ZS Robotics, specialists in smart intralogistics, will showcase its 4-way shuttle system – a solution validated through over 200 diverse projects across more than ten countries and regions, at the LogiMAT 2026 from Mar 24 to 26 in Germany.

Highlights of its portfolio include the H125 shuttle, claimed to be the world’s first 20-wheeled 4-way pallet shuttle, which offers exceptional stability, enhanced battery life, and flexibility. The company aims to empower warehouses across various industries in Europe and the United States with more mature solutions, making intralogistics safer and easier to use.

ZS Robotics says it has a plan to establish a subsidiary in the Netherlands in the second half of this year,
providing timely and comprehensive support to European clients. With over 200 successful project implementations across the globe, the company has sharpened its edge in 4-way shuttle warehouse automation solutions tailored to diverse environments and product types across industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cold chain, retail, energy, manufacturing, and 3PL. The solutions are aligned with the global push for safer, greener, and more efficient industrial practices amid intensifying space and labour shortages.

“At ZS Robotics, our focus is singular: to solve the last 0.01% of challenges in the deployment and operation of automated warehousing projects using our four-way shuttle technology, relentlessly refining our products to achieve genuine safety and ease of use in warehousing,” said Gianni Girolami, Sales Director, Europe, at ZS Robotics.

ZS Robotics’ technology is reliably applied in over 1,000 4-way shuttles deployed across the globe, serving clients from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, as well as Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. These systems, leveraging key innovations including a cold chain camera system, and advanced cluster scheduling, have effectively eased installation and maintenance, enhance safety and ease of use.

“We aim to solve the warehousing challenges of customers across various industries as comprehensively as possible with a more complete, integrated hardware and software product portfolio,” Girolami stated, emphasising that ZS Robotics has obtained multiple safety compliance certifications, including EU CE. “We don’t just deliver technology. We empower our customers to master it.”

ZS Robotics’ key exhibits will be H150 shuttle and its self-developed ZSmart Intelligent Platform (including
WCS, WMS, RCS, and control terminals). The company will also highlight the H125 shuttle and the Single-
Position Lift.

• The H125 Shuttle: A lightweight and more powerful 4-way shuttle, and industry-unique 20-wheel
  model. Despite its compact size (L1106×W940×H125mm), it delivers a powerful 1,500 kg load
  capacity, ensuring exceptional stability and durability in warehouse operations.
• The H150 Shuttle: A mature and highly reliable workhorse, extensively validated across numerous
  projects for its robust performance.
• Single-Position Lift: A space-efficient in-rack lift that occupies only a single storage position,
  regardless of location, significantly increasing overall warehouse storage density without layout
  constraints.
• ZSmart Intelligent Platform: An integrated software suite (including WMS, WCS, and RCS) that
  leverages advanced algorithms to optimise warehouse efficiency and provide a user-friendly
  interface for seamless operations.

Peter MacLeod speak to an expert about how belting technology is evolving under pressure from energy costs, sustainability targets and shifting investment patterns.

The past few years have tested the logistics sector, particularly in Europe. Pointing to geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty and reduced investment by major players, Sascha Goly, Global Business Development Manager at Forbo Movement Systems, says: “Especially in the last three or four years, it was not easy. It was difficult years.”

Speaking exclusively to Logistics Business, he adds: “The big companies were not investing at all, especially Amazon. They were going to the sky during Covid, and after Covid, since all the normal stores are opening again, they were not investing that much.” While this slowdown affected suppliers across the industry, Forbo’s diversified presence in food processing and industrial production helped to cushion the impact.

Despite this, Goly is clear that momentum is returning. “We see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. E-commerce and parcel logistics are beginning to ramp up again, with companies such as FedEx, UPS, DHL and Amazon re-entering the tendering process, albeit at a more measured pace than during the pandemic. Airports, however, represent the most dynamic growth opportunity. While Europe remains relatively quiet, Goly highlighted strong expansion in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. “India and China are building new airports. Singapore will build a new Terminal 5 at Changi Airport. A lot of things are going on, and we really see that this is something that is growing really fast.”

