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Month: November 2020

Double-Trailer Truck Investment

Posted on by David Priestman

Agility, a leading global logistics provider, is the first logistics company in Abu Dhabi to operate double-trailer trucks, which will improve operational efficiencies for its customers and reduce emissions by cutting the number of trips made.

Agility operates an extensive fleet of trailers in Abu Dhabi. About 50 of those are now double-trailer trucks. Double trailers significantly reduce the number of trips required to haul cargo, decreasing overall wear and tear on tires and vehicles. In the first six months of operation, Agility’s fleet management data demonstrates that double trailers reduce fuel use by 26% per container, eliminating about 2,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. More Agility news here.

Houssam Mahmoud, Chief Executive Officer for Agility Abu Dhabi, said: “In addition to being environmentally friendly, the double trailers will positively impact productivity – and that’s good for both Agility and our customers. We are able to pass a lot of these benefits to our customer by providing greater flexibility and a significant reduction in the number of required trips.”

Acquiring the permit to operate double-trailer trucks took six months of proposals, trials, accident simulations, and safety demonstrations. Agility worked together with a local automotive distributor to develop the safest possible solution for the market, including Active Brake Assist 4, proximity control, and lane assist. Agility conducted a transport route survey to identify any routes that might be risky or challenging for drivers. Agility insisted on lane assist capability for the vehicles, and proposed it to the supplier after determining that drivers would need help to navigate sharp round-a-bouts.

In the United Arab Emirates, Agility has an industry-leading safety record, linking driver incentive pay to safety, rather than speed of operations, and has voluntarily provided extensive third-party training on double trailers to ensure it maintains its excellent record.

Agility is a global logistics company with $5.2 billion in annual revenue and 26,000+ employees in more than 100 countries. It is one of the world’s top freight forwarding and contract logistics providers, and a leader and investor in technology to enhance supply chain efficiency. Agility is a pioneer in emerging markets and one of the largest private owners and developers of warehousing and light industrial parks in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Agility’s subsidiary companies offer fuel logistics, airport services, commercial real estate and facilities management, customs digitization, and remote infrastructure services.
For more information about Agility, visit

Forklifts go Electric

Posted on by David Priestman

The Konecranes E-VER is a brand-new addition to the Konecranes Ecolifting family. With a fully electric driveline and the latest eco-efficient features, it is a silent, productive vehicle with zero direct emissions.

Since 1959, Konecranes Lift Trucks has been a pioneer in providing powerful, flexible and reliable lift trucks to customers around the world, and over the years new models have become more productive, economical and eco-efficient. Our innovative lift truck concept with box type chassis and hydraulic load sensing system, introduced in 1995, delivered fuel savings of up to 15% compared to other gear-pump units. In 2013, we launched the world’s first hybrid reach stacker, and followed that with the largest capacity reach stacker, which can lift 152 tons under hook. Today, the company continues to live up to its enviable reputation with its first electric lift truck.

Proven technology: better for the business

“Electrically-powered lifting is well-established in Konecranes, but in this project, we are being innovative and raising electrification to the next level,” says Lisa Martinsson, the Senior Project Manager who leads the company program to develop electric lift trucks. “We are resetting the industry standard once again.”

Benefits to the environment are just the start. In comparison with a standard diesel engine, the Konecranes E-VER cuts energy consumption by up to 70%. The lithium-ion battery that powers the truck’s two motors has been selected for its many advantages. It saves time, taking just 45 minutes to fully recharge. When the truck is in motion, it adds braking energy to the charge. Surrounded by a protective frame, it’s safe from physical damage and can be charged anywhere. Finally, it will last for at least 3,000 charge full charge cycles, which is up to 4 times as long as other types of batteries.

The Konecranes E-VER electric forklift needs less time and money for maintenance because it has common electrical modules and few moving parts. With no heat and less vibration, components will last longer. No oil means less chemical waste and less servicing.

Smooth and safe: better for drivers

Konecranes has always built lift trucks that provide the best in control, comfort and safety. The Konecranes E-VER is no different. Powerful and easily maneuverable, this electric vehicle runs on a motor that is more efficient than a diesel engine. Smoother movements and faster acceleration allow the driver to focus on the task of moving a load safely and efficiently. The cabin features a wide, unobstructed view of the work area and an ergonomic console with a clear, graphic screen display for unparalleled visibility and comfortable control of the vehicle.

This electric forklift takes safety one step further, with redundant sensors for faster diagnostics and failsafe functioning. In addition to the display, there are electric signals all around the machine to alert the driver to the most important details of the vehicle’s operation, such as when to recharge.

