Global Trailer January 2023

Global trailer

68

www.globaltrailermag.com ISSN 1839-5201

2023 | ISSUE 68

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9 771836 520000

INNOVATION

BUSINESS

NEWS

SAF TRAKr e-axle Industry Voice: BPW DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS Trailer Refrigeration Tech

Executive Interview: CGS Market Report: US Trailer Design: TSE Built To Task: Valk Welding

Trailer Deliveries Financial Results Supply Chain Developments Mergers & Acquisitions

COVER STORY

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REEFER TRAILER TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW: CGS Coldstores Group of Saudi Arabia (CGS), a 46-year-old SwissSaudi Joint Venture, knows which solutions are most cost effective in the demanding Middle Eastern and African climates. CGS is well recognised throughout the region for its engineering competence and capability to offer best in class Total Cost of Ownership customer solutions.

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“OUR ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES ARE SECOND TO NONE IN GCC. WE ARE ABLE TO FULFIL THE HIGHEST CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS WITH TAILORED SOLUTIONS.”

IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS 28

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36

48

CGS Group CEO, Peter Farber

MARKET REPORT

kits, TSE Trailer Engineering has experienced tremendous growth.

Trailer manufacturers and their suppliers continue to thrive under ever-changing market conditions across North America.

FEATURES

BUILT TO TASK

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To keep up with an increase in demand, commercial vehicle manufacturer, Martin Reisch, turned to Valk Welding for state-of-the-art robotic systems.

INDUSTRY VOICE

Thore Bakker – General Manager Trailer Solutions & Mobility Services at BPW Bergische Achsen KG – reflects on last year’s IAA Transportation event and offers a glimpse of what’s to come.

TRAILER DESIGN

With production facilities in Ratshausen and Dotternhausen in Germany, and increasing demand for its rigid body

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58

THERMO KING

Accomplished leader and company president, Dwayne Cowan, discusses electrification, modern trailer refrigeration and what we can expect to see from Trane Technologies in the near future.

REGULARS

56 EVENTS

04 EDITOR’S NOTE

62 MEGATRENDS

06 NEWS

63 PREVIEW

SAF-HOLLAND

Power regeneration via recuperation is possible with the SAF TRAKr axle jointly developed by SAF-Holland and Carrier Transicold.

JOST

Unlimited diversity with just a few components, equipment specialist, JOST, continues to deliver the goods when it comes to rolling our axle and suspension innovations.

38 W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 3

Anzeige EDITOR’S LETTER

CEO

John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

COO

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

INTERNATIONAL SALES

THE NEXT CHAPTER AUSTRALIA’S SKYROAD LOGISTICS is part of a massive investment.

This ‘Next Chapter’ for Skyroad Logistics was announced on Friday 11 November at an event for Skyroad’s peers, colleagues and suppliers at Butler Lane by Peter Rowland in Richmond, Victoria. Europe’s largest Road Feeder Service (RFS) provider, Luxembourg-based Wallenborn, is acquiring a significant shareholding in Skyroad Logistics adding Oceania to its fast-growing RFS network which already provides extensive coverage in Europe and the Middle East. Strategic investment will reportedly expand the fleet and facilitate development of new products and services for the Australian market. Peter Assel who cofounded the business will remain as a major shareholder as well as Managing Director. The agreement covers Air Cargo RFS, Express Transport and Project Transport service offerings.

Skyroad Logistics will continue to operate from its head office in Melbourne, and service depots in Sydney and Brisbane.

“Skyroad is a perfect fit in our portfolio of quality-focused organisations providing a full spectrum of products and services,” said Frantz Wallenborn, President & CEO at Wallenborn Transports. “They’re pioneers in the Australian market – for example the first TAPA TSR certified company in Australia – and their ‘can-do’ spirit

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has dramatically changed the air-cargo landscape since 2015. Together we’ll be delivering even more benefits and opportunities for our customers in Australia and beyond.”

Assel said the company had achieved its goal of market leadership in RFS in Australia within just seven years, and with strong growth and a strong future investment plan in place including record fleet orders from Kenworth, it was timely to seek further investment partners.

“Since my co-founder Anthony Clark passed away from cancer early in 2020 my focus has been on our goals and our company vision,” he said. “However, with our rapid expansion, it was obvious I needed a partner and Wallenborn ticks all the boxes with a similar customer profile, an ambitious business plan and the expertise to scale up.”

By the end of 2023 Assel expects the business in Australia to have at least 34 trucks and 40 trailers. He is also working towards bringing new products to market that will reduce carbon footprint.

Wallenborn, which was founded in 1920, has 1,100-plus drivers, more than 900 trucks in control and has a very similar DNA to Skyroad.

Assel said: “We’re very proud to have Wallenborn come a long way to join us in Australia.”

Ashley Blachford ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

Peter White peter.white@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey

DESIGN Kerry Pert, Louis Romero

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Salma Kennedy salma.kennedy@primecreative.com.au

HEAD OFFICE

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ARTICLES

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COPYRIGHT

Global Trailer is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Global Trailer is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in Global Trailer are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL ASIA CHINA CIMC Vehicles Group has reflected on its astronomical financial performance.

During the reported period, Q3 2022, CIMC Vehicles revenue was 6,210.61 million RMB (approx. €853.5 million) which was up 28 per cent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, net profit was 311.7 million RMB (approx. €42.7 million), an increase of 226.1 per cent.

The company’s third quarterly report – January to September 2022 – confirmed revenue of 17,406.5 million RMB (approx. €2.4 billion) in the face of a complicated international economic environment.

Net profit during this period was 660.3 million RMB (approx. €90.7 million), up 19.7 per cent year-on-year.

CIMC Vehicles Group reportedly sold 112,039 units or sets of various types of vehicles around the world. Revenue from overseas markets amounted to 9,334.3 million RMB (approx. €1.3 billion), up a staggering 81.4 per cent year-on-year.

“As the Chinese Government steadily carried out work for economic and social development and continuously implemented a package of policies to stabilise the economy, demand in the domestic logistics market recovered,” CIMC said in a statement. :On the other hand, the global economy was at risk of recession due to factors such as global geopolitical conflicts, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, high inflation, fluctuations in commodity price and the energy crisis. Opportunities and challenges coexist in overseas markets.

“During the reporting period, CIMC Vehicles’ Light Tower Pioneer Business and TB Business Group achieved a quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue, and their gross profit margins improved quarter-on-quarter as well.

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“Champion Tanker Business Group accelerated its arrangement for the integration of products and business.

North American business continued to grow rapidly in the first half of the year and its gross profit margin further grew quarter-on-quarter. The performance of European Business’s revenue was solid.

“For Light Tower Pioneer Business, as the demand for logistics in China recovered, the Business actively promoted the arrangement of ‘Light Tower Manufacturing Network’ and the implementation of Light Tower Production and Light Tower Sourcing, thus fully releasing the production capacity of “Light Tower” Plants.

“According to the statistics of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in 2021, the market share of semi-trailers of CIMC Vehicles in China reached 12.1 per cent and continuously increased, and the Group ranked first in China for a consecutive three years.”

CIMC confirmed there was strong demand in the North American semitrailer market. This segment for the OEM, between January to September 2022, achieved rapid growth in operation and business, with an increase in the sales and prices of three major products – a significant boost of 130.2 per cent in revenue, a 4.8-percentage-point rise in the gross profit margin as well as a significant improvement in profitability.

European business from January to September 2022 grew against headwinds with a steady rise of 17.3 per cent in revenue.

Regarding Champion Tanker Business Group, the sales of China’s heavy trucks reached 5,200 units in September 2022, representing a month-on-month increase of 13 per cent. The year-on-year

decline in China’s heavy truck sales in the second half of 2022 is expected to narrow significantly. In the first three quarters of 2022, CIMC Vehicles actively developed new energy pure electric cement mixer trucks, and the sales of new energy cement mixer trucks increased significantly by 100 per cent year-on-year.

Urban Dump Truck Business actively carried out joint development strategies with prime mover manufacturers, launching innovative new energy products and exploring innovative solutions for customers. From January to September 2022, the number of new energy urban dump trucks delivered by the company’s plants located in Xi’an and Baoji increased by 312 per cent yearon-year.

TB Business Group focused on strategic customers and made efforts in the new energy area, launching products including bodies for TB KG hydrogen energy refrigerated trucks. From January to September 2022, the sales of new energy products of TB Business Group increased by 100 per cent.

The domestic market of specialty vehicles, in Q4 2022, has been recovering due to investment in infrastructure construction, economic growth policies and decreases in truck tolls on China’s roads.

CIMC Vehicles said it will seek opportunities and breakthroughs in segmented product markets, continue to expand the joint development and marketing of new energy specialty vehicles with prime mover manufacturers, seize the opportunities from the development of new energy, so as to increase its market share as well as consolidate and expand its

NEWS INTERNATIONAL ASIA & EUROPE competitive advantages.

In terms of overseas markets, the strong demand trend in the North American market is expected to remain. The OEM will actively seize the business growth opportunity to consolidate its business performance in the North American market.

The European market is facing the challenges of the energy crisis. High energy prices lead to an increase in production costs, and these may have an impact on the stability of the European industrial system. With the advantage of intercontinental operation, the Group will actively cope with the energy and supply chain crisis, so as to achieve high quality and stable production and delivery.

At present, there is an active transformation of the manufacturing industry of China in terms of digitalisation, carbon reduction through more sustainable practices.

Looking ahead, CIMC Vehicles will continuously make arrangements in new energy, make full use of the ‘Light Tower Manufacturing Network’, and continuously build the Sophisticated Manufacturing System, so as to promote high quality development.

SINGAPORE Transport and logistics company, Toll Group, has launched the global Toll Innovation Centre in Singapore, which will represent a €14.3 million investment over the next five years.

The investment is expected to position Toll and Singapore at the forefront of supply chain innovation globally, and will bring several benefits to its customers and communities.

The centre will lead the development of new technologies to improve resilience

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and transparency which will create greater certainty for businesses and consumers.

It will also explore how Toll can make supply chains more efficient with leading edge robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, while helping to build sustainability into global networks such as using blockchain technology to provide end to end visibility on supply chains.

Group Managing Director, Alan Beacham, said the centre will bring together businesses, industry groups and research institutions to create new solutions to advance Toll’s supply chain.

“The global events we’ve witnessed over the past two years have shone a spotlight on the importance of the logistics industry,” he said.

“Together, we will share ideas and scale up new products and solutions to create a more resilient, adaptable, and sustainable supply chain that will benefit business and the community.”

The Toll Innovation Centre is located at Toll City, a state-of-the-art multi-storey warehouse and office space in Tulsa, Singapore.

The centre spans over 500 square metres and has four zones including the kinetic exploration garage, the digital experience centre, the innovation and collaboration zone and the visionary lab.

Toll Group Senior Vice President, Innovation and Supply chain Solutions, Nephy Perez, said the centre is focused on innovation to create better outcomes for businesses and consumers.

“We are pleased the global centre is based in Singapore, a testament to the country’s critical role in Asia as a trading hub and epicenter for innovation in the region,” he said.

“We’re creating new specialist jobs, investing in new technology, and forging new collaboration with start-ups and institutions leading to broader social and economic benefits for Singapore.”

BELGIUM Contract logistics company, ID Logistics, has appointed William Parramore as Managing Director Belgium.

In his new role, Parramore will focus on the development of group activities in Belgium. He will report to Marco van Walraven, Managing Director ID Logistics Benelux.

“Over the past three years, the group has succeeded in developing the Benelux area, mainly in the Netherlands, thanks to the signing of new contracts and the acquisition of GVT at the end of last year,” said van Walraven, “With the arrival of William Parramore, our goal is to extend this growth success to Belgium, where ID Logistics already operates on four sites.”

Parramore joined ID Logistics in 2021 as Managing Director ID Logistics US. During this assignment, he prepared and successfully integrated the new acquisition of Kane Logistics in the second quarter of this year.

With 25 years of experience in logistics and supply chain, he has worked with global leaders in logistics. In his previous experiences, he has taken on significant P&L responsibilities and successfully managed key business development assignments, most often in an international environment.

Parramore, 55, holds an MBA in Business/Managerial Economics from Paris Dauphine University. He began his career in 1992 at Tailleur Industrie as a Business Controller. In

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Combining decades of experience gathered in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US, global manufacturing powerhouse Fuwa has forged the strongest network of truck and trailer component specialists in the world. Merging local expertise with world-leading EUROPE manufacturing prowess and an irrevocable commitment to innovation, our entire range of axles, suspension systems, landing legs, couplings, king pins, fifth wheels and ball Handover of the hydrogen1996, he joined Geodis as Directorhave of profit grewfor by 50 per cent, while races beengross designed one goal only -- to guarantee your success. powered motor vehicle

International Business Development, EBIT before special items grew 75 per M.KO to Hylane.

Joinof the Group. cent Join Revolution. then became Vice President Business and the adjusted free cash flow more Development. than quadrupled compared to the same In 2000, he joined Freelog Consulting period last year. as Vice President (Paris) and President Air & Sea achieved an 81 per cent of Atlas Logistics (Casablanca). In 2003, increase in EBIT before special items, AMERI William Parramore joined Kuehnen+ Solutions achieved a 104 per cent EBIT Nagel, where he was successively increase and Road achieved a 18 per cent Head of Contract Logistics France, Vice EBIT increase, for the first nine months President Regional Sales Director for of 2022.

South-West Europe and, finally, ViceENGINEERING The integration of Agility GIL is now FUWA FUWA HEAVY INDUSTRIES FUWA K-HITCH VALX Internati President Senior Regional Head the3end-of-year successfully completed.

The750 Q3 results p:of+65 68631806 p: +86 5966333 dynamicp:with +61 9369 0000 p: +31 (0)88 405 Contract Logistics. promotional periods, should allow us to results fuwa.cnare the first interim financial fuwa.cn khitch.com.au valx.eu From 2015 to 2021, Parramore held sign another good year.” to overlap with the integration, which numerous positions such as Senior Vice Overall, ID Logistics ended the first nine commenced on 16 August 2021.

President at CMA CGM Logistics, Head of months of 2022 with revenues of €1.8 Global economic uncertainty, according Sales Europe at Damco, and Independent billion, up 33.9 per cent YOY. to DSV, has increased, but the company’s Global Trailer Ad-FINAL.indd Consultant for logistics players. In 2021,1 flexible business model enables it to GERMANY William Parramore joined ID Logistics quickly adapt to changes.

Schmitz Cargobull has delivered the first as US Managing Director, a year during FRANCE climate-neutral vehicle combination of which he helped develop the Group’s Contract logistics provider, ID Logistics, M.KO box body and hydrogen-powered business in the United States. has reported a positive growth with the motor to start-up company, Hylane.

DENMARK release of its Q3 2022 results.

Manufactured at the Schmitz Cargobull Transport and logistics company, DSV, The company reported a total revenue of production plant in Lithuania, the body has achieved strong Q3 performance €641.8 million for the last quarter, which is equipped with a multifunctional floor, amid macroeconomic slowdown. is a 37.1 per cent increase compared to two load-securing rails and a tail lift, Revenue for Q3 2022 was 60,560 the period last year. completing the Hyundai hydrogenmillion DKK , while gross profit was This includes the company’s revenue in powered vehicle. Assembly of the vehicle 13,538 million DKK. France, which was €215.9 million – up by and the DEKRA inspection of it took “We are very pleased to report a strong 6.8 per cent year-on-year (YOY); and its place at the GRW plant in Toddin where set of results for Q3 2022 and for the international revenue of 425.9 million – a Schmitz Cargobull’s project production is first nine months of the year,” said DSV 14.1 per cent increase YOY. also still based. This development makes Group CEO, Jens Bjørn Andersen.

ID Logistics Chairman and CEO, Eric Schmitz Cargobull the first certified “All three divisions continued the good Hémar, said the company benefitted bodybuilder for Hyundai in Germany. performance with growth in earnings from several factors in the market.

Dirk Nuxoll, Managing Director GRW, and market share gains across most of “ID Logistics recorded another solid Sabine Essmann, International Key our business areas. The global economic commercial performance in the past Account Manager Logistic/Food uncertainty has increased, but we have quarter, benefiting from both good Business at Schmitz Cargobull, and great trust in our flexible business organic growth and the successful Bruno Altenschöpfer, Fleet Manager at model, which enables us to quickly adapt integration of recent acquisitions,” hylane, took delivery of the vehicle for to changes.” he said. its first use on the road.

In the first nine months of the year, “The last quarter, which is usually “I am thrilled at how quickly this

SINGAPORE

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Combining decades of experience 4/10/17 5:04 PM gathered in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US, global manufacturing powerhouse Fuwa has forged the strongest network of truck and trailer component specialists in the world.

Merging local expertise with world-leading manufacturing prowess and an irrevocable commitment to innovation, our entire range of axles, suspension systems, landing legs, couplings, fifth wheels and ball races have been designed for one goal only - to guarantee your success.

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE Customers only pay for the kilometres they actually drive.

GERMANY

BPW advocates for energy efficient transport solutions.

concept could be implemented,” said Altenschöpfer.

“This vehicle is another step forward for sustainable transport solutions with hydrogen in Germany.”

