Managing the Movement
Those who have been watching Poland since that time will remember the thousands of small wholesalers of mostly non-perishable consumer goods who operated their businesses out of some spare space, such as an unused residential garage. Then the hypermarkets arrived in the mid-'90s, and the small wholesalers seemed to disappear overnight.
The transportation sector is at a similar crossroads. According to Katarzyna Nowakowska, communications director for VOS Logistics, an international logistics firm, just 5 percent of all road transport is handled by large transport or logistics companies, with the rest being handled by small transport companies. As Poland moves forward, Nowakowska predicts considerable consolidation in the marketplace over the next few years.
As they already begin to consolidate, new options on how to manage those fleets are emerging. Many of the smaller companies owned and managed their own vehicles; the idea of outsourcing either their fleets or the management of those fleets made no sense.
But that will change. Larger logistics companies are already using new and more efficient ways to manage their fleets in order to meet the ever-increasing client demands for more flexibility.
One option to which companies are turning with increased regularity is the "owner-operator" model: The driver of the truck becomes the owner and operator of the truck, but enters into a commercial cooperation agreement with the driver as an independent contractor.
Some logistics companies that take advantage of this system try to make it as supportive of the independent contractor as possible. Nowakowska notes that there is an entire support structure for these owner-operators to assist them with various aspects of operating their freelance business.
But Leszek Pomorski, director of sales and marketing for ING Car Lease, notes that the owner-operator model is not always the best option for fleets of more passenger-type vehicles. "Courier companies and others that use passenger vehicles would like to have a fleet that is more consistent. The fleet vehicle operates like a moving billboard and, as such, it benefits from having all vehicles look the same," rather than a variety of sizes, shapes, and ages.
Certainly current Polish regulations are not making the task of managing and owning vehicle fleets any easier. A series of new, largely inconsistent VAT regulations has put a chill on the purchase of new vehicles and fleet modernization, which has an impact on fuel consumption and safety. "This is the biggest challenge facing the transport sector today," notes Pomorski.
The transportation sector is at a similar crossroads. According to Katarzyna Nowakowska, communications director for VOS Logistics, an international logistics firm, just 5 percent of all road transport is handled by large transport or logistics companies, with the rest being handled by small transport companies. As Poland moves forward, Nowakowska predicts considerable consolidation in the marketplace over the next few years.
As they already begin to consolidate, new options on how to manage those fleets are emerging. Many of the smaller companies owned and managed their own vehicles; the idea of outsourcing either their fleets or the management of those fleets made no sense.
But that will change. Larger logistics companies are already using new and more efficient ways to manage their fleets in order to meet the ever-increasing client demands for more flexibility.
One option to which companies are turning with increased regularity is the "owner-operator" model: The driver of the truck becomes the owner and operator of the truck, but enters into a commercial cooperation agreement with the driver as an independent contractor.
Some logistics companies that take advantage of this system try to make it as supportive of the independent contractor as possible. Nowakowska notes that there is an entire support structure for these owner-operators to assist them with various aspects of operating their freelance business.
But Leszek Pomorski, director of sales and marketing for ING Car Lease, notes that the owner-operator model is not always the best option for fleets of more passenger-type vehicles. "Courier companies and others that use passenger vehicles would like to have a fleet that is more consistent. The fleet vehicle operates like a moving billboard and, as such, it benefits from having all vehicles look the same," rather than a variety of sizes, shapes, and ages.
Certainly current Polish regulations are not making the task of managing and owning vehicle fleets any easier. A series of new, largely inconsistent VAT regulations has put a chill on the purchase of new vehicles and fleet modernization, which has an impact on fuel consumption and safety. "This is the biggest challenge facing the transport sector today," notes Pomorski.
