trans-o-flex sees distribution of vaccines in Germany quite relaxed

Recently, trans-o-flex, based in Weinheim, stated that it cannot understand the panic surrounding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Wolfgang P. Albeck, CEO, elaborates and justifies this statement here. Given the company’s long-standing experience in the distribution of pharmaceutical products, these statements can certainly be trusted.

(Weinheim) trans-o-flex Express GmbH has been active in the distribution of pharmaceutical products since 1971. This has created a competence that customers in the industry are increasingly relying on during these times. Moreover, in recent years, regulations for transportation in this sector have been significantly tightened. In particular, the revision of EU rules for the storage and transport of medicines (GDP Good Distribution Practice) has further increased the requirements for logistics. Wolfgang P. Albeck, CEO of trans-o-flex, explains: “Entering this field requires high investments in storage and fleet and high demands on the competence of employees in all areas. Temperature-controlled transport is a highly sensitive matter. You cannot just be part of it.”

Pharmaceutical transport is the core competence of trans-o-flex

Albeck continues: “The core competence of trans-o-flex is logistics solutions for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, consumer electronics industries, and other high-quality, sensitive goods. The company has established transport networks that actively temper and document goods at 15 to 25 degrees Celsius or at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius according to EU rules for pharmaceutical transport.” These EU-GDP require the highest standards for safety, cleanliness, reliability, and transparency, from which all trans-o-flex customers benefit. Internationally, trans-o-flex operates through the networks EUROTEMP (temperature-controlled logistics) and EURODIS (in 36 countries in Europe). Unlike pure parcel services or freight forwarders, trans-o-flex delivers both goods in packages and on pallets. trans-o-flex Express also offers numerous express and time-window deliveries, special services such as hazardous goods transport (without minimum quantity regulation), shipment consolidation, or direct deliveries. The express transports are complemented by storage, order picking, and individual value-added services such as serialization of pharmaceuticals. This allows the company to cover the entire logistics chain from procurement to fulfillment. The annual revenue of the trans-o-flex companies*, which employ around 2,200 people in Germany and Austria, amounted to approximately 495 million euros in 2019. Even the express service provider, primarily occupied with pharmaceutical transports, was not spared from revenue losses due to the Corona crisis. “During the lockdown, many clinics were closed, or pharmacies ordered less. This affected us as well. However, we are back on track today,” says Wolfgang P. Albeck.

Distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Germany is not a problem

Many media outlets have questioned whether global transport and logistics capacities are sufficient to distribute the Corona vaccines. Elsewhere, it has been written about the challenge that the vaccines must be transported at -80 degrees (see also: https://bit.ly/3m6eLQc). Albeck states: “It cannot be assumed that global networks need to be established for the transport of Corona vaccines, in which the products can be stored and transported at minus 80 degrees Celsius.” In fact, there are manuals and white papers that state exactly that. “Anyone who knows a little about the pharmaceutical industry knows that the currently hastily communicated temperatures between minus 20 and minus 80 degrees Celsius are precautionary measures that companies must take until they have valid data on the stability of their products at higher temperatures,” explains Albeck.

Customers also have no concerns about the distribution of vaccines

In fact, several companies have already confirmed that Corona vaccine candidates retain their efficacy even when treated like normal temperature-sensitive products, i.e., stored and transported at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Examples include the companies Biontech and Curevac. Mainz-based Biontech, which is developing a Corona vaccine in collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, announced at a press conference that storage of its vaccine at 2 to 8 degrees is possible for five days. The Tübingen-based company Curevac, which is researching another vaccine candidate against the coronavirus, has even confirmed that its vaccine shows “multi-month stability” at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. “We therefore assume that Corona vaccines – like other vaccines – will most likely be classified as temperature-sensitive products,” says Albeck decisively. They can be safely stored and transported in the so-called cooling area.

trans-o-flex is well prepared

“We are therefore optimally prepared for a comprehensive distribution of Corona vaccines with our actively temperature-controlled networks. Our subsidiary trans-o-flex ThermoMed, specialized in distribution in the temperature range between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, can safely and transparently document the delivery of Corona vaccines, as it has done with flu vaccines in previous years, to all doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals as well as the pharmaceutical wholesale trade in Germany and Austria,” adds Albeck. In the distribution of a potential vaccine against Covid-19, logistics will therefore not be a bottleneck factor. There is sufficient storage and transport capacity, proven logistics concepts, and established distribution networks. This is at least true for Europe. There will be additional challenges in air freight. However, there are many freight forwarders with the necessary experience in the air freight of pharmaceutical products. A comprehensive distribution in countries with less advanced logistics systems, such as in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, where there is little or no infrastructure for temperature-sensitive logistics, will certainly be challenging.

Vaccine quantity for all of Germany can be delivered in a few days

In Germany, however, the distribution of vaccines does not pose a problem, according to Albeck. He calculates: “Based on our experience with the distribution of flu or other vaccines, we can say: depending on how the Covid-19 vaccine is packaged – whether space-saving in multiple doses or primarily in single doses – we need 200 to 400 trailers for the transport of around 100 million vaccine doses in long-distance transport. The fine distribution of this quantity can be completely temperature-controlled at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius by our specialized network trans-o-flex ThermoMed within a few days. This is part of our core and daily business. We prove every day that we can do it.”

There is enough preparation time

What will be added to the distribution of the Corona vaccine: even if development and approval times are shortened and production capacities are already ramped up, the vaccine will not be available overnight. There will still be enough time to prepare for a safe and efficient distribution. And even then, not all the required quantity will be available at once, but it will be delivered and replenished step by step. Albeck draws the following conclusion regarding the distribution of the vaccine: “We can prepare the distribution well. We will be able to use our existing networks for this. I do not believe that the crisis will permanently change vaccine logistics.” The bigger challenge, Albeck sees elsewhere: “I hope that politics does not interfere in the allocation of logistics for the vaccines and leaves this task to the experienced pharmaceutical companies and their logistics service providers.” * trans-o-flex Express consists of the following companies:

• trans-o-flex Express GmbH, Weinheim/Germany (Express and time-window delivery, special services such as hazardous goods, temperature-controlled transport at 15–25 °C as well as non-temperature-controlled transport)
• trans-o-flex ThermoMed GmbH, Weinheim/Germany (Specialized in active temperature control at 2–8 °C in Germany)
• trans-o-flex ThermoMed Austria GmbH, Großebersdorf/Austria (Specialized in active temperature control at 2–8 °C in Austria)
• trans-o-flex Logistik-Service GmbH, Weinheim/Germany (Storage, order picking, and individual value-added services such as serialization of pharmaceuticals)
• trans-o-flex IT-Service GmbH, Weinheim/Germany (Internal service provider for all IT systems and topics)
• trans-o-flex Training & Service GmbH, Weinheim/Germany (Training and further education of employees and drivers)

Photos: © trans-o-flex

Wolfgang P. Albeck Wolfgang P. Albeck has been CEO of trans-o-flex since April 2017. In nearly 50 years of professional experience with logistics service providers, he has gained experience in numerous management positions in sales, customer service, warehousing, and production. Before joining trans-o-flex, he worked for Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL). Here, he held central leadership positions in the parcel and express organization since 1997, most recently as Chairman of the Board of DHL Express Germany and Managing Director of Austria. Before his work for DPDHL, the trained freight forwarding merchant worked for about ten years for TNT Express, most recently as Managing Director of Operations at the Germany headquarters in Troisdorf. Albeck began his career with medium-sized forwarding companies. He worked for almost ten years for the French forwarding company Heppner and several years for Haniel. www.trans-o-flex.com