Essmann said: “Solutions for sustainable freight transport are particularly important to Schmitz Cargobull.

“We are pleased to realise this great pilot project in such a short time and will complete a total of 17 vehicles in the next few weeks.”

This vehicle was displayed at a conference in Berlin which championed climate-friendly commercial vehicles.

“Vehicles of the type ‘XCIENT Fuel Cell’ will be prepared – depending on customer requirements – for their use on the road,” said Hylane Managing Director, Sara Schiffer. “Refrigerated and dry freight boxes are mounted on the motor vehicle chassis in order to be able to safely transport the goods. Some of the vehicles will also be fitted with a refrigerated trailer.”

As an exclusive provider of climateneutral mobility vehicles for rent, Hylane is reported to offer competitive rates thanks to funding from the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport.

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The EU will be certifying trailers according to their CO2 emissions from 2024, and trailer manufacturers who fail to comply with the fleet consumption targets can expect to be fined.

In addition to towing vehicles, the EU will set fleet thresholds for trailers for the first time in efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent until 2025, and by 30 per cent until 2030.

One to three-axle semitrailers will be certified, as well as central axle trailers, turntable trailers and trailers with boxshaped structures.

The trailers’ CO2 emissions are determined using software specially developed for this purpose, known as the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO), which calculates different usable loads and dimensions while taking into account different bonus factors.

BPW is a member of the VECTO committees, where it advocates for considering further consumptionreducing solutions, and its products already fulfil the requirements.

These solutions include regenerative braking axles that generate power for electric cooling units while driving, among other things.

However, BPW Application Engineering Manager, Bernd Rhein, said there are still a few unanswered questions before the final design of the certification.

“More consideration of the benefits of transport would be desirable,” he said.

“A high-volume transporter that makes maximum use of the legally permitted dimensions, for example, might get a worse rating than a standard vehicle

according to the current plan.

“Longer vehicle combinations and drawbar trailers with more than three axles are also lacking. A little more fine-tuning is needed to realistically reflect the economic factors and climatefriendliness of these vehicles.”

According to Rhein, the new trailer certification will be a win-win situation for the environment and for vehicle operators.

“In principle, we are headed in the right direction,” he said.

“The regulation is a great advantage for innovative vehicle manufacturers and their system partners – it creates more transparency and comparability, where previously the sales price was the main focus.”

The BPW Group fulfils the EU climate protection targets for trailers by demonstrating the CO2 and fuel savings in its trailer solutions for years, along with special figures about reduced tyre wear and other system advantages relevant to the economics of transport.

GERMANY Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, has appointed a financial expert with many years of industry experience as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Effective 1 January 2023, Frank LorenzDietz will succeed Wilfried Trepels, who has held the office on an interim basis since May 2022 after the departure of Inka Koljonen.

Lorenz-Dietz will be responsible for the areas of finance, accounting, controlling, corporate audit, IT, law and compliance, strategic projects as well as investor relations, corporate communications and ESG. SAF-Holland SE Supervisory Board

EUROPE Newly appointed SAF-Holland Chief Financial Officer, Frank Lorenz-Dietz.

Chairman, Dr Martin Kleinschmitt, was pleased to welcome Lorenz-Dietz to the team.

“In Mr. Lorenz-Dietz we are gaining a proven financial expert with operational industry experience and competence in the area of M&A and integration,” he said.

“We are very pleased that he is coming to us and wish him every success in his new position.”

Lorenz-Dietz began his career in 1998 at Robert Bosch GmbH, where he held various staff and managerial positions with a focus on finance and IT. In 2016, he took over the position of Vice President Finance and Controlling at the Starter Motors and Generators division, and built up an efficient global organisation for finance, consolidation and treasury.

In 2017, as Chief Financial Officer at SEG Automotive Germany GmbH, he managed the further transformation and integration for the finance area and global IT from 2019.

He also led the company safely during 2020’s difficult economic conditions and implemented the turnaround at SEG Automotive with great success, with the help of an extensive efficiency improvement program.

SAF-Holland SE CEO, Alexander Geis,

said Lorenz-Dietz was a perfect match for what the company is looking for.

“Frank Lorenz-Dietz has exactly the experience and skills that we need for the upcoming tasks of integrating the Swedish brake specialist Haldex into the SAF-HOLLAND Group and further improving profitability want in the group,” he said.

“With his international experience, he is a real asset to our management team.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Wilfried Trepels for the excellent and trusting cooperation and in particular for his important contribution to the successful takeover of Haldex AB.”

GERMANY Supply chain management company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, has released preliminary results for the third quarter of 2022.

The Group’s EBIT reached around €2.04 billion in the third quarter of 2022, compared to €1.72 billion the year prior.

Thus, Group EBIT rose by 15 per cent for the first nine months of this year to around €6.5 billion, compared to €5.77 billion in Q3 2021.

The Group has recorded a good business development in the third quarter of this year. As expected, year-on-year (YOY) comparison of e-commerce driven B2C shipment volumes improved in the third quarter, after volumes recorded a more pronounced decline in the first half of 2022.

Deutsche Post DHL Group CEO, Frank Appel, said the company’s performance has demonstrated its ability to succeed through the global environment.

“The breadth of our well diversified logistics services provides us with

resilience to successfully cope with a fast changing economic environment,” he said.

Overall network activities in all DHL divisions maintained good utilisation levels, leading to an improved EBIT. EBIT in the Global Forwarding, Freight division stood at around €585 million in Q3, clearly ahead of the previous year’s quarter of €373 million.

EBIT in the Express division reached over €1 billion compared to €971 million of 2021’s Q3. eCommerce Solutions recorded EBIT of around €85 million in the third quarter, and EBIT in Post & Parcel Germany was around €285 million, compared to €91 million and €300 million respectively.

As a result, the continued positive earnings development was successfully converted into a growing free cash flow.

Free cash flow in the third quarter 2022 amounted to more than €1.5 billion, above last year’s third quarter figure of €1.26 billion.

NETHERLANDS Equipment specialist, Fuwa Valx BV, has donated several trailer axles to Summa College to support practical training.

Students at the academy will have the opportunity to inspect sophisticated mechanical systems of trucks and trailers as well as gain hands-on experience.

“The show models of axles that FUWA uses at exhibitions are put into storage and no longer used,” said Fuwa Valx BV Managing Director, Harrold Quaaden.

“To keep these valuable show models or worse, to destroy them, is such a waste and we have found a good destination for it at the Summa College in Helmond.”

The Summa college is a practice-oriented

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE

Newly appointed member of the Kuehne + Nagel Management Board, Dr Marc Pfeffer.

training site for intermediate vocational education. One of the courses it offers is automotive training, while another specialisation focuses truck mechanics.

The academy had insufficient financial resources to purchase trailer axles and train the students for the maintenance of such axles, so Fuwa Valx BV generously donated rigid axles and drive axles from FUWA and VALX. The delivery of all loose spare parts and brake parts have also been donated.

SWEDEN Transport and logistics company, Gebrüder Weiss, is carrying research equipment for the Swedish Space Corporation.

Preparations are reported to be well underway for the corporation’s 15th space mission.

On 4 November 2022, the Gebrüder Weiss container left Berlin for Sweden.

During a short stopover in Stockholm, research equipment was loaded and is expected to be transported to Kiruna, Sweden.

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Gebrüder Weiss is supporting the ‘SubOrbital Express’ mission with its logistical expertise, having already demonstrated last year its transport capabilities in Israel during the simulation of a mission by astronauts to Mars.

The SubOrbital Express mission involves sending 12 scientific experiments with a rocket into space to study their behaviour in a weightless environment.

The tests onboard have been provided by international research teams covering the fields of biomedicine, physics, astronomy and biology. The purpose of this mission is to gain insights relevant for research work and the work of astronauts in space.

SWITZERLAND Dr Marc Pfeffer has been appointed by the Board of Directors as a new member of the Management Board of the global logistics group, Kuehne + Nagel.

From January 2023, Marc Pfeffer will join the Management Board in his capacity as Group General Counsel and

will remain responsible as Corporate Secretary of its Board of Directors.

Pfeffer (born 1971, a German and Swiss citizen) started at Kuehne + Nagel as Group General Counsel in 2014 and has since been heading worldwide the Legal department with responsibility for Group Legal, including Trade Control and Data Protection. The independently managed Compliance department is also under his responsibility. From mid-2019, Pfeffer assumed additional responsibility as Corporate Secretary of the Board of Directors of Kuehne + Nagel International AG. Before joining Kuehne + Nagel, Pfeffer held senior positions such as General Counsel at DB Netz AG (Frankfurt, Germany) and at OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (Pfäffikon, Switzerland). He studied law at the University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany and received his doctorate in antitrust law with honours.

In other news, the Kuehne + Nagel Group increased its net earnings by 73 per cent in Q3 2022.

For the period January to September 2022, net turnover increased by 40 per cent to approx. €36.3 billion, EBIT by 71 per cent to approx. €3.1 billion and net earnings to approx. €2.3 billion.

“Kuehne + Nagel posted its bestever nine-months results,” said

EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST Stefan Paul, CEO of Kuehne + Nagel International AG. “However, higher energy prices, broadbased inflation as well as geopolitical tensions drive additional volatility in supply chains.

“At the same time, the easing in sea and air freight markets translates to some relief for our customers.

“Our asset-light business model is primarily focused upon responding to our customers’ worldwide needs in a flexible manner while ensuring a high quality of service.”

Net turnover in the business unit Road Logistics amounted to CHF 3.0 billion and EBIT was CHF 120 million for the period from January to September 2022.

High utilisation of networks in all regions once again delivered significant revenue growth. Overall, the result in the third quarter of 2022 was very strong.

By installing photovoltaic systems on truck roofs in the long-haul segment, Kuehne + Nagel is setting a further example of reducing CO2 emissions in Road Logistics. In addition, the first 25 electric trucks were procured for shorthaul distribution in France.

Net turnover in the business unit Contract Logistics amounted to CHF 3.6 billion while EBIT totalled CHF 139 million for the period January to September 2022. Utilisation of warehouse space worldwide was again very high. Growth in the third quarter of 2022 was more pronounced yearon year.

In Contract Logistics, Kuehne + Nagel opened new healthcare distribution centres in Ireland (Dublin) and in the USA (Indianapolis). Both locations are strategically located near their respective international airports.

Net turnover in the business unit Air Logistics amounted to CHF 9.1 billion and EBIT was CHF 1.1 billion for the period January to September 2022. The conversion rate reached 49.5 per cent.

Air freight volumes were 1.7 million tonnes through the end of September 2022. Air Logistics also maintained relatively high average yields in the third quarter of 2022, marking a significant increase on the prior year’s level.

Commercial airline operations were volatile in the first nine months of 2022 due to the overall geopolitical situation and level of uncertainty. Even so, demand for cargo capacity on most trade routes was positive.

Kuehne + Nagel Air Logistics further expanded its healthcare logistics footprint in the third quarter of 2022.

With ‘MedConnex’, the business unit launched regular charter flights, for vaccines, from the pharma hub in Belgium to the Americas, Asia and Africa.

Net turnover in the business unit Sea Logistics amounted to CHF 14.8 billion and EBIT was CHF 1.7 billion for the period January to September 2022. The conversion rate reached 60.9 per cent.

Container volumes were 3.3 million TEU through the end of September 2022. In the third quarter of 2022, the average yield was maintained at an unchanged high level year-on-year.

Overall, complexity in global sea freight markets steadily decreased in the first nine months of 2022, while volatility steadily increased in major trade routes.

Kuehne + Nagel once again championed environmentally friendly technologies in sea freight. With the purchase of biofuel linked to the shipment of 50,000 TEU

in the third quarter of 2022, customers were given easy access to directly CO2e emission-free transport.

DUBAI Equipment specialist, JOST, has announced the opening of its new site in Dubai which will strengthen the company’s presence in the Middle East.

Although the JOST brand has been established in the Middle East market for many years, the new site strategically located in Dubai will provide a local branch that is available and can act immediately at all times for customers.

JOST Middle East Fzco sells proven JOST products such as fifth wheel couplings, landing gears, towing hitches, king pins and trailer axles.

Under the management of Managing Director, Farah Kik, the product portfolio will be expanded to include all JOST products on the future.

JOST CEO, Joachim Dürr, is pleased with the network expansion.

“By opening the new site in Dubai, JOST is decisively pursuing its strategy of customer proximity and strengthening its global presence which ensures market and application support,” he said.

“The unique location Dubai offers global reach and ac- cess to key markets in the Middle East.”

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Transport and logistics company, Aramex, has announced its financial results for Q3 and the nine months ended 30 September 2022. It has also completed its largest acquisition to date.

Revenue for the first nine months of 2022 reached 4.39 billion AED (approx. €1.2 billion) which was relatively

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE EAST unchanged from 4.46 billion AED in 9M 2021.

Solid performance in Freight Forwarding was offset by the softness in the Courier offering, which is attributed to lower volumes in Oceania and North Asia. Revenue was also impacted by the devaluation of currencies in certain markets.

GP margin for the Group was 22.5 per cent in Q3 2022 and 23.8 per cent for the nine-month period. The Courier GP margin was stable at 30 per cent in Q3 2022, and Aramex noted that the Shop & Ship product delivered the highest GP margin since Q1 2021. Freight Forwarding delivered a 2.0-point improvement in GP margin to 14 per cent in the first nine months of the year 2022, while Logistics was impacted by one-offs associated with the restructuring in this product which is expected to be completed by end of 2022, as the company remains focused on quality revenue customers only.

Despite inflationary pressures, 9M 2022 EBITDA margin was solid at 10.6 per cent, driven by the company’s cost optimisation initiatives.

Aramex’s disciplined approach to cost management lowered Operating Expenses (OPEX) during the reporting period, while maintaining investments to scale operations.

In Q3 2022, net profit from continuing operations increased 18 per cent yearon-year to 37 million AED (approx. €9.7 million). Net profit from discontinued operations includes profits incurred in Q3 2021 from InfoFort sale last year.

Year to date, the company reports to have sustained a very healthy liquidity profile with consistent positive free cash flow, a cash balance of 635 million AED

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(approx. €166.4 million), and a debt-toEBITDA ratio of 0.8x, excluding IFRS 16.

Aramex’s strong balance sheet is expected to support the company’s growth strategy including investments in digital and technological infrastructure as well as its active M&A pipeline.

“The strength and resilience of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies contributed to the stability of our top line year to date in 2022,” said Aramex CEO, Othman Aljeda.

“In line with our strategic objectives, our revenue mix is now more diversified both in terms of contributions from the different business segments and from a more diverse customer base.

“Our diversified customer base has further reduced concentration risk, with our top customer currently contributing 7.0 per cent of the group’s total revenue.

“The Courier business remained resilient with a stable GP margin of 30 per cent, supported by initiatives to improve operational efficiencies and the successful rollout of same-day deliveries and other premium services in the GCC. The Freight-Forwarding business continues to be our strong performer, registering double-digit growth in both the three-month and nine-month periods.

“We remain cognisant of global macro activity, and believe that our dominant position in the GCC, a region which is enjoying economic expansion and relatively optimistic consumer sentiment, will continue to support our resilient performance.

“Q4 2022 marks the first quarter that we are consolidating MyUS, a global technology-driven platform that enables cross-border e-commerce, into Aramex operations, and we look forward to unlocking further value over the

long term through revenue and cost synergies.”

Last month, Aramex completed its acquisition of cross-border e-commerce enabler platform, MyUS, for an all-cash purchase price of approx. $265 million USD. As a result of this acquisition, MyUS will be fully integrated into Aramex’s business, operating as a business unit within the company’s Courier business segment. MyUS will retain its brand name and will be complementary to Shop & Ship, Aramex’s subscription-based last mile e-commerce solutions platform.

The acquisition will further strengthen Aramex’s cross-border express business by increasing shipment volumes, growing and diversifying its customer base, and expanding coverage in new origins and destinations. This transaction is also expected to be immediately value accretive for Aramex, providing strong growth in revenues, attractive profitability and superior cash conversion.

MyUS is a leading, US-headquartered, technology-driven and cross-border e-Commerce enabling platform, providing cost-effective package forwarding solutions. In 2021, the company generated more than $100 million USD in revenue and delivered 1.1 million packages to customers who shop from retailers based in the US, UK and China. The company has about 180 thousand active customers. Over its 25-year history, MyUS has mastered a customer-centric business model that addresses the needs of e-commerce shoppers worldwide, underpinned by cutting-edge proprietary software, scalable technology, and industryleading expertise. The company has 300

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AMERICA employees, with the majority based in the US.

SAUDI ARABIA Supply chain services company, Agility, is investing €166.9 million into building a new large logistics park for storage and distribution near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The project is part of a land-concession agreement announced by Saudi Arabia’s State Properties General Administration (SPGA), which will see the construction of a modern warehousing complex on a 576,760-sqaure metre parcel south of Jeddah, starting in Q1 2023.

The announcement comes days after the Saudi Arabian Government unveiled a sweeping plan to transform the Kingdom into a global logistics centre as part of Saudi Arabia’s Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, which is intended to attract €11.3 billion in fresh investment during its first two years.

Under terms of its agreement with SPGA, Agility will have the right to operate the park for 25 years.

