3 October, 2025

Fastest Spiral Door Record

Posted on 3 October, 20253 October, 2025 by David Priestman

Hörmann UK’s TurboLux high-speed spiral door has been officially verified by the Record Institute of Germany (RID) as the fastest in its class, achieving opening speeds of up to 4.0 m/s and a closing speed of up to 1.0 m/s. This impressive performance places TurboLux at the forefront of a new generation of high speed, rapid-access doors suitable for logistics centres, warehouses, and high-cycle industrial applications.

Engineered for demanding high traffic environments, TurboLux is purpose-built to handle intensive operational demands – reducing cycle times, minimising air exchange, and maintaining internal environmental control. Its spiral-guided opening mechanism ensures wear-free operation, even at high speeds, contributing to extended service life and reduced maintenance requirements.

A standout feature of the TurboLux door is its door leaf construction, comprising of extruded polycarbonate laths delivering 90% transparency without compromising impact resistance. This design improves visibility, supports safe material handling, streamlines vehicle and personnel movement, and helps to reduce accidents.

Safe operation is engineered into every aspect of the TurboLux door, with an integrated light grille system, embedded within the slimline 250mm side panels, monitoring the doors closing zone up to a height of 2,500mm. This continuous presence detection, combined with a soft-stop feature, ensures the protection of personnel and equipment by preventing abrupt halts or damage in the event of obstructions.

Phil Thorpe, Industrial Division Manager at Hörmann UK, commented: “Our TurboLux doors set a new industry standard for automated access systems. The RID verification confirms its unmatched speed, but just as importantly, its engineering delivers consistent performance, durability, and safety in high-cycle environments. It’s a highly efficient solution for operators requiring maximum uptime and operational control.”

TurboLux is available in standard dimensions up to 5,000mm x 5,000mm and can be configured with wind load resistance up to Class 4 (EN 12424), equivalent to wind speeds of 133 km/h, enabling use in both internal and external applications. The slimline side panels allow for installation even in restricted spaces, and the use of pre-assembled components facilitates faster, more efficient on-site fitting.

Steve Backshall to Host Freight Service Awards

Posted on 3 October, 20253 October, 2025 by David Priestman

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is thrilled to announce that renowned TV presenter, adventurer, author, and conservationist Steve Backshall will host the 2025 BIFA Freight Service Awards Ceremony, taking place on Thursday 15th January 2026.

The ceremony marks the final stop on an incredible journey for the awards’ finalists — and with Steve Backshall as the expedition leader for the day, the stage is set for an unforgettable event. Entrants shortlisted as finalists will be announced in late October, when tickets for the ceremony will also go on sale.

Best known for his daring expeditions and acclaimed television programmes including the BBC’s Deadly 60 and Expedition with Steve Backshall, Steve has explored some of the most remote and extreme environments on Earth. His deep experience in mountaineering, scuba diving, and kayaking to reach uncharted destinations resonates closely with the freight forwarding industry’s spirit of adventure, innovation, and determination to reach every corner of the globe.

“Just as freight forwarders overcome complex logistical challenges to move goods worldwide, Steve’s career embodies resilience, curiosity, and a passion for reaching the unreachable,”

said Steve Parker, director general of BIFA.

“We’re excited to have him guide us through the celebration of excellence in our industry.”

During the ceremony, Steve will present certificates to all the finalists and, alongside the category sponsors, award trophies to the winners in recognition of their outstanding achievements across the freight forwarding sector.

With the destination now in sight, anticipation is building for what promises to be an inspiring and celebratory event, bringing together the very best in UK freight forwarding.

Sharon Hammond, BIFA events executive, adds:

“The BIFA Freight Service Awards competition is now in its 37th year and is open to all full trading and probationary members… But the clock is ticking as entries must be submitted by 11:00 on Wednesday 8th October 2025.”

“A maximum number of 3 business categories may be entered in addition to entries to the Apprentice of the Year and Young Freight Forwarder of the Year. However, a company may only enter each business category once.”

Agreement to Further Decarbonize Supply Chains

Posted on 3 October, 20253 October, 2025 by David Priestman

DHL Global Forwarding and Hapag-Lloyd have achieved a major milestone in their joint efforts to decarbonize supply chains. The two companies have signed a three-year framework agreement for Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions resulting from the use of sustainable marine fuels within Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet. As part of this agreement, the first order of 25,000 tons CO2e well-to-wake (WTW) emission reduction was successfully executed in July 2025. The biofuels are second-generation biofuels produced from waste and residue feedstock, demonstrating the companies’ unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The signing of this three-year framework agreement marks a crucial step toward realizing our shared vision of a decarbonized shipping industry,” said Casper Ellerbaek, Head of Global Ocean Freight at DHL Global Forwarding. “We are thrilled to partner with Hapag-Lloyd in driving the adoption of sustainable marine fuels and the book and claim mechanism, ultimately empowering our customers to achieve their climate goals.”

The agreement showcases the effective application of the ‘book and claim’ chain of custody mechanism, enabling customers to claim Scope 3 emission reduction for their transport separately from the physical use of the fuel. By decoupling decarbonization from the physical transportation, sustainable marine fuel enabled by book and claim is emerging as a vital tool to drive early action in the shipping industry, particularly given that the supply of sustainable marine fuels is currently limited globally and of higher cost.

“We are delighted to have completed this order with DHL, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of using sustainable marine fuels to reduce Scope 3 emissions through our Ship Green product,” said Danny Smolders, Managing Director Global Sales at Hapag-Lloyd, adding: “Partnering with DHL shows how powerful collaboration can be. Together, we are creating real momentum in further decarbonizing supply chains, one bold step at a time.”

Both companies are committed to ambitious decarbonization targets, with Hapag-Lloyd aiming to achieve net-zero fleet emissions by 2045 and DHL striving to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Offering more sustainable logistics solutions to customers is a key lever to achieve these goals.

DHL’s GoGreen Plus products provide decarbonized solutions across DHL’s core offerings by leveraging sustainable fuels and low carbon technology. GoGreen Plus products are based on true value chain decarbonization, enabled by the ‘book & claim’ approach. GoGreen Plus allows customers to reduce their indirect Scope 3 emissions in their value chain arising from upstream and downstream transportation and distribution. It also helps customers with voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and progress against their decarbonization targets.

Hapag-Lloyd has been deploying second-generation biofuels since 2020. Since 2023, it has been offering its customers the possibility to claim the resulting emission reductions through ‘Ship Green’, its emission-reduced ocean transport product utilizing biofuel blends instead of traditional fossil marine fuel oil (MFO).

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