Climate change, diesel scandal, toll debacle: transport is a controversial political field...

Logistics is the service provider for the rest of the economy. If logistics doesn't work, the rest of the economy doesn't work either: products and services must reach the customer from the provider so that value creation and economic performance can occur.

We are undoubtedly in a phase of transition and change. This is already evident from the legal requirements: politics has imposed on us to emit exactly 60 percent less CO₂ by 2035 than was the case in 1990.

Do you think this is feasible?

Technically, we have made enormous progress. The emission of pollutants has been massively reduced, and vehicles now meet the Euro 6 emission standard. And yet, overall emissions have not decreased compared to the 1990s. Why? Because traffic has increased significantly since then. Annual growth rates are 3 to 4 percent. And this will remain the case: online retail is booming. In addition, many manufacturing companies have dissolved their warehouses and store goods "just in time" on public transport routes and terminals.

To significantly save CO₂ – and we want and need to do this – we cannot avoid a major leap forward. This will involve a change in drive technology – whether to gas, hydrogen, or battery-electric. In addition, more goods must be transported by rail. Currently, 70 percent of goods are moved by road. That is too much.

Why haven't we made more progress?

An example: the Brenner Base Tunnel is currently being built as the world's longest underground railway connection. It is supposed to bypass the main ridge of the Alps and enable a high-speed railway line between Berlin and Palermo. Completion is announced for 2032. However, due to political delays, the construction of the German rail access routes will probably not be completed until 2040/45. A farce!

The fact that the population approaches large-scale construction projects with maximum suspicion is not helpful. Everyone must understand: we live off the infrastructural substance. With every bridge at risk of collapse, our prosperity also falters. Particularly bizarre: even where there is political will to advance infrastructure projects, often nothing happens. Because the authorities lack engineers who could plan new roads, locks, and tracks... Today, it is almost unimaginable that Germany was once the logistics world champion.

How does this affect companies?

Every traffic jam, every closed overpass costs money. These are unnecessary economic damages. And logistics companies are already under enough pressure: competition from Eastern Europe with significantly lower personnel costs creates unhealthy competition. This affects drivers' incomes, making the profession unattractive. Statistically, Germany is short of 60,000 professional drivers – a figure that rises annually. Unfortunately, there is a lack of young talent. This shortage of skilled workers is troubling.

The EU Mobility Package, which was adopted last year, could help here. It introduced rules for the posting of drivers in cross-border traffic, among other things. But for it to be effective, it must actually be monitored and sanctioned! Overall, we expect more commitment from Berlin and Brussels in transport policy: think infrastructure on a European level, promote innovations, reduce bureaucracy!