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Tag: haulage

Multi-million-pound Battery Partnership brings Greener Outlook

Posted on by David Priestman

Hyperdrive Innovation, the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery technology, today announces a new multi-million-pound 4-year supply agreement with Moffett, part of Hiab and world leading forklift truck manufacturer, to supply state-of-the-art battery packs for zero-emission machinery.

The supply agreement, worth more than £500,000 in the first year alone, will initially see hundreds of high-performance battery packs deployed in Moffett’s fully electric truck-mounted forklifts. The partnership will instil clean, electric technology into the operational heart of hundreds of organisations worldwide, including well-known British brands Pets at Home and Topps Tiles.

Orders for the world’s first fully electric Lithium-ion powered truck-mounted forklift – the Moffett E-Series – have grown significantly since its release in 2013. With the support of Hyperdrive, Moffett aims to meet this increasing demand by growing its fully electric fleet six-fold by 2030 to around 30% of all vehicles produced.

Jann Hansen, Sales Director Moffett said: “Customer demand for cleaner, quieter and more sustainable equipment is growing like never before. Our partnership with Hyperdrive allows us to cater to this demand, without compromising the world-beating performance and trusted reliability expected from all our equipment. Going electric offers countless operational advantages for our customers and we’re excited to be leading the industry in this space.”

The near silent drivetrains of Moffett’s electric forklifts allow operations to continue out of traditional working hours and enables night-time deliveries for Moffett’s customers – a significant advantage to operational efficiency. The lack of exhaust pollution also means that the same machinery can be used for both outdoor and indoor applications. This means drivers can unload and load delivery trucks and stock warehouses without switching between electric and diesel vehicles – ideal for warehousing and distribution settings.

There are also significant fuel and maintenance savings associated with Moffett’s fully electric forklifts, with total ownership costs for Moffett’s E-series approximately 20% lower than diesel equivalents. Diesel powered forklift trucks typically produce more than 18 tonnes of carbon emissions per 1,500 hours of operation. Moffett estimates that its fully electric forklifts can achieve a carbon emission reduction of 75%, providing a significant boost to companies’ green credentials. Steve Travis, Transport Manager at Pets at Home said: “Fully electric forklifts give us the potential to significantly improve our operating costs, while at the same time minimizing the environmental impact to neighbours of our stores.”

Hyperdrive’s modular battery packs were chosen due to their top of the range energy density and modularity, allowing flexibility and straightforward application in a number of different machines. This opens up the possibility of deploying fully electric equipment across a variety of different settings, including warehousing, distribution and logistics, materials handling, and construction.

The news comes just weeks after a European-wide report – which included views from experts from Wilmott Dixson, Innovate UK, Colas Group, and NCC – forecast rapid growth in demand for cleaner and quieter electrified equipment over the next decade to meet emission targets and ‘build back better’ following the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction industry is responsible for 40% of European carbon emissions, making it an urgent priority for decarbonisation to meet net zero targets.

Stephen Irish, Commercial Director of Hyperdrive Innovation said: “Electrification will be central to the decarbonisation of heavy industry and it’s no surprise that demand for cleaner electrified equipment is booming. Our partnerships with forward thinking companies such as Moffett will help meet the massively growing demand for electrified solutions and support the delivery of a more sustainable future.”

‘BlueTrack’ new Transport Service Program Launched

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, launched today the new Blue Track by Thermo King Program, its unique and customer-centric service delivery model that redefines customer support across the Thermo King dealer network in Europe, Middle East And Africa. Tailored to maximise customers’ uptime and boost vehicle utilization, the Blue Track by Thermo King Program leverages Thermo King’s technical expertise, service capabilities, connectivity and data analytics with market leading dealer network and coverage.

Thermo King’s Blue Track Program implements new standardized and enhanced service offerings that include proactive and transparent customer communications with centralized 24/7 fleet monitoring, remote triage and express services, proactive maintenance and repair, and improved customer communications. The services within the Blue Track by Thermo King Program are tailored to reduce planned and unplanned fleet downtime by 15-20 percent and improve fleet utilization by 5 percent. This directly translates into lower total cost of ownership and better return on investment for the customers.

