Refrigerated transport Joachim Jacobs GmbH & Co. has always been a recognized service provider in the fresh transport sector in the north of Germany. The company, founded in 1992, moved to a new site on the Kaltenkirchen industrial site last year and is now ready for the future with an expanded capacity of around 8,000 m2.
At the end of this year, Joachim Jacobs will retire at the age of 70, to hand over management to Max-Wilhelm Saara. All in all, the successor sees the future as positive for his company: "At our current location we have enough opportunities to expand our activities. We already have additional services such as a handling hall for TC products and a truck washing system, which we still use for 90 percent of our own vehicles," says Mr. Saara.
Jacobs Transport GmbH has been IFS certified for several years.
Organic transport as a development area
As a traditional company, Jacobs has been active in the fresh transport sector for many years: Due to its proximity to the fresh markets in Bremen, Hanover and, above all, Hamburg, fruit and vegetables also make up a substantial part of the turnover.
A long-term partner since 2000 is Naturkost Grell, one of the larger organic suppliers in Northern Germany. "Although we are not alone in the transport of organic goods on the market, there is no real abundance of providers in this area. In addition to our main customers, we are also getting more and more inquiries from organic suppliers. For this reason, we see this customer base as an interesting development area for our company," says Saara.
Traffic congestion and toll payments
But Joachim Jacobs GmbH & Co. certainly sees inevitable challenges in and around the transport sector. A daily topic is the congestion, primarily on the A7 and in Hamburg city traffic: "Whenever possible, around Hamburg we start rolling at 4:00 clock. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do this, since many customers want to present fresh goods and therefore only want to be supplied between 6:00 and 7:00. Also, toll regulations are becoming more and more complicated for us as well as for the customers. Of course we are interested in renewable energies for our vehicles so that we can drive toll-free. But I do not see a long-term solution."
View of the truck washing facility.
Driver shortages
A final but worrying problem is the continued driver shortage. Joachim Jacobs GmbH & Co. currently employs about 40 drivers, mainly from Eastern Europe and third countries. "We communicate on an equal footing with our staff and try to have them appropriately insuranced. This is something that is clearly appreciated."
For more information:
Kühltransporte Joachim Jacobs GmbH & Co. KG
Joachim Jacobs & Max-Wilhelm Saara
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 23
24568 Kaltenkirchen
Tel: 04191 - 957410
Fax: 04191 - 957412
eMail: info@kuehltransporte-jacobs.de
www.kuehltransporte-jacobs.de