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Amazon enables more sustainable deliveries to Sweden

Posted on by Keith McKinley

As much of Europe is connected by sea, Amazon is taking advantage of this unique geography to leverage waterborne transportation. Amazon is moving inventory and customer packages by sea as it provides a more efficient, lower emission and faster mode of freight transport.

By using sea transportation rather than traditional trucks, Amazon is avoiding roughly a quarter of the carbon emissions for next day delivery trips on average in Sweden.

Partnering with Stena Line in Sweden, Amazon is operating more than 25 sea routes between Sweden, Germany and Poland, transporting inventory between its buildings in those countries. This is achieved through partnerships with sea carriers, like Stena Line, that operate more than 25 different sea routes that link buildings in Germany and Poland to the ports of Helsingborg, Nynasham and Trelleborg in Sweden.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to transport packages for customers through less carbon intensive methods. In a water-surrounded country like Sweden, we are excited to announce our most recent transportation mode – Amazon Sea – that enables next day delivery to Swedish customers while avoiding roughly a quarter of the carbon emissions,” says Gulfem Toygar, Country Manager, Amazon Sweden.

Amazon developing robust maritime network

“At Stena Line we are proud to partner with Amazon as we work together in developing a robust maritime network that allows faster and more sustainable deliveries to Sweden,” says Stena Line Head of Freight, Jacob Koch-Nielsen.

When a Swedish customer clicks ‘order’, Amazon locates the product within one of its European fulfilment centres – picks it, packs it, and ships it to one of its sortation centres in Germany or Poland to consolidate orders. From there, it is routed to one of the ports where a truck rolls on board one of the Stena Line ferries to cover the sea route.

Once the truck arrives at a Swedish port, it rolls off the ferry and goes to one of Amazon’s partners’ hubs in Sweden, like Airmee, prior to final delivery to the customer. Airmee is an innovative Swedish logistics company founded in 2018, also a signatory of The Climate Pledge, that focuses on fast and net-zero carbon deliveries via bike.

“As a technological logistics platform powering environmentally sustainable delivery solutions, we are happy to be working side by side with Amazon. We aim to lead the shift in logistics sustainability in Sweden and already now we provide 100% carbon neutral deliveries by using a combination of technology and electrical vehicles,” says Julian Lee, Founder and CEO of Airmee.

As part of Amazon´s effort to offer broader selection and faster delivery to customers across Europe, it is increasing the use of short trips by sea, taking advantage of Europe’s geographic peculiarities. Amazon currently operates more than 170 sea routes across Europe and this year alone has added over 60 short sea and waterways routes. It will continue innovating and using various transport modes to enable fast, efficient, and reliable deliveries to customers.

Carbon reduction

Amazon is working with numerous maritime carriers across Europe to move inventory and parcels replacing the existing more carbon intensive routes with waterborne transport that provides carbon reduction, efficiency and speed to customer between its buildings. These include European Partners like DFDS, Grimaldi, and many others.

This initiative is an integral part of Amazon’s goal of decarbonising its operations and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years before the Paris Agreement, and for this it has partners such as European shipping companies such as Stena Line that are at the forefront of sustainable maritime transport.

Sea routes provide a more sustainable, efficient, and in some cases faster mode of freight transport in comparison to other land-based alternatives. Amazon is using Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) method, which means that its existing road carriers are bringing loads to the ports and drive directly on and off the vessels of its maritime partners.

Tech firms team up over route optimisation

Posted on by David Priestman

UK business technology solutions integrator The Barcode Warehouse and The Algorithm People have partnered up to deliver their Transport and Logistics customers added value services and solutions, with an integrated approach to implementing route optimisation, efficiency, and decarbonisation strategies.

After identifying clear complementary services, the two businesses have joined forces to expand the market for The Algorithm People’s flagship ‘My Transport Planner’ software and providing a go-to hardware and Managed Services partner to its customers via The Barcode Warehouse.

The Barcode Warehouse, which has recently opened a multi-million-pound Innovation & Customer Experience Centre in the Midlands, had been searching the market for an industry-relevant decarbonisation solution to showcase within its new centre; and My Transport Planner stood out.

