As Ferpinta continued to grow, maintaining cost-effective transport became increasingly challenging. High volumes and long-distance distribution placed pressure on traditional logistics models, particulary on road transport.

While road transport provided reliability, it limited loading capacity and reduced overall cost competitiveness. This made it more difficult for Ferpinta to remain competitive in new and more distant markets, where transport costs directly affect product pricing.

Key challenges

• increase loading efficiency across its transport flows;

• reduce overall transport costs while maintaining service quality;

• expand reach into European markets without compromising competitiveness;

• provide a scalable solution that handles high daily volumes.

The challenge was not simply about moving more goods, but about doing so in a smarter, more efficient way.

To address these challenges, Ewals Cargo Care stepped in as a strategic partner, introducing a multimodal transport solution tailored to Ferpinta’s needs. Rather than relying solely on road transport, the approach combined multiple transport modes to improve efficiency and maximise capacity. This multimodal set-up included:

• Road transport, providing direct connections supported by a modern and more sustainable fleet;

• Short-sea shipping, enabling larger loads thanks to higher weight limits compared to road transport;

• MAFI solutions (Trailer-on-ship), significantly increasing loading capacity and allowing large volumes to be transported more efficiently.

“The multimodal solution lets us maximise volumes at low prices. For example, by short-sea, we can load 28 tons per load, whereas by road, we can load only 25 tons. Thanks to short-sea connections, we have 12% more loading capacity.” - Rui Martins

The introduction of MAFI solutions proved to be a key turning point. By allowing loads of up to 80 tonnes, this approach significantly increased efficiency compared to both road and short-sea transport.

“The volume we can ship is very important to us. This is why we are happy that ECC provides us with such a unique solution as Mafi. We can place 80 tonnes instead of 28, like with a shortsea solution, or 25, like with road transport. Mafi Solutions provides us with a 320% higher loading capacity than road transport.” - Rui Martins

By combining these different transport modes into a coordinated solution, Ferpinta improved both cost efficiency and operational performance while maintaining the reliability required for its high-volume operations.

Beyond the operational improvements, the collaboration between Ferpinta and Ewals Cargo Care developed into a long-term partnership focused on continuous
optimisation. This partnership is built on:

• joint performance evaluations, with regular meetings to assess results and improve transport performance;

• ongoing innovation, exploring new routes, connections and ways to maximise utilisation of the multimodal network;

• shared sustainability goals, with a focus on reducing CO₂ emissions through modern equipment and more efficient transport modes.

“ECC provides what our customers expect - that goods arrive safely, undamaged, and on time.” - Rui Martins

“We quickly transformed from client-supplier relations to long-term business partner relationships, where we work together on transport solutions for Ferpinta.” - Rui Martins

Sustainability is also an important part of the collaboration. By combining road and short-sea transport and using modern fleets and equipment, both companies help reduce the supply chain’s overall environmental impact.

12% more loading efficiency and significantly increased capacity

The multimodal approach has delivered clear, measurable results for Ferpinta, supporting both its operational performance and its commercial strategy.

Key results:

• 12% increase in loading efficiency using short-sea transport;

• up to 320% higher loading capacity with MAFI solutions;

• cost reduction, enabling Ferpinta to maintain competitive product pricing;

• high delivery performance, with around 97% successful deliveries;

• expanded market reach, allowing Ferpinta to compete in more distant European markets;

• reduced environmental impact, supported by multimodal transport and modern equipment.

“Our cooperation is excellent. We can maintain a low price for our product while providing excellent quality transportation services.” - Rui Martins

Through continuous collaboration, data-driven improvements and a shared focus on efficiency, the partnership continues to evolve, creating new opportunities for further optimisation.