FLZ increases the competitiveness of the Port of Hamburg

Since it was set up as an independent limited liability company in 2009, the Feeder Logistics Center (Feeder Logistik Zentrale, FLZ) in Hamburg has coordinated the handling of containers, the three millionth of which was transshipped at the end of August. The FLZ makes a major contribution to the smooth running of operations in the entire port. It is the central point of coordination for feeder ships in the Port of Hamburg, the Port of Hamburg said in a news release.

The Feeder Logistics Center coordinates more than 5,000 calls to terminals every year and ensures that the agreed rotation of the feeder ships is complied with. It is the central point of contact for shipping companies and terminal operators, and is responsible for finding an optimal berth along the quay wall, as well as organising pilots, tugs and moving services. The FLZ therefore plays a key role in Hamburg’s success as a transshipment hub. The 2.1 percent increase in container throughput at the Port of Hamburg in the first half of the year was largely attributable to the 8.0 percent rise in feeder traffic. Seven new feeder services at the Port of Hamburg provide additional transport capacity and enhance the range of liner services to the Baltic Sea. Feeders are smaller container ships, such as those in Baltic Sea traffic, which ‘feed’ the container mega-ships deployed in transcontinental traffic. When a feeder ship calls at the Port of Hamburg, it serves an average of four terminals.

The Feeder Logistics Center was set up in 2004, and has acted as an independent limited liability company since 2009. The feeder companies Unifeeder and Teamlines are partners of the FLZ. The FLZ, which operates around the clock, presently employs twelve staff members who have expertise in all the relevant areas of shipping. The FLZ’s responsibilities include coordinating stowage planning and rotation between the terminals, promptly checking, amending and communicating stowage planning data to the relevant centres, maintaining regular contact with shipping companies, vessels, public authorities and terminals as well as ordering pilots, tugs and moving services on time.