Kevan Mutton, MD at The Barcode Warehouse, commented: “It is important to us that our Innovation and customer experience centre has a focus on sustainability and decarbonisation. So, when we started working with The Algorithm People, the synergy was immediately obvious.  We are pleased to be able to formally announce this partnership and now, proactively, and hands-on be able to support our customers on their decarbonisation journeys; helping them become more efficient and reduce fuel costs, especially at a time when the rising costs are hurting so many businesses.”

Route optimisation for peak efficiency

My Transport Planner is a route optimisation platform, that enables fleets to operate at peak efficiency, while also – reducing costs and carbon emissions. The Algorithm People’s My Transport Planner is built on a powerful suite of optimisation algorithms that are able to identify opportunities for introducing zero-emissions vehicles across an operation to assist transport and logistics organisations in planning and managing their roadmap to decarbonisation.

Colin Ferguson, CEO at The Algorithm People, added: “The Barcode Warehouse is an integral supplier to the transport and logistics sector, and we are delighted to have secured this partnership with the company. Our optimisation algorithms are able to release significant productivity improvements for customers and we are excited to integrate this with The Barcode Warehouse’ class-leading solutions.”

The Barcode Warehouse, which has been operating for 35 years, says it focuses on bringing together the best-in-class hardware, software, and services; to create tailormade solutions to address real business challenges. Both organisations stress the importance of ensuring hardware, software and services are considered when looking to technology to reduce fuel costs, improve efficiency and to decarbonise.

DHL electrifies last mile with Ford

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Ford Pro and Deutsche Post DHL Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the deployment of electrified vans used for logistics operations worldwide. In doing so, both companies outline their commitment to provide sustainable/green services.

Underscoring the planned collaboration, Ford Pro will equip Deutsche Post DHL Group with more than 2,000 electric delivery vans worldwide by the end of 2023 to enhance its leading position in using electric vans for last-mile delivery worldwide. The inked agreement covers a full suite of solutions to operate the electric fleet including access to Ford Pro’s connected E-Telematics software and charging solutions in order to reduce costs and optimise efficiency as a part of the two organisations’ common zero emission goals.

Ford is targeting zero emissions for all vehicle sales and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035, and carbon neutrality globally no later than 2050.

Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading logistics company, is committed to strengthen clean operations for climate protection and will invest €7bn in the current decade on its path to net-zero emissions logistics. Deutsche Post DHL Group is targeting a share of 60% e-vehicles used for carbon neutral pick-up and delivery by 2030, now also powered by Ford Pro’s line-up of electrified vehicles including the all-new E-Transit.

Ford and DHL share vision

“Ford Pro and Deutsche Post DHL Group share the vision of greater sustainability and a commitment to electrified solutions, and this agreement is a major step towards millions of deliveries being completed by electrified vehicles around the world. E-Transit is the top-selling commercial EV in North America and since June is also the best-seller in its segment in Europe, meaning the all-electric 2-tonne van is already making big strides to support this ambition,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe.

“Electrification of last-mile logistics is a major pillar to decarbonize our operations. Adding the new Ford E-Transit to our global fleet of around 27,000 electric vans further strengthens our capability of providing green delivery services worldwide. Joining forces to address our logistics specific requirements will drive operational and service efficiency further,” said Anna Spinelli, Chief Procurement Officer & Head of Mobility, Deutsche Post DHL Group.

Ford Pro has already handed over its first E-Transits under the agreement, joining Deutsche Post DHL Group’s electric fleet used for last-mile deliveries in several countries worldwide. The order volume concentrates on the E-Transit panel vans designed for handling express shipments in the Americas and Europe. The vehicles join the Deutsche Post DHL Group fleet at the busiest time of year making more sustainable deliveries possible to customers during peak season. Additionally purchases of Ford Pro Special Vehicles with a customized box for inner city distribution in Germany, were concluded.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Ford and Deutsche Post DHL Group, will potentially allow both companies to explore the co-development of future products as well as new digital and charging solutions. In addition to providing early access to innovative ideas, Ford Pro will also deliver Deutsche Post DHL Group access to test vehicles and monitoring services as the two companies explore to expand their cooperation to a growing number of markets globally.

How will inflation impact road freight transport?

Posted on by David Priestman

The road freight transportation market emerged from the pandemic with strength, but things have not been “business as usual” ever since. Today, the sector is having to deal with a new set of challenges, spearheaded by inflation and an anticipated recession heading towards the end of 2022, which all signal a further rise in costs and threaten the well-being of carriers.