Belting by Sector

Airport projects also illustrate how belting requirements vary by sector. In conventional parcel logistics, suppliers typically engage directly with end users and OEMs. Aviation is more complex. “You have many more parties involved – consultants, engineering companies, sometimes even local governments,” Goly explained. Products must also meet specific regulatory requirements, including flame retardancy and fire safety standards, making the sales and specification process more involved.

Forbo’s position as a global supplier is central to its ability to serve multinational customers:

“If you would like to do business with global key customers – like the big parcel companies, like airports, like all the OEMs – they would like to work together with a real international, global company. Those companies are also global, and they would like to have contacts all around the world.”

For Goly, it is the combination of global reach, long-term relationships and innovation that customers now expect as standard.

When it comes to innovation, sustainability has become the dominant theme. “The main innovation factor is sustainable products,” Goly said, noting that large end users face increasingly strict carbon reduction roadmaps. Forbo’s energy-saving belts have emerged as a key differentiator. “These energy-saving belts are really saving energy costs on the one side, but also they are reducing the CO₂ amount that is going on in a baggage handling system of an airport, for example.”

Crucially, these claims are not left unquantified. Goly described how customers are increasingly demanding clear ROI evidence. “We have a calculator on our website where you can type in the length, the speed of conveyor, the hours of running per day, and it easily displays the savings of CO₂ and also the savings in money, always compared with a standard belt.” He added that Forbo is the only belting supplier with third-party certification verifying both the calculations and the performance of the belts. “This has been certified from the German TÜV, so this is not just greenwashing or a nice marketing thing.”

Reduced Friction

Energy efficiency also translates into operational benefits beyond electricity bills. Reduced friction lowers wear on belts, bearings and motors, extending the lifespan of entire conveyor systems. “We have examples where the temperature was sometimes going down from 65 to 40°C just by using an energy-saving belt,” Goly said. “If you have a system with thousands of motors, and every motor is reduced by 10 or 20 degrees, you can even reduce the power of the air conditioning. All of that is increasing the lifetime of the complete conveyor systems.”

The technology itself is more sophisticated than many assume. While Goly, Pictured below, jokingly described a belt as “a piece of plastic”, he was quick to explain the science behind the performance. “The secret lies in the underside of the belt,” he said. By integrating a permanent lubricant into the belt fabric during manufacturing, friction is reduced over the entire lifetime of the belt. “It stays there over the lifetime of the belt. Even when the belt was running for eight or nine years, it still feels a little bit slippery.”

Looking ahead, Goly sees smart belting and predictive maintenance as the next frontier, though he is realistic about current limitations. “Customers would love to have it, but we are not at the phase where we can say we already have it.” Early steps include QR codes laser-marked onto belts, allowing technicians to access product data, order replacements and contact service teams instantly, reducing downtime and unnecessary site visits.

Regional differences remain relatively minor, according to Goly, with specifications largely consistent worldwide. Cost sensitivity is higher in Asia-Pacific, while North America places less emphasis on environmental considerations, though this may change. “In general, a belt stays a belt. It doesn’t matter on which continent it is.”

Perhaps the biggest misconception Goly encounters is price-focused procurement. “If you buy cheap, you buy twice,” he said. In the context of billion-pound infrastructure projects, belting represents a small fraction of total investment, yet it has an outsized impact on energy use, uptime and lifetime costs. To address this, Forbo has produced a white paper on energy-efficient package handling, including ROI calculations aimed at shifting conversations beyond initial purchase price.

As energy costs remain volatile and sustainability targets tighten, Goly believes the industry is finally catching up with ideas Forbo has been developing for more than a decade. “Now everyone is looking at saving more energy,” he said. “And that’s where we are in a very, very good position.”

Retail de Impacto, the parent company of the SQRUPS chain, has strengthened its operations with the launch of a new 9,120 m² warehouse in Madrid, fully equipped with AR Racking solutions. In a sector like retail, where product turnover and service agility are decisive, having a robust, reliable, and tailored storage system makes all the difference.

Executed in just six weeks from supply to installation, the project consisted of a conventional pallet racking system (AR PAL) that accommodates up to 10,844 Euro pallets on structures over 10 metres high. This proven solution combines simplicity and efficiency for high-turnover logistics — key for a company like SQRUPS, which distributes a wide range of food and household goods at competitive prices.

