Technique is supposed to simplify a driver’s routine but sometimes it is just too much. The newest system to simplify the driving is called “Dynamic Steering” and is one of Volvos’ innovations. It is fantastic! Everyone knows it: driving slowly and steering takes some effort. That’s where the system takes in and simplifies the job. “Almost four out of ten truck drivers complain every week of pain in the back, neck, shoulders or arms. Our improved steering system offers a more relaxed driving experience that should counteract this kind of problem in the working environment,” relates Gustav Neander.

A small electronic engine works together with the hydraulic power steering and makes steering much easier. With its 25NM torque at maximum it reduces the effort it usually takes to steer at a low speed.  “On the highway the dynamic steering system offers unbeatable directional stability. At low speeds even a heavily loaded truck is so easy to steer that you can do so with one finger,” says Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks. The small enginge does not only support the driver on an even road but also when road disturbances occur.

Deviational disturbances are diminished when they occur. Side winds or an uneven road will not take that much concentration and effort to stable the vehicle as it used to. Drivers who have driven vehicles with the new system are impressed. The vehicle is more stable on the roads. Driving has become more comfortable and as Volvo thought off, it will become more secure now.

The engine is a welcome new technical addition on trucks and will be available autumn 2013.

Source: Volvo.com

SATRE is a program where road-trains move on public streets. Road-trains? A road-train consists of 7 vehicles: A leading vehicle with an experienced driver who directs speed and direction and six cars or Lorries following. Technique makes it possible. All technique and equipment which is necessary is already present in the car: Wi-Fi, Cameras, GPS and cruise-control. “Cars these days are pretty much fly-by-wire – the computer controls it all,” Newman, professor of Oxford University, said.The vehicles can communicate and the drivers on the train, except the one leading, can do whatever they feel like doing.

The developed program by Oxford scientists does not work with GPS but with 3D-lasers. GPS is neither accurate nor reliable enough for a trip through the city. The 3D-lasers scan their surroundings and build up maps which are accurate to a few centimetres. Additionally, maps of the cities can be put in the systems as well. “Our cities don’t change very much, so robotic vehicles will see familiar structures and say ‘I know this route – want me to drive?’”

Those cars will halt for pedestrians and could even take over in tricky but tiring situations as jams or regulate commutes. The car will ‘pay attention’ and if the roads can be match with the data in the system, it will offer the driver to take over. The driver can decide himself if he wants to drive or if he wants to be driven around. Some members of the team joke about letting the car drive around by itself instead for looking for a parking spot. Why not?

At present, the car reaches a velocity of 40mph and the system costs £5.000. Researchers will work on the price to reduce it down to £100. If that is possible Newman thinks that self-driving systems could become commonplace in 15 years.

Snow in the North is not extraordinary but when the Midlands as well as London are to be covered deep in snow, something exceptional is going on. The enchanted landscape seems to be taken out of a fairytale. A peaceful silence blankets over the villages and towns and even the cities are quieter than usual. Many Schools are closed for the day, trains run less frequent and on a special schedule and the roads? Well, the roads. The look totally enchanted in the less populated areas, in the city not as peaceful as wished for.  You better watch out and leave the car where it I, stay home by the fireplace and enjoy the precious gift of the enchanted town.

Winter tires are not compulsory but at times like this a very smart investment. At least for those who travel a lot by car. Due to the tires the vehicle has a better grip on the road and reduces non-slip acceleration. If you do not have the intention to spend money on an item which is rarely used, all-season-tires are the solution. But be aware, driving on all-season-tires in heavy snowfall is not as safe as winter tires but a lot safer than summer tires.

Here are a few things to bear in mind to be prepared and to move safely around, either by car or on foot.

• Hand brush to free car from snow
• Defroster
• Keep more distance than usual
• Drive slower
• Jumper cable

When you start driving, accelerate slowly and in second gear. You avoid spinning wheels and an outbreak of the car. It will be much easier to control. While driving, drive slower than usual and keep the distance to the next car longer. Also try to avoid heavy steering or stuttering breaking. On a slippery ground slight steering movements are sufficient. If you have to break, break smoothly and steadily. If you have to do an emergency break, the ABS-System  will assist you. Always keep calm and be concentrated. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy the bright side of winter.

