Year: 2014

On 1st April 2014, Sebastian Werner was granted power of attorney.

From August 2005 to May 2008, Werner completed his training as forwarding merchant with the Imperial Reederei u. Spedition in Duisburg where he then worked as a dispatcher until 31st December 2010, thus gaining relevant practical experience.

As he moved to the far North of Germany for private reasons, 29-year-old Werner not only changed his place of residence on 1st January 2011 but he also started his new job with our dispatch department of the DTG office in Hamburg.

With his appointment to an authorized representative, we would like to acknowledge Sebastian Werner’s excellent performance.

On 20th March 2014, the two board members of DTG, Roberto Spranzi and Matthias Bunger, took part in a joint parliamentary evening on the issue of Shipping and Ports Policy in the 18th Legislative Period in Berlin, conducted by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt e.V. (BBD, German Federal Association of Inland Water Transportation) and the Bundesverband Öffentlicher Binnenhäfen e.V. (BÖB, German Federal Association of Public River Ports). The highest ranking visitor to the event was German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Addressing about 200 guests, the Minister pointed out the prominent role inland navigation is going to take within the next four years, for example in the advancement of the future Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. That is why Federal Government directs targeted support to the inland navigation industry, like financing the Duisburg training ship Rhein. In addition, 350 million euros will be invested in inland waterways. BDB president Georg Hötte and the Minister agreed that well-constructed waterways are essential for shipping to develop its full potential.

The BDB President invited Alexander Dobrindt to Duisburg to present the training centre for German inland navigation to him. On that occasion, the Minister may as well test his skills for navigating a barge in a shallow water driving simulator.

On 1st April 2014, we gave a welcome to our new staff member Stefan Pohl.

47-year-old Pohl is a trained boatman. Amongst others, he has already worked as a skipper. In parallel, he has completed a training as a certified insurance agent and spent a long time working as an insurance broker.

Both key areas of his previous professional life provide the best conditions for his new field of activity with DTG. Alongside Wilfried Neynes, Pohl will first take over the technical service and later become his successor. Pohl’s main tasks will include insurance processing, quality management, and member support.

We look forward to a good and pleasant cooperation.

Reason No. 1: Our loyal and reliable employee Wilfried Neynes celebrated his 50th anniversary of employment on 1st April 2014 (no kidding!).

Reason No. 2: On 6th February 2014, he celebrated his 65th birthday.

Reason No. 3: On 30th June 2014, he will be departing into well-earned retirement alive and kicking.

On 1st April 1964, Neynes started his training as a forwarding merchant with the boatman company association Jus et Justitia (SBV) in Duisburg-Ruhrort. He was then taken over as a clerk in the freight invoicing department and later worked as head of the tug invoicing department.

In 1972, he joined the economic successor of the SBV, the Partikulier-Transport-Genossenschaft Jus et Justitia eG. (PTG), additionally assuming member support. He was granted power of attorney in 1992.

In 2003, he joined the successor association DTG DEUTSCHE TRANSPORT-GENOSSENSCHAFT BINNENSCHIFFFAHRT eG.

In 2009, Wilfried Neynes was appointed Quality Representative (QMR) for ISO 9001|2008 GMP + B4. At the same time, he took over management of the economic aid and the corporate fund of PTG/DTG.

The pictures of Tobias Quernhorst are very special: photographed in HDR technique and artfully reworked on the computer, they offer a unique view of the boatmen’s world, giving a stylish insight into the daily work of our barge owners.

During this year, we will regularly update this picture gallery to give you unique aesthetic moments every month.

On 1st April 2014, Inge Hartzmann, head of the DTG Andernach office, departed into her well-earned retirement after more than 42 years of employment. The trained forwarding merchant started her career with DTG’s predecessor association Elbia-Eilfracht, where she was at first responsible for the dispatching of vacant ships in the Andernach region. Enhancing her expertise through all mergers until today’s DTG eG, she led the Andernach office from 1st May 1994 until her last working day. We thank Inge Hartzmann for her commitment over decades and will always cherish this competent and likeable colleague, wishing her all the best for retirement.