“The growth of our store network demands logistics that are increasingly robust and flexible. With this new centre and our collaboration with AR Racking, we are taking a key step to ensure availability and agility in our service,” says José María Toro, he project lead at Retail de Impacto.

Located inside the warehouse building, the installation has been designed to optimise available space and facilitate both stock management and order preparation. The solution installed by AR Racking not only meets the company’s current requirements but also leaves room for future expansions should SQRUPS’s pace of growth require it.

“We have implemented a reliable, scalable solution with tight execution times that will enable SQRUPS to continue expanding with full logistics assurance,” notes Alfonso Peña, AR Racking’s Sales Representative for the central region.

This new project consolidates AR Racking’s position as a partner in the retail sector, delivering storage solutions that integrate seamlessly into high-demand, high-performance logistics operations.

Beumer Group is a familiar presence at LogiMAT. Corporate Comms Manager Jonas Jungmann spoke to Logistics Business Features Editor, Paul Hamblin, about the company’s products, plans and ethos.

Let’s start with new products – tell us about the new BG Pouch System with AutoDrop function. Specifically, how will it improve operations for customers, and what benefits can they expect?

BG Pouch System with AutoDrop enables fully automatic and contactless unloading of pouches. It is ideal for single-unit handling, but is also capable of combining items in any desired sequence. This improves distribution and reverse logistics across multiple fulfilment and returns operations.

For example, the system can fulfil store replenishment orders to fit the store’s specific layout, increasing productivity and freeing up staff for customer service. It easily accommodates value-added services, such as placing gift cards or greeting cards in an order. It also achieves fast, automated reworking of returns, making items immediately available for resale and significantly reducing handling time and costs.

BG Pouch System with AutoDrop requires approximately 30% less space than conventional picking systems and can be mounted in the ceiling, saving valuable floor space. The modular design also allows the system to be scaled up quickly and easily as needed.

You’re known for pallet packaging technology. What are the benefits of Beumer‘s Stretch Hood technology?

Our patented Stretch Hood is a custom-designed, automated end-of-line solution for packing pallets economically, safely, and automatically. The technology uses cold-stretchable films, which eliminates heat exposure and air-cooling to achieve very low operating costs. It can be implemented as an integrated or stand-alone system and is suitable for diverse applications, from high-value electronics to construction materials.

It offers security, protection, efficiency and versatility. The seal prevents tampering and pilfering, with any attempt to undo the seal being immediately evident. The technology guards against moisture, dirt ingress, spoilage, and damage during storage and transit. Efficiency results from the repeatable accuracy and consistency enabled by automation, also minimising the scope for human error in the critical final packaging phase.

It also has the versatility to apply transparent film for visibility or opaque film for high-value goods where security is paramount.

You’re bringing an Innovation Corner to LogiMAT in March. What can visitors expect from this?

Our Innovation Corner at LogiMAT will showcase the latest advances in robotics, software, and data analytics. This space highlights how cutting-edge technology and proven products combine to deliver real value for intralogistics.

Visitors can explore scalable solutions for warehouse and distribution operations, gain insights into digital transformation strategies, and engage directly with Beumer experts on future trends. The Innovation Corner reflects our broader Innovation Centre concept, which drives R&D and continuous portfolio development to meet evolving industry needs.

Let’s move on to the Customer Diagnostic Centre and its role in optimisation and predictive maintenance. What does that mean in practice? Can you give specific examples of what it does and how operators can deploy it?

Analysing and interpreting operational data is a complex and resource-intensive task that requires serious investment, which can detract from your core business. Beumer Group’s Customer Diagnostic Centre offers logistics companies access to data-driven services and expertise whenever they need it.

Our diagnostic experts monitor and analyse your operational data, anticipate issues and act proactively, remotely or on-site, to support predictive maintenance, process optimisation, and system diagnostics. Individual services range from an emergency hotline to cybersecurity support and can be used in any combination to meet customer needs.

In one instance, data analysis revealed that a customer had unused capacity of 40%, even though they believed they were at their operational limits. Guided by the results, the customer was able to implement efficiencies and meet continuing demand without the need for a major expansion.

