be imported. However, being an island, Malta never had alternative means of transport to rely on, other than by sea. “Any conditions that arise that could threaten this supply are never just economic issues but matters of national priority that affect our daily requirements. From our end, what we can do is seek to operate as efficiently and as sustainably as possible,” says ETIENNE ATTARD, CEO of Express Trailers
by Paul Cocks
You have been at the helm of Express Trailers for a few months now. What have been your biggest takeaways from your experience so far?
Express Trailers is more than just an ordinary business. We take pride in our work to deliver goods to our customers, and community and to support our business partners in all their transport and logistics requirements, the complexity of which is often underestimated or taken for granted.
How would you define your leadership style?
The success of any company is not about the type of leadership style, but how people at the helm interact and communicate with employees, stakeholders, and the general public. Nevertheless, I believe that good governance is the main and fundamental principle that drives the business towards success.
You are establishing yourself as a firm advocate for ESG principles, particularly in terms of sustainability.
At Express Trailers, we are constantly refining the balance between giving our people the best tools of trade and our commitment to ESG requirements because today, more than ever, investment decisions have developed into a complex need to balance excellent customer services with environmental considerations. The increase in fuel prices across Europe driven mainly by pricing costs, inflation, international political upheaval and now recently, the developments concerning rising shipping costs continue to force us to reengineer our strategy and model which led to better fuel efficiency and ultimately, a reduction of CO2 emissions.
How challenging is it to operate more sustainably when your business depends on road and sea transport?
Our fleet has always been our largest investment and we have constantly invested very strongly in it. Today however, we not only invest in a fleet that meets our clients’ requirements but in one that helps us honour our commitment to operate more sustainably because as things stand, operating sustainably is the only way forward.
Can you take us through the company’s major investments in this area?
This heightened investment in our fleet started three years ago with the first ten new temperature-controlled trailers acquired in 2021, equipped with the next generation cooling units and that featured an all-electric design that significantly improved performance and efficiency. Another new fleet of ten Euro 6 trucks acquired in December of 2022 was rolled out in January of this year. This was a very interesting investment because we contributed our long years of experience and cooperated with the truck manufacturers to ensure that these new vehicles were optimised according to our specific operations. Together with this, we also held specialised driving courses by professional instructors for our 50+ drivers on how to drive better and more efficiently. All the above has helped us register fuel savings of up to 30%.
What were the outcomes?
Our Fleet Management System provided us with some very interesting data concerning fuel consumption in the first nine months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. In fact, whereas in 2022 we covered 3.2 million kilometres and consumed 981,317 litres of fuel, in 2023 we covered 3.4 million kilometres but managed to reduce the fuel consumption to 1,009,993 litres. This means that thanks to our investment in our international fleet which today, is Euro 6, we have managed to reduce our fuel consumption by 2.7%, saving 27,580 litres in the last 9 months. When viewed in terms of CO2 savings, this amounts to a reduction in emissions of 66 tons.
But what does all this mean for your end clients?
Look, operating more sustainably obviously means doing our part in favour of a better environment. But in the end, this effort is ultimately benefiting our clients because the huge savings we have achieved to date, have helped us contain our pricing vis-a-vis our clients throughout 2023. With our now complete and fully operational Genoa Logistics Hub, which is owned and managed by Express Trailers, through which we can operate with fewer trips and therefore be more efficient, optimise cargo loads with less fuel consumption and more sustainable operations, the above figures can only improve.
Tell us more about your Genoa Hub, please.
Express Group's €6 million, 4,500 sqm Logistics Hub in Genoa marks a significant leap for international expansion, optimizing operations across Europe. Positioned strategically, the hub enhances efficiency, compliance with mobility regulations, and sustainability. The adoption of multi-modality and optimized route networks not only streamline operations but also achieves notable CO2 reductions. Complementing this, an on-site PV system contributes to further environmental gains, reinforcing Express Group's commitment to sustainable logistics.
It is a fact that as an island, Malta remains very disadvantaged...
As an island, Malta already has connectivity disadvantages within the EU. But besides having to combat our geographical restrictions, we have also had to face the disadvantage of EU regulations that continued to place more pressure on driving times caused by the cabotage system and other combined transport directives. This forced us to drastically reduce transit times from Malta to Europe by reducing driving time on the road such as our increased use of the port of Genoa rather than other ports.
But road transport however comes with its pressures and challenges. For cargo to reach Malta, one would typically be looking at weekly round trips of nearly 3,000km. (For context's sake, this distance covered in 3 weeks is equivalent to an average one year of driving in Malta.)
Now the EU’s recent ETS Directive has become our most pressing concern because we are being made to face increased financial costs for using the only means of transport we are obliged to use – the sea. In principle, the directive means well because it seeks to address environmental concerns. But in practice, this is unfair for Malta because we have no other option, and these costs will ultimately have to be borne by the end consumer.