Goodbye to another eventful year allowing for contemplative memories between scents of Christmas cookies and mulled wine: memories of a DTG year in which we have completed a generation change to herald a new era. And memories of very personal moments, too, that will (hopefully) put a smile on your face.

So why not look optimistically at our own personal future at the end of this year? Enjoy this time of reflection with your loved ones and have a great start into the New Year.

Cordially yours,
the whole DTG team

P. S. Instead of customer gifts, we have donated an amount of money this year to two charitable institutions, the Bunte Kreis Duisburg and the Hamburger Spendenparlament.

Since June 2002, the Bunte Kreis Duisburg e.V. – Niederrhein und westliches Ruhrgebiet have been supporting premature, disabled, severely and chronically ill children, and adolescents and their families on their way home from hospital into a well-organized life. The Hamburger Spendenparlament is an association of citizens caring for people in need by collecting and distributing donations. They promote social projects that tackle homelessness, poverty, and isolation, accounting for the proper use of donations.

On 13th and 14th November 2013, the Rotterdam certification authority Schutter Certification B.V. came to the Duisburg DTG office to carry out a a multiside certification. This activity involves regular certification of all DTG offices. Based on a versatile checklist, the DTG standard GMP+4 was thus raised to GMP+5. Despite tightened demands, the DTG eG and the ARNO-SHIP Befrachtungs GmbH were certified without difficulties after a two days’ procedure.

The Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for animal feed refers to the trade, production, transportation, storage or handling of and with mixed feed products, animal feed, premixed feed, and additives. The scheme is based on the requirements of ISO 9001 and has been further developed for feed, ensuring its quality and thus safe production of food of animal origin.

On 8th October 2013, DTG participated in the forum Europäische Binnenschifffahrt on the issue “challenge and perspectives”. The meeting was held for the first time and jointly hosted by the three leading journals Binnenschifffahrt, Schifffahrt und Technik, and Schuttevaer. Interested industry experts were invited into the Museum der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt (German Inland Waterways Museum) in Duisburg-Ruhrort. In four workshops, around 120 experts from industry and commerce, from banks, insurance companies and shippers, as well as from associations and institutions discussed current developments in inland navigation and future challenges of the branch. A wide range of contents broached issues such as the role of inland waterways in the transport chain, general development of waterways, new technical innovations, more stringent environmental regulations, cargo markets, and (ship) financing. Above all, the current market crisis that has been persisting for years was at the centre of varied analyses answering the question of “why” and making approaches for ways out.

In this context, DTG director Roberto Spranzi demanded investments urgently needed in the inland waterway infrastructure during the panel discussion of the workshop “Verkehrsweg Wasserstraße – Netzausbau versus Priorisierung” (“transport route waterway – network expansion versus prioritization”). “Current shortcomings, such as lack of reliability and overcapacity, could largely be remedied by simply repairing the existing infrastructure. Like that, lost quantities will find their way back to waterways”, Spranzi concluded his appeal to the political authorities to provide the necessary funds.

Again, all DTG ships have been certified for the next two years by the quality management system GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). We thus follow an important consumer protection rule: since 1st July 2007, all ships transporting animal feed have to prove by a valid certificate that they maintain a general code of hygiene. This standard is to ensure a safe and uninterrupted feed chain. For this purpose, a mandatory inspection has to be carried out by an approved inspection body every two years. Based on a checklist, all relevant data and locations are inspected for due order. In doing so, the hygiene level of the ship is evaluated (e.g. for cleaning, cargo compartment inspections, etc.) not only by control of relevant documents. Rather, all shipping spaces and equipment are examined on site (dirt, oil, pests, etc.) for a final assessment. To receive a GMP certificate, among other things, registration of each ship in the PDV is prerequisite. Checks of valid PDV numbers are conducted at the loading points.