“Transport is a key component of our economy and our way of life. Around one in six trucks and trailers is refrigerated and carrying food, pharmaceuticals, and highly valuable cargoes that need both stable temperature and stable humidity. Maximising their uptime has always been our number one priority,” said Francesco Incalza, president of Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa. “As a global business, Thermo King has long considered it our responsibility to lead the industry not only in designing and manufacturing sustainable products for our customers, but also in delivering the extraordinary service and support that can help boost our customers’ operations. With the Blue Track by Thermo King Program we’re raising this bar even higher.”

With global trends such as increasingly stringent environmental regulations, the electrification of transportation, and digital connectivity, the importance of uptime continues to grow – alongside customer expectations for more consistent levels of service. The Blue Track by Thermo King Program addresses this number one priority of fleet managers, and one of the most direct factors affecting their ability to increase revenues and profit from fleet efficiency.

“At Thermo King, we want our customers to be focused on one thing – their business and their mission to transport the goods safely – without any interruptions,” said Claudio Zanframundo, channel excellence and customer service leader at Thermo King Europe Middle East and Africa. ”The Blue Track by Thermo King Program is the essence of that approach. We are changing rules of the game as we move from a reactive to a completely proactive customer support that has only one goal – enhance our customers’ fleet utilization.”

With the Blue Track Program, Thermo King puts connectivity to work together with a 24/7 support of a full team that holistically looks at what is happening to the refrigeration unit – anticipating and addressing potential issues before they occur. The Blue Track by Thermo King Program further increases the capabilities provided by the dealers, resulting with a more dynamic dealer network able to offer smarter, faster, and more comprehensive service engagements.

The key customer benefits of the Blue Track by Thermo King Program are:
• Real time watch, central monitoring and 24/7 Fleet visibility through TracKing™. Telematics-enabled data from customer fleets are monitored from a central location. This helps decrease the unpredicted downtimes by proactively providing basic remote triage and recommendations for most efficient servicing when alarm codes are detected. With Thermo King Connected Solutions, customers can also monitor a wide range of factors relating to their fleet performance – in real-time and with data consolidated on a central platform.
• Mobile and in–dealership preventive maintenance. Blue Track by Thermo King Program ensures that customers have access to the right maintenance and repair resources when and where needed. Thanks to gathered telematics data, repair efficiency can be increased by 5-15 percent.
• Consistent service experience, faster repair, reduced and monitored dwell time. If any unplanned maintenance or 24/7 emergency service is necessary, customers can benefit from the entire network’s support. Customer service team directs them to the optimal Blue Track by Thermo King service location to ensure the workshop time is scheduled and performed with minimal downtime.
• Improved customer communications. Customers receive clear and timely text and email updates when any activity is required or underway. These updates include reminders, notifications of progress and milestones reached (e.g. ‘repair has begun’), and announcements of work completed to keep them informed every step of the way.

Customers will be able to benefit from the Blue Track by Thermo King Program’s advantages choosing one from a various levels of Blue Track by Thermo King service contracts tailored to their needs. Blue Track by Thermo King Select certification will be awarded to dealers within the Thermo King network of over 500 authorized service points in 75 countries that will actively deliver a range of advanced capabilities such as 24/7 availability, mobile service van coverage, certified technicians, fast turnaround times, and genuine parts availability.

Nijmegen provides Freight Network with Europe Gateway

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Since the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, Palletways, an Imperial Group company and Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised freight network, has been working hard to ensure the business is well prepared to continue to deliver a high-quality service for its members and customers. Part of this preparation involved creating strategic import and export customs clearance sites to avoid delays to shipments.

Palletways Benelux’s Nijmegen hub has been prepared as one of the company’s key entry points to mainland Europe at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. The hub, located in the Gelderland region, Netherlands’s oldest city lies close to the German border. The Hub is now licensed through the Imperial Group to carry out import and export clearance for goods coming into and leaving Europe. All Hub employees have received in-depth training on how to handle import and export goods.