Economic outlook on Europe

As the latest data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), indicate, inflation is rising in all European countries, reaching a record high annual rate of 9.9% in the Eurozone this September, compared to 9.1% back in August 2022, and weighing on costs and demand. Germany experienced one of the steepest increases with a rate of 10.9%, higher than the other major European economies of Italy (9.4%), Spain (9%), and France (6.2%). All in all, more than half of the eurozone’s 19 countries recorded double-digit levels of inflation in September 2022, Eurostat’s data shows.

The highest contribution to the annual euro area inflation came from the energy sector. In September 2022, energy prices rose 40.8%, up from 38.6% the previous month, according to an estimate by Eurostat. And what about fuel, the transportation sector’s biggest headache? According to the EC’s weekly oil price bulletin, the EUR27 weighted average automotive diesel oil came close to 2,000 euros as of November 7, 2022, compared to the 1,500 euros level that was reached at the beginning of January 2022, which is an increase by 33.3%. Diesel prices have been elevated since March 2022, when the EUR27 weighted average reached its peak, but have otherwise somewhat stabilised.

Recession in Q4/2022

The data mentioned previously amount to a pessimistic outlook on the EU’s economy in the nearest future. According to the EC’s Autumn 2022 Economic Forecast, published on November 11, 2022, most EU countries and the eurozone are heading to an economic recession in the last quarter of 2022, with inflation still set to peak at the end of this year; the contraction of economy is expected to continue into the first quarter of 2023, before starting to ease.

“Real GDP growth in the EU surprised on the upside in the first half of 2022, as consumers vigorously resumed spending, particularly on services, following the easing of COVID-19 containment measures. The expansion continued in the third quarter, though at a considerably weaker pace,” Brussels explains. “Amid elevated uncertainty, high energy price pressures, erosion of households’ purchasing power, a weaker external environment and tighter financing conditions are expected to tip the EU, the euro area and most Member States into recession in the last quarter of the year.”

According to the EC’s revised forecast, inflation will average at 9.3% in the EU and 8.5% in the euro area. And although it is expected to decline in 2023, inflation will remain high at 7.0% in the EU and 6.1% in the euro area next year. Adding to the noise, Brussels says that the economic outlook remains surrounded by „an exceptional degree of uncertainty,” as the war in Ukraine continues and the potential for further disruptions remains. “The largest threat comes from adverse developments on the gas market and the risk of shortages, especially in the winter of 2023-24,” the EC states. “Beyond gas supply, the EU remains directly and indirectly exposed to further shocks to other commodity markets reverberating from geopolitical tensions.”

Q3 performance and what to expect

The average price for a load in Europe has long reached record-breaking levels, but the unrolling of the European Commission’s (EC) Mobility Package, the continuously rising inflation, and the ongoing geopolitical tensions, followed by an energetic crisis, have all sent out a ripple effect to local economies, potentially increasing the already rising costs of transportation in Europe further by up to 10% in the upcoming few months.

“The outlook for the end of 2022 is for inflation to continue to persist in most economies and fuel price to remain elevated, so it is quite likely that road freight rates will remain high as they are currently. Results from Q4 – the busiest period for the road freight transport – will allow to see the situation on the market better, however, given the current circumstances, rates may potentially increase further by up to 10%,” says Andrejs Petrovs, Sales and Business Development Director at Girteka Europe West.

“Due to the broader effects of high inflation and a probable recession in Europe in the upcoming months, we should expect to see a further decrease in consumer demand, which could result in a slowing road freight volume growth and thus, help ease the push on rates as available capacity meets fewer loads. We will be able to see the situation more clearly in the Q1 of 2023,” he adds.

Road freight rates on the rise

According to a jointly prepared report by IRU, Ti, and Upply, discussing the Q3 2022 for the industry, despite lower consumer spending, average European road freight rates rose again in Q3, with the main factors behind this trend indicated as diesel prices, driver shortages and drought in certain regions in Europe. The report sees prices softening only towards the end of the quarter: “The contract market’s increase was 80% of last quarter whilst the spot market grew at just half the rate it did in Q2, suggesting the upwards pressure on rates is easing.”

