Global Trailer May 2020

52

www.globaltrailermag.com ISSN 1839-5201

05

9 771836 520000

INNOVATION

BUSINESS

NEWS

Kässbohrer Talks Low Loaders Cross-Border Freight Solutions SAE-SMB Makes Moves Sustainability In Steelmaking

Librelato Executive Interview South America’s Rising Star Special Report: Machine Learning Market Report: Indonesia

Event Review: TMC Trailer Builder Profile: Van Eck CIMC’s Consistent Profitability World Events, Industry Updates

Visualization coming into Reality Modular and Digital design

CIMC Vehicle’s modular and digital design beyond the existing design language allows customers to be unprecedentedly autonomous. Customers can be free to choose the configuration and appearance according to their needs and preferences.

www.cimcvehiclesgroup.com

36

COVER STORY RISING STAR

24

Librelato has seen tremendous change over the years from its humble sawmill roots to becoming one of largest industrial contributors to South America’s economy. The innovative trailer manufacturer and component supplier is satisfying industry demand in Brazil and beyond.

“LIBRELATO HAS INNOVATION IN ITS DNA, AND WE ARE CAPABLE OF GIVING QUICK RESPONSES TO THE MARKET NEEDS. BOTH THESE CHARACTERISTICS, INNOVATION AND AGILITY, WERE CRUCIAL IN RECENT YEARS FOR US TO ACHIEVE GREAT SALES LEAPS. TODAY, WE ARE THE THIRD-LARGEST TRAILER MANUFACTURER IN BRAZIL AND THE SECOND MAIN EXPORTER OF TRAILERS IN THE COUNTRY.”

IN THIS ISSUE BUSINESS 30 MARKET REPORT: INDONESIA

The Indonesian archipelago, situated at the intersection of the Pacific Ocean, along the Malacca Straits and the Indian Ocean, sees more than half of all international shipping move through its surrounding waters. Increasingly, Indonesia is playing a more dominant role in the global supply chain.

50 BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE

Businesses built on the ability to collect, analyse and act on data are proliferating due to the success stories of those brave enough to drive change in everything from culture to process to behaviour.

Machine learning is part of this complex code.

54 MARKET UPDATE

The first intermodal transport using TIR, a globally applicable international customs transit and guarantee system, from India via Chabahar Port in Iran was completed earlier this year, giving

José Carlos Sprícigo, rise to more efficient cross-border freight movements.

Librelato

FEATURES 34 KASSBOHRER

Kässbohrer, adhering to the motto ‘enginuity’, continues to develop vehicles that epitomise cutting edge technology. For more than 125 years the German OEM has innovated, particularly in the low loader niche, and has become a key supplier for Europe’s industrious construction sector.

REGULARS

56 EVENTS

04 EDITOR’S NOTE

58 MEGATRENDS

06 NEWS

59 PREVIEW

36 SAE-SMB

After producing more than 10,000 axles in 2019, SAE-SMB Industries invested €1.6 million in 2020 to improve its competitiveness. The French OEM has also launched a spare parts arm of the business.

38 VAN ECK

Van Eck Trailers is a household name in the Dutch trailer manufacturing sector.

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

PUBLISHER

John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

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

ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey

DESIGN

GALVANISE DESPITE SOCIAL DISTANCING and imposed isolation to curb the Covid-19 outbreak, I feel as though I couldn’t be closer to the core of our industry. Since the pandemic was declared, my colleagues and I adapted our business practices and increased our communications across multiple digital platforms in the interests of supporting our colleagues and associates during this global health crisis.

We are committed, more than ever, to keeping our industries connected and supporting our clients and readers through this challenging time. Of course, meeting in person will be limited in the months ahead what with major conferences and events being postponed for the next six months, including some of our own.

Be assured though that the team at Prime Creative Media are tackling these challenges head-on and overcoming them with positivity, patience, and calm.

This mindset will see us prevail in the long term.

With access to peer-to-peer networking, instant messaging and social media channels, we have the tools in place to stay connected.

This dynamic shift in operations will also present new opportunities for

4 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

manufacturers, suppliers and service providers as we adapt to the new status quo – even if it is relatively temporary.

I cannot emphasise enough how strong of a position we are in with our media deliverables (print magazines, websites, e-newsletters, LinkedIn showcase pages).

These points of contact will continue to facilitate the essential lines of communication that industry executives, trailer builders, component suppliers, fleet managers and association representatives depend on to make informed market decisions.

After all, I have invested so much time and energy into this intelligent resource that it has become a passion – a deeply valued group of products that I am immensely proud of.

So, let’s keep it going – this momentum will encourage the surge of activity our industry needs right now to thrive.

Those companies that remain active, particularly on the sales front, will be the ones who come out the strongest, and marketing teams are more important now than ever in supporting the sales process.

The time has come to galvanise.

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

INTERNATIONAL SALES

Ashley Blachford ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.globaltrailermag.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

+61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Global Trailer is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher.

ARTICLES

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

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.

Follow us on twitter @Globaltrailer

“Across the globe: JOST keeps us rolling!”

Trusting the market leader.

Manufacturers of the commercial vehicle industry around the globe trust in JOST’s comprehensive range of components.

Customer-orientated solutions, innovative products and a worldwide supply of spare parts make JOST the number 1.

www.jost-world.com

NEWS INTERNATIONAL ASIA CHINA CIMC Group has maintained a consistent record of profitability with its latest financial results despite a number of headwinds.

The 2019 calendar year, according to CIMC, demonstrated a slowing of global growth and trade frictions which posed major challenges to the globalised business.

CIMC has adhered to its development philosophy of ‘transformation and upgrading, quality growth’, and its increasingly mature and diversified layout shows its advantages against various risks. Its multi-category businesses have taken advantage of the growth opportunities in China’s potential markets and eventually achieved overall sound development, maintaining the profitability record in the 26 years since its listing.

CIMC released its 2019 annual report on the evening of 26 March, showing annual revenue of 85.815 billion yuan (approx.€11 billion) and a net profit attributable to the owners of the parent company of 1.542 billion

yuan (approx.€1.4 billion).

Most of the main businesses in CIMC’s business segments are reported to show a steady, aggressive trend. Among them, container production and sales continue to be the number one of the industry; revenue from the road transport vehicle business has exceeded that of containers and become the largest profit contributor; the business revenue of energy, chemical and liquid food equipment reached a record high of 15.075 billion yuan (approx. €1.9 billion); revenue from logistics service business reached 9.157 billion yuan (approx. €1.2 billion); revenue from airport, fire control and automation logistics equipment business was nearly 6.0 billion yuan (approx. €771,000), a step closer to the scale of 10 billion (approx. €1.3 billion). In the context of the acceleration of the domestic industrial internet, CIMC’s various businesses have accelerated the digital transformation and initially generated results. This is in line with the current ‘new infrastructure’ favourable policy CIMC Group continues to grow in China while diversifying globally.

6 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

and is expected to usher in better development.

In an uncertain 2019, the diversified layout of key equipment in the logistics and energy sectors plays to the advantage of fighting risks, allowing CIMC to demonstrate the development resilience of a 40-year large-scale enterprise.

Under the principle of decentralised management and the strategic leadership of the Group’s diversified coordination, each business segment also shows the professional advantages of focusing on its own field, and the business proportions are gradually balanced in the competition. Among them, the revenue of container, vehicle, energy and chemical, airport and logistics service accounted for about 24 per cent, 27 per cent, 18 per cent, 7.0 per cent and 11 per cent respectively, all of which increased year on year except container.

In 2019, a sharp drop in overall industry demand led to a shrinkage of orders from CIMC’s container business. At the same time, the imbalance between supply and demand and the intensified competition in the industry led to a significant decline in the overall profit margin compared with the same period last year. However, despite the downward pressure of the market, CIMC’s container business unswervingly continued to implement innovation, upgrading and connotation optimisation and maintained the world’s largest container production and sales volume, with revenue of 20.163 billion yuan (approx. €2.6 billion) and a net profit of 137 million yuan (€17.6 million).

The road transport vehicle business

NEWS

ASIA (with CIMC Vehicles as the main operating platform) has also been affected by the China-US trade war. The business continued to use the concept and strategy of ‘global operation, local wisdom’ to seize the opportunities in each regional market in 2019, and realised overall revenue of 23.335 billion yuan (approx €3.0 billion), while the net profit increased by 2.36 per cent year-on-year to 1.303 billion yuan (approx. €167.7 thousand). Hence the world’s leading semi-trailer manufacturer continues to hold its position.

In the Chinese market, benefiting from the government’s efforts to

promote ‘environmental protection’ and ‘overload’ treatment, the environment-friendly city dump truck compartment and lightweight durable cement mixer truck developed by CIMC Vehicles have entered a good period of development. Among which, the sales volume of lightweight durable cement mixer truck has reportedly ranked number one in China for three consecutive years.

Meanwhile, due to the rapid growth of domestic demand for frozen food transportation and professional cold chain distribution of fresh food, CIMC Vehicles has also realised the rapid growth of refrigerated

semi-trailers and refrigerated vans.

In North America, revenue from the refrigerated vehicle segment has hit a record high by strengthening local manufacturing and marketing. In the European market, after five years of strategic integration, the gross profit rate of LAG, a brand that focuses on the production and sales of tank semitrailers, rose to 13.4 per cent.

CIMC’s energy, chemical and liquid food equipment business (with CIMC ENRIC as the main operating entity) hit a record high in 2019, with revenue of 15.075 billion yuan (approx. €1.9 billion), up 6.44 per cent year-on-year, and a net profit

NEWS INTERNATIONAL ASIA of 818 million yuan (approx. €105.2 million), up 3.33 per cent year-onyear.

CIMC’s smart manufacturing upgrade has shown results, the international layout was further expanded.

In 2019, based on the development path of intelligent manufacturing, CIMC took ‘transformation and upgrading, quality growth’ as the strategic theme, and focused on manufacturing model upgrading, product universalisation, standardisation and modularisation to build three pilot projects of product full life cycle improvement.

The demonstration projects, such as the ‘Longteng Plan’ of the container sector, the ‘Super Magellan Plan’ of the vehicle sector and the ‘Dream VI Plan’ of ENRIC, were promoted in an orderly manner, and the overall intelligent manufacturing level of the sector was improved and phased results were achieved. CIMC is gradually increasing its investment in R&D, with a year-on-year growth of about 45 per cent in 2019.

In terms of container business, the phase I production line of the new container factory project in Fenggang, Dongguan, was put into operation at the beginning of the year. With industry-leading technology, it has made active exploration in green, environmental protection, health and safety aspects, and built a new benchmark for the industry. At the same time, the container intelligent manufacturing upgrade project named “Longteng Plan” is in a tight and orderly progress, which will lay a solid foundation for the next leapfrog development of the container industry.

Moreover, the intelligent ‘lighthouse factories’ established by CIMC Vehicles in Dongguan, Yangzhou, 8 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

Zhumadian and other places have also achieved “remarkable” results.

The lighthouse factories are focused on producing semi-trailers in the same way as cars. The laser cutting, laser welding and automatic robot spraying equipment needed to build a semi-trailer are all interconnected, allowing 24-hour continuous production and greatly reducing the reliance on manual labour. Its highly automated production methods have shown efficiency advantages in restarting production after the fight against Covid-19 outbreak, providing the factories with great support in delivering to clients with good quality and on time.

According to CIMC’s annual report, CIMC accelerated the transformation and upgrading of intelligent manufacturing in 2019, and took ‘information construction integrating informatisation and industrialisation’ as one of the Group’s strategies.

It used the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other new technologies to actively explore the integration of informatisation and industrialisation.

In 2018, the Qingdao refrigeration industrial base for the container sector and the Wuhu Ruijiang vehicle factory for the vehicle sector were successfully piloted. After that, the platform capability built from the two successful pilots was quickly replicated to the 10 enterprises under the Group, and new capabilities such as ‘employee safety’, ‘key process of waterborne paint’, ‘robot management’ and ‘predictive maintenance’ were also built. This has found a green, environment-friendly and safe way for the Group’s manufacturing-type enterprises to reduce material cost and improve production efficiency.

By the end of 2019, nine enterprises had obtained the implementation standard certification of the national integrated management system of informatisation and industrialisation.

The following new industrialisation will be carried out in an all-round way through comprehensive deployment and pilot promotion to gradually realise the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector.

In 2019, a number of CIMC business segments carried out cross-border M&A cooperation and domestic M&A layout. Among them, CIMC ENRIC acquired the German service company to operate two storage yards in Germany. The new storage yards will work with the existing Burg Service B.V. service outlets in the Netherlands to build a “SinoEuropean interactive” service network and further consolidate the global layout. With the acquisition of high quality assets of Canada’s DME, CIMC has started to develop its craft beer business in Asia and achieved the full value chain coverage from small brewers to large international/ multinational breweries.

New business continues to make new breakthroughs and is expected to become a new growth point As an innovative business of CIMC, CIMC Modular has formed a one-stop service mode of ‘manufacturing + service + finance’ combining industry and finance, and made a number of new business breakthroughs in 2019. It has established strategical cooperation with well-known technology groups and successfully completed several cloud data center projects. It has also signed projects in the two new areas of schools and visitor centres. As the modular

ASIA

AUSTRALIA

EUROPE

USA

GROUPED. FOR SUCCESS.

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

GROUP COMPANIES

Join the Group. Join the Revolution.

SINGAPORE

CHINA

fuwa.cn

fuwa.cn

FUWA ENGINEERING FUWA HEAVY INDUSTRIES p: +65 68631806 p: +86 750 5966333

AUSTRALIA

FUWA K-HITCH p: +61 3 9369 0000

khitch.com.au

EUROPE

VALX International p: +31 (0)88 405 8800

valx.eu

AMERICA

AXN Heavy Duty p: +1 502 749 3200

axnheavyduty.com

NEWS INTERNATIONAL ASIA building technology is highly valued by the Hong Kong SAR Government, CIMC Modular has undertaken the construction of Hong Kong’s first permanent high-rise highend talent apartment project. In addition, the Xiong’an Civic Service Center project it participated in was awarded the Luban Prize; and the Technical Specification for the Box Steel Structure Integrated Modules Construction edited by it was approved to be published, filling the gap of the industry standard.

In foreign markets, CIMC Modular has reportedly achieved good results in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, northern Europe and other markets. In the UK, a branded hotel built by CIMC Modular for a worldrenowned group has been delivered and put into operation, and CIMC has also signed a project contract with its hotel chain brand; CIMC participated in the UK’s largest construction trade show and won ‘Best Marketing Award for Exhibitor’.

In Australia, the first high-rise factoryprefabricated hotel project with a full curtain wall has officially opened. In New Zealand, two more phases of the same type project were delivered this year, following the successful delivery of the first government public safety services project. In the US, it has a signed strategic cooperation agreement with a well-known real estate development company to jointly develop the American market. In northern Europe, the first modular hotel project in Iceland was successfully delivered and the first batch of orders was signed in Norway.

In 2019, CIMC Intermodal Development Co., Ltd. continued to surge forward in accordance with 10 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

the strategic thinking of ‘deploying equipment, building channels, entering stations and establishing platforms’, and has made important progress in various measures. Its road and rail intermodal network has already covered 11 railway bureaus, more than 40,000 TEU containers were shipped, more than 200,000 tonnes of bulk goods were delivered, and the number of road deliveries exceeded 10,000. The company has obtained the Domestic Ship Management Business Operation License and has been awarded as the key logistics enterprise in Shenzhen.

There are a number of innovative businesses within CIMC that are growing rapidly, some of which have started to make positive contributions to the Group in terms of revenues and profits. The future prospects are promising.

Looking ahead to 2020, CIMC will stick to the strategic positioning of ‘manufacturing + service + finance’, continue to promote business transformation and upgrading, and be customer-oriented to achieve the extension from manufacturing to service. It will continue to improve its global operational capacity, optimise its business and assets, accelerate industrial agglomeration, and foster industrial chain advantages. In terms of technology upgrading, business mode and management mechanism, it will continue to innovate and control risks and strive to grasp market changes in order to lay out new industries and innovative businesses and achieve sustained and quality growth.

a new $1.5 million USD logistics centre in Nankan, Taiwan.

