Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) is a branche organization of all transport companies in the Netherlands.
By Alexander Sakker, Chairman of TLN
Not many people have a full understanding of the importance of logistics to our daily lives. From our breakfast cereals to the groceries we buy or the concerts we attend, logistics is a vital and knowledge-intensive branch that is woven into every aspect of our lives.
Most people think only of transport when first confronted with the term logistics. They think of a package that needs to get from A to B. With transport of commodities being such a regular sight it is no wonder that most people translate logistics into lorries and long trains. This does no right to the sector however, because logistics is so much more than just moving. A better definition would be that logistics is the art of smart organising, a state of the art service that requires intelligent systems and a product that Holland is specialised at and excels in.
Through the centuries the Dutch have built a strong reputation in logistics. This is most notable in the legacy of the world renowned VOC, the Dutch East India Company, that set up transport lines from Asia to Europe to ship spices. But already in medieval times Dutch cities in the Hanseatic League played a central role in European trade. From old times, logistics is a trade that Dutch companies specialise in and use to their competitive advantage. Logistics keeps Holland competitive; in a sense Holland is logistics.
Acknowledging the strategic importance of the logistics sector, the Dutch government recently installed the Logistic Alliance that comprises of government, private sector and educational institutes - a body that functions as the main representative towards government and politicians and therefore as the face and conscience of logistics in the Netherlands. Over the next couple of years their task is to promote the interests of the industry and to ensure that highly trained young professionals find their way to our sector.
Not everyone realises that the Dutch are so good at smart organising, probably because most people don’t think about it consciously in their daily life. For instance, when was the last time you were staring at empty shelves in the supermarket? Or got a concert cancelled because the stage did not arrive? The fact that we take this for granted seems logical, but every day hundreds of thousands of people work very hard to keep our economy going. Already logistics has a 14 percent share of the total European GDP and that number is still growing due to increasing integration of European and global economies. Logistics is the link between international economies and because of that centuries old tradition Dutch companies will continue to play a central role in this process.
Alexander Sakkers
Chairman
Transport en Logistiek Nederland
Boris Pasternaklaan 22
Postbus 3008
2700 KS Zoetermeer
I www.tln.nl