Indexes for the contract and spot market, as provided by the Ti, Upply and IRU Benchmark, both reached new all-time highs, although the rate of acceleration has slowed down. Contract rates reached 127.9 index points, up by 19.6 points year on year. In the spot market, rates hit 142.6 points, up by 26.4 points year on year. Carrier costs significantly increased in Q2 of this year due to the war in Ukraine and the ensuing oil price rise, the report notes. But the slower rate of acceleration in both spot and contract markets in Q3 when compared to the previous quarter, indicate that “the market has adjusted to higher costs whilst higher production costs and lower consumer spending power have started to ease the upward demand-side pressure on rates.”

Supply-side pressure

Prices rose in Q3 also due to supply-side pressures. High diesel prices have created a more costly environment for carriers operating in the European road freight sector. Diesel costs amount to one third of the total operating costs in the road freight transport sector, “but given the increase, they may now account for 50% of costs,” the report states. Furthermore, driver shortage, already pushing up labour costs, is expected to continue to grow further until the end of 2022, with an estimated 40% rise in unfilled truck driver positions in Europe.

Another worrying aspect are signs of falling consumption and production across Europe, particularly in the continent’s biggest economies such as the UK, France, and Germany. “Low order books, high energy prices and gas supply uncertainty are deterring production expansion in the coming months. Falling consumption and production is accompanied by high inventory levels across Europe, with warehouses already full and prepared for the peak period we can expect demand for imported retail goods to be low in Q4,” the report describes. All in all, the European road freight growth is set to slow down dramatically, expanding by a meagre 1.1% in the next year, as data from Ti indicates.

 

LHoF presents new humanitarian award

Posted on by David Priestman

Starting in 2023, the Logistics Hall of Fame will present a new international award: the Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics. The medal will annually recognise humanitarian organisations and their partners for outstanding logistics projects. The Hall of Fame organisation made the announcement at its traditional gala reception with around 200 guests from politics, business and academia on 29th November in Berlin.

The initiator and sponsor of the medal is the Fritz Institute in San Francisco (USA). The award is named after Lynn C. Fritz (pictured), the founder and CEO of the institute. The 80-year-old US businessman transferred industrial logistics strategies to humanitarian organisations in the 1990s. He was inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame in 2021 as the “advocate of logistics for humanitarian organisations”.

“The award is intended to motivate humanitarian organisations to permanently improve their supply chains and to highlight the key role of professional supply chain management in the success of aid projects,” the businessman said in announcing the award.

With the medal, the Logistics Hall of Fame and the sponsor also want to emphasise and the impact of superior logistics performance within the sector and encourage innovative approaches to strengthen disaster response.

International jury for humanitarian award

Who wins the award is decided by an international jury made up of representatives from business, science, politics, associations and the media. The jury is chaired by Thilo Jörgl, Managing Partner of the Logistics Hall of Fame organisation. An Expert Council of recognised specialists in the field of humanitarian logistics decides which of the submitted applications will be presented to the jury members for selection. Key evaluation criteria include efficiency, innovation, sustainability and exemplary character for the field of humanitarian logistics.

The start of the online application process at www.logisticshalloffame.net is March 2023. Each aid organisation can apply with its own project. Joint projects involving several organisations and their partners are also eligible. The completed logistics project must not be older than three years.

The Logistics Hall of Fame, which is under the patronage of German Transport Minister Dr. Volker Wissing, will present a total of three awards in Berlin at the end of 2023: In addition to the traditional induction of the new member into the Hall of Fame, the organisation will present the Lynn C. Fritz Medal and the TRATON Logistics Leader of the Year Award to current pacesetters in logistics.

The pallet pioneers

Eleven boards, nine wooden blocks, 78 nails – and a logistics milestone is complete. The Euro pallet once cut the loading time of freight cars or trucks by up to 90%. It set the standard for logistics centres. It can be repaired with low material and energy costs and is fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle.

The invention of the pallet assumes a similar significance for logistics specialists as the container. Who invented it and its predecessors is not easy to answer, because the history of the pallet’s development is long. As far back as ancient Egypt, people used skids to transport heavy goods. The US Army used pallets as early as the First World War. Or the Clark Equipment Company, which, when it built the first forklift in the U.S. in 1917, used simple skids as load carriers.