Governor of the State Properties General Administration, Ihsan Bafakih, said initiatives such as the Agility facility in Jeddah offer an opportunity to enhance the contribution of the country’s real estate assets to GDP, while increasing the value of the government-held property, developed infrastructure and sustainable buildings.

“This step will help the SPGA pursue and achieve its strategic objective of efficient management of its real estate assets in a way that maximises the benefits for the development of the economy,” he said.

“The SPGA is studying its real estate portfolio and working towards transforming its assets into lucrative investment opportunities by providing

suitable property for sustainable, pioneering projects with private-sector partners.”

Agility Logistics Parks/Global Operations CEO, Michel Saab, said the park in Jeddah will serve international and local customers in the retail, consumer goods, technology, automotive, energy and e-commerce sectors.

“Agility’s Jeddah complex will accelerate Saudi economic growth and make it easier for international and local companies to expand in the Kingdom,” he said.

“Ultra-efficient warehousing and distribution are a huge competitive advantage.

“Companies operating from these parks shorten their time-to-market, reduce cost and risk, increase inventory turns and boost productivity.”

Agility Logistics Parks are secure, connected, 24/7 complexes with Grade A, international-standard warehouses designed with advanced engineering and sustainability features.

Opening of the Agility Logistics Park – Jeddah is anticipated for Q1 of 2025.

US United Parcel Service (UPS) has completed the acquisition of a major healthcare logistics provider.

UPS has acquired Bomi Group which will now operate under the name Bomi Group, a UPS Company. Global Trailer reported the initial acquisition announcement in August.

The UPS Healthcare business unit will add temperature-controlled facilities in 14 countries, and 3,000 highly-skilled employees to the UPS team across Europe and Latin America.

Bomi Group CEO, Marco Ruini, will join

the UPS Healthcare leadership team.

UPS Healthcare customers now have access to 216 facilities in 37 countries and territories.

“Together with Marco Ruini and the Bomi team, UPS Healthcare will deliver even more sophisticated and globally integrated solutions to our customers throughout Europe and Latin America,” said Kate Gutmann, Executive Vice President and President of UPS International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solu “Our combined team, vehicles, and advanced facilities will allow us to expand our pan-European cold chain network and bring the next generation of healthcare logistics solutions to our customers.”

The UPS Healthcare team has developed a detailed transition plan to support the continued growth of the business while further connecting cold chain capabilities to major European and Latin American gateways.

“With the capabilities Bomi Group brings to our network, UPS Healthcare is confident that significant new services and synergies will come in Europe and Latin America from this acquisition,” said UPS Healthcare President, Wes Wheeler.

“As we move into our transition plan, we’re ready to put those synchronised services into action.”

US Transport and logistics operator, Werner Enterprises, has reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2022.

Total revenues for the quarter were €826 million, an increase of around €124.5 million compared to the prior year due to its Truckload Transportation Services (TTS) revenues growth of €94

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA million and logistics revenues growth of €29.1 million.

Operating income was €76.2 million, which increased by seven per cent or €4.9 million year-on-year (YOY).

On a non-GAAP basis, Werner’s adjusting operating income of €79.4 million increased by eight per cent.

Werner Enterprises CEO, Derek Leathers, said the company produced positive financial results despite challenging operating conditions.

“Strong and resilient performance from our durable dedicated fleet more than offset moderating results in our one-way truckload fleet and logistics segment,” he said.

“We are expecting a more subdued peak freight market in fourth quarter compared to a very strong peak freight market in fourth quarter a year ago.”

Werner’s TTS segment, total revenues came in at €620.2 million, with operating income increasing by €11.3 million to €73.9 million.

The logistics segment saw revenues of €186.6 million with an operating income of €5.1 million, decreasing by €2.5 million YOY. Werner Enterprises also announced the acquisition of truckload carrier, Baylor Trucking.

The acquisition delivers on Werner’s DRIVE strategy and will position the company for future growth.

The deal will also bring a series of strategic and financial benefits to Werner, including the addition of 234 drivers and a fleet of 200 trucks.

Werner CEO, Derek Leathers, said both Werner’s and Baylor’s professional drivers are the backbone of the companies.

“Baylor, with its highly-skilled

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professional drivers and non-driver associates, further strengthens our portfolio with their exceptional service and stellar reputation,” he said.

Baylor Trucking President, Cari Baylor, said aligning with Werner will expand its service capabilities.

“We are extremely excited to join the Werner team and look forward to continued growth as we leverage the strengths of Baylor and Werner to serve our existing and new customers at even higher levels,” she said.

“Werner shares our passion for delivering value and continually creating personal and professional opportunities for our elite Baylor team.

“We will stand by our customers and continue to provide them with the superior service they expect from Baylor.”

US Brazil-based OEM, Randon Implementos, acquired North American trailer builder, Hercules, on 1 November 2022.

This deal, which was previously announced in July, marks Randon’s entry into the US market.

For more than 60 years, Hercules, headquartered in Hillsborough, New Jersey, has specialised in the production of skels.

“We have achieved this historic milestone for the company, believing that entering one of the largest markets of semi-trailers in the Western world is a fundamental move in the execution of the sustainable growth strategy we have planned, expanding our international participation in different geographies and enhancing synergies,” said Randon Companies CEO, Sérgio Carvalho.

Randon is among the largest semi-trailer

manufacturers in Latin America. It also maintains a plant in Argentina and works with partners for the assembly of semi-trailers in several strategic global logistics points in Central America and Africa, in addition to a national and international distribution network of more than 175 points.

US Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, has donated a Class 8 drive axle air suspension and trailer axle system to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

The students in the University’s Heavy Equipment Technology program will benefit from hands-on experience with the donated units which feature Neway AD heavy-duty drive axle air suspension with compensating Holland fifth wheel, the Holland heavy duty swivel pintle hook, as well as the SAF trailer axle suspension system with air disc brakes.

“We are excited to be able to donate such critical equipment to the University for students to learn truck and trailer technology and maintenance,” said SAFHolland National Service Manager, Tony Ryan.

“Our fifth wheel and suspension systems and components will benefit the students in the program, providing a first-hand look at class 8 truck and trailer systems,” he said.

“These systems and components will allow hands-on real-world training to students currently enrolled in the University’s Heavy Equipment Technology program as well as generations of future students,” said Daniel Meyers, Program Coordinator.

“Our hands-on labs are some of the best in the country because of donations like

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA this from SAF-Holland.”

Students majoring in Heavy Equipment Technology at the College of Engineering Technology will receive an Associate of Applied Sciences degree at the end of their studies.

According to the University, the AAS in Heavy Equipment Technology focuses on inspection, diagnostics, and repair/ rebuild of all types of heavy-duty equipment. With the completion of their program, students will be able to secure job titles like heavy equipment technician, maintenance technician, and service technician. Students can also choose to stay and pursue the Bachelor of Science in Heavy Equipment Service Engineering Technology.

US Wabash, has released its Q3 2022 financial results.

Net sales for the third quarter 2022 of $655.2 million USD increased 35.8 per cent versus the prior year quarter as the company continued to execute well on strong customer demand.

Consolidated gross profit was $92.0 million USD, or 14.0 per cent of sales.

Operating income was $52.9 million USD, or 8.1 per cent of sales during the quarter. Versus the same quarter last year, gross and operating margins expanded by 340 basis points and 430 basis points, respectively. Third quarter diluted earnings per share was $0.73 USD, which exceeded the Company’s prior quarterly outlook.

Total company backlog as of 30 September 2022 was approximately $2.3 billion, which is an increase of 20 per cent versus the third quarter of 2021 and also represents an all-time third quarter record.

“During the third quarter, Wabash executed very well to generate record sales of $655.2 million USD as well as record quarterly EPS of $0.73 USD,” said Wabash President and CEO, Brent Yeagy.

“This is a meaningful step forward in our financial performance and what makes the quarter even more exciting is the progress made against our strategic plan as we added new dealers, announced a new product line brand, and added additional strategically-aligned expertise to our board of directors that will support Wabash for years into the future.”

For the full-year ending 31 December 2022, the company maintained its outlook for revenue of $2.5 billion USD and increased its EPS guidance to $2.15 USD. “Demand conditions remain strong as evidenced by our order book, which set a third quarter record at $2.3 billion USD and implies $1.7 billion USD of orders in 2023,” said Yeagy. “Our process of booking orders has shifted from transactional to strategic as we engage with customers to plan for how Wabash can serve their needs from across our first to final mile portfolio for the next several years as opposed to the usual one-year out conversation and we expect to have updates on that front in the weeks and months to come.”

BRAZIL Randon Companies presented more than 50 mobility products and services at last year’s Fenatran event in Latin America.

Fenatran is the largest road transport and logistics fair in the region, and is making its return after a three-year Covid hiatus between 7 and 11 November 2022 at São Paulo Expo.

During the 23rd event, Randon Companies is exhibiting solutions in electromobility, intelligent road equipment, nanotechnology and smart composites, among other innovations.

Randon Companies CEO, Sergio Carvalho, said the company will be highlighting its growth and business diversification since the last Fenetran in 2019, as well as its focus on ESG and the global advancement of the company.

“In recent years, we have made important moves to ensure the sustainability of the business through continuous, disruptive and collaborative innovation, seeking advances in sustainable cargo transportation,” he said.

“We have expanded our diversified and robust model and, at the return of Fenatran, we will show the market that innovation continues to materialise in our solutions.”

In two booths, the assembler, auto parts, movement control, and financial and digital services verticals are exhibiting an updated portfolio with new product launches and new product configurations.

Products reserved for Fenatran, such as the Randon Solar, are also available for the public to see and interact with.

The NEW R Line is the guiding concept of the new position for the future of Randon Implementos, reinforcing the pillars of modularity, electromobility, sustainability and embedded intelligence.

The Hybrid-R line of electrified semitrailers is also be available for sale at the event.

Another highlight of the company which is appearing at the fair is the new configurations of the modular platform, which promise to transform the concept

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AMERICA & OCEANIA of cargo transport.

With 14 patents of invention, the structure is joined by riveted connections which reduces the use of welding by about 70 per cent.

Also being lighter, the platform increases the agility for loading and unloading and reduces fuel consumption and maintenance. The modular configuration also allows the platform to be customised for all axle combinations.

The synergy of the financial and digital services of Randon Companies will result in benefits for customers at Fenatran.

Randon Bank and Randon Consórcios is also offering differentiated financial credit opportunities for the purchase of products and for fleet renewal.

BRAZIL Librelato is delivering 222 road train combinations to major Brazilian fleet, GEES SA. Formerly known as RISA S/A, GEES SA operates in the production of grains and supply of fertilisers, pesticides and agricultural machinery, as well as in the provision of grain storage and transport services.

According to Librelato, GEES SA is the largest tipper operator in Brazil and as a result is now diversifying its fleet with the Librelato Evolut Tipper Rodotrem.

These road trains will be used mainly in grain logistics operations via Porto do Itaqui, which is located in São Luís, Maranhão.

Its configurations were customised according to GEES SA’s needs, which includes a mechanised canvas system that provides drivers with more comfort, safety and agility in operations.

GEES SA Maintenance Manager, Daniel Gorgen, said the company’s relationship

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of trust and friendship is so strong that Librelato makes up 99 per cent of its fleet.

“We have a long-standing partnership with Librelato, which gets stronger every year, especially because it listens to its customers’ requests and seeks to serve them in the best possible way, in addition to always improving its products,” he said.

Librelato Commercial Director, Silvio Campos, said the tipper would bring several benefits to GEES SA’s operations.

“The new Librelato tipper family brings the perfect balance between strength and lightness, optimising load capacity,” he said.

“It has evolved over the previous generation, resulting in a payload increase of up to 400 kilograms.

“This product is also very popular because it helps to avoid waste during transport, such as the loss of grains. All this results in better cost-benefit for the customer.”

AUSTRALIA National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Chief Engineer, Les Bruzsa, known to many as the ‘Quadfather’, has been at the forefront of heavy vehicle innovation in Australia as well as Europe, boasting more than 30 years of industry experience. His first local project, in fact, was the introduction of 25m B-doubles.

With a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, a background in private consulting, about 18 years with Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads, as well as being a Fellow of Engineers Australia, it was his stint with the National Transport Commission pre-2007 that saw him work on the development of PBS. Since

2013, Bruzsa joined the NHVR and his continued his important contributions to this area of regulation.

Last year, Bruzsa was inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs. This achievement officially acknowledges the Chief Engineer’s contributions to the heavy vehicle industry, specifically leading the strategic development and improvement of the PBS scheme. Five years prior he was humbled to receive the Castrol Vecton Industry Achievement Award for leading continuous improvement in heavy vehicle regulation and standards.

In terms of emerging trends in PBS, Bruzsa has his finger on the pulse.

“We are seeing significant growth in terms of PBS combination numbers.

By the end of October, 2022, we had more than 15,600 PBS combinations on our register. That number is interesting because when the PBS review was completed in 2011 we predicted that we we’re going to have about 14,000 PBS combinations by 2030. So, now we are in 2022 and those combination numbers have exceeded all of our predictions which is fantastic and shows how well the industry is taking up these high productivity vehicles.”

On the other hand, Bruzsa said this has lead to a huge workload on the administration of the scheme.

“In November 2022, we approved more than 1,920 combinations and as opposed to 2,100 last year,” he said. The trend is not slowing down – it is actually increasing.”

As for the most popular PBS vehicles hitting the road, the NHVR has seen the re-introduction of PBS A-doubles which appears to be an emerging trend.

“In 2021, truck and dogs represented

OCEANIA half of the approved combinations and A-doubles were around 18 per cent. In 2022, truck and dog was around 41 per cent, while A-doubles spiked to about 32 per cent.”

A-doubles are becoming increasingly popular especially in those jurisdictions where access has been improved for these combinations.

“New South Wales and Victoria have been extremely proactive in the introduction of A-doubles and larger combinations including B-Triples,” said Bruzsa. He added that over the past few months he has seen more A-doubles being approved than truck and dog combinations.

His engagement with industry, particularly with trailer manufacturers and transport operators, confirms that the rise in A-double uptake over standard B-doubles is certainly on-trend.

Bruzsa also observed that some jurisdictions are prepared to look at A-double combinations for Level 2 which are longer than 30 metres.

“Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales are now looking at the length limit,” he said. “If an operator needs to optimise a vehicle for a freight task and if it’s a little bit longer than 30 metres, but it still meets PBS Level 2 performance requirements, then the jurisdiction will investigate potential options for access. This could be a game-changer for A-doubles because using 45’ trailers under the 30m overall length limit can be difficult. But if the length is around 30-32 metres it’s just a small enough addition to enable an operator to utilise existing 45’ long trailers.”

There are more than 4,700 transport operators running PBS vehicles.

“If you if you think about this number,

that’s not a niche small market anymore,” said Bruzsa. “We have a lot of operators on our books – it’s a big number.”

To support these PBS advocates the NHVR has committed to improving its administration processes including a boost in resourcing.

“We’re focused on making the submission of PBS documents easier, trying to digitalise all the documents, which is going to be very useful,” said Bruzsa. “Especially when we are looking at access applications and vehicle design applications. We are trying to make the PBS scheme much more transparent and user friendly for the industry. And we have to do that if we want to manage this growth in PBS uptake more efficiently.”

Also, processing times have effectively halved.

“In 2020-21, we had really a difficult time with Covid and the impact it had on our team as well as the industry at large,” said Bruzsa. “The pandemic demonstrated just how important supply chains are and the role the transport industry plays in that space. So, yes, we put lots of emphasis on reducing the response times and, yes, it’s true that we have to handle more applications. It’s a big challenge for the NHVR but you only need to look at a brand-new vehicle combination sitting in a yard, a serious fleet investment, to realise that each day of lost production is costing industry substantially more. We understand the implications of our response times and we want to provide a much, much better service to the industry.”

Bruzsa is excited to see PBS heavy vehicle designs creep into other transport niches, too.

“Initially, it was truck and dogs and container-carrying units but now we

can see that the industry is optimising vehicles elsewhere,” he said. “Now we see innovation in fuel tankers, logging vehicles along with new prototypes and other technological developments such as split axle groups. PBS is providing the framework for innovation and that’s fantastic.”

Looking ahead, the NHVR is reviewing some Performance-Based Standards such as braking requirements and the pavement horizontal loading standards.

Surprisingly, since the introduction of the high productivity scheme in 2007 there hasn’t been an official review of PBS. Bruzsa has teased work behind the scenes on a more strategic project, PBS 2.0.

“We’re trying to come up with future directions, particularly when it comes to policy and technical innovation,” he said. “We’re quite proud of the notices we have released, too, which enable more certainty regarding access for PBS combinations.”

It cannot be stressed enough how valuable the NHVR’s data is when reviewing safety performance of PBSapproved combinations.

“PBS vehicles are significantly safer than the prescriptive fleet,” said Bruzsa.

“Also, the PBS fleet this year would have saved, I predict, about 900 million truck kilometres due to the productivity and efficiency gains those vehicles offer. What does this mean? Well, in a sense we save lives with reduced heavy vehicle travel exposure on Australian roads, reduce fuel usage, cut emissions, minimise the environmental impact on roads and transport infrastructure.

These are all benefits that should be emphasised when looking to grow the national PBS fleet.”