Sources: rp-online.de, guardian.uk.co

The costs caused by cargo theft are estimated at £7 billion. Germans face a loss of around £1.2billions while Brits face a loss of around the same amount: numbers rising. It is a lot of money which is lost and who is going to pay for all of it? In most cases insurance companies jump in but in too many cases, the haulage contractor sits on the costs.

The international Insurance company “Assekuranz-Makler OSKAR SCHUNCK AG & CO. KG” and TimoCom Soft- und Hardware GmbH put together information and advices on how to protect your cargo. It starts all with the first contact and the deposition. Peter Kollatz, a member of the management, clarifies that they cannot guarantee an all-around-protection by following their check-list, but it lowers the risk for sure.

Freight exchange platforms are a two edged sword; some say they cannot work without them, some avoid them where they can. Some people do not trust in freight exchange platforms because they see their business threatened and they neither want to take part nor be part in price dumping. However, the platforms plate the way for more transparency of goods and prices. On the internet everything is anonymous and you do not know your partner personally. A false identity is created quite easily. That’s why Schunck and TimoCom suggest verifying their partner’s e-mail-address and phone numbers. The whole list can be found here.

Anyone who wants to use the platform TimoCom’s Truck & Cargo has to fulfil certain requirements as operating in the market for at least six months. Furthermore all important documents will be verified.

Most important: when you have to transport goods with a value of more than £150.000 only contract known and trusted freight forwarders.

The transportation industry is highly influenced by factors as the rising oil price, continuous rising volume of traffic and rising toll on more and more roads. Everywhere people ask for environmentally friendly vehicles and try to save as much fuel as possible. The whispers for fewer transports on the roads grow louder and a cheaper alternative would be either putting Lorries on the railway or using mega-trucks. It is a European-wide discussed topic and more and more companies change jobs slowly.

Experts forecast a growth of 50% in transport until 2020 and therefore an improved infrastructure as well as an alternative to Lorries is needed. In the UK mega trucks are allowed on the road and they have a bigger capacity then Lorries; unfortunately only up to a certain lengths they are allowed on the European roads. The longer vehicles are able to carry more goods and so fewer vehicles are needed. The same applies to railway transportation: the longer a train, the more goods can be transported.

There is a big cooperation in central Europe between Bavaria and the Harbour of Hamburg, which is one of the most important sea-harbours for central European countries, regarding oversea-transports. Bavaria and Hamburg are not only important for Germany but also for South Europe. Currently 60% of the transports are done by railway and a raise of 5% is aimed to for the next years. A rise of 5% would mean reducing the Lorry-trips by 23.000 per year. It implies a saving of 15.000t of CO2. Long-haul trips on the railway not only save the environment but also the wallet.

LORRY-RAIL is a company who makes intermodality a reality:

“- Yesterday I drove over 1000 km in less than 15 hours.”

-“That seems great, but you certainly managed it by increasing your staff by two?”

- No, I just took the train…”

Intermodality reduces costs and saves time. Trailers from Lorries also fit on the train and a train has a much higher capacity then a lorry. Trains are allowed to run at night and recreation time is shorter then for drivers. Time is money and as more time can be saved, the better. Traffic jams won’t appear because the train system is controlled and slots are big enough to not allow traffic jams. Staff costs will also be reduced because of the lesser driving time. Another matter of expense can be crossed out: toll. As we can see, intermodality is a cheap and environmentally-friendly alternative to Lorries and important to use the given resources as well as possible.

Source: lorry-rail.com,

According to the organizers of the IAA, the fair attracted 9% more visitors then 2010, although South- and Western Europe struggle with the economic crisis. “That is a result, which must be regarded very positively, if you keep in mind the unstable economic situation” says one of the exhibitors. The transportation industry is one of the most important ones and very much dependent on economic trends. The wider a company is positioned on the global market, the easier it is to live through economic crisis.

Thanks to the new EURO VI regulation, less emission will be let out into the air. Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by four fifth and the emissions of particulate matter will be cut by two thirds. So far only Daimler and SCANIA produce the EURO VI engines in series. Tests have shown that up to 5% of fuel can be saved. The tricky part concerning the EURO VI engines is the weight: the engine weighs 200KG more than usual engines so, at another end, the weight needs to be reduced.