Rob Gittins, managing director of Palletways UK, said: “Despite Brexit creating a number of challenges for logisticians to overcome, it has also acted as a catalyst to make the supply chain more flexible. We’re confident we have the infrastructure, expertise and local knowledge in place to guide our members and customers through this period of change. Our dedicated customer service team supports our partners in all aspects of international shipments. They have in-depth knowledge of the entire international network, so can provide expert advice on local and international regulations and offer support to find the best way to ship customer pallets with the network.

“The Nijmegen hub was selected for its strategically close location to the UK mainland and for its access to central and Eastern Europe, as well as the in-depth customs knowledge that is helping to position the business as the first choice for international palletised freight.”

Palletways has also offered certified and fully accredited training for its +115 members in the UK in partnership with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. The training provided an understanding of what Brexit will mean for the logistics sector, Palletways, its members and their customers. Digitally delivered, it covered export and import terminology and processes including sanctions and embargoes, terms and documents and the implications for trade and how to understand commodity codes and customs procedures.

 

The Autonomous Opportunity

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Stefan Spendrup of SOTI looks at the effects autonomous driving will have on the transport and logistics industry.

‘Big thinking’ articles on how to disrupt industries from retail to healthcare have been so prolific in recent years that you would be remiss in assuming we have moved forward from the digital transformation era. Rather, it is important to think of these transformations as the natural extension of a technologically driven world, in which companies are constantly adapting to meet
ever-evolving market demands and customer needs. As the pace of development in technological capabilities has increased, so too has companies’ access to technology. With this comes an expectation that companies remain current with the latest advancements.

Following the mobile-first era, the next stage in the evolution of digital disruption is the move toward robotics through the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI.) Once companies have integrated a comprehensive mobility strategy within their operations, we find them increasingly turning to ‘what’s next’; solutions that will give them an even greater advantage against competitors and help them stay ahead of the field. Machine learning is poised to meet that market demand.

The transport and logistics (T&L) industry is at the forefront of this trend. An industry that may seem at first to be traditional and unchanged by technology over the past half century, has been among the earliest adopters of disruptive technology. Autonomous trucking is the next frontier for the transport industry. As larger enterprises move away from traditional practices, smaller organisations can follow and benefit from the mainstream acceptance of autonomous technology. This can be seen in areas such as:
■ Monitoring, information sharing and
exchange across remote devices
■ Management of mobile devices,
remotely, which can eventually be
applied to powering and controlling
autonomous devices
■ Remote support
■ Performance data and analysis

The numbers make the case. In the UK, 1.44 billion tonnes of goods were shipped via heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in 2019, which is an increase of 2% when compared to the year before.
Global ecommerce sales are set to reach $5 trillion (£3.8 trillion) by 2021, driven largely by lowered consumer Stefan Spendrup looks at the effects autonomous driving will have on the transport and logistics industry. costs for online shopping and the ease of ordering online for everything from fruit to furniture. This trend is not likely to decline, especially as many are looking to limit in-store interactions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be difficult for transport and logistics companies to ignore the financial benefits of automation alone.

Evidential benefits of automation within the supply chain and operational practices already exist. This can be explicitly seen in Amazon’s famous robot warehouses. These IoT-enabled robotic devices can sift through packages faster than humans can. They can work anywhere and under pretty much any conditions, which is why they have been employed within the supply chain to speed up delivery and enhance the end-customer experience. The Amazon example indicates that as technology advances, adoption is likely to surge.

When turning our focus onto delivery services, we are seeing incredible interest in autonomous trucking, which has the potential to deliver faster, more predictable and more reliable service.
These benefits do not negate the valuable role humans will need to play in overseeing quality control, providing support and conducting data analytics functions to aid in further innovation. Prior to implementing full-scale autonomous trucking, shippers will need to ensure that the management and assessment of a connected fleet meets jurisdictional and federal legislation in addition to minimising cybersecurity risks. High levels of connectivity often translate into greater security risks, and companies will need to prioritise security to ensure systems are built with cyber resilience
capabilities and can respond quickly in the event of a cyber breach. Read the article here.