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REEFER TRAILER

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW: CGS COLDSTORES GROUP OF SAUDI ARABIA (CGS), A 46-YEAR-OLD SWISS-SAUDI JOINT VENTURE, KNOWS WHICH SOLUTIONS ARE MOST COST EFFECTIVE IN THE DEMANDING MIDDLE EASTERN AND AFRICAN CLIMATES. CGS IS WELL RECOGNISED THROUGHOUT THE REGION FOR ITS ENGINEERING COMPETENCE AND CAPABILITY TO OFFER BEST IN CLASS TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS.

A

significant change for CGS, in recent years, has been the implementation of a divisional structure. This, according to CGS Group CEO, Peter Färber, who assumed strategic and operative responsibility for the business in 2018, creates a more in-depth focus on specific product lines.

“As a result, our customers benefit from enhanced application expertise and our direct sales force can be true consultants to our customers,” he said. “Sharing of best practices across regional boundaries has become easier and enables CGS to be a continuously learning company.”

Another notable achievement for the Saudi-based business is its progress with Industry 4.0.

“CGS is implementing a clearly defined roadmap to automate processes and main production lines,” he said. “Besides implementing new software solutions, we invest

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significantly into cutting edge technology such as laser scanning, 3D printing, laser CNC, industrial and collaborative robots. Our latest endeavour into Virtual Reality (VR) helps us to enhance customer experience during concept prototyping. All these investments enable us to consistently deliver a superior quality product and produce with higher throughput flexibility. It also makes CGS a very attractive employer.”

During the Covid pandemic the business adjusted its operational practices several times.

COVER STORY

“All our employees have proven to me how agile they are,” said Färber. “I was really impressed by their demonstrated crisis management capabilities.”

The opening of a new Riyadh Service and Maintenance Centre in 2019 is a purpose-built state-of-the-art facility that is easily accessible for CGS customers and has significantly increased the OEM’s service capacity.

“We have accelerated product innovation over the last few years and patenting is ongoing,” said Färber. “But to highlight a few, CGS is the first company in the Kingdom to produce Freon compressor racks for refrigeration applications, we developed a new van insulation based on 3D scanning and we just launched our Total Protection Plan which covers cooling units with a three-year warranty provided that the required service intervals are done by CGS.” The OEM stands out in the trailer manufacturing market in the Middle East, particularly as a preferred supplier, because the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) matters.

“We do not believe in reducing cost at the expense of lower quality or higher maintenance costs,” said Färber. “Our customers do understand that the initial price paid is only a small part of total operating costs. Our engineering capabilities are second to none in GCC. We are able to fulfil the highest customer requirements with tailored solutions.”

In Saudi Arabia, the total weight of trailers and trucks is automatically checked via axle sensors and the information is uploaded to a government portal. CGS is able to produce the lightest trailer in GCC thanks to engineering skills and robot welding.

“Our production process enables CGS to manufacture high-quality trailers consistently,” said Färber. “Customers trust in our competence and capabilities. We are ISO 9001 certified and in process of ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.”

The extreme heat in KSA requires many temperature-controlled transport solutions.

CGS is the local leader in production of reefer trailers.

“We operate a globally unique open pouring plant, developed in partnership with

CGS EXPO2022 was the first event of its kind and was held 20 November 2022.

KrausMaffei; it is the largest plant of its kind in the world and has been upgraded to comply with the Montreal and the Kyoto protocol requirements,” said Färber.

“The ambient temperature does not affect our panel quality and CGS is the only local company that uses this technology. We produce sandwich panels in Saudi Arabia since 1991 and have sufficient experience to cope with the demanding environment. All of this gives our customers investment and asset protection.”

So, what makes CGS special? Well, Färber said it is CGS’ employees. “We call it the ‘CGS family’ as a reflection of how we treat our employees. Many of our employees are multi-skilled meaning they are competent in performing different task. Our leaders operate an open-door policy. They are accessible and handson, they care deeply about quality and customer service. All of them are experts in their relevant field of responsibility which helps us to identify and address issues in a pro-active manner. Our employees and leaders are used to an everchanging environment. This allows CGS to implement improvement ideas and new technologies quite quickly and without much resistance. Customers benefit by receiving a superior solution for their challenges.”

Last November, CGS held its first ever exhibition. It is using EXPO events to showcase innovative new products, customer segment specific solutions, CGS engineering competence as well as automation activities in manufacturing.

“At the same time, we celebrated our 45th anniversary that we reached in 2021,” said Färber. “The amount of international and national representation was very impressive. Among others, we could welcome a Deputy Minister of Industry from the Saudi Government and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Saudi Arabia. It was also a special occasion for celebrating long service awards with our employees.”

Meanwhile, CGS continues to refine its customer service and provides superior refrigeration and transport systems.

“Generally speaking, we tend to meet or exceed promises given to customers,” said Färber. “We invest a lot in reinventing ourselves; I mentioned before our focus to continuous improvement and adapting to new technologies. Our mentality is influenced by Swiss engineering excellence, partly due to the company’s roots.

Of course, we are also looking for innovative solutions around the world and try to adapt them to the GCC market needs.

CGS is the Carrier Transicold distributor in Saudi Arabia. Our reefer bodies are optimised to work with Carrier cooling units and Carrier works together

W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 2 3

CGS celebrates its 45th anniversary.

with CGS to adopt their cooling units to our local environment. Operating in ambient temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius and where sand is always in the air is a demanding task for both the reefer body and the cooling unit. Only professionally trained and competent people can ensure that the life span of a reefer trailer / cooling unit is meeting customer expectations. This is where CGS excels; we invest a lot in training and education to safeguard customer investments.”

A technical deep dive into CGS trailer manufacturing

Trailer chassis CGS can manufacture semi-trailers bodies for reefer applications up to 16.2m in length for GCC and Africa. The chassis is fabricated from either standard or from pre-fabricated high strength steel profile, resulting in a light weight trailer with increased payload.

The chassis can be produced as a single piece or in a modular concept being bolted together to create the required length. A modular concept allows for quick and easy repair and enables CGS to apply just-in-time assembly.

Overall length, width and height is adjusted according to Saudi traffic regulations, while crash barriers and rear bumpers are fitted according to Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organisation (SASO) requirements. CGS is also a SASO certified company to supply accessories on trailer chassis. Other specifications for different countries are produced based on customer and country requirements.

The Reefer trailer body The selection of optimal skin material for reefer body sandwich panel walls is based on the goods to be transported. Different transport applications might require a different solution to meet legal and/or environmental needs.

The skin thickness provides impact resistance and body strength. In the Middle East the skin is exposed to a harsh climate such as sand storms, therefore needs to protect the insulation against skin erosion. Skin erosion leads to vapour penetration. CGS uses for most applications a sheet metal due to the superior

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characteristics (see below), with a zinc and paint coating thickness of at least 20 microns each. PVC coated steel skin is available for food safe applications.

Skin options • Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP): GRP can be a lightweight option but only, if no wood is used to bond the GRP skin. Physical properties of GRP negatively impact total cost of ownership in the GCC region and even globally the trend is overwhelmingly towards using metal skin.

• Metal: This is the most common material that is used in reefer bodies around the world.

It has significant advantages over Glass Reinforced Plastic skin (GRP).

Advantages of Metal over GRP skins: 1. Penetration resistance Ball diameter of 20mm, forces up to 30kg do not cause any lasting deformation.

As a consequence, the skin will less likely need to be repaired hence reducing maintenance costs.

2. Vapour tightness Steel surface layers are absolutely vapour diffusion tight. Consequently, loss

COVER STORY

INDUSTRY 4.0 AND CNC MACHINES

3.

CGS commenced its transformation journey a few years ago according to CGS Group CEO, Peter Färber. “Our end vision is to have a fully automated production with AI driven production planning. We started with a shopfloor control system that gives us full visibility of all our shopfloor activities. This not only enables us to identify best practices and potential training needs, but also helps us to set investment priorities.

4.

Our laser CNC centre and our industrial welding robot are able to communicate directly with our engineering software and are integrated into our production network.

This eliminates potentials for human errors and provides us with a responsive production concept. We are integrating collaborative robots into our manufacturing process where autonomous solutions would limit our flexibility. Machine-to-machine communication is one of our key focus areas and the next automation investments are already in the design phase.

7.

Automation is a complex and demanding topic but it is also a very exciting one.

Innovations evolve rapidly and come from all areas of the globe. It is nearly impossible to maintain visibility of the tools available but we were fortunate to work with McKinsey on identifying the best solutions for our needs.

Our automation journey very much support Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia to become a regional manufacturing powerhouse.”

5.

6.

8.

of insulation properties or payload through the absorption of moisture in the insulation will be avoided.

Corrosion resistance Chemical, physical protection by zinc/steel cathodic effect.

Abrasion resistance Metal is far superior to GRP for abrasion from elements such as sand.

Chemical/biological behaviour Resistance to commercial chemicals, resistance to rotting and decay.

Thermal expansion The thermal expansion coefficient of steel is about 50 per cent less than aluminium and 70 per cent less than GRP. Thermal expansion can influence de-lamination.

Compression strength Only 10 per cent compression at surface load of 500kg/m2.

Thermal capacity Steel surface layers have a much lower heat storage capacity than fibre which results in the vehicle interior requiring less time and energy to cool and hence saves operating and servicing costs of cooling units.

Popular panel manufacturing methods A variety of sandwich panel manufacturing technologies are being used around the world in this industry, each has its own advantage and disadvantages.

• Closed Injection: Most common manufacturing process is closed injection system. In this method, inner and outer skin are placed in the press and chemical is injected into the mould under the closed press. The main disadvantage of closed injection technology is existence of air traps and inconsistent foam distribution resulting in non-optimal material properties.

• Open pouring: Open pouring is the latest technology used by market leaders, where one

W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 2 5

avoids all the disadvantages of closed injection. The outcome is one single piece of insulation panel, free of air traps and produced to a uniform density that meets the optimal requirement range hence saving operating costs. With open pouring technology one can produce a consistent quality regardless of panel dimensions.

• Lamination: In this manufacturing process, panels are produced by laminating different layers and materials. This process utilises blocks made of Styrofoam or PU Foam.

Panel structure and insulation integrity is exposed to the risk of inconsistent lamination. This manufacturing process is mainly suitable for floor and special reinforced panels.

Different types of insulation: There are variety of insulation chemicals that are being used in refrigeration industry.

• P olyurethane (PU) foam: As the most popular insulation, polyurethane offers the least thermal conductivity (Better Insulation Performance) compared to other insulation materials.

PU foam is mixing polyol and isocyanate. The chemical reaction is influenced by how the chemicals are stored and mixed. Engineering starts before the chemicals even enter the mixing chambers, foaming preparation is a continuous and ongoing process that is one of the leading contributing factors to the quality of the sandwich panel.

Maintaining low porosity within the panel directly leads to a higher foam density. A more tightly packed foam means lower thermal conductivity (K-Value or λ-Lambda) which means less insulation efficiency. As a consequence, the cooling unit will have to work harder and for a longer period of time which leads to higher operating and maintenance costs.

Producing a high-quality panel with PU insulation is a process that requires skills and experience. CGS has mastered this complex process and can offer a 10-year warranty on panels.

• E xtruded polystyrene (XPS): Commonly referred to as Styrofoam. This material is usually manufactured in the form of pre-extruded panels or sheets. These panels are suitable for flooring applications where higher rigidity is required without sacrificing

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your products insulation requirements.

Physical requirements a reefer body must fulfil: R educing energy transfer between • ambient and transport temperature The insulation capabilities of a body is measured in what is called the K-value; the lower the K-value the less energy is lost.

The cooling unit will have to work less which means less fuel consumption and less maintenance requirements for the cooling unit. This factor is even more important in areas with high ambient temperature such as the Gulf region or African subcontinent.

The role of the reefer body is to keep the products fresh or, in case of pharmaceutical goods, keep them still working effectively.

Food wastage can be reduced and the food brand benefits from better reputation which should increase customer’s revenue.

CGS customers choose our products because they care about their brand reputation in the market and because they understand the cost of food wastage The K value must be according to international standards. The maximum value for two different types of reefer bodies is given below: For chiller the optimum K-value must be less than 0.7 W/m2-k For freezer the optimum K-value must be less than 0.4 W/m2-k • Maintaining the k value How a refer body is assembled influences how long the thermal efficiency will be maintained. In order to achieve and maintain a high sealing integrity, the following aspects are crucial: • Water proof rivets, single piece of border and kickplate profiles, rubber profiles, type of lights are all determining factors and are playing a vital role in achieving the sealing requirements.

• Proper joint shape combined with the right material are key to achieving the best sealing performance.

• Glue is playing a vital role in achieving the sealing requirements. Over time, the thermal efficiency will be significantly reduced and weight of the water will

290922_

COVER STORY

reduce available payload if moister is absorbed in the panel. CGS Reefer Trailers and Truck bodies are carefully designed to avoid such a negative impact.

• Structural integrity of the body The structure must be designed in such a way that they can bear the cargo load in static and dynamic conditions.

Acceleration, sudden brake, U-turn, lane changes and road conditions put stress on the body causing deflections.

The structure should be able to absorb these forces and must stay in elastic limits defined by international standards.

Key influencing aspects to structural integrity are: 290922_TSE_AD_200x88mm 5mm.qxp_Layout 1 etc.)

29.09.22 • Panel properties+(Joints, thicknesses,

determined by the static and dynamic loads on the body. Optimised for ideal conditions.

• Floor designed according to the application (GRP, Alum, T-section) and loading (Forklift) operation, without sacrificing insulation.

• CGS bodies are assembled by gluing, which offers an advantage over mechanical fixations like riveting, screwing, and bolting which are prone to failure under repetitive stresses.

• Other remarks: The GCC and Africa environment is demanding on metals and rubber used for door seals. CGS bodies uses stainless steel for locks and rivets and all materials used are carefully selected and tested before accepting them into our manufacturing process.

CGS customers know that they have selected the product with best in class ‘total cost of ownership’. There is a reason why leading brands trust CGS products and solutions.

09:16 Seite 1 www.cgs.com.sa

AMERICAN

ANTHEMS

TRAILER MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR SUPPLIERS CONTINUE TO THRIVE UNDER EVER-CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.

A

CT Research is recognised as a leading publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies. It is also a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. ACT Research executives have also received peer recognition, including election to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, appointment as Consulting Economist to the National Private Truck Council, and the Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Economic Indicators’ Most Accurate Economic Forecast over a four-year period.

Eric Crawford, Vice President and Senior Analyst at ACT Research, said current commercial vehicle markets continue to prove resilient in the face of aggressive interest rate hikes.

“October Class 8 net orders were robust, all the more so when considering that September orders set an all-time record,” he said. “Meanwhile, unemployment is just off its 50-plus year low, and inflation remains elevated.

For now, business activity in the truck industry rolls on, seemingly unphased by higher interest rates. That said, we expect this dynamic to shift in 1H 2023, as the Fed continues its aggressive push to subdue inflation.

The longer inflation remains elevated, the more aggressively the Fed will respond with higher interest rates. This, in turn, increases the chances of a sharper decline in economic activity – and 1) will result in fewer commercial vehicles required to facilitate this subdued level of activity, and 2) will likely

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Trailer Industry Net Orders 12 Mo. Avg. and Build January 2012 - October 2022 45

Units (000s) Build

Net Orders 12MMA

40 35

30 25 20

15 10 5

0

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Source: ACT Research Co. © 2022

exacerbate downward pressure on spot and contract rates, adversely impacting carrier profitability. Cracks in the economy are becoming more evident: the impact of higher rates has begun to slow activity in the housing sector, and large layoffs have started in the tech sector.”

Meanwhile, Jennifer McNealy, DirectorCV Market Research & Publications at ACT Research, has commented on major challenges impacting the trailer manufacturing industry in North America.

“While US trailer manufacturers continue to wrestle with rolling supply-chain

MARKET REPORT

“We had a good quarter with strong top-line growth globally led by Walmart and Sam’s Club US, along with Flipkart and Walmex,” said Walmart President and CEO, Doug McMillon.

“Walmart US continued to gain market share in grocery, helped by unit growth in our food business. We significantly improved our inventory position in Q3, and we’ll continue to make progress as we end the year. From The Big Billion Days in India, through our Deals for Days events in the US and a Thanksgiving meal that will cost the same as last year, we’re here to help make this an affordable and special time for families around the world.”

disruptions, as well as challenges on the labor front, tangible improvements are being made, as illustrated in the build data.” she said. “Demand remains strong: Higher interest rates have not yet begun to impact trailer OEMs or their customers, with ‘yet’ being the operative word in the feedback received from OEMs recently.

OEMs continue to negotiate with fleets,

60

50

OCTOBER 2022 NET TRAILER ORDERS 47,860 UNITS

2022 2021

40

Units in ‘000s

FAST FACT Multinational retail corporation, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, Walmart, reported strong revenue growth of 8.7 per cent for Q3 2022. Total revenue was $152.8 billion USD. Meanwhile, e-commerce growth was 16 per cent and 24 per cent on a two-year stack. The company’s operating income was $6.0 billion USD, an increase of 3.9 per cent.

with efforts quickly moving to booked business. Signifying the current tightness in the market, 2023 capacity is filled about as soon as OEMs make it available to customers. We believe demand for 2023 build slots remains quite strong and, as expected, are seeing a jump in order activity as OEMs deepen their 2023 orderboard openings.”

