temperature controlled Archives

AddSecure Partnership with Cold Chain Federation

Posted on 2 May, 20237 August, 2025 by David Priestman

AddSecure, a European provider of secure IoT connectivity and end-to-end solutions such as temperature-monitoring and connected fleet management solutions, has announced that it has become an associate member of the Cold Chain Federation. The membership is an important milestone for the company as it expands its presence in the UK and further establishes itself as a leading provider of temperature monitoring and connected fleet management solutions.

The Cold Chain Federation is the UK’s leading trade association for businesses involved in the storage, distribution, and transportation of temperature-controlled goods. As an associate member, AddSecure will have access to a wealth of industry knowledge, expertise, and networking opportunities.

AddSecure’s temperature-monitoring and connected fleet management solutions have already made a significant impact in the temperature-controlled logistics industry. With its advanced technology, the company has helped temperature-controlled businesses ensure the safety and quality of temperature-sensitive goods throughout the supply chain.

“We are delighted to become an associate member of the Cold Chain Federation,” said Paul Lawrence, MD of AddSecure UK. “The Federation’s commitment to promoting best practices in the cold chain logistics industry aligns with our own mission to provide the most advanced and effective solutions to our customers. We look forward to working closely with the Federation and its members to drive innovation and improve the safety and efficiency of the cold supply chain logistics sector.”

AddSecure’s membership in the Cold Chain Federation is a significant milestone for the company, as it expands its presence in the UK and further establishes itself as a leading provider of temperature-monitoring and connected fleet management solutions.

AddSecure is a leading European provider of secure IoT connectivity and end-to-end solutions. The company helps customers optimize their operations, drive business value, and secure vital functions. Headquarters is in Stockholm. Main market served is Europe, with customers worldwide.

Refrigerated Trailers Operating with TIP Group

Posted on 19 January, 20237 August, 2025 by David Priestman

Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, announced today that three new refrigerated trailers featuring the Advancer AxlePower energy recovery system started operations in the Netherlands. The three trailers are part of the TIP Group’s fleet and are operated by Herbert SAS, Tielbeke Transport B.V. and Wezenberg Transport B.V. delivering for Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.

Opening the doors to emission-free refrigerated trailers, the project is a result of a collaboration between Thermo King, BPW Bergische Achsen KG, a leader in running gears and mobility services for transport, and equipment service provider TIP Group.

“It is uplifting to work together with the industry leaders and demonstrate capabilities of the technologies that put sustainability front and centre in the transport industry,” said Colm O’Grady, Tra iler Product Leader at Thermo King. “Combining our expertise with BPW and TIP Group we’re putting new technology in the hands of the transport companies that allow them to turn the energy typically lost by a trailer during transit into clean power for the refrigeration units. Our innovation enables change in transport refrigeration and helps fleets achieve sustainable practice goals, move goods in the most environmentally friendly way and meet lower emission requirements from regulators.”

“The sustainability balance of our solution includes both an ecological and an economic dimension: emissions and noise are reduced, and ongoing operational costs drop immediately – an important advantage, especially in current times of high energy prices”, adds Thore Bakker, General Manager Trailer Solutions and Mobility Services at BPW Bergische Achsen KG. “The customer experience tour comes at exactly the right time as pressure on the industry has never been so intense.

“In our mission to create zero-emission temperature-controlled trailers, we are offering different solutions to our customers to meet their specific needs. The battery only solution is already available and this trial, with the energy axle configuration, will take up to about 12 months. The first results are very promising.” explains Rogier Laan, Vice President Sales and Marketing at TIP Group. “We strongly believe that diesel temperature-controlled trailers will quickly fade-out in favour of fully electrical and we are here to drive and support that transition.”