Connectivity: better for fleet optimization

The Konecranes E-VER is a Smart Connected Lift Truck as well. TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring follow the battery charge status along with energy consumption and recovery. The yourKONECRANES.com customer portal puts all this information together in one place, providing management and operational KPIs as well as data visualizations and trend charts to monitor and control the truck’s operational efficiency, productivity, safety and environmental impact. Our new Internet of Things platform is designed to support vehicle-to-everything communication, meaning direct streaming of data from the truck and any systems it can interact with, backed by the highest levels of data security and cybersecurity. Moreover, the IoT platform makes it easy to monitor, control and analyze customers’ lift trucks fleet and optimize their operations.

“Fitted with our state-of-the-art Smart Connected technology, the new Konecranes E-VER electric forklift will benefit our customers by dramatically reducing their environmental impact while providing improved performance,” says Andreas Falk, Senior Vice President of Konecranes Business Unit Lift Trucks. “Many customers are planning fully carbon-neutral operations for the near future and electrification is the most logical way forward. We would like to help them with that by offering an ideal solution for their world.”

The E-VER is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to minimize the footprint and improve the handprint of equipment for terminals and heavy industrial applications. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less. Read more here

Forklifts go Electric

Posted on by David Priestman

The Konecranes E-VER is a brand-new addition to the Konecranes Ecolifting family. With a fully electric driveline and the latest eco-efficient features, it is a silent, productive vehicle with zero direct emissions.

Since 1959, Konecranes Lift Trucks has been a pioneer in providing powerful, flexible and reliable lift trucks to customers around the world, and over the years new models have become more productive, economical and eco-efficient. Our innovative lift truck concept with box type chassis and hydraulic load sensing system, introduced in 1995, delivered fuel savings of up to 15% compared to other gear-pump units. In 2013, we launched the world’s first hybrid reach stacker, and followed that with the largest capacity reach stacker, which can lift 152 tons under hook. Today, the company continues to live up to its enviable reputation with its first electric lift truck.

Proven technology: better for the business

“Electrically-powered lifting is well-established in Konecranes, but in this project, we are being innovative and raising electrification to the next level,” says Lisa Martinsson, the Senior Project Manager who leads the company program to develop electric lift trucks. “We are resetting the industry standard once again.”

Benefits to the environment are just the start. In comparison with a standard diesel engine, the Konecranes E-VER cuts energy consumption by up to 70%. The lithium-ion battery that powers the truck’s two motors has been selected for its many advantages. It saves time, taking just 45 minutes to fully recharge. When the truck is in motion, it adds braking energy to the charge. Surrounded by a protective frame, it’s safe from physical damage and can be charged anywhere. Finally, it will last for at least 3,000 charge full charge cycles, which is up to 4 times as long as other types of batteries.

The Konecranes E-VER electric forklift needs less time and money for maintenance because it has common electrical modules and few moving parts. With no heat and less vibration, components will last longer. No oil means less chemical waste and less servicing.

Smooth and safe: better for drivers

Konecranes has always built lift trucks that provide the best in control, comfort and safety. The Konecranes E-VER is no different. Powerful and easily maneuverable, this electric vehicle runs on a motor that is more efficient than a diesel engine. Smoother movements and faster acceleration allow the driver to focus on the task of moving a load safely and efficiently. The cabin features a wide, unobstructed view of the work area and an ergonomic console with a clear, graphic screen display for unparalleled visibility and comfortable control of the vehicle.

This electric forklift takes safety one step further, with redundant sensors for faster diagnostics and failsafe functioning. In addition to the display, there are electric signals all around the machine to alert the driver to the most important details of the vehicle’s operation, such as when to recharge.

Connectivity: better for fleet optimization

The Konecranes E-VER is a Smart Connected Lift Truck as well. TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring follow the battery charge status along with energy consumption and recovery. The yourKONECRANES.com customer portal puts all this information together in one place, providing management and operational KPIs as well as data visualizations and trend charts to monitor and control the truck’s operational efficiency, productivity, safety and environmental impact. Our new Internet of Things platform is designed to support vehicle-to-everything communication, meaning direct streaming of data from the truck and any systems it can interact with, backed by the highest levels of data security and cybersecurity. Moreover, the IoT platform makes it easy to monitor, control and analyze customers’ lift trucks fleet and optimize their operations.

“Fitted with our state-of-the-art Smart Connected technology, the new Konecranes E-VER electric forklift will benefit our customers by dramatically reducing their environmental impact while providing improved performance,” says Andreas Falk, Senior Vice President of Konecranes Business Unit Lift Trucks. “Many customers are planning fully carbon-neutral operations for the near future and electrification is the most logical way forward. We would like to help them with that by offering an ideal solution for their world.”