Known as NK2, the 145,000 square-foot facility provides services for both bonded and non-bonded carriers with a total of over 3,800 pallet positions and 3,000 shelving locations, increasing UPS’ total storage capacity in Taiwan by more than 30 per cent.

Located near Taoyuan International Airport which, through UPS’ smart logistics network, connects Taiwan to more than 220 countries and territories across the world in as little as one business day, NK2 is strategically positioned to boost connectivity and competitive advantage for companies in the area’s well-established high-tech sector.

“Taiwan’s high-tech industry is globally renowned and a key driver for the local economy,” said Sebastian Chan, UPS Asia Pacific President for Global Freight Forwarding and Global Logistics and Distribution.

“This new UPS facility allows businesses in the sector more opportunities to grow further by offering streamlined operations, increased efficiency and more convenient access to Taiwan’s busiest cargo airport and UPS’s extensive global network beyond.”

Since beginning operations in Taiwan in 1988, UPS has been committed to facilitating crossborder trade for Taiwanese business owners with a range of products and solutions that provide better access to the global marketplace.

TAIWAN United Parcel Service (UPS) recently celebrated the opening of

TAIWAN Taiwan-based equipment manufacturer, CTCI, has taken

NEWS

ASIA around the Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm.

“CTCI is a perfect reference in the Asian region to show that the MSPE self-propelled trailers are the ideal transport solution for the most complex tasks,” said Cometto Head of Sales, Giovanni Monti.

The collaboration between CTCI and Cometto was completed by a detailed instruction session.

An offshore windmill jacket section with a weight of 120 tonnes and a diameter of 6m was moved inside the production site with the new Cometto trailers.

Founded in 2007, CTCI Machinery

Corporation is an affiliate of CTCI, an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services provider operating in markets all over the world.

The company manufactures a wide varieties of stationary equipment such as large and heavy towers, spherical storage tanks, heat exchangers, boilers, storage tanks, pipe fittings and steel structures.

CTCI MAC has more than 450 technicians and engineers and provides full-service: from planning, engineering design, procurement, equipment fabrication, test and commissioning to maintenance work.

9376

delivery of two MSPE self-propelled trailers from Cometto.

It is reported to be the first delivery of the Cometto product range to Taiwan.

The total volume for the Taiwanese equipment manufacturer includes two six-axle modules type MSPE 6/4/2,43 with an axle load of 40 tonnes, two power packs units with an output of 110 kW each and numerous additional accessories.

The complete delivery provides a total payload capacity of approximately 432 tonnes.

CTCI reportedly uses the new vehicles for transport projects

Uniquely effective The S.KO COOL COMPLETE with EXECUTIVE package 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: www.cargobull.com

NEWS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE

SAF-Holland expands its portfolio with V.Orlandi components.

GERMANY Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, has added new trailer couplings and drawbar eyes to its product range since the acquisition of Italian supplier, V.Orlandi.

Both SAF-Holland and V.Orlandi are leveraging their synergies to expand their position in the European market.

SAF-Holland acquired V.Orlandi in March 2018 to open up new markets and strengthen its global position and has since added coupings, crossmembers and drawbar eyes for trailers as well as specialised commercial vehicles for industry segments such as automotive, agriculture, forestry, military and mining.

“The large V.Orlandi product portfolio can be ideally combined with our worldwide activities,” said SAF-Holland Head of Product Management/Quality Aftermarket Europe, Markus Prößler.

“We are currently transferring the V.Orlandi products into our system and integrating them into the existing sales network.

“In future, we want to ship these 12 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

newly added couplings from Aschaffenburg into the world,” he said.

Additional product groups from V.Orlandi – fifth wheels, kingpins, ball races and landing gears – will also be successively added to the SAFHolland range or standardised with existing products.

The trailer couplings from V.Orlandi – bar couplings, hook couplings, ball and socket couplings, tow jaws, drawbar eyes and crossbars – cover the application range from 3.5-to-500-tonnes payload. They can be used on public highways and for internal works transport.

Most products from V.Orlandi meet the worldwide legal requirements (homologations), such as EU 94/20/ CE, NATO ECE R55.01, Australia CRN and Russia/CIS EAC. SAF-Holland has also committed to its security of supply.

The Covid-19 pandemic necessitates the rapid, flexible adjustment of production capabilities according to SAF-Holland Group.

SAF-Holland is adjusting production at key sites including two German

plants in Bessenbach and Singen as well as the production and assembly plants in Turkey, Italy, Brazil, India and South Africa as well as some sales companies.

The measures are reported to range from introduction of partial short time work in Germany to temporary site closures, largely by official order. The duration and extent of the production cutbacks will be adjusted flexibly to the status of the supply chains and the sales markets.

The service and supply of spare parts, SAF-Holland has asserted, are guaranteed without retriction.

Customers of SAF-Holland can be supplied with spare parts at any time to ensure the smooth road transportation operations.

Meanwhile, the situation at SAFHolland’s site in Yangzhou, China, has generally returned to normal. The employees have returned to work; the site start-up is reportedly proceeding on schedule; and the first deliveries to customers have taken place.

“Our top priority is to protect the health of our workforce, keep our supply chain as intact as possible and to minimise the impact of the crisis on our customers,” said SAF-Holland Group CEO, Alexander Geis.

“We have initiated all the measures needed for a flexible adjustment of the production capacities and for an internal Covid-19 emergency response.

“We will react immediately and flexibly to future developments,” he said. “It makes me happy to see how intensive the dialogue is between our customers and business partners, but also within the organisation, to master this challenging time together.”

In recent weeks, SAF-Holland has taken wide-ranging measures

TRAILER AXLES SPECIALIST • • • • • •

All types of axles and suspensions Standard and heavy transport (5-12 t) Disc and drum brakes Custom engineering solutions High quality - extended warranty Maintenace free compact bearing

gigant – Trenkamp & Gehle GmbH | Germany

www.gigant-group.com

NEWS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE globally to counter the spread of the coronavirus. These includes the implementation of a Global Emergency Response Team which advises the Group Management Board on the current situation, prepares and coordinates the materials needed for decisions and monitors communicative and operative measures. In this context, travel rules and a provision for mobile working were decided at an early stage and extensive measures to ensure social distancing implemented.

GERMANY Frank Markus Weber will assume the Chief Financial Officer role at KnorrBremse AG as of 1 August 2020.

Recently, he held positions at Mercedes Benz AG and Daimler AG where he influenced numerous entrepreneurial decisions. He has CEVA Logistics operates worldwide across all modes of transport.

extensive experience in the financial and trucking sector following his CFO tenure at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Buses in Tokyo, Japan, and Daimler Trucks Asia. At Daimler he led important projects including digitalisation, corporate development and cost efficiency programs.

“I am delighted that in Mr Weber we have been able to recruit an outstanding management personality for Knorr-Bremse AG,” said Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Knorr-Bremse AG, Prof. Dr Klaus Mangold. “With his excellent experience in strategy, capital market communications, controlling and M&A, he will contribute to the future growth of Knorr-Bremse Group.”

Weber said: “Knorr-Bremse is a high-tech company with an excellent position in the rail and commercial vehicle sector, and I look forward to playing my part in actively shaping

this company in the future”.

Bernd Eulitz, Chairman of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG, will provisionally manage the company´s finance devision during the transition period following the departure of Ralph Heuwing on 30 April 2020.

RUSSIA Global supply chain business, CEVA Logistics, has opened CEVA Logistics Russia in Moscow.

The new operation provides a full range of air, ocean and ground products. Contract logistics services will reportedly be introduced in the coming months CEVA Logistics Russia is part of CEVA’s Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Cluster and is led by Managing Director, Cyril Pacary.

“With the establishment of CEVA Logistics Russia, we started to take over the volumes from the partner company and develop the air, sea and road transport services,” said Pacary.

“Now that we are firmly established on the freight management side, we have ambitious plans for development on the Russian market and will be launching a range of contract logistics products and services during 2020.”

SWEDEN Krone has integrated Krone Center Sverige AB into its own subsidiary in Sweden.

The new subsidiary is located in Malmö, southern Sweden.

Johan Carlstedt, who built the company in 2014 and is responsible for the distribution of Krone vehicles in Sweden, remains in his role as Managing Director.

Jan Knudsen, who continues to be CEO of the ScanBalt Group, was

14 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

NEWS

XXX EUROPE appointed as an additional Managing Director.

“With our own subsidiary in Sweden, we not only want to further strengthen our sales activities, but at the same time position ourselves even better for our Swedish customers as a competent service provider for everything concerning trailers,” said Dr Frank Albers, Krone Managing Director Sales & Marketing.

Customer proximity and contact also plays an important role for Carlstedt.

“The Krone Center will be the basis for all activities in the Swedish market,” he said. “All Krone competences will be concentrated under one roof and will be further expanded.”

SPAIN Krone Spain has welcomed Francois Riveiro in his newly appointed role as Managing Director of Krone in Spain.

Effective 6 February 2020, Riveiro assumed management of Krone Trailer España SLU (KTE) and Krone Fleet España SLU (KFE) and will first be responsible for the strategic reorientation of the two Krone companies.

Roberto Asin will focus on sales activities and will continue to act as the first point of contact for Spanish customers in the new vehicle and rental business.

“We are very pleased that with François Riveiro we have been able

to win a proven industry expert for the Krone team,” said Dr Frank Albers, Managing Director Sales and Marketing.

“Together with our teams from KTE and KFE, François Riveiro will continue to push our activities on the Spanish market.

“Under the leadership of François Riveiro we can now position ourselves even better as a competent service provider for Spanish transport companies,” he said.

Riveiro was most recently Managing Director of Carrier Transicold España for more than a decade and was also responsible for the Portugese market.

NEW!

►Brake wear reduction ►Increase braking system lifespan ►More economical

COOLING SYSTEM INSIDE THE WHEEL

Standard Wood-carrier

Low bed Trailer

SAE-SMB INDUSTRIES

Route de Cliron 08090 HAM LES MOINES (France) Tél +33 (0)3 24 59 54 54 - Fax +33 (0)3 24 54 81 58 contact@sae-smb.fr - www.sae-smb.com

Sliding chassis

Special

Spare parts for all brands of axles.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE SWITZERLAND Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), outlined a pragmatic approach on decarbonisation as part of an annual United Nations Inland Transport Committee (ITC) session held in February.

Representing the only private sector voice on the panel, de Pretto presented a keynote speech about the IRU’s integrated and holistic approach to decarbonisation.

On the topic of decarbonising transport, de Pretto mapped out practical considerations for the longer-term transition over the coming years, giving importance to the bigger picture ‘well-to-wheel’ and full lifecycle approach of CO2 emissions, rather than the narrower ‘tank-to-wheel’ approach that focuses primarily on the vehicle itself.

As a key driver of trade and development, road transport has a

vital role to play in helping to reach global decarbonisation objectives according to the IRU. “If we don’t get road transport right, we won’t achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals” de Pretto said to the hundreds of governments and transport authorities in attendance.

Reinforcing the commitment of IRU and its member associations to help decarbonise transport, de Pretto also presented four short-term ‘quick-wins’ that can drive significant reductions in CO2 emissions in the near future, encouraging the road transport industry and governments to work together to move them forward.

These quick wins include: upgrades to public transport to help lower emissions for private vehicle use; the uptake of higher capacity trucks, which has potential to reduce emissions of goods transported by 30 per cent; easement on border

traffic, i.e. the facilitation of smoother cross border freight movements; and training drivers to adapt their driving style to be more fuel efficient (reasearch reportedly shows this could reduce emissions by up to 15 per cent).

The United Nations ITC is an annual week-long series of high level talks that bring representatives of transport ministries from around the globe to Geneva. The meetings continue through this week.

UK Trailer manufacturer, Gray & Adams, has added a new Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 unit to its latest liftingdeck demonstrator trailer, citing the system as the most efficient solution for handling the rigorous demands of double-deck refrigeration.

The new high-specification 13.6-metre, 44-pallet lifting-deck trailer has been specified with a

UK-based OEM, Graysons & Adams, has fitted its demonstration trailer with a Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 refrigeration unit.

16 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

NEWS

EUROPE Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19, fully equipped with a range of extra features, including advanced telematics and a light bar indication system – all designed to highlight the advanced technology and innovation available for trailers of this size.

“The internal load space inside a lifting-deck trailer is huge; to set and maintain deep freeze temperatures you need a system that’s truly up to the job,” said Gray & Adams Sales Manager, Stewart Massie. “The new Vector HE system surpasses the performance of its predecessor in every way; it’s more efficient, more powerful, cheaper to run and has improved environmental credentials – when mounted to our double deck.

We think we’re showcasing one of the best refrigerated transport solutions on the market.”

The Vector HE 19 unit features a redesigned evaporator airflow management system that harnesses the Coanda Effect to essentially ‘stick’ cool air to the roof inside the trailer, creating more efficient airflow, which is particularly beneficial for doubledeck operations. Additionally, the use of a fully hermetic scroll compressor and economiser helps deliver a 40 per cent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, while cutting the chance of refrigerant escape in half.

The system combines Carrier Transicold’s patented all-electric E-Drive technology with a new multispeed engine design to deliver 0.95 litre-per-hour in fuel savings, when compared to the existing Vector 1950 unit – as independently verified against the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the Association Technic Energy Environment (ATEE) partial load fuel

Kuehne + Nagel offers contract logistics services worldwide.

burn standards. It is also 3 dB(A) quieter than a standard Vector 1950 unit, making it around 50 per cent quieter in operation.

The new lifting-deck trailer has been built to Gray & Adams’ latest specification, including aerodynamically efficient body cappings and a tapered roof at the front and rear, designed to help save fuel.

UK Global transport and logistics company, Kuehne + Nagel, is selling a major part of its UK contract logistics portfolio to XPO Logistics.

The scope of the transaction includes the drinks logistics, food services and retail and technology businesses. These operations generated a turnover of approximately 750 million CHF in 2019 (approx. €709,387,349) and are supported by 7,500 employees.

“One year ago, we first announced the strategic review of our contract logistics business to improve profitability and focus on our core,

scalable solutions,” said Kuehne + Nagel International AG CEO, Dr Detlef Trefzger.

“We have now reached a major milestone in this effort, having secured an agreement to sell significant non-core assets in the UK,” he said. “With XPO Logistics, we are pleased to have found a good new home for our customers and employees.”

Kuehne + Nagel remains highly committed to excellent customer solutions and service in the UK across all business units, including contract logistics. In particular, the company retains the industry verticals aerospace, government and pharma.

These are amongst the Group’s scalable leverage areas.

Both parties have agreed not to disclose financial details. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including merger clearance by the competent competition authorities. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of the year.

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 17

NEWS INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA US Drivetrain, mobility braking and aftermarket solution provider, Meritor, has terminated a distribution agreement with technology company, WABCO Holdings, Inc. The termination was effective 13 March 2020.

Meritor was paid $256 million USD (approx. €232.7 million) in connection with the termination of the agreement.

WABCO North America said in a statement this week it will assume distribution rights for its complete portfolio of aftermarket products, including WABCO branded ABS technologies, stability control, advanced driver assistance systems, air systems and other products currently distributed with exclusivity

by Meritor.

“The termination of this exclusive distribution agreement unlocks an array of new and enhanced services designed to enable fast, high-quality repairs that result in improved vehicle safety, performance and uptime,” WABCO said.

US Global component expert, Hendrickson, has launched a new application now available via Android and iOS devices.

The app is reported to centralise a collection of Hendrickson product and training videos, including Parts Plus lookup system, technician help and Field Service Request system for ease of access and reference.

“Hendrickson is not only committed to creating innovative ride solutions but innovative tools as well,” said Hendrickson Director of Global Marketing and Communications, Mark Slingluff.