High Service Standards Seal Contract Extension

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Bibby Distribution’s flexible approach, cost-effective transport solutions and excellent service support have secured a three-year contract extension with Cambridgeshire-based cardboard manufacturer Jardin Corrugated.

The two companies began working together in 2018, with Bibby Distribution transporting goods from Jardin Corrugated’s production sites in Ely and St Ives across the UK in its fleet of high-cube trailers – each providing a 15 per cent increase in volume versus a standard trailer. After an extremely successful two years, led by Bibby Distribution’s Site Supervisor Anastasia Paul, which have seen standards raised and costs reduced, the contract has now been renewed until early 2024.

Bob Koczulab, Managing Director at Jardin Corrugated, says: “We have been extremely happy with the level of service we have received from our partners at Bibby Distribution and we’re looking forward to another successful three years. During our current relationship with Bibby Distribution they have effectively integrated the transport model to ensure that we continue servicing the needs of our customers in a market that demands speed, agility and responsiveness. The specialist trailers used for moving our products has resulted in a reduction of vehicle movements providing efficiency gains, a reduction in our carbon footprint and helped to reduce operating costs.”

Bibby Distribution oversees more than 160 deliveries each week for Jardin Corrugated, transporting packaging to a wide range of market sectors along with collecting paper reels from suppliers on return trips to maximise fleet utilisation and keep costs as low as possible. Craig Gill, General Manager at Bibby Distribution, says: “Anastasia has done a fantastic job and helped to build an excellent working relationship with her counterparts at Jardin. At Bibby Distribution we have vast experience in the packaging sector and can handle any situation or issue that may arise professionally and efficiently. We pride ourselves on good communication, excellent service and a flexible approach.”

Jardin Corrugated, part of the Logson Group, manufactures a wide range of boxes from retail ready packaging and regular transit packaging, to complex die cuts and printed cartons for a wide variety of markets.

Cooperative Logistics Network Surpasses 300 Members

Posted on by David Priestman

The Cooperative Logistics Network, the first international freight forwarding network with global coverage to launch instant quoting ability for its members, has set a new coverage record by adding its 300th agent. One major factor contributing to this growth is the fact that all members have had to pass a rigorous selection process, so only forwarders of the highest standards are part of the network.

“I am very excited about the sharp rise in the number of our members which is even more worthwhile bearing in mind the pandemic and the crumbling economy worldwide. This increase undoubtedly demonstrates the efficiency, cooperation among partners, productiveness, and expediency of the network which has been operational for the last 5 years,” says Antonio Torres, the President and Founder of The Cooperative Logistics Network.

Every year the Coop organizes an Annual Meeting which brings together all the members under one roof so that they can talk face to face and discuss the prospects of collaborating in the future. The increase in the number of cities covered definitely had a role to play in the outstanding success of the Virtual Meeting of 2020 and the record attendance of The Coop’s Annual Meeting in 2019 where more than 180 freight forwarders met at Abu Dhabi.

The Coop is also the first international freight forwarding network with global coverage to launch instant quoting ability for its members. FreightViewer – a member-exclusive transport management software – enables the members to instantly create professional and accurate door-to-door quotations by establishing an automated data transfer of carrier rates and tariffs. This year, The Cooperative has taken a step forward with the enhancements of this TMS by establishing agreements with some of the most prominent shipping solutions providers in the market.

Torres further adds, “As I see it, our key to success is the quality of the network, the wide international coverage, as well as the benefits offered. Our team always strives for more and better services, in order to provide members with the most innovative advantages- firstly, through our efforts to improve our TMS- FreightViewer and secondly, with the wide array of logistics and marketing tools. This year, for example, we have created a new personalized online brochure for members and we have launched our blog.” The Cooperative Logistics Network is presently represented by 304 independent freight forwarders from 130 countries spanning all five continents.

