History of the TELS CARGO transport company

TELS CARGO transport company was founded in autumn 2007 within TELS Group as a completely independent company with its own goals and a developing strategy. By organizing business processes in accordance with the high standards of a European brand from the very beginning, the new player took a rapid start in the logistics market.

During the first year, company’s fleet increased to 40 semi-trailer trucks of European brands and all the vacancies were filled with well-trained drivers in the shortest possible time. Amid the global financial crisis, the company showed unprecedented results for the road freight market (between the EU and CIS countries) – the average annual mileage for international transport was 140,000 km.

Company’s management system has complied with the requirements of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 international standards, vehicles and drivers have always had the required certificates to transport dangerous goods.

By following customer service standards and caring for drivers’ working conditions, TELS CARGO was the first company in the market to equip the entire fleet with GPS navigation systems and semi-trailers with a sliding roof facilitating and speeding up loading processes. Drivers were also provided with safety kits. Since 2009, company’s environmental policy has determined vehicle purchasing rules following high emission standards – not lower than EURO V.

TELS CARGO was aiming to develop and improve the image of the company providing high quality logistics services and setting trends in the road freight market. The fleet was totally equipped with satellite tracking systems. The company purchased curtain side semi-trailers of increased rigidity with a sliding roof and intensified cargo securing systems and only trucks with automatic transmission (since 2012). It also invested in dozens of vehicles for the needs of customers, etc.

To increase the reliability in fulfilling obligations towards the customers and improve working conditions for drivers, it was decided to make a constant renewal of the fleet – vehicles should not be older than 5 years. The new equipment entering the park is always more modern, technologically advanced, economical and environmentally friendly.

In 2013, TELS CARGO received the Customs Carrier status, which allows transporting goods throughout the Customs Union under simplified customs procedures, as well as transporting high-value cargo without escort. By annually confirming the status in the regulatory authority, the company has consistently demonstrated high reliability and responsibility of the company to all market players, thus creating additional opportunities for the customers to optimize their logistics budgets and speed up cargo delivery.

In 2014, TELS CARGO demonstrated an unprecedented level of partnership for the transport services market by purchasing 80 trucks with MEGA semi-trailers at once for one of its Customer’s needs and thus doubling company’s fleet of vehicles. Such serious investments under long-term contracts with the Customer still serve as an example of exceptional flexibility, ability for explosive development and customer centricity.

Owing to the effective partnering skills, TELS CARGO increased its cooperation with the enterprises in the automotive industry, where delivery reliability is of special importance.

To expand the range of services, the company entered the oversized cargo transportation market. The fleet was equipped with low-frame curtain-side semi-trailers that can be dismantled to platforms for transporting heavy and oversized cargo. Such an approach in vehicle fleet formation provided flexibility in customer service and efficiency in fleet operation.

TELS CARGO was one of the first in the market to offer extra-urgent delivery services by road. The existing logistics schemes involving the shift of drivers at certain points along the route allowed the company to regulate the delivery time and organize continuous driving while complying with the regulations on driving time and rest periods.

TELS CARGO was one of the first to organize road transportations making trips to inland regions of China. The experience gained and the established business relationships allowed the company to continue the successful development of road transport services to/from China, even under severe quarantine restrictions.

In 2019, company’s fleet numbered over 300 vehicles meeting EURO V and EURO VI environmental standards equipped with various types of curtain side semi-trailers certified with EN 12642 Code XL (increased structural rigidity).

Despite the deep global recession that unfolded against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, TELS CARGO honours the agreements with the customers and is moving towards the set goals.

To improve the working conditions and the quality of car service, TELS CARGO concentrates all its operating resources in the new office near the M1 motorway on the outskirts of Smolensk (Russia). The new building is equipped with ergonomic workplaces for office and technical staff. There is a spacious parking lot for company vehicles, MAN dealership and a new modern car service station nearby. The commercial department of TELS CARGO is in Minsk (Belarus). It successfully organizes work with customers all over the world.