The E-VER is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to minimize the footprint and improve the handprint of equipment for terminals and heavy industrial applications. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less. Read more here

Au Revoir, Wood

Posted on by David Priestman

One of France’s largest food retailers has said goodbye to the wooden pallet in its logistics operations. The logistics company of France’s fifth largest food retail group has said goodbye to the wooden pallet and is now building up its own inventory of plastic pallets. For the internal flow of goods between its 29 warehouses and 1,600 supermarkets in the chain, the freight forwarder has purchased 330,000 Craemer CS1 plastic pallets.

The first pallets were delivered in 2018, and the entire order volume is expected to be in use by summer 2020. The company switched from wood to plastic mainly in order to improve working conditions for warehouse employees as well as to meet the requirements of increasing automation and a policy of sustainability. The logistics company employs 5,000 people and has 1,800 lorries that deliver 700 million package units annually. The freight forwarder uses the plastic pallets exclusively for palletising and transporting mixed picked items (heterogeneous pallets) to meet the supply needs of its supermarkets directly from its own warehouses.

Bye Bye Wood

“The top deck of the CS1 is mostly closed, making the pallet ideal for bagged goods, cardboard boxes and other packaging units,” says Cyril Wahl, Sales Director at Craemer France Sarl. “And the pallet is equipped with three metal reinforcements, which allows it to carry up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) in a high rack. Because the freight forwarder has equipped its lorry trailers with pallet racks, we provided this customer with a CS1 that has special, non-slip runners. This solution ensures that the pallets do not slip on the smooth and narrow shelf support beams when the lorry is moving.”

According to a company spokesperson, the logistics company is pursuing several goals in switching to plastic. “On the one hand, in the future it will be important for us to use only load carriers that work with the automation technology we recently introduced into the company’s warehouses. Deformed wooden pallets threaten to block the mechanical conveyor belts. Having our own inventory of plastic pallets makes us less dependent on wooden pallets and also ensures a seamless flow of goods along the supply chain.

On the other hand, it is important to us to improve the working conditions of warehouse employees and in that way to meet the goals of our corporate social responsibility. Part of that is eliminating
the risk of injury from wood splinters and easing the workload. The CS1 plastic pallet only weighs 17 kg (37.5 lb), meaning it is much easier to handle than the 23-kg (50.7-lb) wooden pallet.”

Read the whole story here

Au Revoir, Wood

Posted on by David Priestman

One of France’s largest food retailers has said goodbye to the wooden pallet in its logistics operations. The logistics company of France’s fifth largest food retail group has said goodbye to the wooden pallet and is now building up its own inventory of plastic pallets. For the internal flow of goods between its 29 warehouses and 1,600 supermarkets in the chain, the freight forwarder has purchased 330,000 Craemer CS1 plastic pallets.

The first pallets were delivered in 2018, and the entire order volume is expected to be in use by summer 2020. The company switched from wood to plastic mainly in order to improve working conditions for warehouse employees as well as to meet the requirements of increasing automation and a policy of sustainability. The logistics company employs 5,000 people and has 1,800 lorries that deliver 700 million package units annually. The freight forwarder uses the plastic pallets exclusively for palletising and transporting mixed picked items (heterogeneous pallets) to meet the supply needs of its supermarkets directly from its own warehouses.

Bye Bye Wood

“The top deck of the CS1 is mostly closed, making the pallet ideal for bagged goods, cardboard boxes and other packaging units,” says Cyril Wahl, Sales Director at Craemer France Sarl. “And the pallet is equipped with three metal reinforcements, which allows it to carry up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) in a high rack. Because the freight forwarder has equipped its lorry trailers with pallet racks, we provided this customer with a CS1 that has special, non-slip runners. This solution ensures that the pallets do not slip on the smooth and narrow shelf support beams when the lorry is moving.”

According to a company spokesperson, the logistics company is pursuing several goals in switching to plastic. “On the one hand, in the future it will be important for us to use only load carriers that work with the automation technology we recently introduced into the company’s warehouses. Deformed wooden pallets threaten to block the mechanical conveyor belts. Having our own inventory of plastic pallets makes us less dependent on wooden pallets and also ensures a seamless flow of goods along the supply chain.

On the other hand, it is important to us to improve the working conditions of warehouse employees and in that way to meet the goals of our corporate social responsibility. Part of that is eliminating
the risk of injury from wood splinters and easing the workload. The CS1 plastic pallet only weighs 17 kg (37.5 lb), meaning it is much easier to handle than the 23-kg (50.7-lb) wooden pallet.”