Height-adjustable Trailer Order

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Manchester, UK-based logistics specialist Polaris Logistics & Distribution, a division of the Polaris Group, has returned to Schmitz Cargobull with the delivery of five new S.CS MEGA curtainside trailers featuring VARIOS Top Technology, praising the versatility of the company’s range.

The tri-axle trailers replace older assets from a rival manufacturer and have been carefully specified to make the most efficient use of the interior load space on each job.

Schmitz Cargobull’s VARIOS Top Technology allows the driver to easily adjust the trailer’s roof height in 50 mm increments – with hook and loop fasteners on the curtains enabling easy adjustment for different body heights.

This means the roof can be raised when extra load space is required; or lowered to make the trailer as aerodynamic as possible when carrying compact loads, helping to optimise fuel efficiency. The new trailers also offer all of the advantages of a regular curtainsider, combined with a lifting roof which can be raised on one or both sides for forklift loading, or slid open for time-saving crane loading through the roof.

Adam Barry, Managing Director at Polaris, says: “We weren’t completely happy with our previous supplier so when we needed to upgrade the fleet, we looked carefully at our options. We’ve operated Schmitz Cargobull trailers in the past and have always been impressed with how robust they are; when I approached the team again, they worked closely with us to achieve the perfect specification.

“Our work varies day to day, so the added versatility these trailers bring is fantastic. By adjusting the roof height to suit the load, we are seeing instant fuel savings of up to £150 a week – reducing our running costs and improving our sustainability. Plus, being height-adjustable helps to set us apart from our competitors and gives us the opportunity to work on a far wider range of jobs.”

Built on Schmitz Cargobull’s high-tech modular chassis, which features a mix of galvanised steel and aluminium, each trailer offers excellent corrosion protection and is provided with a 10-year warranty against rust-through.

Barry adds: “The fully galvanised chassis was a really strong selling point for us. It gives us the confidence we’ll get a long life out of the trailers; plus they’ll continue to look good even after clocking up hundreds of thousands of kilometres.”

The trailers will be in use five-days-a-week, travelling UK-wide on general haulage work. For all maintenance requirements, Polaris will benefit from the aftersales support provided by Schmitz Cargobull’s authorised network of 1,700 workshops located across the UK and in Europe.

Touchless Machine Vision Scanners Increase Productivity and Safety

Posted on by David Priestman

XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of transport and logistics solutions, has deployed 370 state-of-the-art barcode  machine vision scanners in warehouses in the UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands. The fixed-mount, computerised scanners speed the reading of inventory data, while replacing shared, handheld scanners with a more hygienic solution.

XPO selected the Cognex Series 370 technology following pilot programs for major retail customers, such as H&M, with additional trials underway. The machine vision scanners are installed in high-volume e-commerce warehouses where workers are managing the holiday surge in order fulfilment.

Richard Cawston, managing director, supply chain – Europe, XPO Logistics, said, “We’re constantly exploring new technologies that can enhance the efficiency and safety of our logistics network. Each time we replace a handheld scanner with a fixed-mount camera, we increase throughput by over 10% on average, and the task transfers from person to person touch-free.”

XPO is the European leader in outsourced e-fulfilment – a fast-growing area of logistics that has been accelerated by the shift to online ordering during COVID-19.

Digital Load Monitoring

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A sensor-based on-board system aims to enable faster, efficient and safer load monitoring to meet the requirements of a new EU Directive.

Continental has developed an On Board Weighing System (OBWS) that records and displays the weight of commercial vehicles, including trailers and semitrailers. “It is quick, easy, and independent from a stationary scale – before starting a trip,” says the company.

Further functions make it possible to increase efficiency far beyond the specifications of EU Directive 2015/719, which will go into effect in May 2021. The directive requires EU Member States to measure the gross vehicle weight of commercial vehicles more frequently. In order to plan accordingly and prevent sanctions, drivers and fleet operators must already know the load condition of a vehicle before starting a trip. So far, this has been almost impossible and poses particular challenges for vehicles for which the semitrailer is usually provided by the forwarder.