In times of global social upheavals, TELS CARGO maintains its strategic leadership priorities in the quality of international road transport services by developing managerial competencies and using new technologies.

Geopolitical, economic and foreign trade realities constantly make adjustments to the company’s development strategy, motivating us to create new products, routes, and cargo delivery schemes for our clients.

The end of the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, as a result, the reduction of “Covid restrictions”, as well as the high expertise and developments laid down in the previous period of the company’s work, made it possible to adjust and successfully implement strategic plans for business development of TELS CARGO.

A new cargo transportation direction has been opened - China-Russia-China. We were one of the first to offer our clients the delivery of complete cargo by road to/from China, subsequently expanding our portfolio of services with groupage, dangerous and oversized cargo.

In 2022, we actively used new logistics routes and transport corridors, and increased our fleet of vehicles operating in the Chinese direction. In particular, they actively worked on the North-South corridor, connecting the northern countries with the countries of the Middle East, Turkey, and with access to the Indian Ocean.

Under the conditions of sanctions restrictions, we were one of the first to prepare the infrastructure for the re-coupling and reloading of tractors in the EU-RF-EU direction.

The opening of our offices in Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation) and Almaty (Kazakhstan) in 2022 was timely. In the context of increasing cargo traffic from the eastern and southern directions, our presence at their points allowed us to optimize logistics and present our clients with the best offers, adapt approaches to complex transport and logistics requests.

Global external changes have spurred our team to respond faster to changes, be more flexible and proactive.

Changes affected the business model and internal processes. In changing conditions, we have reworked the requirements for personnel to strengthen the necessary professional competencies, such as readiness for change and focus on results. We used inclusive conditions and new formats for employee development in the company.

A new structural unit has been created - the Sales Department, which unites our regional sales departments for the company's services into a single whole with the task of improving the quality of services for our clients and the speed of response to their requests and needs.

The focus of constant attention is work on the unification and automation of business processes using current IT technologies.

Having gained full economic independence after the reorganization of the TELS Group of Companies, since 2022 the company has been operating under the new brand TELS CARGO.

We are aimed at optimizing existing resources, increasing the efficiency of operational management, supporting innovative processes, and also strive to develop human capital and improve the environment.

The year 2023 was marked by further changes in all areas of the economy of the countries where TELS CARGO operates, primarily affecting the logistics industry.
Our company sought to quickly respond to new challenges, offered the road freight market new services, and increased the number of countries to and from which we deliver cargo to our customers to 50.

We continued to work with such highly loaded destinations as China-Russia-China, Turkey-Russia-Turkey, and added alternative cargo delivery routes. We actively participated in the transport and logistics development of the North-South corridor connecting the EAEU countries with Turkey, Iran and, further, access to India. Also, to provide our customers with additional options for the delivery of goods from China to the EU countries, we began to use the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route”, going from China through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey to the EU countries.

The trailer fleet has been supplemented with new low-bed tractors for transporting heavy (up to 38 tons) and large-sized cargo. We also purchased refrigerated semi-trailers for transporting goods under temperature conditions (-18 C - + 25 C), including dangerous goods (ADR) under temperature conditions.
We actively developed the Chinese direction: we increased the number of vehicles in this direction, strengthened the team with professional logisticians with knowledge of the Chinese language.

We have significantly expanded the range of services for the transportation of consolidated cargo. In 2023, the Groupage Cargo Department became one of the key divisions of the company and now organizes delivery from China, Mongolia, EAEU countries, Turkey, EU countries to/from Russia.

• - TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2023
• - Logitrans 2023
• - China (Shenzhen) International Logistics And Supply Chain Fair 2023

During the year, we struggled with the difficulties associated with changes in logistics routes and cross-border relationships between countries. However, the proactive actions of the TELS CARGO team made it possible to maintain and strengthen our position in the market, develop mutually beneficial relationships with TELS CARGO clients and partners, and offer new services and routes.