Trans-
plosion

For several years now, we have been seeing tremendous demand for tractors and the corresponding trailers in the world’s most important commercial vehicle markets – including those in Europe and North America. Online commerce, in particular, has been one of the driving forces behind this trend, not only in terms of freight transport over the last mile, but also in long-­distance transport from one distribution center to another, or from a port terminal to a distribution center.

There are several factors to consider, starting with relatively simple things like avoiding empty runs. The proportion of empty runs overall is still very high. For example, in Germany, around 260 million fully loaded runs are countered by more than 150 million empty runs – meaning more than a third of all journeys are made empty. This makes neither ecological nor economic sense and places an unnecessary burden on the ­infrastructure. Digitization and networking using logistics platforms can help by, for example, identifying free loading space capacity and possible partial loads and connect them with optimal route guidance.

Relatively simple technical systems can already prevent these types of unscheduled downtimes for trailers. When the axles are equipped with sensors and networked with one another, then we can easily determine the overall technical condition of a trailer and report it to the fleet operator. Lastly, automation and assistance systems can reduce the pressure on the driver and increase availability. Automatic coupling systems, for example, are the solutions we are working on because the driver no longer has to maneuver between the cab and trailer in wind and bad weather in order to connect trucks and trailers. Instead, he can do it conveniently from the driver’s seat. These types of convenient features also make the driving profession more attractive – and can help counteract the driver shortage.