18 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

Trailer builders such as utility are reporting production milestones in the US.

Hendrickson, a Boler company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medium- and heavy-duty mechanical, elastomeric and air suspensions; integrated and nonintegrated axle and brakes systems; tyre pressure control systems; auxiliary lift axle systems; parabolic and multileaf springs; stabilisers; bumpers; and components to the global commercial transportation industry.

US Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. broke its all-time record for total trailer production in 2019.

Utility produced just under 52,000 trailers in 2019 which included dry vans, flatbeds and refrigerated trailers. Previously, the company produced a record number of trailers

in 2015 with just over 49,000 total trailers manufactured that year.

Utility reports to be a top selling reefer manufacturer with 50 per cent market share in North America.

“2019 was truly a great year for us and a great start to a new decade,” said Utility Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Craig Bennett.

“As a family company producing trailers since 1914, we are proud of our achievements throughout the years.

“We are continuing to increase production capacity at our manufacturing facilities in order to meet the increasing demands of our trailers,” he said.

Utility currently operates six trailer manufacturing facilities across North America. Utility’s 3000R and

NEWS

NORTH AMERICA the 3000R multi-temp refrigerated trailers are manufactured at the Marion, Virginia, Clearfield, Utah and Piedras Negras, Mexico plants.

The 4000D-X Composite series and 4000D dry vans are manufactured at the Glade Spring, Virginia and Paragould, Arkansas plants.

The 4000AE, 4000S, and 4000AE Drop Deck flatbeds as well as the Tautliner are all manufactured at the Enterprise, Alabama facility.

US Load containment specialist, US Tarp, has announced the apppointment of Lance Hampton as Director of Sales & Marketing for its new West Warehouse.

Hampton has extensive experience in sales, purchasing, operations, and production. For more than 22 years, he was at SAF-Holland, where he began as Regional Sales Representative for NEWAY in the Intermountain and Western United States. During his tenure at SAF-Holland, he was promoted to National Fleet Manager than National Accounts Manager and finally Western Regional Sales Manager.

Prior to joining SAF-Holland, Hampton was in sales and product management for Century Wheel & Rim and in customer service and a buyer and inventory branch coordinator at Motor Rim & Wheel.

Residing in Salt Lake City, Hampton holds a BA in Business Administration from California State University of Fullerton.

US FedEx continues to operate in an uncertain environment, especially in markets heavily impacted by Covid-19.

On 27 March 0220, the US President, Donald Trump, signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The CARES Act is intended to provide economic relief to US citizens and businesses in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is reported to include provisions for relief from air cargo and aviation fuel excise taxes from 28 March 28 2020 through to 31 December 2020.

For illustrative purposes, FedEx estimates that the air cargo and aviation fuel excise tax holiday provisions of the CARES Act, if in effect during FedEx’s full fiscal year ended 31 May 2019, would have benefitted FedEx’s consolidated operating income by approximately $250 million USD. The CARES Act provides financial relief options and security for FedEx if needed as it continues to support the US economy and its recovery.

“We remain focused on mobilising our global network to help the communities where we live and work and to continue serving our customers around the world,” FedEx said in a statement.

US North American supply chain company, JB Hunt Transport, recently announced it would provide a one-time bonus of $500 USD for drivers and personnel at field operations and customer facilities supporting the drivers who have kept the country’s freight moving during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“All of our employees have gone above and beyond the call to action during this crisis,” said JB Hunt President and CEO, John Roberts.

“And nearly all of our field-level, front-line employees and certainly all of our drivers are required in person and have upheld the high standards of our company.

“They have kept pace with the evolving supply chain needs of our customers in the face of great uncertainty,” he said. “These bonuses serve as a token of our appreciation for their service and hard work during these unprecedented times.”

The bonus will be available to eligible employee drivers, as well as field employees and managers in terminals, intermodal ramps, maintenance shops, Dedicated Contract Service account locations, and Final Mile distribution centers who directly support drivers. The bonus was paid on 27 March.

JB Hunt has taken several precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Last month the company issued a directive to work from home until at least 3 April 2020, for employees whose on-site presence was not required to perform their work.

JB Hunt has also established internal protocols around travel restrictions, self-quarantining, social distancing and other safety precautions.

The company is providing employees with hand sanitiser and gloves and established an emergency COVID-19 paid time off policy for employees who are unable to work due to the illness or quarantine.

“The safety and health of all JB Hunt employees and their families are of the utmost importance to us,” said Roberts. “We are very grateful for their dedication to ensure critical supplies reach their destination in these challenging times.”

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 19

NEWS INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AMERICA

Librelato International Sales Convention kicked off in Brazil in March.

BRAZIL At the International Sales Convention 2020 in Brazil, Librelato announced a bold plan to reach 15 per cent market share this year.

The Brazil-based OEM is banking on its innovative technology and efficiency in its aftersales network to achieve its projected South American expansion.

Librelato held its International Sales Convention from 4-7 March 2020 Florianópolis. The event took place at the Costão do Santinho Resort and brought together about 200 representatives.

At the event, participants had the opportunity to prepare for Librelato’s most ambitious growth plan, which in view of the innovations and new products launched, characterises the Librelato brand.

“In this historic convention, we had the opportunity to discuss with our dealers our plan to expand Librelato’s business to all of South America, making 2020 as promising as it was 2019”, said Librelato CEO, José Carlos Sprícigo.

Sprícigo said that the International Sales Convention 2020 brought a 20 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

renewal that is set to make 2020 a special year.

“After a strong retraction, the road cargo transportation sector begins to grow in a sustainable manner and we, at Librelato, both factory and network, understand that now is the time to offer even more products that deliver high quality and profitability to fleet owners,” he said.

According to Adão Ribeiro, from the Politruck dealer, which serves the region of Minas Gerais, since the first half of last year, sales of brand implements have been growing in his region. “Fleet owners are looking for implements that are more robust and, at the same time, lighter. But they also want quality aftermarket. That is why Librelato has been standing out,” he said.

Librelato’s International Sales Convention 2020 was marked by lectures on different topics, with emphasis on success, strength, potential, future and destiny.

“We created the motto ‘Destiny’ with the purpose of provoking our representatives from all over South America that we have, today, all the necessary tools to become leaders

in innovation and technology in road implements,” said Librelato Marketing Coordinator, Graziela Gislon. “We are convinced that our destiny is the leadership of this segment and we will work both in the development of innovative products as well as in bold actions in the competitive markets where we operate.”

BRAZIL Randon Companies ended 2019 with consolidated net revenue of 5.1 billion BRL (approx. €969 million), achieving the best result in the company’s entire history.

The positive performance, which recorded an increase of 20 per cent compared to 2018, was mainly boosted by the positive performance of acquisitions and partnerships made by the company, the strengthening of the transport sector and the improvement of macroeconomic indicators.

The company also recorded total gross revenue, before consolidation, of $7.3 billion BRL (approx. €1.39 billion), an increase of 21 per cent compared to the year consolidated EBITDA of 690.7 million BRL

NEWS

SOUTH AMERICA (approx. €131.2 million), with EBITDA margin of 13.6 per cent. The net income totalled $247.6 million BRL (approx. €47 million) in 2019, an increase of 63 per cent.

For the company, 2019 was marked by several acquisitions and partnerships, which contributed to the positive result of the period, such as the joint venture that created Randon Triel-HT, the constitution of Randon Linhares and of Suspensys Mexico, and the acquisition of the company Ferrari Indústria Metalúrgica, by Master.

According to Randon’s CEO Daniel Randon, the performance presented reinforces the company’s strategy in combining the solidity of the organisation with the transformation movement it is going through.

“We were very pleased with the results achieved in 2019, when Randon Companies completed 70 years of trajectory,” he said.

“Through investments in innovation, market expansion and proximity to our customers, we are increasingly

aiming at the future and maintaining the position of protagonists in the segments where we operate.”

In addition, in 2019 Fenatran, the largest freight transport fair in Latin America, which contributed even more to the relevant positioning of Randon Companies in the sector.

The company has launched 20 new products, with emphasis on e-Sys, auxiliary electric shaft to be used in road implements, which is reported to reduce truck fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent.

Regarding the results presented by the company in the fourth quarter of 2019, total gross revenue, with taxes and before consolidation, totalled $1.8 billion BRL (approx. €341.9 million), a 6.0 per cent increase over revenue obtained in the same period of the previous year. The consolidated net revenue increased 6.0 per cent, compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, totalling $1.3 billion BRL (approx. €246.9 million) in the fourth quarter of 2019. The gross profit for the period totalled $304.2

million BRL (approx. €57.8 million), an increase of 9.0 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.

The consolidated EBITDA reached $160.6 million BRL (approx. €30.5 million), with EBITDA margin of 12.5 per cent.

“These results confirm the company’s recovery from the challenges of previous years,” said Randon Companies CFO, Paulo Prignolato.

“We noticed a positive movement in the market and the improvement of macroeconomic indicators in the short term, but we continue with moderate optimism for the coming months.”

BRAZIL US company, Meritor, is building a $50 million USD, 160,000-squaremetre facility in Roseira, Brazil, to support the expanding domestic commercial vehicle market with modern production facilities when it opens for business in 2021.

“We’re expanding our production lines because we expect the Brazilian

Randon Companies has achieved its best financial performance to date.

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 2 1

NEWS INTERNATIONAL OCEANIA market to continue its progressive recovery and want to meet Meritor’s strategic M2022 goal of growing as a market leader with best-in-class service,” said Meritor Brazil General Director, Adalberto Momi.

“This expansion will help Meritor exceed customer expectations by keeping up with anticipated market growth,” he said.

The Roseira facility will add to the production capacity of Meritor’s current sites in Osasco and Resende. Meritor chose Roseira for its third plant due to the city’s location in the Paraíba Valley. The strategic region is connected closely with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. The valley also has a good road network, proximity to ports, required infrastructure, skilled

Australia signs fuel security deal with US amid supply shortage.

22 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

labor and good delivery of electricity, according to Momi.

For 64 years, Meritor’s facility in Osasco has manufactured axles and other components for the commercial vehicle market. Current downtown location, traffic and logistic restrictions in Osasco do not support further expansion, driving the decision to launch a new plant in Roseira.

The Roseira site will represent one of the largest investments Meritor has made in a global facility in two decades. Proof, Momi said, of the company’s commitment to serving potential growth in Brazil’s commercial vehicle industry.

“We are very confident and excited about this new phase that we started in 2020,” he said.

Construction is planned to begin in March 2020 and last approximately 13 months for a planned opening in April 2021. The 30,000-squaremetre manufacturing area will include modern production lines based on Industry 4.0 systems – focused on safety, environment and sustainability principles – being implemented globally.

In addition to contributing to the growth of Brazil’s commercial vehicle market, the new plant will impact the Roseira region’s economy by generating direct and indirect jobs.

“This is an opportunity for Meritor to foster the city’s growth through jobs for the local community,” said Momi.

AUSTRALIA Australia has committed to bolstering

NEWS

OCEANIA its oil supplies in the event of a major global disruption by signing the US Arrangement.

Under the Arrangement, Australia will lease space in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to store and access Australian owned oil during a global emergency.

Australia’s Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister, Angus Taylor, signed the new Arrangement with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette during a visit this week to the US. The Arrangement stems from discussions between Australia Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and US President, Donald Trump, in Washington last August.

“This landmark Australia-US Arrangement represents our joint commitment to maintaining fuel security and improving Australia’s resilience, as well as strengthening the close bonds between our two great nations,” said Taylor.

“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the world’s biggest emergency stockpile of oil. The US is a trusted ally which has been essential for global oil security and we are glad to be building on our strong, longstanding relationship, while ensuring Australia is best prepared to act during a global oil disruption.”

US Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, said that the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a critical asset for energy and national security that America has had at Australia’s disposal for decades.

“There is no more secure or resilient place to store emergency oil reserves than the SPR, and we are glad that Australia is choosing to entrust us with their reserves,” he said.

“This Arrangement with Australia will strengthen the energy reliability

of one of our strongest allies, providing them options in case of an emergency, and bolstering their energy security.”

According to a media statement issued by the Federal Government: Australian owned stocks held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve can be counted towards Australia’s compliance obligations with the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Under International Energy Agency obligations, Australia is required to hold 90 days of oil reserves and can hold these reserves offshore where a bilateral arrangement is in place.

A separate leasing agreement is currently being negotiated between Australia and the US in which any future purchases Australia might make would be detailed in accordance with the Arrangement.

“This deal with the US shows the Australian Government is taking practical action to enhance our fuel security by boosting Australia’s oil stockholdings,” said Taylor.

AUSTRALIA The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has authorised medicine wholesalers to cooperate when distributing essential medicine and pharmacy products.

This interim authorisation follows an application by the National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA) to enable businesses to co-ordinate the supply, inventory management, distribution, logistics, and import of pharmaceuticals needed by consumers and hospitals.

“Allowing pharmacy wholesalers to work together to help make vital medicines accessible to everyone during this pandemic is clearly in the national interest,” said ACCC Chair,

Rod Sims.

“I also urge consumers not to buy more medicines than they require, in order to ease supply restrictions for other patients and enable fair distribution to all Australians,” he said.

The coordination by pharmaceutical wholesalers will be subject to oversight from government and other regulatory bodies. Price fixing behaviour is not authorised, and the ACCC can review the authorisation at any time.

“We have approved this interim authorisation as a matter of urgency given the challenges to the health and medical system from this unprecedented pandemic,” said Sims.

The ACCC will now seek feedback on the interim authorisation, as well as the application for final authorisation which is sought for a period of 12 months. More information, including the ACCC’s statement of reasons, is available at National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA).

ACCC authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

Broadly, the ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.

The ACCC may review a decision on interim authorisation at any time, including in response to feedback raised following interim authorisation.

The NPSA is a peak industry body representing pharmaceutical wholesalers in Australia. NPSA Members distribute to all pharmacies and major hospitals in Australia.

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

RISING

LIBRELATO HAS SEEN TREMENDOUS CHANGE OVER THE YEARS FROM ITS HUMBLE SAWMILL ROOTS TO BECOMING ONE OF LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO SOUTH AMERICA’S ECONOMY. THE INNOVATIVE TRAILER MANUFACTURER AND COMPONENT SUPPLIER IS SATISFYING INDUSTRY DEMAND IN BRAZIL AND BEYOND.

S

ince its foundation 51 years ago, Librelato has continuously invested in innovative technologies to provide customers in Brazil – and every market it operates in – with road transport equipment of the highest quality. The OEM seeks the lowest tare and the hardest wearing trailers in addition to supplying top-of-the-range componentry.

Librelato CEO, José Carlos Sprícigo – with the support of the company – has spent the past 35 years supplying freight operators with trailers and road tankers that enable competitive and profitable operations.

“I have met, worked with, and been a partner and admirer of José Carlos

24 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

Librelato, aka Lussa,” he said. “He was a visionary and enterprising man who, besides being one of the founders of the company, was one of its biggest supporters, being responsible for making Librelato what it is today – a company with solid human values without giving up technological innovation. Lussa is gone now, but his legacy and his teachings are proudly preserved as the values and principles

COVER STORY

STAR of the company. That is why all the opportunities I have had and the manner how the company believed and invested in me is a policy that we unrestrictedly keep and improve at Librelato for all our employees. We acknowledge the value of our human resources so as we may be able to offer state-of-the-art technology in trailers to our customers. We are driven by a moment of digital transformation, and I necessarily believe that excellence management models aligned with professional training will certainly help us to meet our growth and development objectives.”

Sprícigo reflected on the history of the Librelato family which started its activities as a small and modest sawmill, located in the interior city of Orleans, with the

Patron Berto Librelato (in memoriam) at the head of the company “In 1969 the sawmill became a formal company and produced its first truck wooden body,” he said.

“In 1980, Irmãos Librelato (Librelato Brothers) was formed, dedicated to the sales of truck parts and accessories and started providing technical

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

Curtainsider platform trailer.

assistance for trailers of a major national brand. In 1992 the company changed its name to Librelato Implementos Agrícolas e Rodoviários Ltda (Librelato Agricultural and Road Equipment Ltda) and started producing trailers.

