What is container logistics and what does Michels have to do with it?

Container logistics refers to the entirety of all processes relating to the transport, handling, and storage of goods in standardised ISO containers. It is the backbone of global trade: around 80 to 90 percent of all goods traded worldwide are transported by sea – a large proportion of them in containers. (cf. German Environment Agency, https://www.uba.de/n3391de)

For Karl Michels GmbH & Co. KG, container logistics means specifically: the professional loading and unloading of containers directly at the company site in Meudt in the Westerwald. Michels does not handle the container transport by road or sea, but rather the decisive step in between – the transhipment: the goods arrive in the container, are professionally unloaded, stored, or prepared for onward transport. Or conversely: goods from the warehouse are loaded into containers and sent on their mostly international journey.

This is made possible by the company's strategically favourable location: via the nearby inland ports of Koblenz, Bendorf, and Andernach, there is access to the major overseas ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp – an ideal prerequisite for container handling in import and export business.

What is container transhipment?

The term container transhipment describes the process by which goods are transferred from one means of transport to another, or by which a container is loaded or unloaded. In the context of Michels, this means specifically:

• A container arrives by ship from Asia, Australia, or America at seaports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, or Hamburg, where it is transhipped onto an inland vessel or loaded onto a truck
• The container then arrives, for example by inland vessel, at a nearby port
• It is transported by truck to the Michels site in Meudt
• There, unloading takes place via the loading dock – the goods are palletised, stored, or prepared directly for onward transport
• Or conversely: finished goods from warehouses 1 and 2 are loaded into the container via the dock – for example for export to India

Container transhipment is thus the link between global sea freight traffic and regional warehouse and distribution logistics. And this is precisely where Michels' strength lies.

Container unloading: why a loading dock makes the difference

Karl Michels GmbH & Co. KG has two dedicated loading docks at warehouses 4 and 5. These docks allow a forklift to drive directly into the container at ground level – without any height difference, without loss of time, and without safety risk.

While a tautliner allows lateral loading and unloading by forklift, a sea freight container is only accessible from the rear. In practice, this means: without a loading dock that compensates for the height difference between the container floor and the warehouse floor level, efficient unloading with industrial trucks is not possible. This is precisely where the container dock comes into play.

This sounds simple, but in practice it is a considerable competitive advantage: many freight forwarders and logistics service providers do not have this infrastructure. Anyone wishing to load or unload containers without a dock is dependent on labour-intensive manual work or external service providers.

The result: fast throughput times, low error rates, and safe handling of even heavy or bulky goods.

Sea freight forwarding: Michels as the interface between port and warehouse

The connection between sea freight traffic and regional logistics is no coincidence, but the result of decades of experience and a deliberate location strategy. The nearby ports are for Michels not merely a geographical given, but a strategic component of the service offering.

Import logistics from Asia, export logistics to India, interim storage, order picking, onward transport – Michels handles the entire landside of the sea freight process. This makes the company a reliable partner for businesses that want to organise international supply chains efficiently without having to invest in complex warehouse and handling infrastructure themselves.