However, Carl Clark did not file a patent application for this early pallet until 1939. In 1924, Howard T. Hallowell filed a patent application for a “lift truck platform.” Throughout the 1930s, new variations of the pallet continued to appear on the American market, and patents for various pallets also exist in Europe.

First patent

The first transport pallet dates from 7th November, 1939, when George Raymond Sr and his associate William House were granted a patent for a hydraulic lift truck and the accompanying wooden transport pallet. It paved the way for the Euro pallet and global pallet pooling systems.

As early as 1922, Raymond acquired a foundry called Lyon Iron Works in New York State and formed it into The Raymond Corporation, now a subsidiary of Toyota Industries. There, with his inventive spirit coupled with a desire to understand and solve customers’ challenges, Raymond laid the foundation for a company that would later shape an entire industry. His transport pallet was designed so that the forks of the lift truck could travel under the pallet from two sides.

Before Steve Raymond, the founder’s grandson, retired, he was actively involved with The Raymond Corporation in various capacities, including past president of the Raymond Solutions and Support Center. He is proud of his grandfather’s invention: “Everything in logistics starts with the pallet,” he says.

Numerous pallet inventions were not patented until the late 1940s, such as Robert Braun’s four-way pallet, patented in 1945, and a one-way pallet by US supply officer Norman Cahners, who received the patent in 1949.

DIN certification

In 2004, the Euro pallet also received DIN EN 13698-1. This states that it is a rigid horizontal platform of low height “capable of being handled by forklift trucks, pallet trucks or other suitable equipment and serving as a base for grouping goods and loads for stacking, storage and handling or transport”.

Mother of the Euro pallet is the UIC: The birth of the Euro pallet was largely related to the idea of standardisation. In the 1950s, railroad companies began to transport more and more goods on pallets and the pallet spread rapidly. However, the lack of standards led to real chaos in cross-border transport. To counteract this, in 1961 the Union Internationale des Chemins de fer (UIC) worked out the contract for a standardised, exchangeable pallet within the framework of a working group with changing players, which was subsequently signed by the European railroad companies.

From then on, they undertook to comply with the standard (UIC-standard 435-2 ff.), to manufacture and to repair Euro pallets. In addition, they agreed to the monitoring and the guarantee of a trouble-free exchange in an EPP (European Pallet Pool). The success of the Euro pallet with the dimensions 800mm x 1200mm x 144mm was resounding: there is hardly any storage or transport system today which is not adapted to the dimensions of the Euro pallet.

Open exchange pool

The open exchange pool for Euro pallets works like this: A loaded pallet is exchanged for an identical empty Euro pallet at the destination. The regulations for the production and repair of Euro pallets are extensive in this respect, right down to the position of the individual nails. The exchange of Euro pallets is not automatic, nor is it common practice in all countries.

In the mid-1970s, the Gütegemeinschaft Paletten, now the National Committee of EPAL, took over part of the distribution and quality assurance of the Euro pallet. Together, the UIC and the European Pallet Association (EPAL) e.V., founded in 1991, promoted the dissemination and quality assurance of the Euro pallet in the following years.

In 2013, UIC and EPAL separated. Since then, both organisations have been competitors in the open Euro pallet exchange pool with different trademarks: UIC/EUR on the corner blocks of UIC Euro pallets and EPAL/EPAL on the blocks of EPAL Euro pallets. EPAL, with its 14 National Committees (members of the umbrella organisation) and three representatives, is active in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Just a few years after the invention of the Euro pallet, another player in the pallet business appeared in Australia. Oliver Richter (1920 – 2014) was the Trade Manager for Manufacturing and Materials Handling in the logistics company Brambles. At the time, the company was still predominantly active in the materials handling sector in Sydney with its CHEP (Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool) brand. Richter recognised the potential of a pallet pooling system and successfully expanded the closed CHEP rental pool internationally.

Sharing pallets among multiple participants

Under CHEP’s “sharing and reusing” model, reusable pallets, crates and containers were made available for sharing among multiple participants throughout the supply chain. Through Richter’s drive and vision, CHEP also advanced pallet size standardisation and the resulting impact on packaging standardisation. He had a pallet control system developed that improved the efficient movement of goods and ensured more effective reuse of pallets and a reduction in pallet loss. Overall, these initiatives resulted in tangible productivity gains throughout the supply chain as goods moved directly from manufacturer or producer to retailer.