Producer MAN presented his “dolphin” the Concept S at the IAA which is much more aerodynamic and futuristic than any other vehicle so far. Up to 25% of fuel can be saved. The price for Diesel increases steadily and manufacturers as well as companies and drivers try to reduce fuel consumption to cut costs. A cheap alternative to Diesel is LNG – liquefied natural gas which only costs a quarter of Diesel. Prototypes of vehicles with LNG engines have been tested and the same distance range as Diesel vehicles. The only drawback is the lack of gas stations offering LNG. LNG will be brought forward by Shell. Shell is going to install various stations for LNG. So far LNG hasn’t been promoted much and could not convince the industry due to a lack of infrastructure.

Another system which has been presented at the IAA is a new braking system to reduce rear-impact crashes. The new braking system will be compulsory for all vehicles more than eight tons from November 2013. It is a step in the right direction but it needs to be more consequent. “The truck has to slow down automatically a difference of 50Km/h when there is a moving obstruction and only 10km/h when there is a non-moving obstruction. 2016/2018 the regulations will be sharpened.

The warehouse exchange platform is developing really well. It is Europe’s biggest warehouse exchange platform which facilities daily life in merchandise and commerce.

Source: faz.de

TimoCom is known for its innovations and with the new warehouse exchanging platform they will strengthen their number one position in the European market. Users from the transportation sector, as well as Merchandisers and Industry will profit. More than 30.000 warehouses and storage spaces will be available throughout Europe.  Like the TC Truck&Cargo program, the warehouse exchange will be available in 24 languages. The program functions like a virtual market.

Users can find and offer warehouse and storage room to reduce costs and optimize their capacities. They can operate more flexible and efficient. If storage room is needed or available at short notice, an offer can be put onto the platform. “In this way, our clients can act quickly and flexible on shortages.” claims Marcel Frings, chief representative of TimoCom. Empty stand can be avoided and warehouses and storage room will be used more efficiently.

The platform for warehouse and storage room exchange is a logic expansion of their portfolio. The warehouse exchange platform completes the whole package for companies in transportation and logistics. Marcel Frings: „For customers from the transport and logistics industry this storage exchange together with TC Truck&Cargo®, the market leader among Europe’s freight and cargo hold exchanges, and TC eBid®, the platform for European transport bids, is an ideal complete package for more effectiveness in everyday business.

The number of clients and offers are rising, the product is running well. TimoCom clients can use the warehouse exchange platform for free until march, 31^st 2013. New users pays a monthly fee of €49,90. The service will be the same as for the programme TC Truck&Cargo. Because security is such a sensitive subject, all new clients will be verified, before they can use and offer warehouses and storage facilities.

The regression and crisis is omnipresent but how well can manufacturers of heavy vehicles resist the crisis? Daimler and Volvo are well prepared. They operate worldwide and if one market struggles, another will bolster and guarantee the profit. At the moment, the North-American and Asian markets boom and the European market is insecure.  The recent instability of the European market affects the purchase behaviour. Hubertus Troiska, Daimler: “Freight Forwarders invest only when they are convinced that the economy is going up. We expect for the European market compared to last year a decline of around 10%.”

Troiska reports that Daimler will keep on focussing on their premium segment. “Premium does not mean expensive, because our clients have already thought about the lesser cost in saving fuel. What really matters, are the total costs in a lorry’s lifetime.” According to a study of McKinsey, there is a tendency towards high quality and heavy commercial vehicles. In addition they presume an increase of turnover of around € 190 billion / £152 billion. So the market soon will recover. A MAN-speaker said at the International Motor Show in Hanover, that the next years will be more dynamic, also due to the new EUOR VI engines.

The European Union has signed new reforms regarding pollutant emissions. Freight Forwarders have to keep the conditions starting Jan 1^st 2014. The demand goes towards more economic, ecologic and efficient vehicles. In Germany, a bank sponsors up to € 6.050 / £4.800 per purchased Actros VI, a lorry built by Daimler. Furthermore, Daimler can already note 10.000 orders for this type of vehicle. The Actros uses 4-5% less fuel then its forerunner and fulfils the EURO VI.

