Grimaldi boosts Trieste–Turkey ro-ro service
The Grimaldi Group is strengthening its ro-ro link between Trieste and Turkey via Patras, Ambarli and Gemport, increasing both capacity and frequency along the Adriatic corridor. The service now offers eight weekly sailings with around 4,000 rolling units available, with plans to introduce a fifth vessel to reach ten departures and more than 4,500 units handled per week. The route deploys Eco-class vessels and responds to growing demand for regular high-capacity connections between the Northern Adriatic and the Turkish market, particularly for semi-trailers and vehicles. The Trieste–Patras–Ambarli–Gemport service forms part of the motorways of the sea strategy launched by the shipowner with the direct Trieste–Ambarli link and subsequently expanded with intermediate calls in Greece and at the Turkish port of Gemlik. The system enables integration with rail and maritime networks towards Central Europe and Northern Italy, with transhipment options also available via Venice. In Trieste, vessels call at the logistics platform operated by Hhla Plt Italy, where gate and parking operations have been reorganised to manage higher volumes. The expansion comes amid a competitive environment at the Julian port, where Dfds also maintains services to Turkey.
Rail wagons for heavy loads
Innofreight is expanding its rail freight offering for high-weight cargoes with the introduction of the HeavyDutyLoading System, a solution designed for 20-foot containers weighing up to 56 tonnes, offering an additional 8 tonnes of payload compared with conventional solutions. The system operates on 2×30-foot InnoWaggon wagons, which can carry up to 112 tonnes and are equipped with integrated ballast plates that allow empty running without restrictions. According to the company, the system enables fast loading and unloading operations without the need for additional cargo securing, thanks to lateral stop consoles that replace extra lashings while ensuring operational safety. In the future, the HeavyDutyLoading System will also be available in a single 30-foot wagon version, maintaining the same functional features. The solution is suitable, among other applications, for transporting battery energy storage systems, 20-foot modules used to store energy generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Megatruck numbers rise in Denmark
The Danish road haulage association Itd reports that the number of vehicle combinations exceeding 18 metres in length is increasing in the Scandinavian country. Modular Ems1 combinations and those up to 34 metres under Ems2 have reached 1,763 units, up around 10% year on year. These configurations make it possible to move larger freight volumes in fewer trips, reducing fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and road congestion. Despite the growth, Itd notes that the potential remains underexploited due to restrictions on double-trailer combinations, which are authorised only on a limited network between Aarhus, Høje Taastrup and the Øresund Bridge. The restricted access means that only a small number of operators can use this technology and only on a marginal share of routes. Permits are also described as costly and complex to obtain, while extending the eligible network is seen as essential to unlock the full benefits. Since 1 January 2024, double-trailer operations have been allowed on a trial basis over a few hundred kilometres. In Sweden, where authorisation was introduced a month earlier, the network already exceeds 6,000 km, partly thanks to configurations requiring less turning space. The Danish Minister of Transport has said he is working towards adopting Swedish standards, a move which, according to Itd, could reduce infrastructure upgrade costs and increase the efficient use of vehicles already in fleets.
Trieste returns to MSC’s Dragon route
The port of Trieste is returning to MSC’s main deep-sea services with the update of the Dragon service, which introduces a new call at Molo VII on the Asia–Mediterranean corridor. The connection restores a direct link with the Far East, particularly China, limited to the import phase, and cuts transit times by five days compared with the previous configuration. According to the Autorità di Sistema Portuale (Port System Authority), the Friuli Venezia Giulia gateway is strengthening its role as an entry point for Asian cargo bound for the North East and other Northern Adriatic and Upper Tyrrhenian ports, thanks to links to Capodistria, Fiume, Venice, Ravenna and Ancona. The new rotation also introduces a significant export element: after Trieste, vessels proceed to Gioia Tauro and major Tyrrhenian ports, cross the Atlantic and call directly at New York, Boston, Norfolk and Charleston, establishing an outbound connection to the United States without intermediate transhipment. The rotation includes Busan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha and Yantian. The operational profile outlined is Asia for imports and the United States for exports, with a fixed weekly vessel from early April.
Mm Operations expands in pharma-cosmetics logistics
Mm Operations, a third-party logistics provider based in San Martino in Rio, has announced the acquisition of Cd Group, a company founded in 1979 by the D’Acquisto family and specialised in logistics services for the pharma-cosmetics sector. The deal has a total value of €33 million and provides for a five-year lease agreement covering operating activities, followed by final acquisition. The transaction safeguards 1,300 jobs and ensures continuity for 60% of the Italian market for specialised pharmaceutical and cosmetics logistics. Cd Group comprises four operating companies, including Difarco, Stock House Italia and Phardis, active in warehousing and distribution for more than 70 national and international clients, with projected 2025 turnover of €105 million, in addition to Phardis Life, a commercial company with revenue of €15 million. The scope of the transaction includes six logistics facilities in Northern Italy covering more than 275,000 square metres of covered space, 245,000 pallet positions, 60,000 square metres of temperature-controlled space for pharmaceutical handling and an Aifa-authorised pharmaceutical workshop. Mm Operations will directly take over 150 employees from the central structure and branches, while warehouse activities employing more than 500 staff will be acquired through the Logico consortium under the same contractual formula; 300 temporary agency workers will be managed by Asten.