Read the whole story here

1000 Refrigeration Units Added to Ship Sensitive Cargo

Posted on by Keith McKinley

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. is expanding its refrigerated units shipping capabilities with 1,000 new containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s PrimeLINE® refrigeration unit. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.

The new, 40-foot high-cube containers will help the Haifa, Israel-based shipping line accommodate growth and solidify its commitment to having ample refrigerated resources to support its customers during these challenging times. Many of the new containers will ship highly temperature-sensitive perishable cargoes and high-value pharmaceutical products.

“With thousands of PrimeLINE units already in service to our fleet over many years, the refrigeration system has proven itself to be a highly capable performer,” said Moti Azari, reefer trade manager, ZIM. “The unit’s excellent refrigeration capabilities, energy efficiency and record of reliability, backed by Carrier Transicold’s responsive field support team, are all vitally important to our fleet operations, especially so, during these unprecedented times amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The PrimeLINE unit offers rapid temperature pull-down, tight temperature control, high energy efficiency and high air-flow performance, which are integral to the transportation of high-value cargoes, especially pharmaceutical products. Its efficiency is attributed primarily to an advanced digital scroll compressor that reduces power draw, which also results in reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions. Carrier helps customers meet the rapidly evolving supply chain demands to make their cold chain activities more efficient through the Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Cold Chain Program.

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting ZIM with our PrimeLINE units, which have been the industry sales leader for more than a decade with best-in-class refrigeration performance,” said Kay Henze, international key account manager, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold.

More container news here

 

1000 Refrigeration Units Added to Ship Sensitive Cargo

Posted on by David Priestman

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. is expanding its refrigerated units shipping capabilities with 1,000 new containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s PrimeLINE® refrigeration unit. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.

The new, 40-foot high-cube containers will help the Haifa, Israel-based shipping line accommodate growth and solidify its commitment to having ample refrigerated resources to support its customers during these challenging times. Many of the new containers will ship highly temperature-sensitive perishable cargoes and high-value pharmaceutical products.

“With thousands of PrimeLINE units already in service to our fleet over many years, the refrigeration system has proven itself to be a highly capable performer,” said Moti Azari, reefer trade manager, ZIM. “The unit’s excellent refrigeration capabilities, energy efficiency and record of reliability, backed by Carrier Transicold’s responsive field support team, are all vitally important to our fleet operations, especially so, during these unprecedented times amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The PrimeLINE unit offers rapid temperature pull-down, tight temperature control, high energy efficiency and high air-flow performance, which are integral to the transportation of high-value cargoes, especially pharmaceutical products. Its efficiency is attributed primarily to an advanced digital scroll compressor that reduces power draw, which also results in reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions. Carrier helps customers meet the rapidly evolving supply chain demands to make their cold chain activities more efficient through the Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Cold Chain Program.

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting ZIM with our PrimeLINE units, which have been the industry sales leader for more than a decade with best-in-class refrigeration performance,” said Kay Henze, international key account manager, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold.

More container news here

 

Adapt Fast or Disappear

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A new operational report explores adaptability as a competitive advantage in logistics. Fast adaptation has been the theme of 2020, as COVID-19 disrupted supply chains and shifted consumer demands at a pace we’ve never seen before.

Those who have the flexibility to quickly adapt their operational environment, leverage technology and place customers at the heart of every interaction will emerge the winners. But adaptability isn’t simply a means to weather the current storm: it’s a system for success. With it, business sharks are able to rapidly shift their operations in response to new threats, unforeseen external events, and changing market needs.

We may not know what the next COVID-19 will look like: but if there’s one takeaway from 2020, it’s that we must have a foundation in place to respond, long before that next catalyst for change arrives. A new, free report released by SafetyCulture, ‘Adapt fast or disappear: A report for operations leaders to navigate the seas of opportunity, accelerate change, and build resiliency beyond COVID-19’, explores how the logistics industry can win the race to the last mile by finding a sweet spot between optimisation and risk management. It explores trends including:

– The over-optimization of supply chains and a need to balance between ‘just in time’ and ‘just in case’: a challenge highlighted by the ‘toilet roll crisis’ in 2020
– Diversifying risk factors to optimise and improve resilience over time, weathering the upfront investment challenge
– The role of technology including IoT, telematics, artificial intelligence and big data in driving supply chain excellence
– Tapping into the frontlines, by empowering our staff to capture data that is escalated to management for real-time insights and continuous improvement

Adapt Fast

By building our digital ecosystems, making data-driven decisions and driving an accountability culture on the frontlines of the supply chain, we can develop a sharp sense for changes in our environment. Equipped with that data, we can move and adapt faster. (Adaptation and early innovation are critical for success in any market: creating a trend Paul Nunes, the Global Managing Director at the Accenture’s Institute for High Performance, calls the ‘shark fin effect.’). More safety news here.