“In 2007, the company made the first export to Angola and expanded its operations in the state of Santa Catarina and opened a new facility in the city of Capivari de Baixo. In the same year, the company began selling consortium quotes (local financing model). In 2008 the company consolidated the brand internationally and started building the third production site in the municipality of Içara.

“By 2010, Librelato expanded and modernised its facilities, in addition to creating a new unit in the city of Criciúma / SC. “This year, the company achieved recognition due to its expansion not only by customers and business partners but, was also congratulated with important awards. Golden year for Librelato, reaching the fourth position in the ranking of the largest companies among the Brazilian trailer manufacturers. For the third consecutive year (2008, 2009 and 2010) it is considered one of the fastest growing companies in the country by EXAME PME magazine and it is nominated for the AUTODATA Award of the Best company in the automotive sector.

“In 2011, it became a corporation and entered into a partnership with the Investor Fund CRP VII, a fund FAST FACT manager based in Rio Grande do Librelato made several key sales of Sul, which has been operating in innovative semi-trailers at the last the Brazilian Venture Capital and Fenatran, the largest exhibition for the sector, held in October 2019, Private Equity market for more than in São Paulo. The OEM’s most 30 years. In 2013, Librelato reached innovative trailer is the grain trailer the third position in the ranking of PRÓ-NIO which features Niobium in the biggest trailer manufacturers in the steel formulation; it is used in its manufacturing process, which was Brazil, won for the first time the Best among the brand key products at Companies to Work for in Santa the event. It is the lightest and most Catarina award and the Champions resistant implement available in its category in the Brazilian market. With of Innovation award, granted by the the new PRÓ-NIO technology applied Amanhã group in partnership with to the three-Axle, 12.50M grain trailer, Edusys and Fundação Dom Cabral. it is possible to transport 780kg more payload than a standard trailer, “In 2019 Librelato celebrated its meaning greater gains and higher 50th anniversary in a special way, profitability for the carrier. inaugurating Unilibrelato – Librelato

26 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

University – with Post-Graduation, exclusively for its professionals, participating in the best Fenatran in its history, holding a party for more than 2,000 people (including professionals and family members) and winning for the second time the Best Companies to Work For award.”

Operating for over half a century and having a spectacular history of technological innovations and focus on honouring its employees, Sprícigo said in addition to keeping a serious and long-term policy of investments in the upgrade of Librelato’s manufacturing complex, it is natural for the business to always be among the finalists, often winning important industry awards.

“We won several awards throughout our history, but we can highlight the most recent ones: for three consecutive years – 2008, 2009, and 2010 – we were recognised by the magazine Revista Exame as the company that grew the most in our segment in Brazil,” Sprícigo said.

“We were also nominated for the prestigious Autodata Award as one of the best companies in the automotive field, and, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, Librelato won the ‘Brand of the Year’ award from the Brazilian National Federation of Automotive Vehicle Distribution – Fenabrave.

“From 2010 until the present, Librelato has won important awards recognising our responsible operation in the social and environmental areas, our committed Human Resources policy, which honours our workforce, and our policies of seeking innovation aiming at offering the highest efficiency and safety to the operation of road transport.

“We have closed the year of 2019 winning the award ‘Company of the Year 2019’ from Associação Empresarial de Criciúma (local city association) and the award ‘Best Companies to Work For’, through the Great Place to Work – GPTW certification program.

“Step by step, year after year, we have achieved several accomplishments, and, today, Librelato is already among the three biggest companies in our segment, having a wide and innovative portfolio of trailer solutions and being in our best phase ever.”

COVER STORY

The OEM has come a long way from manufacturing products assembled on chassis in 1969.

“After being in the market for several years and seeing the market opportunity in the line of heavy vehicles, in other words, trailers, we decided to take a bolder step and started the manufacturing of the first Librelato tipper trailer in 1998,” Sprícigo said. “In the same way that the first body produced in 1969

Three-axle trailer.

Fifth wheel tipper combination.

accomplished our customer expectations, Librelato trailers were also widely accepted, of course the Brazilian market, an important world barn with growing agribusiness, made the company’s growth very solid and helped us on bringing new products to meet the demand also in the consumer and infrastructure market.”

By listening and understanding the needs of its customers over time, Librelato has worked hard to adapt its products to suit both domestic and international markets.

“Librelato has innovation in its DNA, and we are capable of giving quick responses to the market needs,” said Sprícigo. “Both these characteristics, innovation and agility, were

crucial in recent years for us to achieve great sales leaps. Today, we are the thirdlargest trailer manufacturer in Brazil and the second main exporter of trailers in the country. Our market share has been growing over the years – currently, our share in Brazil is more than 14 per cent. We always offer new products without ever giving up on safety and availability, which ensures reliable products and services and provides greater results to our customers.”

Librelato showed a 66 per cent growth in its revenue compared to 2018, reaching about 235 million USD in the period. The brand expansion in comparison to its sales figure corresponds to more than 55 per cent, which is also notable, since the sales increase in the internal market corresponded to 45 per cent in relation to 2018 according to data provided by the National Association of Manufacturers of Trailers and Bodies – Anfir.

In 2019, the company sold 9,545 trailers in the internal and external markets, reaching a market share of 14.1 per cent in the Brazilian market and 13.5 per cent in exports.

“Last year was one of the best years in the company history, becoming unforgettable to everyone at Librelato – we celebrated 50 years and achieved sales and results that guaranteed the continuity of investments and of the development of products and components that make the Brazilian logistics industry more competitive and efficient,” Sprícigo said – adding that the growth of the business has been quite substantial.

“We started our business in 1969, in the city of Orleans, in Santa Catarina. Today, we have three units – our headquarters and a subsidiary in the Municipality of Içara, and another facility in the City of Criciúma, all in the State of Santa Catarina, in the South of Brazil. With 50,186m² of total built area and 255,861m² of plot area in all units, with the inauguration of the new facilities at the company’s headquarters in Içara at the end of 2020, providing a wider and more comfortable space for professionals and company customers” As for its aftermarket support, Librelato has 60 dealer agents strategically located in all the Brazilian regions.

“All technicians at our Casas Librelato (Librelato Stores) are systematically trained and updated in relation to our products,” Sprícigo said. “We have a strong logistics system for all the networks to be permanently supplied with high-turnover products. Our aftermarket service is so efficient that we were recognised by Fenabrave as the best concessionaire network in the field twice in the last two years. Fenabrave is the entity that gathers the sales offices of vehicle retailers across Brazil.”

Librelato also has dealer agents in key markets such as Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia as well as sales agents in Africa and the Middle East.

For more than five years now, Librelato is increasingly growing in the Brazilian market.

“Despite a loss in volume, even amid the severe 2014-2017 crisis, we gained

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 27

in market share in Brazil due to a single reason: we offer the most modern and innovative products (light, resistant and innovative) in the country,’ Sprícigo said.

“Concerning the Brazilian economy, after such severe crisis, which affected the market in more than 70 per cent, we noticed that, in the last two and a half years (since mid-2017), there are strong and unequivocal signs of sustainable economic recovery. We believe the economy rules are clearer now, as there are evident signs from the government that the required reforms are in progress or about to take place. This is very positive, creating an optimistic mood that is crucial for growth recovery. The current year will also be marked by growth – the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) possibly will grow at a 2.5 per cent to 3.0 per cent rate, the interest is at the lowest level ever, and the inflation is under control. These positive economic and political indicators helped in the recovery of the market trust and, thus, the circulating fleet is being renewed at a fast pace, and Brazil appears to be in a growth cycle that can last a decade. All economic indicators point at a smooth, sustainable growth – and that is great.”

Librelato has one of the most complete product portfolios in Brazil. There are configurations such as trailers, interlink trailers (with two, three or more composition), in different models like flatbeds, grain grailers, tippers, lowbeds, timber trailers, dry vans, curtainsiders, skels, tankers, sugar-cane trailers and reefers.

“When these products bear the brand Librelato, the carrier can be 100 per cent sure that it is a robust, lighter, and more efficient equipment,” Sprícigo said.

“We have been studying this market for 50 years and know it well, listening to our customers and meeting their needs. Carriers need trailers that, at the same time, are light (to transport more load) and robust (to bear the harsh conditions of Brazilian and region roads). It takes a lot of technology to make a product that is strong and light at the same time. As we invest heavily in product engineering and R&D, Librelato owns this formula and it is well adjusted.”

On the topic of the most popular trailer applications in Brazil, Sprícigo said grain trailers are the most versatile equipment in the country; therefore, they are the best-selling product in Brazil. “They are generally used to transport grain harvests (a major operation in Brazil), but are also widely used to transport raw materials, consumer goods, and supporting the movement of containers in exports and imports,” he said – adding that the Brazilian trailer industry is among the most modern and innovative industries in the world. “It is highly professional and has strong and traditional competitors. Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, and roads are its main transport mode – more than 60 per cent of all transport performed in the country employ trailers. It is an industry that is reinventing and modernising itself, seeking to offer carriers with products of the highest quality and, thus, reaching high levels of equipment availability.”

Librelato is attentive to freight logistics trends in Brazil

“In recent years, the field of logistics underwent an accelerated modernisation process in Brazil, especially the road logistics, with a strong impact on intermodality,” said Sprícigo.

“Trucks and trailers are the protagonists of such a process. Logistics became more efficient and, to meet the society expectations, it needs to be more sustainable from the environmental perspective. The emission of pollutant gases by trucks is far fewer than 10 years ago and, each year, truck brands have been improving such environmental performance. The same applies to the trailers – we seek to use lighter and more environmentally friendly materials.

28 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

“As I said before, the key demand of logistics operators is to transport more and in a more efficient way. That is what we deliver by producing lighter and more robust equipment.

Certainly, it is a dynamic process, and we will always have new advancements.

“Electrification is a reality that will reach us in Brazil soon, but we already implemented other innovations – connected trailers are a good example of it. In an

unprecedented and exclusive partnership with Sascar, a company with renowned expertise on fleet management equipment, Librelato is the only Brazilian company in the sector offering connected trailers.

With such technology, fleet operators will elevate the standard of control and broad monitoring of their freights, moreover regarding decoupled tractors.”

Another outstanding innovation for Librelato is air suspension with selfsteerable axle.

“As of 2020, for all three-axle Librelato trailers where at least the first one is away from the second one, the first axle will be equipped with the self-steerable axle,” Sprícigo said. “This new technology offers greater safety, involves lower maintenance costs, and provides a faster return on investments, fully replacing the solution employed so far, the fixed axle coupled to a self-steerable frame with turntable.”

In addition to these innovations in trailer design, the ‘Sider Grid’ is a new

COVER STORY

Six-axle road tanker.

curtainsider concept that serves all types of palletised cargo.

“This new trailer, which is in the process of approval for the transport of beverage, allows a wide and full access to any cargo in up to 30 seconds,” Sprícigo said. “The ‘Sider Grid’ technology was inspired by European concepts of logistics and distribution, and its commercialisation is scheduled for the first quarter of this year.

“Meanwhile, the new model of 2.0 Premium Interlink Tipper, developed using ultraresistant steel and employing a fifth-wheel coupling, is the product we need to highlight when talking about trends in logistics. The major differential in the development of this equipment was the increase in the tipping

angle of the rear trailer in relation to models made available by other builders.

With an innovative concept, the R&D team of Librelato increased the dumping angle from 28 to 40 degrees, which makes it possible to discharge any kind of product.”

Librelato constantly strives to innovate, not only in its products and services but also in its communications with its customers. The OEM recently released its first podcast of the trailer sector in Brazil.

“The corporate program, unprecedented in the sector, is called Carregando o Brasil (‘Loading Brazil’),” Sprícigo said. “Its main editorial line is to address hot topics related to the fields of transport, technology, safety, and economy; road tips; trailer industry trivia; and Librelato news, such as releases, trends, services, technical tips, after-sales matters, consortium (Brazilian kind of financial), financings, interviews with guests, among others. The Podcast is hosted by the journalist Fernando Richeti, a specialist in the sector of transport for over 20 years, in addition to working as a reporter and host of shows aimed at road professionals.

It is available for free on the SoundCloud platform (in Portuguese only).” www.librelato.com

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

ALL ALONG THE

ARCHIPELA THE INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO, SITUATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN, ALONG THE MALACCA STRAITS AND THE INDIAN OCEAN, SEES MORE THAN HALF OF ALL INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING MOVE THROUGH ITS SURROUNDING WATERS. INCREASINGLY, INDONESIA IS PLAYING A MORE DOMINANT ROLE IN THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN.

T

he Government of the Republic of Indonesia applies a presidential system to its democratic country along with five Pancasila principles that are interrelated and inseparable, namely: the belief in one God; a just and civilised humanism; unity of Indonesia; democratic citizenship lead by wise guidance born of representative consultation; and social just for all the people of Indonesia.

These guiding principles have led to the development of an industrious nation state. According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world (270 million) where almost half that number live in urban areas and have increased capacity to spend.

Indonesian industry is, as a result, performing relatively well.

Established in 1983, PT United Tractors Pandu Engineering — or PATRIA as it’s more commercially known — has since become one of the best manufacturers of logistics and heavy equipment in Indonesia. Its manufacturing facilities are based in in XI Jababeka Street Block H 30-40, Jababeka Industrial estate, West Java, Indonesia. PATRIA is reported to be the largest trailer manufacturer in Indonesia with a 70 per cent market share in mining trailers and 80 per cent for large vessel products.

PATRIA is also the only trailer manufacturer to exhibit at the Jakarta Mining Expo since 2017. Prior to that, PATRIA joined the company group, PT United Tractors Tbk.

3 0 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

As Product Marketing Department Head at PATRIA, Banu Ady Saputra provides product specifications, GA drawing, pricing and lead time advice. His main goal is to ensure that all products produced by PATRIA are sustained and able to compete in the market.

PATRIA’s production capabilities are extensive and include: water, fuel and lube tanks, excavator buckets, large and medium sized mining vessels, tower lamps, concrete mixers, core samplers, hydraulic pumping units, loading ramps as well as various trailer designs for mining, logging and general freight applications. The most popular builds are the big mining vessels and the mining trailers.

“In mining the trend is to build the trailers as big as possible to reduce the cost per tonne,” Saputra said. “Running with 200 tonnes of payload is becoming more and more popular for mining contractors here in Indonesia.

PATRIA focuses in the mining sector because

MARKET REPORT

GO

it provides the biggest contribution to the company’s revenue. The market characteristic is also different – the logistics sector, for example, goes to red ocean market while the mining sector is blue ocean market.”

To build robust, heavy duty road transport equipment, particularly for coal mining and logging purposes, PATRIA has partnered with supplier, Fuwa K-Hitch, to source 20 tonne axles, mechanical suspensions and heavy duty fifth wheels.

Fuwa K-Hitch has strong engineering capability to develop product that meets our requirements,” Saputra said. “PATRIA is also involved in design improvement processes with Fuwa K-Hitch; our engineers actively communicate with Fuwa K-Hitch to help improve their product range. Some of the big customers in Indonesia already know and use Fuwa K-Hitch in their trailers, so we have no doubt about the quality of the product.”

In light of Indonesia’s current financial instability, impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Saputra estimated that domestic demand contributes around 57 per cent to its economy.

“The government expects a Gross Domestic Product – GDP of 5.3 per cent by 2020,” Saputra said. “As for our unstable economy, our company is trying to diversify its existing business. In 2011, PATRIA established a subsidiary to focus on transhipment (PML), ship building (PMP), and ship repair (PAMI). In 2017, we also establish a subsidiary that focused on the fishery business.

Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia’s Minister of Finance, explained the performance of the ‘State Budget’ earlier this year at a press conference. She reported, the realisation of state revenue had reached 103.7 trillion IDR (approx. €6,084,441,239,1010,657.00) or 4.6 per cent of the 2020 State Budget target.

Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) grew 2.3 per cent. Corporate income tax (corporate) also fell due to the global economy slowdown such as coronavirus (Covid-19) negative issue.

“This January, state revenues are still contracting 4.6,” she said. “Economic slowdown in 2019 was starting to be seen in corporate income tax, they made adjustments to their tax payments. Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) grows 2.3 per cent so that the total taxation and total state revenue contracted by 4.6 per cent.”

In the expenditure realisation, 39.8 trillion IDR [approx. €8,156,265,934,423,350.00] or 5.5 per cent of 2020 State Budget target has been utilised with a 9.1 per cent contraction due to frontloading from Ministries/ Institutions (K/L) for spending on social assistance especially the Family Hope Program (PKH) or Indonesian Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 9 basic needs for food card (Sembako card).

“On the expenditure side, there was a 9.1 contraction,” the Minister said.

“However, we saw an indication of frontloading of Ministries / Institutions (K/L). Why the contraction in January? Because last year there was a significant frontloading and additional social assistance carried out in January. For this year, social assistance changes are normalised, spent for 12 months. This is why the comparison looked not apple to apple. Last year, January social assistance expenditure was paid in January, this year the social assistance spending remained the same but distributed 12 months, different schemes, from PKH to Sembako cards.”

Even though Ministries/Institutions expenditure is still negative, according to the Ministry of Finance there are some positive things such as the transfer of schools’ operational assistance (BOS) funds directly to school accounts. Last year, the transfer seemed to be faster but the transfer to the province or district, not necessarily to the school. Likewise, the Village Fund, now goes directly to the village, not through a city or district account. This is what distinguishes the impact on the economy, even though the figure looks negative.

As of January, the primary balance position was negative 13.6 and a deficit of 36.1 trillion IDR (approx. €2,114,024,952,997,033.80) or 0.21 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Compared to last year, the deficit was 13.6 smaller than 22.1 trillion IDR (approx. €1,296,663,536,620,164.80). For a deficit of 36.1 trillion IDR, last year’s deficit was 45 trillion IDR (approx. €2,641,755,399,664,500.00).

Debt financing until January was 68.2 trillion IDR (approx. €4,003,727,072,380,419.50). Nearly half the amount compared to last year.

SilPa (Budget Surplus/Shortage of Budget Financing) decreased to 32 trillion IDR (approx. €1.9 trillion) compared to 78 trillion IDR last year (approx. €4.57 trillion).

In February, Lana Soelistianingsih was appointed as the new Member of the Board of Commissioners and concurrently serving as the Chief Executive Officer

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 3 1

of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) for 2020-2025 replacing Fauzi Ichsan in accordance with Presidential Decree (Keppres) of the Republic of Indonesia Number 10/M of 2020 concerning Dismissal and Appointment Member of the LPS Board of Commissioners.

Minister Indrawati advised on 20 February 2020 that economic and financial conditions must be maintained together with Financial Services Authority (OJK), Bank Indonesia as central Bank (BI) for economic development.

“I hope that Lana with her experience and wisdom can carry out this task effectively and well. Maintain LPS’s human resources, the assets and financial resources that come from (banks) contributions,” she said. “We also need to increase cooperation between LPS and regulatory institutions such as the OJK, and monetary authorities (BI).”

Indrawati added that LPS must be able to become a trusted institution for the community as an institution that guarantees their deposits in the bank.

“We hope that this will continue to be improved in terms of LPS’s reputation so as to create confidence and trust from the industry as well as respect from the industry as an institution that guarantees deposits,” she said. “This will determine the environment of financial institutions, especially banks as intermediaries and where people carry out savings deposit transactions. Trust is very difficult to

Fuwa K-Hitch supplies 20-tonne axles, mechanical suspensions and heavy duty fifths to the Indonesian road transport market.

32 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

obtain and difficult to maintain, and easy to lose. Without public trust, it’s very impossible for us to do financial deepening.”

The bank funding fees collected by the LPS, according to Indrawati, must also be appropriate in the atmosphere and facilities, environment, and the impression that a banking restructuring program must have is well communicated to banks, not to cause speculation as if a banking crisis will occur.

In March, Indonesia President, Joko Widodo confirmed the health and safety of the country’s community was the Government’s main priority, implementing social distancing, preparing contingency plans for hospital service readiness, including accelerating the construction of hospitals on Galang Island, in the Riau Islands.

Widodo mandated the availability of health equipment such as masks, personal protective equipment, and hand sanitisers, also prioritising the needs of domestic medical devices and stopping the export of masks and medical devices.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact not only on public health but also on the economy of the people and the business world,” Widodo said in a statement. “One of the things that needs to be anticipated in the current situation, is the fulfillment of basic needs. Related to this, the government ensures that the staple goods of the people are sufficient with stable prices. Meanwhile, the impact of Covid-19 which touched the business world will also be responded to in accordance with the President’s instructions through the provision of economic incentives, especially for businesses, more specifically MSMEs”.

To respond to this extraordinary situation, Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance responded by facilitating the refocusing and reallocation of the budget in the interests of handling the Covid-19 pandemic quickly while continuing to prioritise accountability and applicable regulations. Appropriate state expenditure on target is a very important point.

Indonesia’s ministries and institutions were encouraged by the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with the President’s instructions, to reallocate spending activities

MARKET REPORT

Major Indonesian exports include oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, rubber and textiles whereas the country’s key imports are machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels and food.

that are less effective during the pandemic, including official travel expenses, seminars and people gatherings.

The Ministry of Finance actioned a number of policies including: relief of PPh22 and PPh25 tax obligations for 19 manufacturing industry sectors; simplification / reduction of the number of import activities in order to improve the smoothness and availability of raw materials; reducing the number of imported lartas, for companies with producer status (the initial stage will be applied to steel products, alloy steel, and derivative products); simplification of regulations regulated by more than one K / L (duplication) in the form of horticulture, animal and animal products, as well as drugs, medicinal ingredients, and food; reducing the number of imported lartas for strategic food products used in the manufacturing industry, such as industrial salt, sugar, flour, corn, meat and potatoes.

Other policies involved the acceleration of export and import processes for reputable traders (companies with high levels of compliance) to increase the smooth flow of goods to reduce logistics costs as well as the development of the National Logistics Ecosystem (NLE). NLE is a platform that facilitates collaboration of information systems between government and private agencies to simulate and synchronise the flow of information and documents in export/import activities at ports and domestic goods trading and distribution activities through data sharing, business process simulations and elimination of repetiion and duplication. It aims to increase and accelerate the services of the export-import process.

Under Widodo’s guidance, the state budget was prioritised to keep the business world affected by Covid-19 moving and the Indonesian economy growing. www.globaltrailermag.com

FAST FACT Indonesia has abundant natural resources outside Java including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Despite being the second largest exporter of natural gas, Indonesia recently has become a net importer of crude oil. The agriculture products of Indonesia include rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber. The major trade partners of Indonesia are Japan, the United States of America and neighbouring countries namely Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

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

The K.SPA M extendable heavy duty platform trailer provides safe, robust transportation.

THE

STRONGEST COM M ITTE D TO I N NOVATION Since the introduction of its extended low bed and special vehicles product range in 2018, Kässbohrer invested in a new low bed and special vehicles factory which has the highest installed capacity across Europe in-line with the newest requirements of Industry 4.0 philosophy.

Established in 2018 and completed in June 2019, Kässbohrer’s state-of-theart facility has the capacity to produce 2,500 vehicles per year (in double shifts). The factory is built on a total area of 60,000-square-metres and all manufacturing processes are completed in a single hall. The low bed factory operates according to Industry 4.0 principles with RFID latching crane systems, barcode positioning technology, robot-assisted chassis welding, and painting, as well as automatic surface blasting and metallisation, carried out in the integrated coating and paint shop facilities. The OEM has also established a roll test centre which is an essential test in the final stages of production.

34 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

KÄSSBOHRER, ADHERING TO THE MOTTO ‘ENGINUITY’, CONTINUES TO DEVELOP VEHICLES THAT EPITOMISE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY. FOR MORE THAN 125 YEARS THE GERMAN OEM HAS INNOVATED, PARTICULARLY IN THE LOW LOADER NICHE, AND HAS BECOME A KEY SUPPLIER FOR EUROPE’S INDUSTRIOUS CONSTRUCTION SECTOR.

A

s a result of its engineering excellence, Kässbohrer provides a complete construction product range that includes extendable and non-extendable hydraulic low beds and low loaders for heavy duty transportation as well as extendable, non-extendable, mega and maxima heavy duty platforms.

To deliver low-bed segment equipment that meets and exceeds fleet expectations, the OEM has doubled down on its engineering excellence, expanding the existing portfolio with more options. Specifically, the trailer manufacturer has focused on extension, progressive steering, hydraulic suspension, metallisation, main dimensions such as platform length, width and height as well as custom solutions to better accommodate the needs of customers operating in more than 55 countries throughout Europe and Russia.

Other prominent low loader features include versatile ramp options and advanced load security for operational safety and efficiency.

“Preferred by heavy and flat good transportation, non-extendable heavy duty platform semi-trailer K.SPS H is engineered to offer the highest payload capacity while the robust box profile central chassis structure with metallisation enhances the lifelong performance of the semi-trailer,” Kässbohrer said. “K.SPS H’s chassis

LOW LOADERS

LINK is made of high quality and high strength S700 MC steel, in compliance with Standard ISO 1726. K.SPS H is equipped with omega profile reinforced 30mm hardwood floor and drop-patterned steel on top of the wheels.”

Kässbohrer’s non-extendable mega heavy duty platform semi-trailer with three or four axles – K.SPS HM – offers transport solutions for heavy, flat and tall goods due to its rigid chassis. Maximum operational flexibility, according to the OEM, is ensured with variable storage options and load securing features such as 13.4-tonne capacity lashing rings, EUMOS-40511 and Code XL certificate.

Meanwhile, Kässbohrer’s extendable heavy duty platform semi-trailers (three- or fouraxle options) K.SPA X and K.SPA M provides robust and safe transport solutions for heavy and flat goods.

“Adaptable to standard and mega trucks, the K.SPA series features the robust box profile central chassis structure and metallisation coating technology for maximum durability,”

Kässbohrer said. “The K.SPA series offers versatility in load fixing of different widths with lateral rowing pillar pockets as well as various container sizes. Highest load bearing capacity lashing rings are first in the market with its 13.4-tonne capacity. Code XL certified front panel and EUMOS-40511 certified pillar pockets ensure all loads are secured and transferred to the highest available security standards.”

Kässbohrer’s non extendable, hydraulic-steered low bed series with three or four axles, K.SLH S, takes advantage of exceptional manoeuvrability even on the narrowest of roads in rural areas. It also features a strong, flat chassis with a low platform height of 875mm. The air suspension provides a technical axle load of 12 tonnes.

The bulk and high load hauliers opt for the K.SLL series which is designed for heavy duty transportation. The K.SLL 2 and K.SLL 3 low loaders have been re-engineered with the most technological systems and components.

“K.SLL 3 is the lowest low loader with a ground clearance of 100mm, accommodating the maximum height on heavy haulage transport,” Kässbohrer said. “K.SLL 3 with three axles comes with a detachable gooseneck shortening the loading operations of bulky goods while enhancing operational safety with the front loading capability. With its strong chassis and robust construction, K.SLL 3 is designed for the reliable and on-time transport of heavy haulage and abnormal goods. K.SLL 3’s load capacity is 54 tonnes, while the K.SLL 2’s load capacity is 44 tonnes.”

To service the agricultural industry, Kässbohrer has low loaders with high wheels or pallets to move heavy machinery.

“K.SLL B 2 provides solutions for all kinds of agricultural machinery with its pool length of 6,600mm and kingpin capacity for up to 18 tonnes,” Kässbohrer said. “Equipped with hydraulically-steered axles, K.SLL B 2 offers maximum manoeuvrability even under the toughest working conditions and at narrow curves with increased technical axle capacity of 12-tonne and turning angle up to 42°.

The heavy duty platform semi-trailer with three and four axles, K.SPA M, is reported to be a fine example of heavy duty engineering with its extendable, strong and flat chassis, variable container positioning combinations and different load safety options such as its Code XL certified front panel which is resistant up to 22.5-tonne longitudinal loads.

“Adaptable to mega trucks, K.SPA M enhances operational flexibility with its extendable chassis of up to 6,900mm and sliding platform features,” Kässbohrer said. “Also, the metallisation coating technology provides maximum durability against corrosion and rust perforation.”

As for multifunctional and flexible freight tasks, the OEM has its three-axle extendable flex carrier, K.SOK L. “With K.SOK L, it is possible to transport 4x2 to 6x4 trucks, tipper and construction trucks, mini and mid-buses and last, but not least, pick-ups and construction machinery thanks to its extendable chassis and various decking options,” Kässbohrer said. “K.SOK L offers multiple positioning and load safety variations with 12 units of wheel wedges with different locking positions, chassis and tail extension features, foldable front, middle and tail decking ramps, portable aluminium rear loading ramps and six units of wheel recess covers in different sections of the vehicle.

Fleet operators in the low-bed segment enjoy the benefits of Kässbohrer’s commitment to engineering excellence. www.kaessbohrer.com

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 3 5

M O V I N G ON PERFORMANCE

AFTER PRODUCING MORE THAN 10,000 AXLES IN 2019, SAE-SMB INDUSTRIES INVESTED €1.6 MILLION IN 2020 TO IMPROVE ITS COMPETITIVENESS. THE FRENCH OEM HAS ALSO LAUNCHED A SPARE PARTS ARM OF THE BUSINESS.

I

n order to improve its production tool, the Ardennes-based company, based in Ham-les-Moines, will upgrade its horizontal hot forging line for €1.3 million.

This element, essential to its production, will be installed in early April 2020 with a view to starting up in May 2020.

“We will continue to improve our competitiveness and ensure that we can meet all demands, in our niche sector, regardless of the axle tonnage,” said SAE-SMB Site Director, Mickaël Magnier.

“In parallel, we will step up our commercial development on the nine-tonne axle, the most common on the European market,” he said.

This modernisation process requires an additional investment of €300,000 to acquire new tools and other equipment for machining, welding and cataphoresis treatment.

In addition, SAE-SMB Industries recruits many profiles necessary for its development.

Seven positions remain to be covered, such as a sales representative, an IT manager, a design office engineer, a production manager, but also a welder, a turner-miller and an order preparer.

“The 2019 financial year was satisfactory despite a significant erosion of the market between March and June, SAE-SMB Industries returned to a classic business

3 6 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

volume in the second half,” said Magnier. “To the point where today we have visibility for several months on our order book thanks to a notable recovery since September.”

SAE-SMB Industries employs 80 people, five of whom are temporary workers, produces more than 10,000 axles and has a turnover of over €21 million. This turnover (48 per cent in exports and 52 per cent in France) was recorded with more than 200 OEM and spare parts dealers. The customers are manufacturers of specific industrial vehicles (low-loader, container carriers, tank carriers, vehicle carriers, special transport or various materials) but also with European manufacturers of more conventional semitrailers, used for road transport of goods and fitted with 3 x 9 tonnes axles from the Airmax range.

BRAKING TECHNOLOGY

FORWARD SAE-SMB Industries Sales & Marketing Director, Frédéric Perez.

In addition to its commitment to overhaul its operations, SAE-SMB has also created the NOS brand to assist road transport fleets with procuring spare parts at competitive prices.

With a history spanning 70 years, SAESMB Industries has managed to maintain a partnership of trust with its historic suppliers.

Due in part to its membership in the ADR Group, SAE-SMB Industries can use the test laboratory at its disposal and, thus, test and select the spare parts offering the best performance at the best price.

This refurbished ADR test centre at Uboldo, near Milan, Italy, will reportedly be used by SAE-SMB Industries to carry out complete axle tests. The selection of spare parts is not only made by the reputation of the manufacturer’s brand but also by concrete comparative tests simulating with rigour the entire life of the part.