At the international Motor Show in Hanover, Germany, many new vehicles and techniques are presented. Daimler shows a city-lorry Antos which also fulfils the EURO VI. Although the numbers are low, Daimler holds on to hybrid-technologies. With the hybrid-technology up to 20% of fuel can be saved. Furthermore they present a modular construction system where freight forwarders are able to compose their own vehicle. Not only new vehicles are presented at the fair, but also new software, as Europe’s largest warehousing exchange which has been released by TimoCom.

Sources: handelsblatt.com

At the moment there are around 360.000 trucks registered in the UK, only 20% of all trucks operating in the UK. In total almost 1.5 million Lorries travel from the UK to mainland Europe and the number rises. Road transportation is more economic and flexible. Neither trains nor ships can be moved as fast as trucks nor can they transport the goods up to the front door. And there is the challenge for the drivers: due to strict schedules it is hard to make it on time. Traffic jams and setbacks have not been taken into consideration. If the driver arrives late at the distribution centre he will have to wait till the next spot is available. This can take up to a few hours and the driver has to decide to either wait or disconnect the trailer and get ready for the nine hour rest so he can keep driving during night time.

The driving time is strictly regulated and high fines have to be paid if the times are violated. It is allowed to drive a maximum of 9 hours per day, with some exceptions even 10 hours, if you pause for 45 minutes after latest 4.5 hours. After 9 or 10 hours of driving, the drive has to rest for 9 hours which can be either done during nighttimes or daytime. Therefore not only the biorhythm suffers, also social life suffers. You never know what comes next, where you are going or are you on time and can keep on moving or will you be stuck in a place for a while. If you overrun you driving time, fines can go up to £500. Sometimes the company pays the fine; at least the load got to its destination on time. Sometimes it has to be paid by the driver himself. It is around half of its monthly income.

If the driver is about to do his rest, he faces the next challenge: finding a parking spot. Truck Parks and Lorry stations are mainly overfilled and it is not easy to find a place. Sometimes the trucks are even parked in unmarked places. In some places drivers don’t feel safe and cannot get the rest they need. There are organizations which step in and call for additional, bigger and safer truck parks. In some, the alimentation is not sufficient and sometimes sanitary facilities are missing.

A truck driver’s life is not the easiest but there is still something romantic about it when one isn’t that much under pressure: seeing many places and be on the road for a while. Economy would suffer without their workforce, so soon the conditions must improve. Drivers and organisation agree that their life on the road will change within the next years because many drivers will retire and positions will be vacated. The driver’s job has to be more attractive and better paid so companies won’t lack drivers.

sources: europa.eu, parklogistics.co.uk

Globalisation draws the world closer together and therefore faster communication and business is demanded. The internet connection grew from a single 54K/bit connection to a real high-speed one. The high-speed simplifies daily business as offering and forwarding freights as well as acquiring new clients and contacts. Most of the freight forwarding business is done over platforms. In Germany most carriers are asked for their TimoCom ID before talking about freights and conditions.

Freight exchange platforms don’t only offer the possibility to fast forward the shipping and avoiding empty trips, they as well indicate the economic situation. How so? Movements in the markets as well as the volume of transport are clearly shown. The proportion between freights and capacity, national as well as international, are analysed. With the “Transportbarometer”, developed by TimoCom, the distribution can more easily be managed and freight forwarders can better react on price volatility.

Some people do not trust in freight exchange platforms because they see their business threatened and they neither want to take part nor be part in price dumping. However, the platforms plate the way for more transparency of goods and prices and if you’re not satisfied with the offered price, you can negotiate a new one. TimoCom for example keeps out completely of price negotiations and conditions. Business is done between the partners; TimoCom does offer the possibility to find one.

As in every branch of industry you have the so called black sheep. In logistics, freights disappear or bills aren’t paid. Within the last years a lot of investments were done in security to keep out the black sheep. Anyone who wants to use the platform TimoCom’s Truck & Cargo has to fulfil certain requirements as operating in the market for at least six months. Furthermore all important documents will be verified. If you get the green light, usually within 24hours, you’ll be assisted and guided through the program.