Constant load overview

In order to meet the new requirements, most EU countries are looking to rely primarily on a comprehensive, stationary solution. Continental says the On Board Weighing System offers added value that goes beyond the regulatory stipulations. “Even if the load is measured by sensors in the road in the future, the integrated solution will remain interesting for forwarding agents, fleet managers and drivers,” says Marc Leinemann, a technical project manager at Continental involved in the development of the On Board Weighing System.

“Even before a truck drives off, fleet operators and drivers can check whether the weight of the vehicle is within a safe range,” he added. “Systems that determine the vehicle weight only after the start of the trip do not offer this advantage. If the weight can be determined before a trip, vehicles can be loaded more efficiently and safely as well. This reduces empty runs.” The data provided also makes preventive maintenance possible. In addition, it can serve as a basis for new business models, for example with load-dependent transport tariffs.

Sensors measure axle loads

Fleet requirements vary, as they often comprise vehicles with different suspensions. The experts at Continental have therefore developed various OBW solutions that take the respective customer requirements into consideration. Chassis with air suspension are great for constantly determining the load condition of all individual axles. Continental also offers tailor-made solutions for chassis with steel suspension.

For example, the technology company has developed a sensor for vehicles with air suspension, which uses ultrasound to measure the height and pressure of air springs in order to determine the axle’s load condition. On the same basis, a height sensor has been developed for shock absorbers for vehicles without air suspension. The suspension travel of the shock absorber provides information on the load condition of the respective axle. The strain sensor from Continental is also suitable for both steel and airsprung axles. It measures the strain of the axle body and thus enables the load to be calculated. The sum of the axle loads results in the vehicle weight including the load.

Complete system from single source

In all four cases, the data gathered is collected, forwarded and evaluated, and the results are finally displayed via the app on the driver’s smartphone or on a display in the driver’s cab. Fleet
managers can also retrieve the data and optimise the utilisation of their fleets. Continental offers all products and services as a complete system from a single source – from the air spring to the sensor through to data processing and software applications.

Logistics Group Strengthens European Network

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The international parcel logistics company GLS expects 30 to 40 percent more volume in the autumn and Christmas season. In 2020 the GLS Group has invested more than 150 million euros in the expansion of its European network.

“We are consistently driving forward the international capacity expansion and the sustainable orientation of our Europe-wide network,” explains Martin Seidenberg, CEO of the GLS Group. “This year has made it clear what an important role GLS plays in supplying the population. We see our investments as an important pillar of future-oriented and cross-border parcel logistics.”

This year the GLS Group opened more than twenty new locations throughout Europe and expanded the capacities of the existing facilities by up to 50 percent. The largest successfully implemented projects include investments in European hubs, such as Essen, Barcelona, Budapest and Poznan. Group-wide, more than 2,500 additional employees in parcel handling and over 6,500 vehicles in delivery and long-distance transport are deployed at the peak season.

“Our goal is to also handle the additional volume of international parcels for our customers smoothly and with the high quality they are accustomed to”, says Seidenberg. “We have also pushed ahead with the digitalisation of our parcel logistics – among other things with the latest generation of hand-held scanners for simple and direct interaction with our customers during parcel delivery. For the international e-commerce business, we offer an uncomplicated, cross-border returns service to customers who target their online offering to different countries. With the international ShopReturn Service , GLS thus underlines its European strength.”

At the same time, the peak season at all GLS locations in Europe, the USA and Canada is accompanied by corona-related measures, focusing on the safety of customers, employees and partners. Since the beginning of the pandemic, several million euros have already been invested, among other things in equipping the locations with appropriate protective equipment such as masks and disinfectants.

  • – Significant investment in the expansion of the European network
    – Parcel volume expected to reach record level
    – Covid-19: Continued focus on hygiene and occupational safety measures

The GLS Group provides reliable, high-quality parcel services to over 240,000 customers, complemented by freight and express services.  ‘Quality leader in parcel logistics’ is GLS’ guiding principle.

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