At the start of 2020, NOS will offer a range of trailers, semi-trailers and trucks. It will offer brake discs, air bags suspension, brake pads, bearings, shock absorbers, drum brake shoes, drum brake linings. Other products will be added according to the needs

SAE-SM B I N DUSTRI ES IS PROPOSI NG A N EW N I N E-TON N E DISC BRAKE AXLE – TH E AI RMAX – FOR TRAI LE RS. The nine-tonne Airmax is reported to be a forged one-piece axle body which gives it ‘unequalled’ strength. ”At the bearing area of the cartridge bearing, the rockets are hot rolled by a ceramic ball to locally increase the resistance of the material,” SAE-SMB said in a statement. “The hub is fully treated by cataphoresis to protect it from any oxidation. Its particular shape with corrugated relief allows a ventilation in the heart of the disk and thus avoids that the heat of the latter comes to disrupt its operation. “The disc has a styling zone with ventilation openings that allow the air flow to pass through this zone and thereby cool the hub.

The heat remains on the track of the ventilated disc.”

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 37

of each market since our offer will be presented in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.

“Of course, we want to cover the continents on which we are already present,” said SAE-SMB Industries Sales & Marketing Director, Frédéric Perez.

Our offer will expand as the needs of each market grow,” he said. “We have solid partnerships around the world and a test laboratory that allow us to offer a range of quality at the best price.”

In 1947, three technicians specialising in mechanical engineering began the production of axles for industrial vehicles, with the support of ‘Thomé Industries’.

The new company, Société Ardennaise d’Essieux, grew rapidly due to the reputation of the Thomé Industries group in the heavy industry sector and the know-how of its three creators. Over the years, SAE has become a leader in the production of industrial axles in the French market, gaining a prestigious position on the European market, due to the quality and reliability of its products.

Specialised in assemblies and founded in the 1970s, the company SMB later became the exclusive supplier of axles and suspensions for all trailers of the General Trailers group (Fruehauf, Benalu, Trailor) and Titan, including Fruehauf in Europe, Africa and Japan.

Since the 1990s, SAE has become a reference brand and united with the German group Gigant, which specialises in the production of mechanical and pneumatic suspensions. This transaction enabled SAE to provide its customers with axles equipped with suspensions. Over time, the company has specialised in the supply of undercarriages for special or lowboy trailers, tanks, skips and forestry trailers by equipping them with steering axles with drum brakes or disc brakes.

In 2006, the two companies SAE and SMB merged to found a large group of axles and suspensions, reaching the maximum production of 50,000 axles in 2008 for a turnover of €90,000,000.

In 2013, the ADR Group, the world’s leading agricultural axles, purchased SAE-SMB Industries and injected more than 8 million euros. This investment

The Airmax disc brake axle features a robust one-piece axle body.

3 8 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

SAE-SMB Industries Site Director, Mickaël Magnier

made it possible to renovate the production tool by making it more functional and by adding a cataphoresis unit for anticorrosion treatment of the axles.

In 2018, launching new markets, SAE-SMB Industries establishes its Middle East entity under the name SAE-SMB Middle East.

In 2019, in its race for international development, SAE-SMB Industries moved into the strategic Asian market with entities in India and China. www.sae-smb.com

Extensive online content.

Daily industry updates.

The key to success.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

AND UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL Continue your subscription to Global Trailer magazine now and get exclusive access to the world’s largest online trailer database.

globaltrailermag.com

VISIONT O INNOVATION FROM

VAN ECK TRAILERS IS A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE DUTCH TRAILER MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

F

ounded in 1912, Van Eck Trailers has a strong tradition of innovative logistics solutions which is communicated by its ‘Trailer Made’ slogan. Located in Beesd — in the Gelderland Province of the Netherlands — the company started its operations originally in Lexmond, with wheelbarrows and wagons. More than a century old, Van Eck’s product range started to diversify over the years, from truck bodies to minibuses in the mid-1950s to lighter weight semi-trailers in the early 1970s. By 2003, Van Eck started to build the double deck trailers and expanded its product range with long heavy vehicles (LHV).

Today, Van Eck summarises its vision as to be the leader for innovation and customer-specific transport solutions with sustainability as its driving force. The company’s management aim to make a substantial contribution to more efficient, sustainable and safer transportation in Europe. Consequently, each customer order is perceived as a unique assignment which bear new challenges and opportunities. To provide the best available transport solution for the customer, Van Eck bundles all its accumulated expertise of custom specialty trailers to explore new possibilities.

4 0 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

In line with the company’s vision, Van Eck Sales Manager, René Oome, describes the customer experience as the following: “The most important advice that has been given to me by Hans van Eck is to listen very carefully to the customer to understand their transport challenges in order to find the best trailer to suit their needs. As a specialist in custom builds there is always more than one solution.

With this knowledge and our engineering teams’ years of experience, the customer can take advantage of the best solution”.

At the heart of ‘green innovation’

As Van Eck positions itself as an innovation leader in its segment, it benefits from Dutch Government’s progressive climate action plans. In June 2019, the Dutch government announced its climate agreement which in detail lay outs its plans for a 30 per cent decrease in carbon emissions by 2030.

“The agreement is based on the principle that reducing carbon emissions must be feasible and affordable for everyone,” as reported in our market report on The Netherlands. “The government, therefore, seeks a cost-efficient transition that limits the financial impact on households as much as possible and implements measures to fairly distribute the financial burden between citizens and businesses.

Another key element of the deal is that the Netherlands makes optimal use of available time until 2050.”

Concerning the logistics sector, the Dutch Government plans to create zeroemissions zones in 3,040 municipalities with a necessary incentive mechanism to encourage the integration of zero-emissions technology.

These plans pose new challenges, as well as opportunities for trailer manufacturers, but Van Eck is remarkably well-positioned to overcome these challenges for the benefit of its customers.

Van Eck’s Head of Research and Development, Ton Bertens emphasises that Van Eck’s main focus is to maximise the load factor by the optimal usage of the trailer

TRAILER BUILDER PROFILE

volume – consequently to decrease the trips needed to carry a certain amount of goods.

“The load efficiency improvements and new innovations can increase the load factor of a trailer up to 60 per cent, which results in a linear decrease in carbon dioxide emissions,” said Bertens. “Our double deck trailer is a good example of our approach. The design can carry 54 euro pallets, which results in the reduction of CO2 emissions by 40 to 50 per cent. Just another example would be the long vehicle we have exhibited on the last IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in 2018. Our long vehicle can carry three units of C745 type swap bodies in one vehicle instead of 2 units which again decreases the CO2 emissions by 50 per cent.”

Another advantage of Van Eck in terms of adopting the new technologies is that Van Eck itself takes an active role in the European Union’s research and innovation programs such as Transformers and Aeroflex.

For the Transformers project, Van Eck designed the Volume Optimised Trailer with all the available aero dynamic features and with a fully automated roof, which adapts itself to the height of the cargo. When the height of the cargo is low, the roof comes down, and the trailer transforms itself to an optimal teardrop shape. Also, the inner length of the trailer has been enlarged to make it always possible to load 34 pallets in one shipment. Last but not least, the flexible double deck floor has been developed in the Transformers project. The flexible double deck floor can double the number of pallets per shipment but when it isn’t used, the trailer transforms itself back to a standard trailer.

The Aeroflex Project is committed to the study of the best configurations of a long vehicle to meet the goals of CO2 reduction

FAST FACT In April 2019, Van Eck Trailers has become part of Talson Trailers. The core team continues its activities from the headquarters in Beesd, while Hans van Eck continues to support the company as a Board Member.

Van Eck is a market leader in the development and construction of double deck trailers.

as defined by the EU. Bertens, who is also the designer of the E dolly concept, summarises Van Eck’s contribution to Aeroflex as the following: “Now we are entering the era of longer and smarter vehicles. Van Eck developed the first E dolly, a dolly with electro motor that can recuperate braking energy and can feed it back to the vehicle. First field tests will be done end of this year with a potential of saving up to 15 per cent in CO2 emissions. A side advantage of the E dolly is that it can, with zero emissions, navigate the trailer over the yard at the warehouse, so the truck can do what it is made for, drive over roads. Furthermore, as part of the project, a new software has been developed to be able to optimally load a trailer to the limit. A new cargo cam is integrated that measures the volume of the cargo to optimise the loading space of the double floor capacity.”

Product range

As a fully-fledged partner in transport solutions, Van Eck’s transport solutions are used in a diverse general transport operations. Embodying from foam and race car transportation to airport and retailer applications, Van Eck product range consists of five categories.

The first category is Eckstreme Series, comprised of double deck trailer applications which stand out with their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) performance. With 60 per cent more loading capacity, Van Eck double deck trailers enable the operator to save on every kilometre while reducing the CO2 emissions. Eckstreme series are available as box, refrigerated box, with 2 or 3 axles, with inner lift or movable platform to make best out of the available loading capacity.

Van Eck has an extensive experience in long heavy vehicle segment since the Netherlands allowed LHV in 2012. Named as Ecko Combi Series, Van Eck can build LHVs with up to 25.25 meter length and maximum 60-tonne total weight. Furthermore, Van Eck can offer various truck and trailer combinations, with or without tail lift, according to specific customer transportation need and the goods to be carried.

The Eckcellent Series include box and FRC certified trailers which are customised according to the specific loads. Eckpress Series Air-cargo segment features state of the art Van Eck roller-beds. The very special vehicles such as built as an airport equipment or foam press trailer are segmented as Eckspert Series. Each of these special trailers pushes the boundaries of conventional trailer engineering and demonstrates Van Eck’s resourcefulness. www.vanecktrailers.com

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 4 1

ON THE

ROAD

THE TECHNOLOGY & MAINTENANCE COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING & TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION IS NORTH AMERICA’S PREMIER TECHNICAL CONFERENCE FOR TRUCK AND TRAILER OEMS, EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS AND COMPONENT SUPPLIERS. IT ALSO SERVES AS A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PLATFORM TO ADDRESS KEY INDUSTRY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

F

leets from all over North America, Europe and Asia flocked to the Georgia World Congress Center between 24-27 February to partake in the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC). Event organisers claim the event’s origins date back to the 1950s when it was just a small equipment forum. Today, it has grown to become a major point of convergence for the showcase, discussion and celebration of new trucking-related products and services.

It has become an essential part of North America’s road transport industry.

The future of intermodal

CIE Manufacturing provides chassis and after-sales support to the North American

42 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

transportation market through its CIE Dealer Network composed of more than 60 locations. For Missy Pinksaw, Director of Corporate marketing at CIE Manufacturing, ‘innovation’ and evolution’ were the core messages at this year’s TMC. “During turbulent economic times, and through pandemics and other global uncertainties, CIE feels the responsibility of being the largest manufacturer of intermodal container chassis, and a leader in the intermodal industry,” she said.

“It is vital that we constantly seek out and create innovations that will streamline and foster the most cost-efficient solutions for our customers. It is for that reason that CIE presented our Revere premier chassis line to an audience of technologically savvy and safety-minded professionals at TMC and welcomed their feedback and questions.”

CIE held a press conference at the event to showcase its revolutionary Revere chassis line which is now available in a range of models including 20/40’ City Combo (tridem, tandem); 23.5’ Slider (tandem); 33’ Slider (tridem); 40’ Gooseneck (tandem, tridem); 40/45’ Extendable (tandem, tridem); 43’ Drop Frame (tandem); and 53’ Gooseneck (tandem).

EVENT REVIEW

AGAIN

Pinksaw thanked the ATA for that opportunity to present its latest innovations.

“We listened to the concerns and needs of our customers and as a result created the Revere. They asked for a chassis with superior quality and safety, and we gave them a chassis with a 10-year warranty on all non-wear parts, including a KTL powder coat system that resists cracking, chipping, rust and corrosion and the highest quality components that our suppliers have to offer. Just as the ATA and TMC are setting standards for the trucking industry, CIE has now set a new standard for container chassis in the modern world.”

TMC, according to CIE, is a vital resource for fleet equipment professionals.

“TMC uses not only the knowledge of fleet executives, OEMs and suppliers, but that of those professionals who actually perform maintenance on today’s technologically advancing fleets, to set industry standards and guidelines that will literally keep America moving,” said Pinksaw. “The 2020 Annual Meeting unveils these standards to the entire industry and invites meaningful conversation about the future of trucking.”

On the topic of industry trends in road transport, Pinksaw said telematics and advanced trailer technologies are the future of road transportation and will continue to lead the conversation with fleets. “It is for this reason that CIE Manufacturing entered into a Preferred Partner Agreement with Phillips Connect Technologies for our customers who are looking at telematics on their intermodal chassis for increased efficiency and unparalleled ROI, and we were pleased to display these advanced technologies on our show chassis at TMC.

As CIE’s continues to Lead the Intermodal Evolution we realise that telematics will play a crucial role.”

Pinksaw said TMC provided exceptional educational opportunities as well as opportunities for CIE to meet with its contemporaries in the trucking industry.

“We were able to continue the discussion of the benefits of considering intermodal as a solution to many difficulties that our fleet friends are currently experiencing. It is our belief that the trucking and intermodal industries together can create the most costefficient strategies to keep America moving at an even greater pace.”

TMC, Pinksaw noted, take great care to provide recognition to those members who have made extraordinary contributions during the year. “CIE was proud to sponsor the TMC Annual Awards Luncheon, and to witness these recognitions,” she said. “It is easy to see why TMC has such loyal members who are

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 4 3

CIE Manufacturing representing at the Technology & Maintenance Council & Transportation Technology Exhibition.

diligent in their advocacy of the trucking industry. We also thank TMC for the opportunity to speak during the luncheon about the continuing evolution of CIE Manufacturing as we expand our manufacturing capabilities into North America. And, of course, TMC always provides the best entertainment and The Marshal Tucker Band was an excellent way to finish the week.”

In light of the spread of Covid-19, Pinksaw honourably mentions all the truck drivers who during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, continue to keep the North American supply chain moving and the economy running. “They are not in a profession where they can stay home and isolate themselves, or take days off until the worst has passed.

They are enduring closed truck stops and closed conveniences of all kinds, and without fanfare, they have kept our stores stocked and our businesses open. Our hats are off to the truck driving community.”

Zero emission and composite reefer solution

FAST FACT CIE Manufacturing, according to Director of Corporate Marketing, Missy Pinksaw, appreciates the partnership it has fostered with the American Trucking Associations — a result of both organisations realising the benefits of the trucking and intermodal industries working together for the good of all consumers. “We look forward to our continued work together, and we look forward to making continued contributions about the intermodal industry to the Technology & Maintenance Council while enjoying the educational opportunities and training that they bring to both industries.”

44 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

As more electric vehicle and component solutions become commercially available in the light- to medium-duty market, regional and long-haul fleets also seek opportunities to reap the benefits of electrification. Wabash National and C&S Wholesale Grocers presented a road-ready zero-emissions 48’ refrigerated trailer at TMC. “We’ve seen a lot of prototype and concept electric vehicles and trailers over the years, but no one has yet to demonstrate real viability of a roadworthy zero-emissions tractortrailer for refrigerated hauls due to the location and size of batteries,” said Robert Lane, Wabash National’s vice president, product innovations. “This is the first time a major box innovation has been coupled with a major [Trailer Refrigeration Unit — TRU] innovation that results in breakthrough customer value in a sustainable format. MSC provides a unique platform for electric powered TRUs. The large gain in thermal efficiencies allow a customer to either downsize the batteries required to haul cargo or increase the run time on a battery setup.”

Wabash National’s MSC reefer is reported to set new standards in efficiency with optimised thermal performance, maximised payload capacity, corrosion resistance and the industry’s highest standard floor rating. Designed and constructed with advanced

EVENT REVIEW

moulded structural composite (MSC) technology, the MSC reefer is up to 30 per cent more thermally efficient than a conventional refrigerated trailer, reducing fleets’ operating costs by running fewer hours, using less fuel and lasting longer.