You have recently announced new manufacturing facilities in China and India. Could this negatively impact the perception of Beumer as a premium European manufacturer?

Our China and India facilities have been developed to manufacture in line with Beumer’s global standards, ensuring equally high levels of quality and engineering excellence. The high-tech plants are integrated into our worldwide manufacturing network and run by trained teams, delivering the craftsmanship and reliability customers expect from our brand. These sites bring us closer to regional customers, enabling faster delivery and support.

You describe your strategy as “value-driven.” What does this mean in practice for customers?

Our four values – reliable, down-to-earth, ambitious, collaborative – guide decisions and build trust-based and long-term relationships. We never cut corners: we promise only what we can deliver, so systems perform reliably for years. We prioritise long-term partnerships over one-off deals; our customer support accompanies clients across the entire equipment lifecycle. In short, being value-driven aligns every action to create sustainable success, placing trust, superior quality, and long-term outcomes over quick wins.

What is BEAM and what is it for? Can you tell us about recent success stories and what they bring to the Group?

BEAM, launched in 2018, is Beumer’s startup incubator and innovation engine. It systematically builds new, digital business ideas that complement our intralogistics portfolio. We partner with entrepreneurs and internal experts, providing industry know-how, funding, and a safe space to scale.

Two startups now integrated into Beumer are Codept and Elara. Codept (founded 2019) offers a cloud-based logistics integration platform connecting online retailers with 3PLs, streamlining data exchange across shops and warehouse systems and drastically reducing onboarding time and IT effort. Elara (started 2020) is a cloud-based maintenance management software for centralising assets and service activities, enabling predictive maintenance to prevent downtime, optimise spare parts, and lower operating costs through transparency and data-driven insights. Both expand our digital services portfolio.

I saw an interesting quote from, Dr Christoph Beumer, the former CEO and now chair of the Advisory Board: “As a family business, we think in generations, not quarters”. What does this mean? What decisions can you point to that prove this philosophy to customers and prospects?

We judge major decisions by their decade-long impact on our customers and company. As a family-owned business, we reinvest for sustainable growth and innovation rather than maximise short-term profit. This financial prudence gives us independence to make bold, future-oriented investments, such as new factories in China and India.

‘Thinking in generations’ also shapes relationships: we seek lifetime partnerships, not quick sales. Our customer support team supports every installation for its entire life (and beyond), while customer partnerships and employee development are built on trust and longevity. This approach – proven over more than 90 years – keeps Beumer a reliable, forward-looking partner in a (sometimes) uncertain world, year after year and generation after generation.

Logistics Business takes a closer look at a ‘workhorse’ truck behind corporate headquarter relocations.

While it may have escaped your attention, more and more companies in have decided to pack it up and ship out to a new and different destination. The commercial real estate industry was upended by the pandemic, with offices clearing out to accommodate the safety and convenience of a new generation of home-based ‘remote’ workers. This mass migration, in turn, triggered a wave of chaotic leasing activity that continues buzzing to this day.

There is well-sourced data from Atlas Van Lines’ recent annual corporate relocation survey, which dates back more than five decades. Among the interesting findings in 2025:

• 63% of respondents shared that they intend to bolster their relocation budgets
• The primary driver of corporate relocations is economic conditions (50%)
• Half of all respondents chose to remain in place rather than consider a move
• Nearly a third of all respondents reported a relocation decision in their immediate future

While some corporate relocations are worthy of splashy headlines, there is an unsung hero working behind the scenes to make it happen – the modern-day moving truck. Noting it’s time for a closer look,
Logistics Business reached out to a company for an up-close and personal look at the workhorse of office moves. Move Solutions, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of the country’s leading corporate relocators, having completed major cross-country transitions for Fortune 500 companies such as Toyota USA, Wells Fargo, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that their home base of operations also happens to be the top-rated destination city for HQ relocations.

A Guided Tour…

Kurt Fox, director of operations for Move Solutions, provided us with a thorough overview of their transportation standard-bearer for corporate relocations – the Penske 22’ Commercial Box Truck. There are 41 of these trucks in the company’s combined transportation fleet, which also includes twenty-five 14-person passenger vans, ten 18’ cube vans, two 16’ cube vans, and one max-length 53’ tractor trailer for hauling the really big stuff.