Developed in partnership with BPW, the Advancer AxlePower is a fully integrated, tractor independent system that combines BPW’s ePower axle with Thermo King refrigeration unit and power management technology. The trailers operating for Albert Heijn feature Thermo King Advancer A-500 Whisper-Pro, PIEK certified refrigeration units and BPW ePower axles. The AxlePower’s smart energy generating system delivers the power needed to run the trailer refrigeration unit by converting energy recovered by the trailer’s axle during the vehicle’s routine operation.

The system stores the energy generated while the vehicle is rolling or braking in a high voltage battery and reuses it to power the refrigeration unit – enabling fully electric, low or zero-emission and autonomous trailer refrigeration. The battery pack, being charged while the trailer is moving also powers the unit autonomously while the trailer is stopped. Featuring smart power management that controls the engagement and disengagement of the generators, Advancer AxlePower also minimises the resistance on the tractor and provides the driver and fleet manager with real-time battery charge visibility to avoid ‘charge anxiety’.

The possibility to capture and reuse energy makes the Advancer AxlePower system an ideal solution to future-proof and increase the sustainability of all types of trailer journeys. With silent running and no CO2 emissions from the refrigeration unit when operating from the battery-pack, this technology allows customers to sustainably run long-haul and inner-city deliveries, including in Ultra-low Emission Zones (ULEZs) and low noise urban areas.

TCS&D Firm Looks to Grow

Posted on 13 January, 202331 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Yorkshire, UK-based temperature-controlled food storage and distribution (TSC&D) firm, Reed Boardall, has battled through one of the most difficult years in its 30-year history. As the industry reeled from Covid lockdowns, with staff self-isolating, the company also faced the challenges of rising labour, fuel and energy costs, as well as the UK-wide HGV driver shortage. Despite having also had a number of additional adverse factors with which to contend, the business is now moving forward from a position of strength and planning for continued growth.

In the year to March 2022, turnover grew by 6.2% compared with the previous year, rising from £69.8m to £74.1m. However, in the face of extremely difficult trading conditions, the company sustained a £4.1m loss before taxation. This compares with £705,000 profit in the year ending March 2021.

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, said: “There’s no question that it has again been a very difficult year for the industry. We have seen the challenges of rising employment costs and inflation forcing up prices for most operators, while coping with continued disruption as a result of reduced staff levels due to Covid, along with the problem of driver shortages.

“Looking to the future, the pandemic disruption appears to be settling, and we are starting to bear the fruits of the proactive initiatives we have undertaken to establish our own in-house team of drivers – for example, over the last year, we have trained over 20 new recruits from scratch at our own academy, enabling them to become qualified drivers. Our financial performance was also adversely affected by Reed Boardall being the victim of a criminal cyber-attack, resulting in our IT systems being out of operation for six days. The costs associated with the interruption, loss of revenue and subsequent recovery, were substantial. The situation was exacerbated by bad debt as one of our largest transport customers was placed into administration, although the contract has been taken over by a major retailer.

“Despite all of these factors, we saw store utilisaton and turnover increase, and are confident that better times are ahead. We have established a strong position in the marketplace and we will continue to prove the success of our single site strategy where we are able to serve all our customers’ needs efficiently. I would like to thank our 800-strong team and loyal customers for their continued support as we continue on our growth journey.”

TCS&D Facilities

Finance director Sarah Roberts adds: “Given the myriad of pressures on the business over the last 12 months, we have once again put in a resilient performance and are pleased to say that we are now on a much more even keel. Having completed the multi-million pound expansion of one of our cold stores in spring 2021, we have the largest and most modern facility of its kind in the UK. With a capacity of 168,000 pallets, we have continued to see volumes rise since the year end.

“We have also secured additional business in the new financial year and our ability to adapt to an ever-changing industry is enabling us to attract new customers with very specific requirements while still ensuring their integration into our operations complements our existing customer base.”

Based on a dedicated 55-acre site operation in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, Reed Boardall has grown to become one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution businesses in the UK. With a fleet of 200 vehicles operating 24 hours a day, year-round, it delivers 12,000 pallets of frozen food daily from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. It also provides blast freezing, picking and packaging services.

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