“We’re putting units into our fleet that depend heavily on solar and battery power for the truck and TRU,” explained Chris Trajkovski, Vice President, Fleet Maintenance and DOT Safety Compliance at C&S Wholesale Grocers, the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the US. “We think the additional protection that comes from the Wabash MSC insulation package will be a nice match for the TRU technology so the reefer is not running to help us make the delivery efficiently. We expect the TRU to work less with Wabash National’s composite design.”

“When we look at the tractor-trailer combination, the ‘box’ had not evolved prior to the MSC reefer,” Trajkovski added. “End consumers are influencing commercial transportation, and the next step for our progress in the industry means turning to advanced materials. We chose to work with Wabash National because they don’t settle. They are challenging us at C&S Grocers to do something different.”

Although the Wabash National MSC unit displayed at TMC was the first for C&S Grocers, Trajkovski expects the added cube space, higher UA rating and ability to maintain consistent temperature for a longer period of time will be a winning combination for the company when coupled with its focus on electric vehicles and TRUs. “Wabash National is the gamechanger we are looking for,” Trajkovski said.

“If we don’t take this opportunity, then we will never know what we could have achieved.”

Making flatbed trailers great again

Wabash National also re-engineered and re-introduced its lightweight Transcraft Eagle design. It is reported to be the only combo trailer on the market that offers premium features as standard, including: more load securement versatility; the highest standard beam rating to handle the toughest loads; additional side turn/ marker lamps for better highway visibility; and limited lifetime beam and fiveyear wheel-end warranties.

“Our new Eagle is another example of how we continue to help customers

move everything from first to final mile,” according to Wabash National Platform Sales Director, Al Cox. “Our product is known for being stronger and lower weight, while having more payload capacity and best-in-class corrosion resistance. We believe customers who expect more from their equipment will find the re-engineered Transcraft Eagle as a reliable trailer that can haul more and stay on the road longer.”

Trailer fleet tech in the spotlight

Great Dane celebrated 120 years of innovation at this year’s TMC with a special display showcasing the company’s robust history in the transportation industry. Committed to the theme ‘Great Doesn’t Stop’, Great Dane highlighted its quality products, aftermarket services and overall customer experience.

“For 120 years, Great Dane has been committed to providing its customers with the premium products and services they need to get the job done,” said Great Dane Executive Vice President of Sales, Chris Hammond.

In addition to Great Dane’s booth, the company’s Vice President of Engineering, Chris Lee, presented at the TMC/SAE Symposium session titled ‘The Combination Vehicle as a Connected Whole’. Lee spoke on behalf of trailer manufacturers regarding the challenges and opportunities that tractortrailer connectivity may provide.

Great Dane featured three pieces of

Wabash National showcased its latest Transcraft Eagle combo trailer.

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 4 5

equipment in its booth and unveiled its FleetPulse smart trailer telematics system, Streamline aerodynamics prototype, AdvantEDGE Aftermarket Parts and Service program, and Pre-Owned Trailers program.

“Innovation is one of the many keys to our 120-year legacy of success,” Hammond said. “By keeping our eyes on current trends and keeping our ears open to what our customers are asking for, we have been able to identify problems and create innovative solutions. The latest of these solutions being our FleetPulse telematics system and our Streamline aerodynamics prototype.”

FleetPulse is a fully integrated, comprehensive solution for trailers, and is the first and only trailer telematics system developed by a trailer OEM. Great Dane teamed up with supply partners and customers to ensure that both the system and the data it provides are robust and capable of adapting to shifting needs and trends. Beyond simply a GPS, FleetPulse’s system of built-in sensors collects precise measurements from the trailer’s components, keeping watch over key indicators of a trailer’s health and status, such as tire inflation systems, open doors, cargo weight, burned-out lights, ABS fault codes, and actual mileage. “FleetPulse is laying the foundation for technologies beyond telematics,” said Mike Molitor, Great Dane’s Director of Business Development. “The transformational shifts that will occur in our industry, such as autonomy, electrification, and smart distribution centres, will require the trailer to be designed and wired differently than it is today. We’ve built FleetPulse with these technological advances in mind.”

Streamline is a simple, lightweight, and fuelefficient aerodynamics prototype designed to improve profitability and efficiency for longhaul trailer fleets. It is designed for 53’ dry or refrigerated trailers and includes aerodynamic side skirts, rear fairings, and mud flaps. The rear fairings are mounted on the sides of the trailer, so they are compatible with either roll-up or swing doors.

“The Streamline system was created to make the jobs of key fleet employees – including maintenance managers and drivers –easier,” Lee said. “We designed a simple, easy-to-

4 6 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

 “THE STREAMLINE SYSTEM WAS CREATED TO MAKE THE JOBS OF KEY FLEE T EMPLOYEES – INCLUDING MAINTENANCE MANAGERS AND DRIVERS –EASIER. WE DESIGNED A SIMPLE, EASY-TO-MAINTAIN SYSTEM THAT NOT ONLY MEE TS ADVANCED AERODYNAMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR REGULATIONS 2021 AND BEYOND BUT IS ALSO CAPABLE OF IMPROVING FUEL EFFICIENCY BY MORE THAN 7 PER CENT.” Chris Lee Great Dane’s Vice President of Engineering

maintain system that not only meets advanced aerodynamic requirements for regulations 2021 and beyond but is also capable of improving fuel efficiency by more than 7 per cent.”

Hammond said Great Dane’s customers have and always will remain at the centre of the organisation. “Their needs have directed our steps since day one,” he said. “We have made many transitions over the past 120 years, but one thing that has always remained the same is our dedication to providing premium services to our customers.”

One of these services is Great Dane’s AdvantEDGE Aftermarket Parts and Service program. AdvantEDGE connects members to a nationwide network of authorised service locations. Members have access to 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, controlled ordering and invoicing, up-front estimates, competitive labour rates, and signature parts price protection. Great Dane also displayed its Pre-Owned Trailers program in the booth.

“No matter what challenges we have faced during our long tenure, we have never wavered in our commitment to providing the highest-quality products on the market, using the finest components, and true American craftsmanship,” Hammond said.

The Great Dane trailers on display included a 53’ Champion Composite dry van equipped with FleetPulse and Streamline, designed exclusively for NFI; a 48’ Champion Sheet-and-Post dry van designed exclusively for Transervice; and a 20’ Sahara dry freight truck body.

Connected and intelligent trailer platforms

WABCO Holdings Inc. introduced a connected and intelligent trailer platform in North America which is built on four key technologies – Intelligent Anti-Lock Braking System (iABS), trailer Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Intelligent Trailer Program (ITP) and TrailerCAST. The platform also features open software architecture to facilitate cooperation with key industry players.

The trailer platform is a key milestone in fulfilling WABCO’s mission to provide a more robust connection between the truck and the trailer, enabling fleets and other strategic partners to identify and proactively manage critical safety and diagnostic issues. Along with WABCO’s extensive portfolio of trailer products,

EVENT REVIEW

strategic partners such as vehicle diagnostics provider Noregon and trailer axle manufacturer Hendrickson, have agreed to integrate their products and services into the connected trailer platform.

“Our new trailer platform is a simple solution for customers that leverages iABS to receive, process and distribute critical trailer health information,” said Collin Shaw, Director, Business Development and Marketing, WABCO North America. “Through iABS, our trailer platform helps fleets gain invaluable insight into previously difficult-to-access ABS information while also acting as a gateway for WABCO’s ITP and integrations from other partners. Looking to the future, WABCO’s position in truck and trailer braking will facilitate true connectivity between truck and trailer helping to pave the way to higher levels of safety and efficiency.”

Introduced in 2019, the WABCO iABS helps optimise trailer control during emergency braking while enabling the activation of ITP features including Lift Axle Control, Door Ajar, Axle Load Monitoring, for example. As the pioneer and market leader in trailer braking technology, WABCO has sold close to 6 million Trailer ABS systems in North America.

WABCO is also launching its TrailerCAST trailer telematics device for North America to enhance customer access to critical trailer information. In production globally since 2019, the TrailerCAST device provides GPS and cellular connectivity to iABS and its associated intelligent features. Available with and without battery backup, TrailerCAST is able to provide a GPS location for trailers across North America. Additionally, with its 4G cellular connection, TrailerCast can transmit critical trailer information to WABCO’s data cloud and fleets can access this information in real-time through Noregon’s TripVision.

Taking the pressure off operators

Hendrickson, a Boler company, was award at TMC for its TIREMAAX PRO-LB, a trailer tyre pressure control system designed to adjust tyre pressure based on load. This system builds on the technology of TIREMAAX PRO, which has the ability to inflate, relieve and equalise tyre pressures across all wheel positions.

TIREMAAX PRO-LB adds the ability to adjust tire pressure based on load.

“The consensus in the market is that most trailer tyres are inflated to a pressure greater than necessary for the typical load,” said Matt Wilson, Director

of Controls Business Unit at Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle System. “The cold tyre target pressure setting is often selected based on a maximum expected load, which may only occur occasionally.

“A load-based tyre pressure control system allows for an optimal tyre pressure, providing the opportunity to reduce tire wear without negatively affecting fuel economy.”

Unlike a passenger car, commercial vehicles experience significant changes in overall vehicle weight between the loaded and unloaded condition. The change is so significant the optimum air pressure for the tires is different for loaded versus unloaded vehicles. Tyre manufacturers provide complex charts to calculate the tyre pressure required for a specific axle load.

Hendrickson’s TIREMAAX PRO-LB helps eliminate the guesswork of tyre pressure management. By monitoring the pressure in the air springs, the new system will react to changing loads automatically, with no input from the driver.

Hendrickson has leveraged years of experience in air suspensions to understand the needs of today’s commercial vehicle market. Expertise with both air suspension design and TIREMAAX PRO, an active inflation system that automatically adjusts for over-inflated tyres, uniquely positions Hendrickson to design and develop a system that can also react to trailer load.

The Georgia World Congress Center has hosted numerous exhibitions over the years dedicated to truck and trailer technology discussion.

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 47

SAF-Holland Americas represents

FAST FACT SAF-Holland emphasised its SMAR-te Tire Pilot product and had many significant discussions with fleets and OEMs regarding this new technology, said President — Americas, Kent Jones. “We also highlighted our FW35 fifth wheel product with the enhanced ELI-te system. This automatic lighting system assist drivers in coupling the tractor to the trailer correctly and safely every single time.”

Kent Jones, SAF-Holland President — Americas, brings a comprehensive commercial vehicle-specific management experience in the areas of sales and marketing, operational excellence, restructuring and business development. Since his appointment, SAF-Holland has been well positioned to realise the potential of its Americas activities across the North and the South.

Joining SAF-Holland last September, Jones came from ZF Commercial Steering, USA, where he served as Vice President of Commercial Vehicle Steering Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, where he was responsible for sales and marketing, aftermarket P&L, business development, product planning and strategy.

From 1996 to 2016, he worked for Remy International Inc., a US manufacturer of starters and alternators for light and heavy commercial vehicles as well as various operational management positions in sales and marketing, aftermarket P&L, e-mobility and business development. Jones began his career in 1992 at General Motors in account management and production control.

Jones is a graduate engineer, having studied industrial engineering at Kettering University in Flint, Mich., and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Purdue University.

SAF-Holland’s future course, according to Jones, will reflect on the evolution of the role technology plays in supplier solutions with its hardware components becoming smarter.

“SAF-Holland is innovating to support OEMs and fleet customers with critical and needed peripheral technology so that the main technology of autonomy or electrification can work,” he said. “For example, the connection between the truck and the trailer – if it’s driverless technology – is still going to need the ability to couple the truck to the trailer as well as the technology to power raise or lower the trailer landing gear. That’s the type of technology that SAF-Holland demonstrates and continues to develop.

“Since transportation needs continue to increase worldwide, SAF-Holland focuses on developing solutions to further help customers achieve the best costs per mile possible.

Spring and air ride trailer suspension offerings were displayed by SAFHolland and featured global leading SAF air disc brake technology.

4 8 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

EVENT REVIEW

“That’s why SAF-Holland recently launched an innovative initiative, called Smart Steel.

With Smart Steel, SAF-Holland combines mechanics with sensors and electronics to drive the digital networking capability of commercial vehicles and logistics.

“For instance, when axles are equipped with sensors and networked together, the overall condition of a trailer can be determined from the collected vehicle data. The condition can be easily reported to the driver as well as the back office, where the fleet equipment manager resides,” he said. “Automation and assistance systems can reduce driver stress and increase driver productivity.”

Jones said Holland, SAF-Holland’s fifth wheel brand is very strong (more than century old) and enjoys a high market share, while the trailer side, which includes SAF brand air-ride and mechanical axle/suspension systems, air disc brakes and tyre inflation systems, is a very strong and growing segment. “SAF-Holland’s share in this market has grown significantly over the past five years and we see this as an exciting time and an area where SAF-Holland looks to do really well in the next decade.”

In November 2019, SAF-Holland launched its SMAR-te Tire Pilot, the intelligent evolution of tyre pressure management, delivering a new level of tyre management performance, enhancing vehicle safety and providing fleets with confidence and security that they are maximising tyre life, vehicle efficiency and uptime. The patented SMAR-te Tire Pilot incorporates AKTV8’s iAir robust electropneumatic control module with integrated solenoid valves and sensors to dynamically measure and more precisely adjust tyre pressure based on trailer axle load. No matter the weight of the trailer load throughout its transit route, according to SAF-Holland, the tyres will be inflated to the proper setting for optimum tyre tread life. The Smart-Alert diagnostic LED light warns of minor tyre leaks, severe leaks, and overload conditions.

Bluetooth and CAN connectivity allow enhanced configurability and serviceability with optional telemetry integration.

Another recent SAF-Holland product development is the Saturn 62 iM landing gear, designed for intermodal container trailer

operations. It was preceded in development by the Electronic Lock Indicator technology enhanced, ELI-te Fifth Wheel Coupling Assistant. Available as an integrated option on the popular Holland FW35 Series Fifth Wheels, it helps to ensure a proper fifth wheel coupling.

SAF-Holland has made significant investments in e-commerce and digital tools.

For instance, SAF-Holland released an updated Parts on Demand (POD), now called POD Plus. It is an online storefront, much like Amazon, which allows direct-access distribution. Distributors and dealers can see and order products.

The site is customised to the user who is logged in, to allow distributors and OEM dealers to see their specific product price point and inventory options.

“It delivers critical information to our distributors and dealers, providing them the availability to the part they need when a customer vehicle is down,” Jones said — adding that the equipment specialist’s focus at TMC was ‘Smart Trailer!’.

“We were engaging fleets and OEMs with smart trailer products like Smart Tire Pilot Plus, Powered Landing Gear, Smart Glad Hand and 7 way system, enhanced coupling systems and sensor systems for trucks and trailers.”

Jones said TMC is an important organisation for the truck and trailer industry as it brings experts together in technical committees to outline best practices in all areas of trucking. “SAF-Holland is a major supporter of these committees and have several technical service team members active on a number of committees.

TMC is also an important event for suppliers to engage their fleet and OEM customers in a place where customers have come to learn and understand what is going on within the industry.”

There are so many new players in sensors and telematics space today, according to Jones, whereas only a few existed even a few short years ago. “There are many people with clever ideas on sensing technology but with no clear path to market,” he said. “There are also long-established companies like SAF-Holland that are deploying meaningful technology that fleets want and need right now.

It’s an exciting time to be in the trucking industry!”

TMC is an important event for SAF-Holland national fleet sales and technical service team.

“We plan for months in advance for specific customer business discussion as well as social networking activities,” Jones said. “We also work to ensure our product and company messaging is on target and that we all have similar approaches to presenting products and technology solutions to customers.”

SAF-Holland’s SMAR-te Tire Pilot product was recognised by the North American Truck Writers as one of the top five new products introduced to the industry in 2019.

“A special presentation was part of the Industry luncheon on the last day of the show,” Jones said. “Bill Hicks, the product manager responsible for the SMAR-te Tire Pilot product launch, received the award from Jim Parks who represented the Truck Writers committee.”