Move Solutions’ vibrant, candy apple red truck cabs seat a crew of five comfortably, and the design is actually patterned after modern-day pump truck-style fire engines for maximum space and efficiency. As for precise specifications, these trucks have body dimension measurements that are 91” high, 102” wide, and interior cargo walls that feature 3/8” plywood lining. They also come standard with a 4000 lb. rail lift, air ride suspension, a double e-track cargo system, interior cargo lighting, and an exhaust regeneration system.

The payload capacity is rated for up to 17,000 lbs., and the trucks feature a 70-gallon diesel fuel tank, with an overall gross vehicle weight of 16.5 tons. As for the engine that powers these beasts, the Penske 22’ Commercial Box Trucks typically operate on a platform that boasts a 6.0-liter V-8 that produce a robust 350hp, rated at 373 lb.-ft of torque, and are capable of getting about 10-12 miles per gallon. Transmissions are six-speed automatic. Despite this awesome display of horsepower and hauling capacity, these trucks are still certified as clean idle vehicles.

Hauling the Mail

When it comes to sheer cargo volume, the Penske 22’ Commercial Box Trucks are capable of hauling up to 10 standard size moving pallets. These are commonly loaded with typical office furnishings such as decommissioned workstations and cubicles, executive desks and task seating, filing systems (with lateral files), IT racks and server cabinets, and other assets.

Corporate relocations are almost always conducted out-of-sight, during off-peak hours where most employees remain blissfully unaware of just how much planning and logistics are involved behind the scenes of your typical office move. Somewhere, some place – perhaps even going on at this moment – a company employing thousands of workers is on the move – stealthily shifting headquarters from Point A to Point B. When it comes to office relocations, Move Solutions CEO Michael Monette likes to describe the process this way:

“We take you out of business. Then put you back in business. And we’ve never failed at that task.”

That task is comprehensive, complex, and every little detail of an office relocation matters, down to the last bookcase, coat rack, and fake plant. But hopefully, you now have a much better idea of the standard-bearing workhorse trucks that make the magic happen in the midst of controlled chaos.

Projected safety signage is helping warehouses and industrial facilities improve forklift safety by reducing ‘sign blindness’ and providing a more durable alternative to traditional safety signs.

In environments with constant forklift traffic, painted and printed signs and floor markings can wear away quickly, becoming faded, damaged or unclear. As a result, critical safety messages can lose impact and require frequent maintenance.

Projected Image says projected safety signage is unaffected by constant forklift movement, offering a longer-lasting – and safer – solution that remains clear even in high-traffic areas.

“The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) estimated that approximately 2,000 accidents involving forklifts were reported in Great Britain in 2018/19, so clear, instantly recognisable safety messaging is more important than ever for facilities using forklifts!” says Ian Spoors, Managing Director of Projected Image.

“While traditional painted or vinyl markings wear and typically require maintenance twice a year, projected signage provides a bright, highly visible image that doesn’t fade or wear under forklift traffic – with a maintenance-free five-year lifespan.”

By projecting sharp, vivid safety signs – such as zebra crossings and warning signs – directly onto floors, walls and doors, projected signage helps to clearly define walkways, exclusion zones and vehicle routes while tackling ‘sign blindness’ – which is particularly important where workers and vehicles operate in close proximity.

“Sign blindness occurs when constant exposure to static signage means safety warnings are overlooked, which is incredibly dangerous in forklift environments. Light-based projected signage is more visually stimulating than printed floor markings, making warnings harder to ignore” adds Spoors.

Projected signs can also be automated using sensors, so they only activate when a forklift approaches a specific area, further reducing sign blindness by ensuring warnings appear only when relevant.

“This dynamic approach to safety not only improves awareness but also supports more efficient operations. We recently provided automated projected signage for a leading renewable energy manufacturer, warning pedestrians of forklift movements near roller doors. The site now benefits from a brighter, clearer and safer solution,” Spoors states.

Projected Image supplies both high-performance, IP-rated LED gobo projectors and custom gobos, providing a complete solution designed for demanding industrial environments.