McNealy has also analysed the state of manufacturing in the US based on trailer net order data over the past few years.

“The story of US trailers over the past few years has been more about supply than demand,” she said. “Demand has been and remains very healthy, but the industry’s ability to meet fleet demand has been stifled by supply-chain constraints, globally as well as domestically. This resulted in a significant disconnect between orders and build, but the tables are beginning to turn.

“Demand remains strong and with more 2023 orderboards opening, October net orders continued their upward trend.

30

20

10

0 J

F

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A

M

J

J

A

S

O

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Source: ACT Research Co. © 2022

W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 2 9

“With the supply-chain constraints improving for trailer manufacturers, as well as their increasing nimbleness in meeting and mitigating those challenges, OEMs are more comfortable accepting orders, and the ongoing upward trend in net order data demonstrates that.

“Additionally, backlog-to-build ratios remain in above-target territory, on average, meaning fleets needing trailers are getting in queue and staying there.”

ACT Research Vice President and Senior Analyst, Tim Denoyer, in relation to the transport and logistics industry in North America, said spot rates are now further below costs than ever before.

“While we lower truckload rate forecasts on supply factors, we believe the bottoming process is beginning as spot rates are now further below costs than ever before,” he said.

“November’s report focuses on the key question of how much further spot rates can decline and concerns about diesel shortages, which could hasten the bottoming process. Goods demand is soft and destocking is just beginning, but lower freight costs are set to be a growing disinflationary force in 2023.

“Additionally, power-only truckload brokerage is an interesting trend in US logistics, playing to the strengths of large trailer fleets and enticing more logistics providers to consider trailer fleets. We think the retiring baby boomer demographic and rising drug test failures will tighten the market for professional drivers again in the future, and live-loading is just not the best use of drivers’ time, so this trend is likely to continue. This will require a higher trailer to tractor ratio, key for trailer makers.”

As for opportunities for trailer builders to grow, ACT Research Vice President and Senior Analyst, Eric Crawford, said: “Besides normal cyclicality, one industry trend impacting growth has been the increased adoption of drop and hook, necessitating a higher ratio of trailers relative to tractors.”

In November 2022, ACT Research released a forecast on new trailer components and materials for those in the trailer production supply chain, as well as those who invest in said suppliers and commodities, with forecast quantities of components and raw materials required to support the trailer forecast for the coming five years. It includes near-term quarterly predictions

Total Trailers Backlog & Backlog/Build Ratio January 2012 - October 2022 275

BL/BU Ratio (Months)

Units (000s) BL/BU Ratio

250

Backlog

Backlog SA

225

200 175 150 125 100 75

12

50

10

25

8 6 4

With 2023 orderboards more fully open now, October’s BL/BU ratio reversed trend, increasing to 7.4 months (8.5 months SA on seasonally high BL).

12

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14

Source: ACT Research Co. © 2022

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15

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17

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0

for two years, while the latter three years of the forecast are shown in annual details.

Additionally, analysis is segmented into two categories: those needed for the structural composition of new trailers and those used in the production of undercarriage assembly.

“Recent discussions indicate US trailer OEM business conditions are on-par with September and seem to be getting better,” said McNealy. “Demand remains healthy, cancellations are low, and material/ component supply-chain constraints are narrowing. With the availability of 2023 build slots varying widely by OEM, complicated by already long backlogs, customers’ ability to place orders is limited.”

Regarding the impact of inflation on OEMs, McNealy added: “Difficulty in projecting part and material prices has made it tough for manufacturers to set firm prices for trailers currently on order. That said, most are re-pricing orders with customers as production is set to commence.”

In response to still-strong business conditions, she cautioned, “While we welcome improvements, reports from the field indicate that supply chain constraints or tight labour markets are not a thing of the past just yet. We expect production levels to remain relatively constant in the near term.”

MARKET REPORT

FAST FACT FedEx has committed $4.0 billion USD to its ‘Deliver Today, Innovate for Tomorrow’ strategy.

“We’re moving with speed and agility to navigate a difficult operating environment, pulling cost, commercial, and capacity levers to adjust to the impacts of reduced demand,” Raj Subramaniam, FedEx Corp.

President and CEO said in September 2022.

“As our team continues to work aggressively to address near-term headwinds, we’re meaningfully strengthening our business and customer experience, including delivering an outstanding peak.”

For the first quarter ended 31 August 2022 consolidated operating results were adversely impacted by global volume softness that accelerated in the final weeks of the quarter due to weakening economic conditions.

Operating income for the reported period was $1.19 billion USD while revenue was $23.2 billion USD. In addition, results were negatively affected by service challenges at FedEx Express. Yield improvements, including fuel surcharge increases, more than offset the decline in volume, resulting in an increase in revenue for the quarter.

In response, the company implemented cost actions and continued its focus on yield management and revenue quality to mitigate the effect of volume declines. However, the impact of cost actions lagged volume declines and operating expenses remained high relative to demand.

FedEx Express operating income declined 69 per cent due to an 11 per cent yearover-year reduction in global package and freight volume. The impact of cost actions lagged volume declines and operating expenses remained high relative to demand.

These factors were partially offset by yield management actions, including higher fuel surcharges.

FedEx Ground operating income increased 3.0 per cent primarily due to yield management actions, including higher fuel surcharges, and growth in FedEx Home Delivery. These factors were partially offset by higher operating expenses, primarily due to increased purchased transportation costs and other operating expenses.

FedEx Freight operating income increased 67 per cent, driven by yield management actions, including higher fuel surcharges, partially offset by higher salaries and employee benefits and lower shipments.

Commercial vehicle expert, Kent Jones, President – Americas at SAF-Holland, weighs in

Q: Can you comment on the state of the transport and logistics industry in North America?

A: According to FTR’s Economic & Commercial Vehicle Equipment Forecast, the demand for new trailers remains robust through mid-2023 while truck OEMs are now filling build slots well into Q2 and the early part of Q3 2023.

US manufacturers are optimistic that component shortages will improve in the coming months and throughout the first half of next year.

Q: Have you observed any industry trends of note?

A: North America is continuing the trend towards electrification of not only trucks but trailers with both wired and wireless telematic technology systems that provide a robust platform for aggregating smart solutions and sensors.

Q: What is SAF-Holland working on to support trailer manufacturers and fleets?

A: Innovation is crucial to the continuing success of SAF-Holland. SAFHolland will be introducing the TRAKr electric axle for the North American market. It can be used on all trailers with electrical-consuming units such as refrigerated trailers and electro-hydraulic units to eliminate noise and CO2 emissions. The state-of-the-art technology is designed to meet the strictest legal requirements for inner-city low-emission and environmental restriction zones.

Our Haldex brake and air control solutions allow us to offer a higher level of system integration by combining the entire axle dressed in the suspension, the braking and air control components, all with smart sensor capable technology. We think that’s appealing to many of the trailer makers, and to the fleet users that are in the marketplace today.

Q: What is SAF-Holland’s aftersales support network like? Has it experienced growth?

A: With the recent Haldex acquisition, we gain network growth through consolidation. The addition of the Haldex product line will bring organic sales growth, but more importantly, it will

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expand our reach, growing our SAF and Holland service part sales.

Q: Has there been growth in aftermarket?

A: According to MacKay & Company, the year 2022 for the US will end with a 16.5 per cent increase in aftermarket growth over 2021, while 2023 is forecasted to be 6.0 per cent over 2022.

Q: Are there any specific products you would like to detail?

A: Our Holland fifth portfolio continues to be the most robust in the industry with offerings to meet all applications, from moderate to standard to severe duty.

Q: Are there any strategic plans or goals you can share for 2023?

A: A high priority goal for our North America operations will be to integrate the Haldex portfolio of brake and air control products into the SAF-Holland Group as quickly as possible to enhance our suspension system offerings, which will deliver a measurable increase in value to our OEM and fleet customers.

We expect more investments in advanced product research and development to the company’s West Michigan world class test lab facility. A focus will be on bringing more and more products with innovations that improve efficiencies for our customers.

Q: Is there anything you would like to mention?

A: From a global perspective, the Haldex acquisition will strengthen our global product brand offerings, which are represented by SAF, Holland, and Haldex. We also continue to support regional markets with the following brands: KLL; Neway; V. Orlandi; Trailer Master; and York. www.globaltrailermag.com

FAST FACT For the quarter ended 30 September 2022 Amazon’s net sales increased 15 per cent to $127.1 billion USD. In particular, North America segment sales increased 20 per cent year-overyear to $78.8 billion USD. Operating income decreased 5.0 per cent year-over-year to $27.7 billion USD. The business also noted a decline in operating income and net income.

“In the past four months, employees across our consumer businesses have worked relentlessly to put together compelling Prime Member Deal Events with our eighth annual Prime Day and the brand new Prime Early Access Sale in early October,” said Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy. “The customer response to both events was quite positive, and it’s clear that particularly during these uncertain economic times, customers appreciate Amazon’s continued focus on value and convenience. We’re also encouraged by the steady progress we’re making on lowering costs in our stores fulfilment network, and have a set of initiatives that we’re methodically working through that we believe will yield a stronger cost structure for the business moving forward. There is obviously a lot happening in the macroeconomic environment, and we’ll balance our investments to be more streamlined without compromising our key long-term, strategic bets. What won’t change is our maniacal focus on the customer experience, and we feel confident that we’re ready to deliver a great experience for customers this holiday shopping season.”

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Watch the video

REISCH TURNS TO VALK WELDING FOR

MODERN

MACHINERY

TO KEEP UP WITH AN INCREASE IN DEMAND, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MANUFACTURER, MARTIN REISCH, TURNED TO VALK WELDING FOR STATE-OFTHE-ART ROBOTIC SYSTEMS.

W

hen we see the columns of trucks on the highways, hardly anyone thinks about how complex the production of commercial vehicles can be. The company Martin Reisch manufactures truck bodies, tipping bodies, chassis and subassemblies for trucks and agricultural vehicles in Eliasbrunn. Reisch has supplied more than 155,000 vehicles in over 69 years and currently has 220 employees who produce about 1,100 trailers annually for the agricultural and commercial vehicle industries.

Increasing demands have led Reisch to continually invest in modern machinery and recently started working with a welding robot system from

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Valk Welding.

For this project, the task was not only to find a welding solution, but also to integrate the welding robots into an existing building.

The low height of the production hall presented a demanding challenge, as the end products had to rotate around their own axis. The robotic system has two robots mounted upside down on their own gallows with a track length of 33 metres, so that assemblies of up to 12 metres long and 3.5 metres wide can be processed.

On one track, two individually programmable welding robots (hanging) were placed, which work in the two workstations autonomously to weld parts such as containers for dump trucks or chassis for trucks. The relatively low working height placed high demands on the mechanics and on the corresponding welding fume extraction systems. A special construction was developed for this purpose so that the two robots could operate together on one station. Electrically, the welding fume extraction unit is connected to the robot

B U I LT TO TA S K

– for instance, the robot takes over the control as soon as necessary. The extraction unit automatically receives a command, increases the starting speed and only then is the arc ignited, so that the resulting welding fumes are immediately extracted. Intelligent control of the welding fume extraction is thus ensured across the board.

Marco Beyer, Plant Manager at Reisch Eliasbrunn, is impressed by the overall efficiency of the system and can focus his attention on surface treatment thanks to the consistently high welding quality. In a multi-stage machining process, vehicle parts are sandblasted after welding and then subjected to a primer dipping process.

Afterwards, all parts are subjected to a highquality two-component paint finish, which is used in both vehicle divisions. The circle is complete once the finished vehicles are on the road. www.valkwelding.com

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A MOBILITY

PARTNER AND SO MUCH MORE

THORE BAKKER – GENERAL MANAGER TRAILER SOLUTIONS & MOBILITY SERVICES AT BPW BERGISCHE ACHSEN KG – REFLECTS ON LAST YEAR’S IAA TRANSPORTATION EVENT AND OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF WHAT’S TO COME.

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hore Bakker joined BPW Bergische Achsen KG in 2017 and has been General Manager for the Trailer Solutions & Mobility Services Business Unit since 2019. In this role, he is responsible for overall sales (original equipment and original spare parts market) and product management.

Global Trailer followed up with Bakker to learn more about his industry insights specifically in regards to BPW’s latest developments.

Q: Did you take away anything surprising or unexpected from IAA Transportation?

A: I experienced a lot of new developments and ideas at the fair, especially with regard to alternative drives. The industry has shown enormous power and spirit of optimism. But when I turn on the TV in the evening, the media tell me exactly the opposite.

Q: Was the BPW exhibition at IAA a success?

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A: Last year we deliberately designed our trade fair presence differently than in the years before. As you know economies all over Europe are suffering from rising energy prices, disrupted trade routes and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

We therefore avoided the usual trade fair glitter and focused on the cost-effectiveness of our solutions as well as the reunion and exchange of ideas with hauliers, drivers, dispatchers, fleet managers and innovative industry partners. This allowed us to successfully show and discuss our trade fair innovations in an informal solidaric atmosphere.

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Q: Are there any important messages or topics from IAA you would like to reiterate?

A: In the transport and logistics industry the main question is how transport can become more economical and environmentally friendly. Alternative drives are a good solution, but they require a high initial investment. The trailer already holds particular potential to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This is also subject of a whitepaper that we published and which can be downloaded on our website. Some of the trailer solutions that we address in the white paper even pay off in the first year. All fleet operators should therefore spend time becoming familiar with the relevant trailer features.

Q: At IAA you also introduced an online amortisation calculator. What are the advantages of providing industry with this tool for vehicle operators that incorporates BPW products and services? Has this helped to boost the uptake of BPW technologies?

A: As I said, facing the current energy and economic challenges, many vehicle operators are looking for solutions that make transport more economical.

Sometimes the less-obvious details can reveal whether a trailer brings in thousands more - or thousands less - in terms of euros per year. Sample calculations like mine just before on AirSave are good because they show where the journey can go. But they do not address the individual situation of the vehicle operators. So now we are providing an online efficiency calculator that can be fed with individual operating and vehicle data, which it uses to precisely calculate amortisation and additional income and display it graphically. The feedback from our customers has been very positive so far because they can directly calculate their return on investment now.

Q: Would you be able to walk us through the main products and services that are on offer via the calculator tool?

A: The online calculator is available for our tyre pressure refill system AirSave, our intelligent load securing iGurt, the PSP maintenance contract and the electric 7.5 tonne truck BAX. The amortisation calculator will be continuously expanded with additional BPW products and services in the coming year.

Q: How sophisticated is the online amortisation calculator in terms of demonstrating the advantages of incorporating BPW equipment? Does this still require wintervention from subject matter experts at BPW to reinforce the benefits and explore other potential opportunities?

A: The amortisation calculator is self-explanatory and easy to use. All you

Thore Bakker.

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need to do is enter a few details about your own fleet into the tool. The amortisation period is then calculated automatically. And the website also offers additional information on our products.

Q: Can you share any specific case studies or examples of a road transport fleet that has turned to BPW to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions and tyre wear? Alternatively, can you speak more broadly about feedback from the industry about the perks of investing in BPW as a supplier and business partner?

A: Our strength is that we already involve vehicle manufacturer and vehicle operators in research and development at an early stage. We want to understand their real requirements and challenges as best as possible. And we develop with a holistic approach. In this way, we achieve efficiency gains from production to assembly at the vehicle manufacturer to the vehicle operator’s operating and maintenance costs. And more efficiency is always a win for the environment. In addition to other exciting topics from transport and logistics we regularly report on our online portal motionist.com about collaborations with customers and partners. A central question is always why they chose BPW and how they benefit from it.

I would like to use the example of the AirSave tyre pressure control system

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to illustrate our approach: With AirSave, we prepare the installation process by using factory-pre-assembled components. This allows the installation to be integrated smoothly and efficiently into the vehicle manufacturer’s processes. They only need to replace the wheel hub caps and mount the rotor. The system can also communicate directly with the telematics system, the driver’s smartphone and, if desired, with the dispatcher. To demonstrate the advantage for hauliers I like to use the example of a 1012 tonne four-axle low-loader semitrailer driving with twin tyres and an average of 10 per cent pressure deviation in the tyres.

With a mileage of about 80,000 kilometres per year, AirSave can save up to 350 litres of fuel in this case. If the lower tyre wear is taken into account, haulage companies save around 1,750 euros per vehicle per year at

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a current diesel price of two euros per litre.

Q: How do you make fleet operators care or become more mindful about how their truck and trailer investments affect the business bottom line?

A: This is a good question, because it should be in the interest of every business to examine their investments in this respect – regardless of the branch. But since the transport and logistics industry is facing enormous and particularly various challenges, it is up to us to prove to them that investing in BPW solutions pays off. We don’t rely on catchy advertising slogans to persuade, but on serious facts and figures. The data which forms the basis for the online amortisation calculator was determined through extensive practical tests in real-life driving mode. Our white paper also explains in detail the potential contributions of modern trailer technologies to the economic efficiency of transports and makes the calculations transparent.