Prior to the EPAL, CHEP and UIC pooling and reuse schemes, companies spent significant amounts of money replacing pallets that were not returned or were of inferior quality. The circular economy of the Euro pallet contributed to an immense improvement in sustainability in logistics long before the issue of sustainability was on the public agenda.

But the end of the pallet’s story is far from written. It has created a standard for logistics. It gave rise to standard packaging, box sizes and clear heights in warehouses, truck trailer sizes or forklift dimensions. That the pallet will continue to be a driving force in the future is beyond question, but like any other load carrier, it must rise to the challenges of the times.

Pallets for tomorrow’s logistics

In addition to the sustainability factor, the pallet today is first and foremost part of the digital evolution in logistics. Research and science, pallet manufacturers and customers are working on innovative ways to make pallets an even more reliable and intelligent means of transporting and presenting goods.

Logistics is all about pallets. Making them smart means making logistics smart. The pallet of the future will no longer just sustainably transport goods but will provide important information. It will record environmental parameters and communicate with modern media. The pallet will remain a central building block in a digital logistics universe with globally networked supply chains.

Pallet industry calls for power cut protection

Posted on by David Priestman

The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) has asked the UK government to confirm it will act to keep the pallet and packaging business operational in the event of any planned power outages during the winter.

The organisation, which represents the sector in the UK and Ireland, is seeking clarity that it will be accorded ‘protected site status’ and be able to manufacture and repair during any rolling power cuts that may be introduced if gas supplies run low in the months ahead.

Wooden pallets and packaging are key to keeping supply chains of critical goods – including food, drink, and pharmaceutical products – moving. Accordingly, the government gave essential worker status to the industry during COVID lockdown periods. TIMCON also worked closely with Defra in the run up to Brexit to ensure that supply chains understood new phytosanitary requirements to ensure unbroken movement of timber pallets and packaging between the UK and EU markets.

TIMCON president John Dye said: “The current energy crisis once again poses a threat to the continuity of supply chains. If power outages are indeed going to occur during winter months, it is vital that the wooden pallet and packaging sector continues to operate to ensure that consumers have uninterrupted access to essential goods.

“We are urging government to engage, support and enable pallet and packaging manufacturers, pallet pools, reconditioned pallet businesses and the logistics industry to continue their work and ensure UK sawmilling operations can continue providing timber to our operations.”

Electric vans “could be worked harder”

Posted on by David Priestman

Petrol and diesel-powered light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are being worked more than twice as hard as electric vans within the same customer fleets, despite the average daily mileage being well within the range of an electric LCV.

Detailed analysis of more than 85,000 vehicle records by Michelin Connected Fleet’s data science team found the average internal combustion-engined (ICE) van travels 63 miles per day, compared with just 28 miles for an electric LCV.

Michelin Connected Fleet also found that 59% of electric vehicles (EVs) are being plugged in when the state of charge is greater than 50% – which negatively impacts driver productivity, particularly given half of charging events occur during the daytime. This overcharging is also putting lithium-ion batteries through unnecessary charging cycles which could cause them to deteriorate faster, negatively impacting range and residuals.

Alberto De Monte, Business Segment Director for EV and OEM at Michelin Connected Fleet, says: “Range anxiety is clearly impacting the fleet market’s confidence in electric vans, resulting in EVs being overcharged, and under-worked.

“In most applications the EVs you buy today have the range to do the job of a petrol or diesel-powered van in and around cities, but they’re being deployed on the lightest duty work – whilst ICE assets are being worked harder, which is less efficient and increases emissions.”

Electric vans overcharged

Michelin Connected Fleet’s analysis has also revealed that van drivers charged batteries to 90% or more in 76% of the charging events it studied – in comparison with car drivers who hit 90% or more in only 58% of instances.

De Monte adds: “We know lithium-ion batteries perform best when the state of charge is maintained between 20 to 80%, and the general advice is to only charge the battery fully if you need that additional range for a particularly long journey.

“What we’re seeing points to more guidance being needed for fleets to ensure they are maximising the benefits which transitioning to EVs offer; and not storing up issues which could impact performance and residuals down the line.”