“The high-visibility and flexibility of projected signage make it a safer, more durable option for facilities operating with forklifts. It helps protect the workforce, reduce maintenance and keep operations running smoothly in even the busiest environments” concludes Spoors.

Toyota Industries Corporation today announced the appointment of three industry leaders as CEOs of Toyota Automated Logistics (TAL), its new warehouse automation business. Hitoshi Matsuoka will serve as TAL’s CEO, Central. Thomas Hibinger will serve as TAL’s CEO for the EMEA and APAC regions, and Aaron M. Jones will serve as TAL’s CEO, Americas.

Debuting at LogiMAT Stuttgart, March 23–25th, TAL unites the combined strengths of Bastian Solutions, Vanderlande’s Warehousing business, and viastore under one brand formally launching on April 1, 2026. This powerful combination enables the delivery of scalable systems, intelligent software, and comprehensive lifecycle services – all with the quality and reliability associated with the Toyota brand.

“Thomas Hibinger and Aaron Jones have a solid track record of strong performance leading two of our warehouse automation businesses. Their vision has shaped the future of automated warehousing and guided the delivery of innovative and pragmatic solutions to solve customers’ complex and shifting logistics challenges,” said Hitoshi Matsuoka, Central CEO, TAL. “Their appointments as regional CEOs reflect TICO’s commitment to build on the collective depth and breadth of our world-class technologies, software and services while delivering a seamless customer experience across regions.”

“I look forward to this new chapter, allowing TAL to bring automated logistics to the next level by combining our global strength and expertise under one roof,” states Thomas Hibinger, CEO, EMEA and APAC. “Warehouse and fulfillment operations never stop, nor are they constrained by time zones or geography. With this unification, we aim to deliver greater scalability, innovation and long-term value for our customers worldwide.”

The fast-growing market for warehouse automation is spurred by greater demand for next- or same-day deliveries, ever-faster throughput, absolute order accuracy and optimal warehouse performance. Through seamless integration across the automation landscape, TAL addresses these needs end to end. This approach supports organizations at every stage of their automation journey, whether taking the first steps to automate manual processes in legacy warehouses or refining the advanced distribution centres relied on by the largest e-commerce platforms and the global fulfillment operations of leading brands.

DHL Supply Chain is set to open a 26,600 m² carbon‑neutral logistics centre in Rheinbach, Germany, in August 2026, strengthening its European network and supporting more resilient, flexible supply chains. The facility will provide modern warehousing and transshipment capabilities, designed to meet diverse customer needs, from traditional logistics to automated processes.

Sustainability is at the core of the project. The centre will feature a 1 MWp photovoltaic system, battery storage, heat pumps, and energy‑optimised LED lighting, enabling carbon‑neutral operation. It is being built to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), reflecting DHL’s commitment to environmentally responsible logistics.

Strategically located with access to the A61 motorway and near Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf airports, the hub will improve delivery efficiency and reduce supply chain vulnerability. Katrin Hölter, CEO DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps, said the site “makes our customers’ supply chains less susceptible to disruptions and supports efficient, climate‑friendly logistics.”

DHL Supply Chain’s decision to locate here is another significant milestone in the ongoing development of the Wolbersacker business park and underscores Rheinbach’s appeal to companies from a wide range of industries, thanks to its outstanding location profile. DHL Supply Chain is not only setting new benchmarks in modern, sustainable construction; it is also creating additional jobs and strengthening the regional economy,

says Rheinbach’s mayor, Dr. Daniel Phiesel.

The Rheinbach centre underscores DHL’s ongoing investment in sustainable, future-ready logistics infrastructure, combining operational efficiency with environmental responsibility.

As the conflict involving Iran intensifies, logistics and supply chain networks worldwide are feeling the strain. Rising tensions are once again placing strategic maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz under heightened scrutiny, with carriers and insurers monitoring developments closely.

DHL has warned that volatility across Middle Eastern corridors is contributing to longer transit times, elevated insurance premiums and higher fuel costs. The company has indicated that contingency routing and risk mitigation measures are increasing operational complexity for customers.