A: There is a lot going on in the field of electromobility. The current energy crisis once again demonstrates our dependence on fossil fuels. So electromobility will play a very important role in the energy transition in the coming years. But today no one knows exactly which technology is really the most adequate, considering the entire mix of environment, charging infrastructure, energy generation and energy distribution. We need to think technology open. I think that we will end up using electric motors that are being powered by batteries or fuel cells, with batteries being the most efficient at the moment. The eTransport axle that powers our 7.5 electric truck BAX is actually open to both.

Q: What was the overall impression from those who performed test drives of the BAX at IAA? Can you share any feedback? Similarly, what was the conversation like on the BPW stand about the BAX? Are fleets keen to invest in it and see the vehicles hit the road in the near future?

Thore Bakker and Thermo King President, Dwayne Cowan, at IAA Transportation. The Thermo King AxlePower System with BPW ePower axle won third place in Trailer Innovation Awards.

Q: Why does BPW support the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO)? Should the industry get behind this initiative?

A: The EU has set ambitious climate protection targets – but these are being missed by the transport sector. Therefore, in addition to towing vehicles, the EU will set fleet thresholds for trailers from 2024 onwards. Trailer manufacturers who fail the yet to be defined fleet consumption targets can expect fines. The VECTO tool will make it easier to compare trailers and reward climate-friendly technologies with a CO2 bonus. So the regulation is a great advantage for innovative vehicle manufacturers and their system partners as it creates more transparency and comparability, where previously the sales price was the main focus. The new trailer certification will be a win-win situation for our environment and for vehicle operators. So yes, the industry should surely get behind this initiative to combat climate change.

Q: Are you excited about the future of electromobility? Why?

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BPW’s Thore Bakker with Alltrucks CEO and CFO, Homer Smyrliadis.

A: We received very positive feedback at the IAA. BAX was on the road non stop and covered more than 360 km on the fair test track during that week. In addition to the test drives we had intensive discussions with fleet managers about BAX at our BPW booth. An increasing number of entrepreneurs are interested in equipping their fleets with alternative drivetrains. And in the niche of 7.5-tonne trucks, which is absolutely necessary for inner-city logistics, there are very few offers. Moreover, our customers have shown us that they need such vehicles when it comes to entry restrictions for combustion engines in city centres. Because it is obvious that large furniture, electronic goods and household removals cannot be shifted to cargo bikes.

In the run up to the trade fair BAX was already on roadshow through German cities. Interested commercial vehicle operators and journalistswere able to convince themselves of its everyday suitability.

Between the roadshow stops, BAX was also tested by customers in their normal daily business for several days. The practical tests showed that it is indeed the perfect vehicle for inner-city traffic. Many customers were enthusiastic about the vehicle’s real range. Despite being fully loaded, ranges of over 200 kilometres are the norm.

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Q: The BAX has been designed so that the driver is at eye level with road users, pedestrians etc. This is incredible for improving safety especially for inner-city applications. Do you agree? Can you touch on other safety features?

A: Yes, the BAX driver sits about as high as in an SUV – which means at eye level with cyclists and pedestrians. This seat height allows eye contact with other road users and makes it easier to get in and out of the truck. This offers a big plus in terms of safety. Our BAX also comes with comprehensive accident prevention systems, including a rear-view camera and a turn-off assistant that warns the driver that cyclists, pedestrians, and motorbikes are in the “blind spot”. ABS, ESP, ASR and

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an emergency brake assistant shorten the braking distance and ensure that the BAX remains controllable even in dangerous situations. And a track-keeping system is also on board.

energy 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, depending on battery size and set point, provides on average five hours of refrigeration unit autonomy to cover stationary operations.

Q: Does BAX address or overcome other specific industry challenges? Please elaborate?

A: Normal trucks are very noisy. Electric delivery vehicles for urban distribution traffic like our BAX therefore promise not only relief for the climate, but also a considerable gain in quality of life for residents and drivers. However, so far mainly light vans up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight are available with electric drive – but for many tasks in urban distribution transport their payload is not sufficient. Our BAX transports a payload of up to 3 tonnes and it is as quiet as an electric car. A further particular advantage is the powerful battery (from BMW i), which gives the BAX 7.5 a range of up to 200 kilometres. It can also be connected to an external consumer – such as an electric cooling unit, so even urban fresh food logistics are possible. Taken together, these advantages offer the best opportunities for low noise logistics at off-peak times in the late evening or early morning. In this way, urban traffic could be effectively relieved.

Drivers would no longer be constantly stuck in traffic jams and would easier find parking spaces.

Q: Do you have any comments to share about how Alltrucks Truck & Trailer Service is expected to enhance service networks in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and beyond?

A: The Alltrucks partners in central Europe as well as selected existing service partners offer maintenance and repairs of our trailer axles and suspension components. With this cooperation we are strengthening our service network initially in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands and will then successively expand it throughout Europe. On the other hand we are supporting Alltrucks with our spare parts trade network. They will have access to our innovative digital services - such as a smartphone app which can be used to identify spare parts in seconds, and which will give access to maintenance documentation and instructions in the future. Upon request we can also provide them with a digital spare parts warehouse that can be integrated into the existing workshop system or placed on the premises as a pre-equipped container. It is named ‘Upbox’. They can then simply pick spare parts from the shelves; through Radio Frequency Identification Tags the parts are automatically identified, invoiced and replenished. So it is a win-win-collaboration not only for both of us but also for vehicle operators to get the best possible uptime during daily business.

Q: What can you tell me about the collaboration with Thermo King on the ePower axle-driven generator?

A: ePower are two axle-integrated generators with an own control software.

The system generates energy in the trailer during driving and deceleration that is used to operate hybrid or fully electric refrigeration units. So kinetic energy is not lost but used efficiently. Depending on the configuration this saves the freight forwarder up to 4,000 litres of diesel per year and trailer for operating the refrigeration unit. The AxlePower solution from Thermo King stores this generated

Q: It is our understanding that the specialised Alltrucks partner workshops will take over the aftersales of BAX? A: With our support, selected Alltrucks partners will successively build up and expand know-how for the service, maintenance and repair of our BAX. Spare parts for the electric truck will be available through our BPW Aftermarket and the dealers of the BPW Aftermarket Group.

Q: Looking at the open-system transport telematics solutions from your subsidiary idem telematics, why is it important for vehicle operators to be able to share selected data without surrendering their data sovereignty?

A: The digitisation of transport enables total transparency across the entire supply chain. That’s why more and more hauliers are being asked to share transport data with their clients. But this transparency is not always in the interest of hauliers as they might release unfiltered data to their clients’ systems, which inevitably also reveals business-sensitive information. So our telematics experts from idem telematics now enable hauliers to manage data relating to trips and orders. The data can either be entered directly in the telematic portal cargofleet3 or transferred from an external transport management system (TMS). Based on these trips, the haulier can monitor the transport in real time and forward selected data in a targeted manner to the shipper or other partners – data such as continuously updated estimated time of arrival (ETA) or temperature reports. In this way hauliers retain full sovereignty over their data and do not become dependent on third-party systems. www.bpw.de

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ADVANCED

STYLE IN RECENT MONTHS, THERMO KING UNVEILED AN IMPRESSIVE PORTFOLIO OF NEW REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES AT IAA TRANSPORTATION. ACCOMPLISHED LEADER AND COMPANY PRESIDENT, DWAYNE COWAN, DISCUSSES ELECTRIFICATION, MODERN TRAILER REFRIGERATION AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE FROM TRANE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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wayne Cowan is President of Thermo King Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Global Marine, Air Rail at global climate innovator, Trane Technologies. Prior to his current role, Cowan served as Vice President of Commercial Sales and Service for the Thermo King Americas business at Trane Technologies.

Since joining the company in 2006, Cowan has worked in roles of increasing leadership responsibility, including district and regional sales and product management – all within the Thermo King business. He has maintained a strong track record of delivering business growth and meeting customers’ evolving needs through innovative solutions, while keeping customers engaged as well as creating an uplifting and inclusive team culture.

Cowan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Georgia College of Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University.

At IAA, the world’s largest transportation mobility show, held last September

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in Hanover, Germany, Cowan spoke with the Global Trailer team in an exclusive interview.

Taking the reins on a global scale

At the time, having only been in Europe for about six weeks in his new role leading the business, Cowan explained how innovation is remarkable in this region and that while advanced e-axle power is a great introduction to electrification, one should take a look at Thermo King’s entire electrification portfolio.

Thermo King has committed to invest more than $100 million over the next three years to deliver a fully electric product in

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Thermo King President, Dwayne Cowan.

FAST FACT Thermo King and BPW were awarded a third place in the 2023 Trailer Innovation Awards in the category ‘Environment’ for their development – the Advancer AxlePower system. It generates energy when while the vehicle is rolling or braking and stores the energy in a high voltage battery to power the refrigeration unit.

The perks of going all-electric and futureproofing with power agnostic capabilities The new Thermo King Advancer models are all proving to be popular in the market, according to Cowan, because of their fuel efficiency. “The Advancers are bringing a fuel reduction of about 30 per cent to the multi-temp segment.

Taking fleet costs into consideration, fuel is a big deal, so we’re excited to present our refrigeration solutions to drive down energy costs for the end user.”

Customers are coming back to Thermo King as a direct result of these fuel savings. The company has also focused on the range of vehicles using its all-electric systems. There are two battery sizes – 19 kilowatt and 38 kilowatt. With the 19-kilowatt battery you can expect up to five hours of autonomy. When taking advantage of the energy recuperation of the e-axle and other systems the driver would typically start the journey with a fully charged battery and the system itself would be powering the reefer unit only until the first stop, and then top up the battery after each stop. With 38 kilowatt-hours, a driver would have about nine hours of autonomy which is ideal in instances of idle traffic.

every segment of the cold chain by 2023 in EMEA and 2025 in the Americas.

Cowan shares, “we’re expecting we will have 65 percent of our portfolio electrified by 2025 and 90 percent of our products electrified by 2030,” he said.

“So, we’re really investing in electrification. That’s our story.

“If you think about Trane Technologies as a global company, we’re focused on boldly challenging what’s possible for a sustainable world – this is what drives us every day. We expect one billion metric tonnes of emissions to be removed from the environment by 2030, from our customers’ carbon footprint.

We’re doing a lot to ensure that we’re making society a better place. That’s our purpose and you can see that in our investments here.”

Thermo King is developing systems for hybrid-electric vehicles as well as fully-electric vehicles, including trucks, trailers and buses.

“This is the result of decades of investment in electrification,” said Cowan.

“You can see it go right across our product portfolio – these are exciting times for us.”

While these developments are exciting for the team at Thermo King, it has also piqued the interest of customers in the trailer segment.

“We’ve seen some big customers who want to be a part of it, and it’s the new electrification technology we’re introducing that is getting the attention,” said Cowan. “These customers are investing in technologies that are greener and align with their sustainability goals. I think long term it’s an economic strength.”

It is true that sustainability is a major focus for many road transport fleets in the market – especially when looking at what operators want to achieve with their equipment – however Cowan would argue that it depends on who you talk to. “For some operators, sustainability is a top priority and there are others who want to learn more about it. At Thermo King we are educating customers on the advantages of moving forward with the right type of product portfolio.”

This education typically involves Thermo King sitting with a client, running through the technology and even organising trials.

“You want people to try it in their fleet to understand it is different,” said Cowan. “You’ll have access to unlimited energy, too, and there’s different profiles

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for drivers to use so we think that it’s important that people try it; you just don’t put it out there. You actually have to talk to them about the technology so they understand the limitations and what they can get from the technology.”

Another technological consideration is telematics, which is available as standard across the Thermo King range of products. Fleet asset tracking and monitoring continues to see digital innovation.

“There’s always things that are coming up from the telematics standpoint to make the fleets more efficient, which allows us to continually innovate in our telematics portfolio platform,” said Cowan. “We are listening to the needs of our customers and bringing it back to our development teams to create new solutions for them. You’ll see more and more of this with the electrified models.”

By understanding how these vehicles are used, looking at the data, Thermo King can continuously improve by optimising the energy consumption from the unit design as well as device solutions that extend the range of electrified vehicles. The company has analysts and data scientists, who review and interpret this technical data, so that they can relay it as valuable information to the customer.

A complete series of innovative transport refrigeration solutions

At IAA, Thermo King unveiled three new Advancer trailer refrigeration systems: Advancer Spectrum bringing the award-winning performance, precise temperature control and fleet connectivity capabilities of the Advancer range to the multi-temperature market segment; Advancer AxlePower, a smart energy generating system; and Advancer-e, an all-electric, engineless and power agnostic refrigeration unit.

The three new trailer refrigeration systems expand the Thermo King Advancer A-Series portfolio, renowned for its performance, temperature control, system efficiency and fleet connectivity.

Advancer Spectrum features multi-zone temperature configurations, with precise temperature management and reduced fuel and operational costs.

The new Advancer Spectrum features a 48V DC mild-hybrid technology now available for temperature configurations of two distinct zones during the same journey, with precise temperature management and set point control.

Advancer Spectrum introduces a new level of performance to the multitemperature trailer Advancer A-Series, fastest temperature recovery and pulldown, and highest refrigeration capacity on the market. Advancer Spectrum is reported to deliver up to 30 per cent savings on fuel costs compared to the market average. The units’ architecture also lowers service interval rate of up to 30 per cent and reduces unscheduled maintenance by up to 60 per cent.

The new, custom-designed remote evaporators bring additional capacity to the remote zone, maximising the flexibility and efficiency of customers’ operations.

Combined with the all-new Advancer multi-temp controller, customers are able to precisely manage the temperature while gaining real-time insight into how the unit is running, how the temperature zones are performing and how much fuel the unit is using.

Advancer Spectrum is the first multi-temperature trailer unit on the market, according to Thermo King, offering complete transparency of fuel levels and consumption. Customers can access the fuel consumption and other data both on the unit and remotely via telematics, enabling them to optimise their fleet. Fleet intelligence is standard, as Advancer Spectrum comes included

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with two years of full, two-way telematics connectivity service.

The Advancer Spectrum’s system efficiency significantly lowers customers’ CO2 footprint with engine emissions substantially lower than the maximum allowed by latest NRMM Stage V emission standards. The Whisper Pro version offers sound levels meeting the PIEK enforced standards, thus complying with the most stringent noiseregulations for quiet, inner-city deliveries at any time of day and night. Advancer Spectrum units are also compatible with alternative power source solutions like the AxlePower or Envirodrive.

Advancer AxlePower’s smart energy generating system delivers the power needed

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to run the trailer refrigeration unit by converting energy recovered by the trailer’s axle during the vehicle’s routine operation.

Developed in partnership with BPW, a leader in running gears and mobility services for transport, the Advancer AxlePower is a fully integrated, tractor independent system that combines BPW’s ePower axle with Thermo King refrigeration unit and battery storage technology.

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, depending on the configuration, provides an average

of five hours of refrigeration unit autonomy to cover stationary operations.

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 realtime performance 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.

Advancer-e is an all-electric, engineless, emission-free trailer refrigeration unit.

Designed to accelerate the realisation of carbon neutral trailer fleets, the Thermo King Advancer-e incorporates an engineless and electric architecture with all the features that make the Advancer A-Series the most efficient trailer refrigeration systems in the market. Advancer-e is power-agnostic and compatible with all major engine-alternative power sources including

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the Advancer AxlePower, Frigoblock’s Envirodrive alternator and inverter technology, Thermo King’s battery Energ-E Pack, and shore-power when stationed at the depot.

With its fully electric architecture, one Advancer-e unit can reduce a trailer fleet’s carbon footprint by up to 10 tonnes of CO2 per year. Advancer-e is compatible with any prime mover for inner-city deliveries or for longhaul assignments when combined with the right power technology solution available from Thermo King. The flexibility of the Advancer-e enables transport companies to be more than a step ahead of changing low-emission legislation.

Combined with the same A-Series controller and intuitive telematics, the Advancer-e delivers sustainability advantages and temperature control efficiency – top strategic priorities for many transport companies making the move toward full electrification.

Also, all Thermo King Advancer units are manufactured in the Thermo King’s state-of-the art and carbon neutral (ISO 14064-1) production line in Galway, Ireland.

Better yet, there is potential for integration with hydrogen-electric combinations as Thermo King’s systems are power agnostic and future-proof.

“We’ve made our systems power agnostic for a reason,” said Cowan. “The market will dictate what the it wants in terms of power. We just want to be able to have a unit that can support that.”

To remain competitive, Thermo King commits resources to testing in all kinds of high ambient environments such as South Spain which can expose cooling units and refrigerated vehicles to higher temperatures.

“We always want to test our equipment in tough types of environments so that they can run because you can’t control where they will be used,” said Cowan. “Also, we absolutely want to validate our equipment capabilities.”

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As for aftermarket and sales support in Europe and beyond, the Thermo King network is vast.

“We have over 500 locations in 75 countries across the globe,” said Cowan.

“So, I’ve come from America – there are over 180 locations across the North America site and you have Latin America which has about 50 to 60 locations as well. We’re well covered across the globe and our product in Asia Pacific and obviously they have their network as well. We want to ensure that we are able to service equipment wherever it may be. In Europe, for instance, wherever you are there should be a service location within 44 kilometres.”