Michelin Connected Fleet offers a dedicated electric vehicle fleet management service called MoveElectric, designed to help businesses of all sizes to lower fleet CO2 emissions, reduce operating costs, and to integrate EVs for the most efficient last mile delivery strategy.

MoveElectric brings easy-to-use tools to help fleets plan, grow and master all aspects of EV fleet management, from identifying routes to achieving EV roll-out. It forms part of a comprehensive fleet management solution to help connect vehicles, optimise performance, and gain greater visibility across an entire fleet based upon informed data-driven choices.

Michelin Connected Fleet will be using its attendance at the London EV Show 2022 (29th November – 1st December 2022, ExCel London) to talk to fleets about the importance of switching to EVs, and showcasing how MoveElectric can support the transition.

 

Booking platform receives new funding

Posted on by David Priestman

The technical development of further innovations at Modility, the booking and brokerage platform for Combined Transport, has received funding from the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in the context of its ‘Future Rail Freight Transport’ programme. The funding will be used to accelerate the development and integration of new features and thus attract new customer segments on the supply and demand side. The project will run until October 2024.

Managing Director Hendrik-Emmanuel Eichentopf considers the funding of Modility to be a recognition of the positive development over the past months. “Since the market launch in March 2021, we have made tremendous progress with Modility. The successful pilot phase as well as increasing user and booking numbers have shown the great demand and potential for our solution in the market. With the new funding, we can now take Modility to the next level in terms of functionality and thus facilitate the switch to more climate-friendly CT for our users.”

The BMDV also funded the pilot phase of Modility as part of the ‘Future Rail Freight Transport’ programme.

Technical innovations

The objective of the demonstrator project that has now started is to attract additional customer segments on the supply and demand side through new innovations. “During the pilot phase, we spoke to a range of different companies that would like to use Modility but have very specific requirements,” says Eichentopf. “We have to take these into account to ensure that our online platform can be used in day-to-day operations and becomes a market standard.”

Therefore, Modility has scheduled the implementation of three sets of measures which consist of functional and modular innovations as well as market opening actions. Specifically, this involves more precise illustration of transport prices and available train capacities, acceleration and simplification of the booking process, and mapping of processes for major client organisations. In addition, it will implement an option for the technical integration of other transport platforms.

Platform continually growing

Since its official market launch in March 2021, Modility has been growing continuously. As of today, 40 train operators are already registered, offering a range of more than 650 bookable rail connections throughout Europe with around 2,500 departures per week via the portal. In total, Modility has more than 350 users registered on its platform.

“We are increasingly noticing that with the growing range of transport options at Modility, we are not only an information site, but also a matchmaker between supply and demand,” states Eichentopf. The company exceeded its targeted booking volume in the four-digit range for this year. In 2023, it should continue to grow – also with the help of the new funding.

IRU calls on EC to ease Ukraine border jams

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IRU and its member associations from Ukraine and seven neighbouring countries have called on the European Commission to prioritise TIR trucks to ease lengthy border queues and boost goods transport flows between Ukraine and the EU.

Truck queues at borders between Ukraine and neighbouring European countries are regularly exceeding 40km.

Aside from putting enormous pressure on drivers who can remain stuck for days, often without basic facilities, and stretched border and customs staff, the jams are severely restricting the flow of goods across borders between Ukraine and the EU, especially agricultural products.

The IRU and its national member associations from Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking for priority border crossing lanes for secure TIR trucks entering the EU to be coordinated with member states and established as a matter of urgency.

IRU: prioritise TIR traffic

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said: “By prioritising TIR traffic, the number of trucks that could transport freight from Ukraine to the EU can be increased two- to three-fold. This would make a huge difference to goods flows between war-ravaged Ukraine and the rest of the EU, as well as ease the burden on stretched drivers and border and customs workers.”

Customs inspects and security seals TIR transports at the point of departure, and they only reinspected by customs at the final destination. Together with electronic TIR and customs declaration information sent in advance, TIR trucks can cross borders without additional inspections while at the same time enhancing border authorities’ risk and resource management. TIR priority lanes should also manage sanitary, phytosanitary and other controls.

