With an offset they continue to advance their pawns

The German players dominate global and French transport services and logistics landscape. In the first ranks of these giants are Deutsche Post with DHL Supply Chain and Deutsche Bahn with Schenker, several private (Dachser, Rhenus, Hellman, Fiege) and Swiss (Kuehne Nagel, Panalpina). This domination was due, among other things, a strong exporting industry and a gargantuan appetite intelligently controlled.

Some French are carved a place, at least European, in the Sun: Geodis which was now hanging car cargo SNCF, the various entities of Bolloré, Norbert Dentressangle, Gefco or specialist STEF-TFE. With an offset, they continue to advance their pawns. But the nationality no longer has the same importance. What example is that of international groups as Ceva, Agility or even Kuehne Nagel strongly implanted in France "The reality of the markets is more important than capital," said Patrice Salini consultant. "Without supply, we would be excluded from international tender", adds Daniel Delva, CEO of Bolloré Logistics.

Heterogeneity of the actors

The panorama is also blurred by terminology confusion (see box below). "High-sounding phrases boasting a professional who wants to give the impression of everything to do," said Philippe Bonnevie, General delegate of the Association of users of freight transport (AUTF). As another cause of blur is the heterogeneity of the actors and trades. Logistics is a complex chain of transport of all modes, hubs, or warehouses, customs clearance, information systems, etc. She agglomerates as many experts as there are transportation, sizes, speeds, integrated or outsourced means (mail, parcels, pallets, lots...), objects, types of contract (with obligation of means or results). There is no universal logistics able to move all around the world with guaranteed delays. "Even in the largest, remains always holes in the racket", summarizes Nicolas Riboud-Sinclair, Associate Director of the firm Ecdys. Only the heads of list can claim this absolute approach. The world of transport and logistics, in France as in the world, therefore presents itself as juxtaposed pyramids. On a very broad common base, a myriad of small businesses (carriers road, warehouses, etc.) stack several levels of subcontracting and fit until very compressed spikes (positions, expressistes, cold, maritime, air, etc.). At the Summit of the central pyramid, a small number of operators juggle with all. "Their talent, explains Nicolas Riboud-Sinclair, is to marry trades that meet different economic models." Norbert Cohen, Executive Vice President of the French Association for logistics (Aslog), "the trend of the largest is also to evolve towards the steering of the stream instead of the client." "From trades of performers, they must take the risk of the customer by investing in heavy information systems".

End of difficult contracts

These globalized actors "display results above the premises because, by their size, they may accompany very carrier in Asia growth or pull all flows in flying as soon as the source, for example at the start of China distribution in Europe", explains Alain Borri, head of the BP2R, for which "there are also sometimes more profitable niche markets". The most vulnerable in the crisis, said, are subcontractors of subcontractors.

Yet "the landscape of the players will move with the crisis," prognostic Jean-Claude Turri, CEO of Valtech Axelboss, for which "there will be redefinitions of perimeters, and divestitures as DHL is selling its French mail." Logistics warehouses for example, he suffers a decline in rates of filling and difficult contracts purposes. Jean-Pierre Nessi, on the other hand, author of "The economic and financial management of the transport company" called that "many carriers will likely disappear" leaded by melting their profitability, their volumes and tariffs. He explained that "the environmental approach pushes to use other modes and that major groups try to get gradually rid of transport activities in becoming more charterers that carriers". Research of sustainable is manifest in the proposes this year confirms Alain Bagnaud, Director of the Logistics Centre in Reed Exhibitions. Norbert Cohen of the Aslog concludes: "the concentration is not complete in the sector." It always grows to two types of actor: giant that integrate and fly and of regional and smaller niche players. Average general practitioners are struggling to resist.