Meanwhile, container lines are taking decisive action. In a customer advisory issued on 4 March 2026, Maersk announced it is temporarily suspending new cargo booking acceptance to and from several Gulf states – including the United Arab Emirates, most of Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and parts of Saudi Arabia – until further notice, with exceptions for essential goods such as food and medicine. The carrier noted that ports including Jeddah, King Abdullah and Salalah remain operational, and advised customers to explore alternative routings or inland gateways where possible.

Maersk has also cautioned customers about elevated risk levels in Gulf waters, highlighting the potential for disruption, schedule adjustments and additional war-risk related costs as insurers reassess regional exposure.

Other major carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM and COSCO have similarly referenced increased insurance premiums and potential war-risk surcharges in affected regions, reflecting the broader risk environment confronting global shipping lines.

While there has been no formal closure of the Strait of Hormuz, vessel traffic patterns have become more cautious. Shipping data indicates slower transit speeds and occasional holding periods as operators await security guidance before entering or exiting Gulf waters. Rather than large visible queues, the disruption is manifesting through staggered departures, extended voyage times and schedule unreliability – factors that ripple quickly through global container and energy supply chains.

The conflict’s impact isn’t confined to sea freight. Air cargo operations across key Gulf hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have experienced periods of airspace disruption and operational constraints as authorities respond to regional security developments. Even temporary restrictions can reduce available capacity for high-value, time-sensitive goods. This dual disruption across ocean and air lanes has led to wider bottlenecks in sectors ranging from electronics to pharmaceuticals.

Even industries reliant on raw materials are under pressure. Heightened risk around key Middle Eastern transit corridors has raised concerns over the continuity of LNG and fertiliser exports, markets that are highly sensitive to any potential interruption in Gulf shipping flows.

For logistics professionals and supply chain planners, the current environment demands proactive risk management. Companies are revising routing strategies, building inventory buffers, and assessing alternative modes such as rail or air freight where feasible. With geopolitical tensions persisting, logistics leaders are preparing for continued volatility across critical transit points such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. Even the prospect of disruption is enough to reshape routing decisions, insurance costs and inventory strategies in 2026.

McDonald’s UK & Ireland and Martin Brower, a supply chain solutions provider, recently opened a state-of-the-art distribution centre in Darlington, representing a significant investment in the North East England region, creating over 200 jobs for local people. 

The 138,000 sq. ft. facility will supply more than 200 McDonald’s restaurants across the North East, ensuring fresher, faster deliveries for the region. The distribution centre’s opening will also reduce average drive times by one hour, saving approximately 2.5 million road miles every year, reducing carbon emissions across McDonald’s supply chain.

Demonstrating the sheer scale of the facility, over 70 suppliers bring more than 400 different products into the DC which are stored, sorted and delivered to over 200 restaurants.

The development is fully aligned with McDonald’s ambition of achieving net zero by 2040 and the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions that is required to do this. The site has been built to BREEAM Excellent standards and features onsite solar generation and an extensive electric vehicle infrastructure including 13 electric car chargers and 17 electric trailer points that support cleaner transport. 

The opening was commemorated with an event attended by Members of Darlington Borough Council, who received a tour of the facility and were introduced to the team behind the project. Others in attendance included Laura Henderson, Vice President of Supply Chain at McDonald’s UK & Ireland and Parv Sangera, Managing Director at Martin Brower UK & Ireland.

Laura Henderson, Vice President, Supply Chain at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “The new distribution centre is a major milestone for our business and demonstrates our commitment to the North East. Investing in Darlington means investing in people, in local jobs, and in a more sustainable future. By cutting road miles, strengthening our network, and supporting local employment at scale, this centre shows how we can grow responsibly while supporting our customers and the communities we serve.”

Parv Sangera, Managing Director at Martin Brower UK & Ireland said: ““We’re incredibly proud to open the doors to our Darlington facility, a project that reflects our longstanding partnership with McDonald’s and our shared focus on resiliency, innovation, and sustainability. Built to BREEAM Excellent standards and incorporating a unique frozenchilledambient cold chain, the centre represents a truly forward thinking approach. It shows what’s possible when we combine operational excellence with a strong commitment to the communities we serve.”