If our logistics operations fail to keep pace, we risk becoming obsolete: making adaptability not just a survival tactic for the current climate, but a business-critical strategy for long-term success. Download your free copy of the report today.

Adapt Fast or Disappear

Posted on by David Priestman

A new operational report explores adaptability as a competitive advantage in logistics. Fast adaptation has been the theme of 2020, as COVID-19 disrupted supply chains and shifted consumer demands at a pace we’ve never seen before.

Those who have the flexibility to quickly adapt their operational environment, leverage technology and place customers at the heart of every interaction will emerge the winners. But adaptability isn’t simply a means to weather the current storm: it’s a system for success. With it, business sharks are able to rapidly shift their operations in response to new threats, unforeseen external events, and changing market needs.

We may not know what the next COVID-19 will look like: but if there’s one takeaway from 2020, it’s that we must have a foundation in place to respond, long before that next catalyst for change arrives. A new, free report released by SafetyCulture, ‘Adapt fast or disappear: A report for operations leaders to navigate the seas of opportunity, accelerate change, and build resiliency beyond COVID-19’, explores how the logistics industry can win the race to the last mile by finding a sweet spot between optimisation and risk management. It explores trends including:

– The over-optimization of supply chains and a need to balance between ‘just in time’ and ‘just in case’: a challenge highlighted by the ‘toilet roll crisis’ in 2020
– Diversifying risk factors to optimise and improve resilience over time, weathering the upfront investment challenge
– The role of technology including IoT, telematics, artificial intelligence and big data in driving supply chain excellence
– Tapping into the frontlines, by empowering our staff to capture data that is escalated to management for real-time insights and continuous improvement

Adapt Fast

By building our digital ecosystems, making data-driven decisions and driving an accountability culture on the frontlines of the supply chain, we can develop a sharp sense for changes in our environment. Equipped with that data, we can move and adapt faster. (Adaptation and early innovation are critical for success in any market: creating a trend Paul Nunes, the Global Managing Director at the Accenture’s Institute for High Performance, calls the ‘shark fin effect.’). More safety news here.

If our logistics operations fail to keep pace, we risk becoming obsolete: making adaptability not just a survival tactic for the current climate, but a business-critical strategy for long-term success. Download your free copy of the report today.

Staying Rack Protected

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Safety for staff and site visitors is a first priority, which means protection systems must be in place – especially during a lockdown. Rack Armour took extra steps to provide support to its customers.

During these unprecedented times, places of work have come to be very far from normal, with many warehouses running on skeleton staff, only allowing a minimal number of visitors on site, and slowing down on deliveries. Despite this, The Rack Group has stayed open throughout, working to make sure that not only the logistics supply chain industry keeps going, but also the food sector. Working with two of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains, installation teams at The Rack Group have been visiting each site, to make sure that each can still carry on as normally as possible to meet the high demand of the public both panic buying and bulk buying.

The Rack Group was no exception to having skeleton staff working in the offices during the UK lockdown. A large number of employees were furloughed, not only due to the decrease in the company’s workload (caused by a large percentage of customers not allowing visitors on site), but also to make the offices a safer environment. With added sanitising stations around the whole building, doors kept open to reduce the number of people coming into contact with handles, and stair bannisters frequently being disinfected, the safety of staff has always been the number one priority. Only ‘business critical’ visitors have been allowed on-site at The Rack Group, including only urgent machinery repairs or replacements, and drivers delivering necessary products to keep the business running. More racking news here.

On-site teams have been minimised to two installers per vehicle, with facial coverings worn at all times throughout the journey to and from site, and masks also being worn throughout the visit if
instructed by site. Vehicles are cleaned regularly, and windows kept slightly open throughout journeys to enable fresh air to circulate. When working on site, installers must regularly clean their
tools and wash their hands at regular intervals. With logistics warehouses staying open throughout the pandemic, there has also been a need for the products of Rack Armour, a company within
The Rack Group. These products are necessary to ensure the warehouse is a safe working environment. From upright protection, to pedestrian barriers, Rack Armour has been able to liaise with couriers to make sure that all deliveries have still gone ahead.

Rack Armour products cut the chance of racking damage, hence reducing the need for extra visits to site to carry out any repairs. The Rack Armour upright protector alone has proven to reduce
racking damage by 80%. This product has had so much success since its creation back in 2004 that it is now sold all over the world, not only by The Rack Group, but by distributors with which the company has created longlasting and loyal relationships. Read more here: https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=5f3d1fcf3160d#54

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