Working around the red tape

Even though ‘electrification’ is a big talking point in America, according to Cowan, each country has different rules when it comes down to developing these solutions and making them roadworthy and compliant.

“It has been hugely interesting seeing how Thermo King in Europe has invested in electrification,” said Cowan. “To present an electrified portfolio for an industry

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segment and then actually go to market with something big and bold is impressive.

In the meantime, we need to educate our customers, and of course, ensure our team is equipped and trained to spread the word.

We’re really living the company values and pushing for a better environment.”

For commercial heavy vehicle manufacturers and trailer OEMs, adjustments must be made to accommodate government regulations.

For any supplier this would present all sorts of engineering challenges.

“This is considered in the first step of the development process,” said Cowan.

“We compile all those requirements from different countries and regions to ensure we produce a reliable product. Ultimately, we’re very transparent with what we do and we live by it every day. It’s really about having a more sustainable portfolio and corporate environment.”

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THE MEASURE

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TRAILER DESIGN

WITH PRODUCTION FACILITIES IN RATSHAUSEN AND DOTTERNHAUSEN IN GERMANY, AND INCREASING DEMAND FOR ITS RIGID BODY KITS, TSE TRAILER ENGINEERING HAS EXPERIENCED TREMENDOUS GROWTH.

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ince 2021, TSE Trailer System Engineering has been offering curtainsider kits and other transport solutions with integrated load restraint technologies. In the first half of 2022, the business recorded a spike in growth, producing 1,000 curtainsiders and material transport kits as well as 40,000 soft top systems. In addition to this, the OEM committed to a major project for a publicly listed client which is currently being implemented with a further 2,000 bodies. These are designed and certified according to special specifications and are to be manufactured within nine months.

To be able to meet such a sharp increase in demand, the number of employees at the firm has increased by almost 50 per cent to 90 since January last year. Work is carried out in multiple shifts with up to three shifts between six to seven days a week. Depending on the size and structure of the project, TSE can manufacture partially automated series production or individual production.

In 2021, around 8,000 tonnes of steel and around 750 tonnes of aluminium was processed at the two TSE locations in the neighbouring communities Ratshausen and Dotternhausen in Baden Wurttemberg.

Caption In order to be able to offer customers from the vehicle construction industry added value, TSE has further developed its products either in-house or in cooperation with its strong partner network. An example of this is powder coating: Here the process flow includes a previous treatment to cover all cut and milled edges. For this purpose, TSE has set up a lean process in order and production control to be able to continue to meet its short delivery times. This results in several advantages for the vehicle manufacturer: The end user receives a finished product from a single source; all gaps, cut and milled edges are protected against corrosion with coatings inside and outside; and an additional, separate work step for colouring is no longer necessary.

Another additional benefit for customers is tarpaulin manufacture. The vehicle manufacturers can now also order the tailor-made tarpaulin with their ordered kit and then receive the entire delivery in one shipment as usual.

Series production, individual production and project business complement each other as TSE’s competencies are concentrated in the three areas of serial production, individual production, and project business. Thanks to the growth, investments and innovations in recent years, TSE Trailer System Engineering has been able to expand its series production and is now able to operate with large quantities.

TSE Managing Director, Stephan Girnt, elaborated on the strategy.

“We continuously deliver consistently high product and process quality and know how to deal with tight tolerances on the component,” he said. “In doing so, we rely on our experienced employees and our semi-automated production. Another important factor is our stable supply chain, which can also cushion market fluctuations and individual failures.”

When it comes to one-off production, TSE can use the computer-aided dimension configurator to show at any time whether the system has the desired variant. This allows a wide variety of individual productions to be

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up to 9,500mm and with drop side lengths of up to 3,900mm. The TSE subframes or the vehicle manufacturer’s own designs can be used as floor assemblies. Optionally, the load securing system VarioSAVE from Elting can be integrated via ‘plug and play’.

The straight bulkhead is designed for free side loading and provides a grab handle so the driver can climb on easily and safely.

The corner posts are made of steel, the filling consists of aluminium snap-lock profiles. The outer frame is bevelled at 35° to accommodate end customer and load securing requirements.

The side walls are available in heights of 800, 1,000 or 1,200mm, which can optionally be equipped with lifting aids.

If certification can be omitted, lower side wall heights are also possible without any problems. There are two folding steps on each side as climbingTSE aids as wellDirector, as side Managing Stephan Girnt. wall stops and side wall locks. Optionally, implemented without losing sight of the costs. Another plus in this area is the flexible and proactive team, which is experienced in various assembly activities and knows how to implement series know-how in individual production.

The third area of TSE, the project business, is characterised by special requirements and requires a very high-performance output from the company in the short term.

Girnt sees additional advantages for the project side of the business: “In the current project of a public client with 2,000 bodies, very high standards are required both in terms of quality and documentation,” he said. “The know-how generated from this has a high impact on the further professionalisation of our previous business.”

As for exports, TSE is prepared to meet technical or approval-related requirements that deviate from European standards. In overseas countries such as Canada or South Korea, bodies with different dimensions are standard. TSE adapts the kits for such markets in its own construction department; then the elements for the kits are manufactured in-house. The necessary logistics are also taken care of: As a customs-approved exporter, TSE can load, clear and ship containers professionally. And if there are more complex transport requirements, a local packaging partner is available in the TSE network.

A new business area that has developed over the past few years through a wide range of projects is the competence of machining. Based on several of its own multi-axis machining systems, TSE Trailer System Engineering has built up a further group of customers in subcontracting. Here, series production runs with quantities in the six-figure range – for a trailer manufacturer as well as in customisation and one-off production. Vehicle construction companies can variably configure the kits in body lengths of

50 / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / I S S U E 6 8

TRAILER DESIGN

lashing strips for load securing can be embedded in the side wall profiles. At the rear, the side walls are fixed or foldable, analogous to the sides. Here, too, the vehicle manufacturer has a choice: the corner posts (K20) can be arranged on the side or the rear. The surfaces of the TSE kit are made of anodised aluminium and hot-dip galvanised steel. Alternatively, a high-quality powder coating from the RAL spectrum can be selected ex works.

“Our customers from the vehicle construction sector can also rely on the usual TSE qualities for the new kits for transporting building materials,” said Girnt.

“The innovative dimension configurator, the reliably short delivery time, the complete delivery of all components in one batch, the short set-up time and the convenient ‘plug and play’ installation.”

With its portfolio, TSE concentrates on medium-sized and small vehicle

manufacturers, who receive a practical and economical alternative to inhouse production. In addition to the modular, certified curtainsider kit and the kit for transporting building materials, components such as hoods, subframes, end walls, rear portals or side walls can also be ordered separately.

Curtainsider as a complete kit in one complete delivery

The TSE kits for curtainsiders and construction material transports includes the front wall, rear portal, side wall, hood and subframe and are suitable for almost every application and industry, whether it be motor vehicle bodies, articulated trains or semi-trailers. Despite the high level of standardisation, the vehicle manufacturer can access a four-digit number of variants and dimensions. All standard load securing certificates are available for the quickly assembled kits.

To make the ordering process easier, the curtainsider kit is recorded on just two DIN A4 pages. Even more convenient is the dimension configurator developed by TSE which lists all conceivable dimensions that may be necessary for standard and special applications.

The database-supported TSE configurator for measures (online at configurator.tse-trailersystems.de) maps all available variants and options and checks the plausibility of the input so that the vehicle manufacturer can quickly find the right configuration and provide the end customer with information.

W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 51

Powder coating in the RAL colour spectrum

Since the beginning of 2022, TSE has been offering powder coating across the RAL colour spectrum. As a result, the vehicle manufacturer can further reduce its throughput time, since in addition to the colouring, preparatory and sometimes outsourced activities are also superfluous. It is also possible to order a suitable tarpaulin for the kit. Here, TSE works with a partner who has been established on the market for many years and whose portfolio can serve all technical and graphic requirements.

FAST FACT TSE supplies certified truck body kits for curtainsiders as part of a modular design.

Everything from the components to the modules and the roof systems offer many variants including the option to fully customise for specific applications.

Two people, eight hours, one setup

The time saved during construction is also an important aspect for customers in vehicle construction. TSE was able to reduce the assembly time of the subframe by 50 per cent through a fundamental simplification. The standardisation of screw sizes and assembly material as well as the reduction of the number of components led to a new clarity, which simplifies and speeds up assembly. Another part of the time saving is due to the ingenious preparatory work, such as pre-drilled assembly and maintenance holes or cable ducts.

Thanks to the standardised TSE modular system, the vehicle manufacturer can concentrate fully on adding value to the body and on the wishes of its end customers, because they no longer have to procure and store raw materials – including warehousing and capital commitments. The TSE kit is configured so that it is easy to handle, so that only assembly work

is required, and no adjustment work or welding work is required on site. Highly qualified personnel can thus be used for closer customer support or for other tasks.

The assembly video available on the TSE website shows how two people assemble the body, including the subframe, within an eight-hour working day. The assembly video supplements the bilingual and illustrated assembly instructions from TSE. Reliable and fast delivery within three weeks is very important to TSE. This allows the vehicle manufacturer great flexibility,

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AUS_SK

TRAILER DESIGN

the aluminium profiles are manufactured in a press shop using TSE’s own moulds. The standard complete delivery has also proven to be very practical – without subsequent deliveries or bundling at the customer’s site. www.tse-trailersystems.de

10434

short-term decisions, and low capital commitment. The high level of vertical integration at TSE and the long-standing partnership with many regional suppliers have proven their worth. For example,

Uniquely effective The S.KO COOL SMART EXECUTIVE is our top of the range reefer semitrailer, and includes our exclusive S.CU transport refrigeration unit. Refrigerate more costeffectively with our outstanding insulation system. Our services and TrailerConnect® telematics system are included to ensure lower maintenance costs and an impressive resale value.

More Information: +44 (0) 1925 732886, www.cargobull.com

AUS_SKO-Compl_200x135_horiz.indd 1

29.11.21 09:47

POCKET

PAIR

POWER REGENERATION VIA RECUPERATION IS POSSIBLE WITH THE SAF TRAKR AXLE JOINTLY DEVELOPED BY SAF HOLLAND AND CARRIER TRANSICOLD.

T

he use of electrified trailer axles is becoming increasingly important for low emission transportation, such as for refrigerated semi-trailers and inner-city applications. Another innovation driver for the electric technology are the legal regulations: More than 50 zero emission zones are planned in Europe for the near future, including in Berlin, Paris and London. Stricter noise pollution standards also encourage manufacturers to produce vehicles that are significantly more quiet. To limit global warming as planned, CO2 emissions have to be lowered by up to 95 per cent by 2050.

“We see great opportunities for electrified trailer axles here,” said SAFHolland Director Group Innovation EMEA, Olaf Drewes. “They reduce CO2 and noise emissions and meet legal requirements, for example for night-time refrigerated transports on inner city routes. The electric axles also cater to the industry trend towards ‘greener transport’.”

Dynamic duo develop e-axle

Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, is collaborating with cold chain solution provider, Carrier Transicold, on the development of its SAF TRAKr recuperation axle. The international leading company contributes to the smart recovery system of the trailer solution thanks to its axle, which enables the autonomy of the Vector eCool refrigeration unit while driving.

The SAF TRAKr recuperation axle, which commenced series production in 2022, marks an important milestone for SAF-Holland for the future of e-transport: Lower fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions and less particulate matter, but also better noise protection, more efficient processes and reliable compliance with current legislation. Ultimately, this development helps operators to reduce operational costs and make heavy duty transport more sustainable.

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SAF-Holland brought Carrier Transicold onboard as a partner in mid-2020 to ensure optimal performance of the e-trailer axle.

The two companies are pooling their expertise in the areas of development, technology, approval, customer support and service.

“We have a very close and dynamic partnership and look with pride at the results of our cooperation so far,” said Christoph Günter, President Europe, Middle East and Africa and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SAF-Holland.

This partnership between SAF-Holland and Carrier Transicold aims to provide heavy duty trailer operators with a complete 100 per cent electric system with a plug & play solution in the long term.

“We believe connecting the SAF TRAKr recuperation system to our Vector eCool will strengthen our position as pioneer in ultra-low-emission trailer refrigeration, with a solution that offers autonomous power, no direct emissions, and quiet operations,” said Victor Calvo, Carrier Transicold International Truck & Trailer. “This

AXLES & SUSPENSIONS

SAF TRAKr.

partnership between two leading companies in the industry results in a high-performance and reliable solution that will offer a wider choice for our customers.”

The SAF TRAKr trailer axle uses regenerative braking to lower the emissions and fuel consumption of the overall vehicle.

To do this, the centrally positioned high voltage generator unit converts the kinetic energy of the trailer into electrical energy.

The generated energy is stored in a Li-ion battery and then used to run the electrical units in the trailer, such as the refrigeration units, on electricity alone.

The main areas of application are refrigerated semi-trailers, tank trucks and silo trailers. For the drivers, the purely electrical operation of the refrigeration unit provides appreciable added comfort on the road, as they are exposed to significantly lower noise emissions. The regenerative braking axle is manufactured at the SAFHolland factory in Bessenbach in northern Bavaria.

For maximum flexibility and ease of maintenance, the operating strategy and the individual components of the SAF TRAKr are perfectly coordinated. Numerous components are permanently integrated into the electric axle. This allows vehicle

manufacturers to install or retrofit the SAF TRAKr with only little effort while using standard interfaces.

Maintenance is also easy and cost efficient: Neither the centrally installed gearbox with the flanged-on generator nor other HV components have to be removed to uninstall wheel ends and wheels. Wear parts such as brake pads or brake rotors are identical to the components for the non-electrified SAF-Holland axles. This makes the spare parts supply easier and more reliable.

The SAF TRAKr uses a high-voltage generator module for electric regenerative braking, with a maximum power of 20 kW by design. The axle is designed for axle loads from nine to 10 tonnes. It is available with different disc brakes for 19.5” and 22.5” tyres and for the SAF INTRA and SAF MODUL suspension systems. SAF-Holland is cooperating with external partners for the regenerative braking systems.

The generator runs independently of the tractor unit and only while the vehicle is in motion, but not during interventions by the ABS braking system or driving dynamics. For reasons of type approval, regenerative braking is currently not yet permitted for adaptive braking. The generator is deactivated at vehicle speeds below 15 km/h so the required start-up torque and therefore the fuel consumption of the tractor unit are not increased during these phases.

Charging options are energy generation by the axle while driving (generator operation) and charging from the external power supply during stand- still, for example when the vehicle is loaded or unloaded.

Corrosion protection with special coating

Since Q4 2022, SAF-Holland has been delivering its SAF INTRA axles with the optional zinc-free SAF PREMIUM COATED powder coating. It protects the axles against corrosion damage caused by weather and dirt and gives the vehicles a neat appearance over many years. This gives trucks, tanker trucks and silo vehicles a longer service life and a higher resale value and consequently makes them more economical.

Complex operating conditions – such as road salt in winter or dirt at landfill and construction sites – promote corrosion on the SAF INTRA axles. The damage becomes evident early on, sometimes after as little as two years on

W W W.G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG .C O M / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / 5 5

the road, in particular on the edges of the SAF INTRA suspension arm. SAF PREMIUM COATED, a multi-stage coating process with powder coating, reliably prevents corrosion.

“We are currently the only axle manufacturer that offers an additional zincfree coating in the nine-tonne segment,” said Mark Hartmann, SAF-Holland Head of Product Management OU Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The improved corrosion protection extends the service life of the axles and ensures a neat appearance of the vehicle fleet. This allows owners to count on a higher resale value, in particular in the case of high-quality tanker and silo bodies. Fleet operators also benefit from the high coverage and the optimum mechanical properties of the powder coating. In addition, the coated axles are resistant to impact, light, chemicals and extreme temperatures. SAFHolland offers a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty against corrosion on its SAF PREMIUM COATED axles.

The coating is applied to the axle beam and also to the steering arm for steering axles. Other add-on parts such as brakes or wheel ends are not coated.

The benefit of the SAF PREMIUM COATED axles for vehicle manufacturers: The coated axles can be painted over if necessary and can be sold at a surcharge directly ex-factory in the case of expensive bodies such as silo vehicles or tankers. Also, the installation of the corrosion-protected axles is identical to installing standard SAF-Holland products.

The four-layer SAF PREMIUM COATED process optimises the technical properties of the rigid and steered SAF INTRA axles: In the first step, airless blast cleaning prepares the surface of the welded axle beam, breaks sharp edges and removes silicates from the welding process. Then a standard cathodic dip coating is applied to the axle as a basis for the next coats.

In the third stage, the axle is primed with a zinc-free epoxy-resin powder that offers good adhesion and protects against corrosion. The final powder coating on polyester resin basis in colour DB703 Iron Mica Metallic has optimum mechanical properties and gives the axle a high-quality appearance.

“Together with the top coat powder, the zinc-free corrosion protection powder forms a perfectly coordinated protection system,” said Hartmann.

“With the same performance level, it is significantly more environmentally friendly than zinc solutions containing hazardous substances.”

The additional coating of the SAF INTRA axles also has a positive impact on the test results, as the manufacturer indicates: In the salt spray test as per DIN EN ISO 9227, there was no visible corrosion on the surfaces or edges even after four times the test duration of 2,000 hours.