All EU member states, as well as Ukraine, Moldova and other Balkan countries, are parties to the UN TIR Convention. Thousands of transport operators in these countries are authorised users of TIR and use the system on a daily basis, despite the current absence of priority lanes for TIR trucks.

iru.org

DHL flies gorilla to new London home

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A Western lowland gorilla named Kiburi has made his debut at ZSL London Zoo after global logistics expert DHL Express flew the 193kg silverback to London as part of an international breeding programme for the Critically Endangered species.

The 5ft 4ft (1.62m) tall ape has arrived to lead the conservation zoo’s current troop, females Mjukuu and Effie, and youngsters Alika and Gernot, in the family’s Gorilla Kingdom home – with high hopes the match-making effort will lead to a further increase to the gorilla population.

DHL gave 18-year-old Kiburi, who travelled from Zoo Loro Parque in Tenerife, the VIP treatment for the 1,903-mile (3,062km) door-to-door journey – travelling in a custom-built crate supported by a dedicated team of zookeepers, aircraft engineers, cargo handlers, security teams, pilots and drivers.

“Kiburi enjoyed an in-flight meal of nutritious leafy greens, snacked on leeks and a banana and had a refreshing drink of cold fruit tea during his first-class trip,” explained gorilla keeper Glynn Hennessy.

“After spending his first few days at London Zoo settling into his new digs behind-the-scenes, Kiburi today ventured into the troop’s indoor play-gym for the first time, where he enjoyed a breakfast of juicy red peppers and tested out the area’s new rope swings – a housewarming gift from the ZSL team.”

Arriving in London late on Friday 18th November, the silverback slept over at Heathrow Airport before arriving at the Zoo at 8am the following morning; a team of vets and zookeepers at London Zoo was on hand to receive the special delivery, and after giving Kiburi a check-up, introduced him to his new Gorilla Kingdom home.

Gorilla to lead the troop

The exciting move was four years in the making. Following the passing of London Zoo’s male Kumbuka in 2018, ZSL London Zoo began the search for the perfect male to take his place, working with the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) co-ordinator for Western lowland gorillas, which holds detailed records on each gorilla in the programme.

“We wanted to find a gorilla to lead the troop in Kumbuka’s stead, which is an important part of a healthy gorilla group’s social structure,” said Hennessy.

“We were excited when they suggested Kiburi, a playful but authoritative silverback who had just come of age. But we wanted to make sure, so we flew out to meet him last November and spent five days getting to know him and watching how he interacted with other gorillas.

“We found him to be a calm, friendly individual and a great fit for our own gorilla family’s dynamic. He loves a lie-in in the mornings and is more active in the afternoon, which is why we spent the past few weeks installing lots of fun new climbing apparatus for him to enjoy – when he ventures out of bed!”

Kiburi will spend the next few weeks exploring the rest of his new Gorilla Kingdom home – which includes a lush private island, complete with hidden caves, giant jungle gym and a flowing stream. His slow introduction to his new troop will be in time for their first family Christmas.

First-class care

“Like any blended family, when getting to know each other it’s important to take thing slowly, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on the troop and introducing them to each other face-to-face at a pace that they’re comfortable with.

“We’re so pleased Kiburi has joined us here at London Zoo, and are grateful to DHL for the first-class care they gave our oversized package throughout this carefully planned delivery.”

ZSL London Zoo’s Zoological Operations Manager Dan Simmonds, who oversaw the move, added: “Western lowland gorillas are sadly declining in the wilds of central and western Africa and face threats from poaching, disease, deforestation and climate change.

“ZSL is working to protect the species at ZSL London Zoo by taking part in this vital global breeding programme, while investigating wildlife diseases at ZSL’s world-leading Institute of Zoology, working with partners in the field to strengthen wildlife protection and surveillance, and empowering local communities to combat wildlife crime.

“In time we hope to hear the pitter patter of tiny gorilla feet once again in Gorilla Kingdom – adding to the dwindling population numbers of this Critically Endangered species.”

Roy Hughes, EVP Network Operations & Aviation Europe at DHL Express said: “Helping Kiburi move to London has been a huge privilege. The logistics effort behind transporting him was no mean feat but our team of experts, working closely with ZSL London Zoo and Loro Parque, went to every length to ensure his journey was safe and comfortable. Everyone at DHL is very invested in this conservation move, and we look forward to seeing Kiburi enjoying his new Gorilla Kingdom home.”

www.dhl.com

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