Due to the situation in Italy around the Coronavirus, there has been reports of long traffic jams at the border crossing from Italy into Austria. Drivers must be checked for the virus before they can cross the border. The idea of the European open borders has been suspended here indefinitely.
However, many transporters don't notice much change. “We only cross the Brenner Pass from Austria to Italy,” says Barry Zuiderwijk, director of HZ Logistics. “We are driving back over France and Switzerland and no additional checkpoints has yet been set up there. So we can continue for the time being, as it remains uncertain what the future will bring. Drivers are already asking themselves whether they still want to drive in Italy.”
Trade continues in the meantime. “The Italian supermarkets continue to ask for fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants, so we don't notice much change in our loads. We do miss out on some volume on the wholesale markets in Bolzano, but that is a few percent. This is mainly because the tourism sector no longer has a demand for products because the tourists stay away.”
"In addition, we mainly notice measures that the shippers have taken," says Barry. “In many places our drivers are no longer allowed to enter the warehouse. We ourselves have also tightened up the protocol and we have a number of our planners working from home, especially the people who live in North Brabant."
For more information:
HZ Logistics
Barry Zuiderwijk
Burg.van Doornlaan 16-18
2678 KB De Lier
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0) 174 52 55 96
b.zuiderwijk@hzlogistics.nl
www.hzlogistics.eu