The SAF PREMIUM COATED process is suitable for a number of models from the SAF INTRA series with different suspension arm versions, as well as for standard and offroad applications: for all axle types of the rigid SAF INTRADRUM axles and for the rigid SAF INTRADISC axles with the exception of the electric axles and the hydraulically driven SAF INTRA CD TRAK axles. For steered axles, the special coating can also be applied to almost all variants with disc brakes. www.safholland.com

SAF INTRA PREMIUM COATED.

5 6 / G LO B A L T R A I L E R / I S S U E 6 8

Valk Welding Group Tel. +31 78 69 170 11 info@valkwelding.com www.valkwelding.com

Flexible automation of your high mix / low volume welding production Valk Welding develops and builds turnkey welding robot systems for small to medium produc�on requirements and is your partner in all welding accessoiries. Valk Welding has become one of the largest independent suppliers of welding consumables in Europe. Valk Welding supplies over 800 tons of (solid) welding wire every month.

The Valk Welding team consists of specialists who know what they are talking about, we go to extremes. The so�ware and research & development departments are constantly innova�ng in the field of hardware and so�ware. Together we are working on a strong connec�on to achieve an op�mal solu�on. We supply all-in-one welding robot systems, but above all we offer solu�ons!

The strong connection

Watch our videos

EXPANDING THE AXLE PORTFOLIO:

JOST

UNLIMITED DIVERSITY WITH JUST A FEW COMPONENTS, EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST, JOST, CONTINUES TO DELIVER THE GOODS WHEN IT COMES TO ROLLING OUR AXLE AND SUSPENSION INNOVATIONS.

S

ince the acquisition of TRIDEC and Mercedes-Benz Trailer Axles Systems, JOST has since become one of Europe’s foremost manufacturers of steering, suspension and axle systems for truck and trailer applications. As a producer of specialist commercial vehicle components, with continued research and development, JOST can offer customers the appropriate solution for their fleet, whatever their requirements.

These are the latest innovative products in the field of axle systems and suspensions.

ZGA: command steer axle

Ideal for use in urban areas, rural country roads and hard-to-reach locations the JOST ZGA provides a smaller turning radius, one of the lowest steering forces in the industry and is compatible with all common steering systems.

Tight depots, narrow city streets and a 16.5-metre-long trailer that needs to be steered safely – all challenges that push conventional axle systems to their limits and demand a command steer axle. Following the successful market launch of the ZGA with the nine-tonne version, a 10-tonne axle

DCA WEIGHTMASTER.

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FAST FACT TRIDEC is a specialist in steering systems and axle suspensions and has been a part of JOST World since 2008.

will be added to the portfolio from 2023.

The corresponding structure-relevant components have been adapted and approved. Needless to say, the ZGA 10T can also be used in all conventional steering systems – whether mechanical, hydraulic or electronic – and, like the nine-tonne axle, will impress with outstanding performance characteristics and in particular the lowest roll radius.

This has a positive effect on the actuation force, which is up to 70 per cent lower than that of comparable axles as a result.

Additional batteries are rendered obsolete and there is greater flexibility when designing steering systems. The low space requirement of the ZGA is unparalleled, enabling smaller mud guard designs and thus wholly new vehicle designs, even when space is tight.

The JOST ZGA is perfectly tailored to TRIDEC-brand steering systems: the TF mechanical system, the HF and HF-E

AXLES & SUSPENSIONS

FAST FACT The DCA series is characterised by a modular construction kit for trailer axles, which opens up unlimited application possibilities with a low number of different parts. The ZGA command steer axle, for example, can be used with all the common steering systems – mechanical, hydraulic or electronic.

FAST FACT The DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS features a weight-optimised wheel head that guarantees the usual high quality standards from JOST. The axle cover in the JOST Transport design has been updated in both look and function, too.

hydraulic systems and the EF-S electronic steering system.

DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS – a new weightoptimised axle

JOST’s DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS made its debut at this year’s IAA. Reducing emissions, protecting resources and maximising efficiency were the key aims when developing the lightest axle in its class. The optimised structure of the entire axle reduces the trio weight by 51kg. In combination with the optional Weight Optimiser 27, the air bellows support with a lightweight aluminium tail end structure, further weight savings of 27kg are possible in the trio. The highlight of DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS is its wheel end with optimised weight, wear properties and performance. This includes the new DCA X7 brake, the lightest brake in its segment. The aim during its development was to achieve ideal interplay between the brake disc and lining, thereby reducing emissions while maximising the payload and performance.

The PLUS series of DCA axles offers benefits for all trailer applications.

That is why it is not limited to the WEIGHTMASTER series. The new features will also be available for DCA AIRMASTER, DCA STEERMASTER, DCA

JOST DMA.

PAVEMASTER, DCA MEGAMASTER and DCA RAILMASTER. SOP of the DCA WEIGHTMASTER PLUS is successively component by component in HY2 2023.

JOST DMA – a new drum modular axle

To provide the right solutions to meet the needs of customers all over the world, JOST is adding the DMA series drum modular axle to its axle portfolio.

The drum modular axles in the DMA series ensure maximum flexibility for every transport application. The drum modular axle combines a robust tubular axle with a modular leaf spring system known from the DLS series, which can be adapted to match the customer’s individual specifications.

The DMA’s most striking feature is the outboard brake drum design, which allows the brake linings to be replaced without having to disassembled the wheel hub – making it extremely easy to service and maintain. In addition, the proven brake design requires minimal repair effort and offers maximum benefit to customers.

To ensure optimum brake performance at all times and enable ideal wear behaviour, great emphasis has been placed on the interplay between the brake drum and lining during development. This is supported by gradual interaction with an automatic, self-regulating slack adjuster, which controls the brake pressure depending on the wear conditions.

TP-O Low: new swivel axle suspension

TRIDEC develops and produces, independent from axle or trailer manufacturer, mechanical, hydraulic and electronic steering systems, as well as special wheel and axle suspensions. The new TRIDEC swivel axle suspension TP-O Low opens up a new market for independent trailer manufacturers. With suspension travel of 600mm, the TP-O Low offers the lowest ride height with 12 tonnes per axle line, combined with a greater steering angle than any other suspension solution. The TP-O Low will be available from the first quarter of 2023. www.jost-world.com

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WORLD EVENTS

WORLD TRUCK WEEK

7-10 MARCH

Indianapolis, Indiana With equipment offerings from more than 500 exhibitors, attendees will have the chance to witness truck OEM plans, upfitter solutions, optimal commercial vehicle design and more. www.worktruckweek.com

BREAKBULK

MIDDLE EAST 13-14 APRIL

Dubai World Trade Centre Conveniently located in Dubai, Breakbulk Middle East will attract more than 2000 companies representing the full industrial supply chain from over 55 countries. www.middleeast.breakbulk.com

EXPO CAM 2023 25-27 MAY Montreal, Canada The meeting place for Canada’s trucking industry including new products, ideas and solutions for trucks, equipment and technology. www.expocam.ca

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NUFAM 2023

21-24 SEPTEMBER Karlsruhe, Germany A leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry, NUFAM attracts trade visitors from Germany, other European countries and beyond. www.nufam.de

KEEP A LOOK OUT Brisbane Truck Show 18-21 May Brisbane, Australia www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au

SOLUTRANS 2023

21-25 NOVEMBER Lyon, Eurexpo Catering to urban and heavy duty market segments, SOLUTRANS is a major event for the international road transport industry. www.solutrans.eu

Transport Logistic 9-12 May Munich, Germany www.transportlogistic.de Elmia Lastbil 21-24 August Sweden www.elmia.se/en/lastbil Bauma 2025 7-13 April Munich, Germany www.bauma.de/en

TRANSPORT

SCANDINAVIA 2023 20-22 APRIL Herning, Denmark Scandinavia’s leading transport fair is the place for transport industry professionals to network and demonstrate innovation. www.transport-messen.dk

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A LOOK AT HEAVY VEHICLE

REGISTRATIONS WHILE REGISTRATIONS WERE STEADY ACROSS AUSTRALIA IN Q3 2022, NUMBERS WERE DOWN ACROSS EUROPE.

T

he June quarter posted a steady performance with new registrations for the quarter mirroring those for the previous quarter according to ARTSA-i Data analytics Executive Director, Rob Perkins.

“This is a little unusual in that history tells us that new registrations rise throughout the quarters of the calendar year and generally finish on a high with the December quarter.

“To have a flat September (Q3) quarter is unusual but perhaps reflective of the supply chain struggles with meeting demand.

“There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that demand is very strong, but this demand is not translating into record sales due to a shortage of both equipment and skilled labour.”

Prime movers: The positive trend is reported to continue even with a slowing in Q3 registrations by 2.8 per cent compared to the previous quarter although annual growth is still recording 8.4 per cent to end September 2022. The trend line shows growth of some 20 per cent compared with data from four years ago.

Like prime movers, trailers have had a small negative quarter compared to Q2 with -0.8 per cent however the annual growth is 4.1 per cent to ends September 2022. Trailer growth over the last four years has been a cumulative 35 per cent which is almost double that for prime mover growth.

Unlike prime movers and trailers, rigids did increase new registrations over the previous quarter with a modest 2.5 per cent growth. Annually they are growing at 1.8 per cent which is below both prime mover and trailer growth. In the last four years the trend line in growth has been around 5.0 per cent in total which is well down compared to prime movers and trailers which have had 20 per cent and 35 per cent growth respectively.

The heavy sector of rigids often tows dog trailers. These have displayed a downward trend in new registrations over the last four years with flat new

registrations particularly over the last three years.

Meanwhile, commercial vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU) fell again in July and August 2022 – down 17.4 per cent and 8.0 per cent respectively – marking 14 consecutive months of decline.

The upward momentum in the heavy truck segment continued, with solid gains recorded in July (+2.8 per cent) and especially in August (+24.4 per cent). July’s result was largely driven by Central European countries (+15 per cent). August was an even more positive month, with nearly all EU markets posting strong gains.

Over the first eight months of the year, the EU heavy commercial vehicle market remained in positive territory, thanks to the results of the last four months. Registrations increased by 2.7 per cent to 165,908 units year-on-year.

The region’s key markets posted mixed results.

Germany recorded a slight decline (-1.8 per cent), while Spain and France posted growth during this eight-month period (+9.9 per cent and +1.9 per cent respectively). www.globaltrailermag.com

Performance-Based Standards (PBS) B-triple.

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ON THE QUEST TO BECOMING THE FIRST TRULY GLOBAL ORGANISATION IN THE HISTORY OF TRAILER MANUFACTURING, CIMC VEHICLES HAS LEARNED THAT STAYING TRUE TO A GRAND VISION DOESN’T PRECLUDE STRATEGIC FLEXIBILITY.

PERSE VERANCE D [Story & Interview by Sebastian Grote]

avid Li, General Manager of CIMC Vehicles, the trailer building arm of China’s International Marine Container (CIMC) Group, isn’t quite what you’d expect of a man who has built a €1.93 billion industrial empire from the bottom up.

Distinctly humble in his bearing and refreshingly unpolished in his language, the industry veteran is enveloped in an aura of authenticity and adventure that is much more Silicon Valley than Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (the official jargon for a giant business incubation area the Chinese government has set up across the bay from Hong Kong to help local businesses connect more easily with the western world).

As such, there is nothing imperious about Li laying out his plan to build the world’s first international trailer building company – only genuine excitement in an idea so captivatingly grand that it would arguably suit an intrepid start-up more than an asset-rich manufacturing firm operating FAST FACT in a time of extreme economic volatility.

CIMC Vehicles’ US subsidiary, Understanding the phenomenon that is Vanguard, is currently finalising CIMC Vehicles is therefore not so much a construction of a second factory in question of mapping out the business itself Trenton, Georgia. The €32 million as it is one of getting to know the man manufacturing plant will eventually employ 400 people and produce behind it – a scenario akin to US start-up 10,000 semi-trailers annually.

Tesla, which is largely dependent on the

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A KEY TALKING POINT OF THE 2014 IAA COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW, THE BRUISED RUSSIAN ECONOMY HAS FAILED TO TURN ITSELF AROUND IN TIME FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF THE ICONIC EVENT. WILL IT STILL CONTINUE TO OWN THE CONVERSATION, THOUGH? [ Story by Sebastian Grote ]

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uddling through the longest recession since the turn of the century, Russia has racked up a sizeable budget deficit and is on track for yet another year of negative growth. Meanwhile, the prospect of fiscal relief is growing distant, with oil in a bear market after closing below $40 a barrel in August – theoretically making for a highly dramatic narrative in the lead-up to the largest transport industry gathering on the planet.

But if you ask Denis Krivtsov, head of Russian OEM, Tonar, the country’s fragile economic state doesn’t necessarily mean it will become as prominent a topic as it was in 2014, when the Ukraine conflict and the annexation of Crimea were still fresh in mind and the European Union (EU) put an abrupt hold on west-east trade.

According to Krivtsov, much of the western trailer community has since found

new growth potential in the heart of Europe and the still-sprawling east of the continent, leaving Russian businesses alone in dealing with what could be the most severe market slowdown in a decade or two. As a result, he says it is now up to the domestic transport equipment community to consolidate ahead of the parliamentary election in mid-September, which is hoped to give the battered economy a much-needed boost.

“The Russian economy hasn’t really improved much since the last instalment of IAA. In fact, many local businesses have since folded as they simply refused to learn from the last crisis,” he explains – pointing to the EU’s recent decision to prolong economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2017.

In August 2016, the Financial Times publically wondered whether Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was intending to drive everyone else in US retail crazy. The reason: Bezos is on a mission to re-define the classic concept of retail logistics. Instead of outsourcing the whole process, he set up a complex in-house transport network that has been aggressively expanding its reach, capabilities and capacity in the logistics and distribution arena over the past year or so. As part of the process, the Seattlebased company is now operating thousands of trailers emblazoned with Amazon’s logos acrosss North America. In Europe, Amazon is expanding rapidly as well, potentially making it a key talking point of the next IAA.

PEOPLE TO WATCH

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ELEMENT ALBEIT A SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS EXPENSE, VISITING A TRADE SHOW LIKE IAA IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT IN THE FLESH – A KEY ADVANTAGE IN THE DIGITAL AGE. [ Story by Sebastian Grote ]

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rom wireless connectivity to electric mobility, the digital world is slowly infiltrating every aspect of commercial road transport. Yet although high technology is expected to dominate the conversation at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Germany (see page 52), it will be people that ultimately set the narrative. In fact, there is a distinct irony to the rise of technology in the manufacturing, according to best-selling US author, Daniel Pink, who has found that forging personal relationships is becoming ever more important as skill-sets evolve and demand more cognitive proficiency.

So-called ‘thought jobs’, as Pink puts it, require a higher level of creativity, problem-solving prowess and out-of-the-box thinking, meaning that in order for a business to be successful, leveraging the unique human element behind each employee is key.

FAST FACT According to Russian Economy Development Minister, Aleksey Ulyukaev, the country’s economy is set to grow in the near future, as “the situation in the real sector of economy is improving and the dynamics of industrial production are positive”.

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As such, he says fostering personal relationships in real life, for example in the context of a trade show, will ultimately help businesses become more profitable.

In line with Pink’s assumption, Global Trailer has selected ten prominent individuals that have the potential to put their mark on the 2016 edition of the largest global transport industry gathering – either by attending it or as the subject of intense discussion. www.globaltrailermag.com

ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, GERMAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Germany’s Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Alexander Dobrindt, is slated to officially open the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover.

Dobrindt recently made headlines in Germany when he proposed self-driving vehicles in Germany should be fitted with a black box that is able to record specific details of an accident, much like in the aviation industry. According to newswire, Reuters, his proposal would require drivers to stay seated in front of the steering wheel, even tough they may not have to pay attention to traffic or actually steer. Despite that cautionary measure, Dobrindt approved six German cities – Hamburg, Munich, Ingolstadt, Düsseldorf, Dresden and Braunschweig – to become testing grounds for self-driving vehicles as part of a US$89 million (€80 million) project.

İIFFET TÜRKEN, KÄSSBOHRER As the Executive Board Member responsible for Business Development at German OEM Kässbohrer – which is part of the Tirsan Group, the largest trailer manufacturing company in Turkey – Türken is considered one of the most influential personalities in European trailer building, and one of the most powerful women in the global transport equipment industry. The now 44-year-old joined the Tirsan Group in 1996 after graduating from Bogaziçi University in Istanbul and has since been stirring up Europe’s trailer building landscape – helping establish the Kässbohrer brand amongst the top ten in Europe.

PETER SIJS, TIP TRAILER SERVICES Overseeing the procurement processes for a 71,000-unit strong fleet that covers some five billion kilometres every year, Sijs, Services and Sourcing Operations Leader Europe at TIP Trailer Services, is considered one of the most influential people in Europe’s transport equipment industry. Having to replace up to 15,000 trailers annually, TIP Trailer Services spends an average of €30 million per year on parts alone – prompting Sijs to work closely with component suppliers and OEMs to leverage the latest in technology and develop new strategies to create competitive advantages. Most recently, he collaborated with German braking specialist Knorr-Bremse on the development of the company’s awardwinning iTAP system with FleetRemote functionality.

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