SMAR-te Tire Pilot was recognised for the award for its ability to: optimise tyre pressure based on axle load to maximise tyre life; improve safety under light loads by optimising the tyre contact path patch for better traction; and improving cushioning of both the vehicle and cargo when lightly loaded.

“SAF-Holland will remain a major contributor to the TMC association through membership on technical committees that supply directional support for its fleet and OEM members,” Jones said. “We look forward to this practical and meaningful conference every year.” www.globaltrailer.mag.com

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 4 9

AN

ENTERP APPROACH BUSINESSES BUILT ON THE ABILITY TO COLLECT, ANALYSE AND ACT ON DATA ARE PROLIFERATING DUE TO THE SUCCESS STORIES OF THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DRIVE CHANGE IN EVERYTHING FROM CULTURE TO PROCESS TO BEHAVIOUR. MACHINE LEARNING IS PART OF THIS COMPLEX CODE.

A

merican academic, Thomas Davenport, said business processes are among the last remaining points of differentiation for firms that offer similar products and use comparable technologies. This concept holds especially true for the international trailer manufacturing scene. Each of the world’s top OEMs take pride in their engineering capabilities to produce industry-leading, robust, efficient and productive road transport equipment and constantly inform the market about how they stand out from their direct competitors. While they all boast about their KTL painting — an anti-corrosion dip coating for heavy duty components — and aftermarket support networks to maximise vehicle uptime, It is clear that on an executive level these manufacturers are continuously fixated on selling their products by emphasising in-house innovation and their own tailored approach to customer service.

As the President’s Distinguished Professor of Information Technology at Babson College, co-founder of the International Institute for Analytics and a Fellow of the MIT Initiative for the Digital Economy, Davenport is an established authority on ‘analytics competitors’.

He outlined in his 2017 book, Competing on Analytics, that analytics competitors ‘wring every last drop of value’ from business processes to learn everything from how many items a client might buy in a lifetime to what triggers them to make a purchase or predict supply chain demand problems to improve inventory and order systems. These scenarios are countless.

5 0 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

Crunching numbers, taking names

Analytics competitors, according to Davenport, do all these things in a coordinated way “as part of an overarching strategy championed by top leadership and pushed down to decision makers at every level” and that employees hired for their expertise with numbers or trained to recognise their importance are “armed with the best evidence and the best quantitative tools”. He asserts that these individuals make the best decisions “big and small, every day, over and over and over”.

Davenport wanted to identify the characteristics that analytics competitors shared so he, along with two colleagues, studied 32 organisations that have made a commitment to quantitative, fact-based analysis. He found that 11 of those organisations were ‘full-bore analytics competitors’ i.e. top management had announced that analytics was key to the basis in which they compete — it’s in their DNA. Even though such a transformation

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE

RISE requires significant investment in technology, Davenport claims that it is also equally important for executives to be committed and willing to change the way their employees think, work and are treated.

In one of numerous case studies, Davenport looked closer at US-based courier company, United Parcel Service (UPS), and said it embodied the evolution from targeted analytics user to comprehensive analytics competitor.

“The UPS Customer Intelligence Group, for example, is able to accurately predict customer defections by examining usage patterns and complaints,” Davenport said. “When the data point to a potential defector, a salesperson contacts that customer to review and resolve the problem, dramatically reducing the loss of accounts.”

Ultimately, for a company to embrace

analytics that will drive change in everything from culture to process to behaviour, Davenport is adamant that it requires a principal advocate like a CEO, naming Jeff Bezos as an example.

Applied learning

Bezos, at the head of e-commerce firm, Amazon, is diversifying his portfolio with the development of cloud-based solutions that leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. In February, Amazon Web Services announced Second Spectrum, the Official Optical Tracking and Analytics Provider of sports leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the English Premier League, chose AWS as its preferred cloud, machine learning and AI provider. With innovation comes opportunity.

US-based transport and logistics company, XPO Logistics, developed and implemented its ‘XPO Smart’ workforce productivity tools in its less-thantruckload (LTL) network, last year, in North America to make dock operations more efficient. The proprietary analytics and optimisation tools compare realtime productivity rates with the number of active dock workers, using machine learning to predict how adjustments in labour levels affect productivity. The tools track motor moves (goods moved from dock to truck) against production targets and analyse productivity gaps to improve performance.

Meanwhile, materials handling specialist, Honeywell Intelligrated, unveiled an automatic robotic solution for unloading packages from trailers using AI to

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 5 1

operate fully autonomously inside of a trailer, which according to Honeywell, significantly reduces the manual effort required to operate receiving docks for retail merchandise and parcel distribution centres.

“For distribution centre workers, unloading packages is labour-intensive, physically demanding and injury-prone work that is often subject to extreme temperatures,” said Matt Wicks, Vice President Product Development at Honeywell Intelligrated. “With our robotic unloader, we are using advanced machine learning to allow workers to remove themselves from the extreme environment and to oversee multiple unloading machines, increasing productivity and improving safety,” he said.

Honeywell’s robotic unloader drives into a trailer or container and uses machine vision to identify various package shapes and sizes as well as the optimal approach to unloading.

A robotic arm with a series of small suction cups conforms to the package shape to gently extract it from the stack. A conveyor below the arm can serve as a sweeper for packages to move them out of the trailer.

“In real-world applications, we are unloading a rate of up to 1,500 cases per hour and helping companies maximise throughput safely and efficiently,” Wicks said. “We’re working with Carnegie Mellon University to deploy advanced machine learning to expand the robotic capabilities with improved 3D vision, perception, processing power and gripping.”

The Honeywell Intelligrated unloader is fully autonomous and is designed to work within existing fleets to eliminate the need for costly configurations or modifications to trailers or standard shipping containers.

The unloader features patented gentle mechanisms to minimise package damage without impacting performance.

Last year, US-based commercial fleet management company, Ryder System, was recognised for providing cloud and mobilebased technologies that support a fully optimised supply chain with greater speedto-market performance for food and beverage customers. The company’s innovative technology solutions include RyderShare,

52 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

which is aimed at creating real-time visibility, collaboration, and exception handling to maximise efficiencies for customers. In addition, Ryder’s OpsBox is a warehouse analytics platform for labour management, providing shop floor visuals, daily metrics, workforce planning, and customer visibility dashboards.

The result is labour productivity improvements exceeding 10 per cent into the double digits, as well as increased employee engagement and improved customer experience according to Ryder.

Extracting patterns that will persist

By establishing an analytics culture in a business — instilling a company-wide respect for measuring, testing, and evaluating quantitative evidence — the possibilities seem to be endless. Davenport’s work continues to influence executives and academics worldwide.

Dr Nigel Clay, Research Fellow at RMIT University, has lectured on the subject of machine learning, taking students ‘under the hood’ of algorithms and codes, and has also built models for fun and worked on them to solve business problems.

Clay said machine learning is not well defined as there is an emphasis on the learning however he characterises it as a blend of statistics and computer science, with a focus on extracting patterns that will persist.

“Information extrapolated from a machine learning model could, for example, help identify what factors might contribute to someone defaulting on a bank loan or why an employee might leave their job,” he said — adding that there are a lot of ‘canned’ approaches to machine learning. “There is an overlap between machine learning and AI but ultimately the pursuit is finding patterns that generalise.”

These patterns are particularly of interest for those embedded in supply chain

Only your imagination is the limit when applying machine learning to industry practices.

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE

Innovation in the global supply chain is setting new benchmarks in operational efficiency.

optimisation. ““In order to find the most efficient routes you need to test every possible route,” Clay said. “The more destinations you add, the more the routes increase. There are tricks to discount or spare the evaluation of certain data sets if you know the plausible outcomes are not in those selected areas.

When dealing with the fuel efficiency of a fleet of longhaul trucks or courier vans, for example, effective route planning not only ensures timely delivery but also cost savings due to fuel consumption.”

Machine learning can also be applied to maintenance scheduling and predictive maintenance in a production-line environment according to Clay. “Knowing where you are on the failure pathway can help a business react to the situation as quickly and consistently as possible,” he said.

Similarly, in terms of condition monitoring, infrared thermography via a thermal camera is frequently used in factories for predictivemaintenance purposes. These cameras monitor the temperature of electrical and mechanical systems so that trained personnel, thermographers, to ensure onsite machinery is performing within safe and efficient parameters.

The thermal imaging camera typically works by interpreting radiated energy from

an image and showing the temperatures as colours. The hotter the section of an image is, the colour will be a vivid red that transforms to white whereas the colder a section is, the darker the image will be (dark blue, verging into black). In this instance, machine learning and image processing could theoretically complement thermographic condition monitoring to automate the task. More complex actions could include the automation of follow-up predictive maintenance activities such as bearing replacement via robot. The possibilities really are endless.

In addition to the manufacturing and supply chain applications of machine learning, Clay points to finance as a major opportunity for businesses to refine their operations. “Machine learning can be directly applied to the leased residual value of vehicles,” he said. “Data sets including auction house data, total kilometres travelled and the age of the asset can be used to find trends in trailer resale value and perceived market value. These patterns can also inform product specialists on minimum guaranteed finance, bullet payments and other critical variables.”

An efficient, data-driven approach to vehicle resale, leasing and insurance would be a powerful resource/advantage for any trailer manufacturer or equipment leasing firm.

Chasing positive change

Those who do not record history are doomed to not learn from it, Davenport mused in Competing on Analytics. He said companies that have collected little information, or the wrong kind, will need to source a sufficient body of data to support reliable forecasting. He quoted a UPS Manager of Customer Data Analytics on the matter: “We’ve been collecting data for six or seven years, but it’s only become usable in the last two or three, because we needed time and experience to validate conclusions based on the data”.

Becoming an analytics competitor, applying the latest and emerging technologies, backed by reliable, useable data seems to be the logical conclusion for business executives to peak in their respective industries. www.globaltrailermag.com

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 5 3

IMPROVING INTERMODAL TRADE

THE FIRST INTERMODAL TRANSPORT USING TIR, A GLOBALLY APPLICABLE INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS TRANSIT AND GUARANTEE SYSTEM, FROM INDIA VIA CHABAHAR PORT IN IRAN WAS COMPLETED EARLIER THIS YEAR, GIVING RISE TO MORE EFFICIENT CROSS-BORDER FREIGHT MOVEMENTS.

T

IR enables goods to be shipped from a country of origin, through transit countries, to a country of destination in sealed load compartments that are controlled by customs via a multilateral and mutually recognised system. It is, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the easiest, safest and most reliable way to move goods across multiple international borders which has potential to save transport operators and customs authorities time and money.

This intermodal transport example from India via Chabahar Port in Iran involved the cartage of factory line components. The operation took seven days in total, IRU reported, with five by sea and two by road from Chabahar Port in Iran to the final destination in Afghanistan. In comparison, the traditional route from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran is three to four days longer. This was also the first TIR operation started from India and by an Indian TIR carnet holder.

Risk management procedures were reportedly completed ahead of the journey due to TIR and its IT tools. This negated the need to open containers for inspection at any of the borders crossed, including Chabahar Port.

IRU has estimated a 20 per cent boost to sea and land transport time in this instance with the implementation of TIR. “This first intermodal TIR transport from India along the Chabahar corridor

54 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

is an exciting development in the region and goes to demonstrate the wider potential of intermodal TIR for shippers and transport operators around the world,” said IRU Secretary General, Umberto de Pretto.

In addition to linking Iran to Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia and eventually Europe, Chabahar also is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean.

This first TIR transport operation is based on the Chabahar transit agreement signed between India and Iran, and represents the initial step towards the full activation of the India-Iran-Afghanistan route.

“The opening of new corridors is especially important given the current circumstances resulting from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic,” said de Pretto. “The facilitation of new, faster and more secure routes ensures

MAR KET U P DATE

that the goods keep getting to the people who need them.”

Meanwhile, the most immediate concern for the road transport industry amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the IRU, is to maintain supply chains, especially for food and medical items – in the safest way possible for transport workers and citizens while respecting relevant government guidelines.

IRU and its member network continue to monitor the situation in regions and across borders, advising transport companies on dealing with the pandemic and its impacts.

IRU has implemented crisis and continuity plans, including preventive measures to protect staff.

“While the full scale of Covid-19 is not yet known, we can only assume that the outbreak will continue seriously impacting the global economy, trade and tourism in the coming weeks and months, and thus the road transport sector and the supply chains and mobility networks it supports,” IRU said in a statement. “Moving people and goods needs roads. The production and distribution of almost every good on the planet is dependent, at some point, on services provided by road transport operators.”

IRU has estimated, based on a fall in intercontinental container shipments, a decline in global transport activity of up to 20 per cent in 2020.

Nearly six per cent of people employed worldwide work in road transport, according to IRU, largely in small and medium sized firms that, due to their size, cannot easily cope with external shocks such as the economic impacts of Covid-19.

“The economic burden is high, and growing, on both workers and the owners of firms,” IRU said. “They are doing their best to stay afloat, however functioning supply chains and the mobility of essential workers depend on them remaining in business.”

IRU is calling on government and authorities, including banks and financial institutions, to take various temporary actions to help ease the burden of the crisis on operators.

IRU’s safety recommendations include: operating companies should implement higher

driver health and safety standards for loading and unloading goods (particularly in quarantine areas) and concerning the carriage of documents to demonstrate compliance with health rules; operating companies must ensure traceability in recording and maintaining driver and worker movements; governments and authorities should clearly communicate enforcement procedures for vehicles, drivers and cargo or passengers, especially for quarantine areas; and governments and authorities should closely coordinate and publish measures to mitigate the impact of the restrictions they adopt on supply chains and related movements of goods and people.

IRU also recommends that governments should: ease driving and resting time rules to ensure efficient logistics for critical goods (food and medical supplies) and enable drivers to leave affected regions or quarantine zones as quickly as possible to return home; lift delivery restrictions to ensure delivery can take place at safer times, in the night for example; ease loan and mortgage repayment terms from financial institutions, especially for large vehicle loans, and VAT and tax payment deadlines; remove or reduce tolls and road user charges for trucks and coaches; set up support programs for temporarily unemployed road transport workers; avoid unilateral measures by the relevant authorities so that cross-border transport of goods is facilitated (especially essential items such as food and medical supplies); and provide emergency financial aid programs for impacted businesses to prevent bankruptcies.

“Keeping road transport supply chains and mobility networks open is crucial to helping us all cope with the Covid-19 pandemic in the comings weeks and beyond,” said IRU Secretary General, Umberto de Pretto. “To do this, we need to protect the workers and companies who are the backbone of road transport, and to keep transport links open wherever and as long as possible in affected areas so that essential goods and people can get to where they need to be.” www.iru.org

By transitioning to paperless processes, road transport operators benefit from streamlined administration activities.

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

WORLD EVENTS

TRANSPORT LOGISTIC

CHINA 16-18 J U N E Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China Transport logistic China 2020 will be held during June 16-18 2020 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

Attendees can again expect transport logistic China, as Asia’s biggest and most exciting fair, to showcase entire spectrum of logistics products, technologies and services.

ELMIA LASTBIL

19-22 AUGUST Jönköping, Sweden As a meeting-place, Elmia enjoys a powerful position – at the heart of the Nordic region where people and companies either have or are looking for new ideas, products and services. The event – owned by Jönköpings Rådhus AB Group, which in turn is 100 per cent owned by the Municipality of Jönköping – aims to inspire, stimulate and drive development. www.elmia.se

www.transportlogistic-china.com

INNOTRANS 2020 22-25 SEPTEMBER Berlin Exhibition Grounds, Berlin, Germany InnoTrans is an international trade fair for transport technology and takes places every two years in Berlin. Subdivided into the five trade fair segments Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction, InnoTrans occupies all 41 halls available at Berlin Exhibition Grounds. The InnoTrans Convention, the event’s top-level supporting program complements the trade fair. www.innotrans.com 5 6 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

IAA COMMERCIAL VEHICLES SHOW

24-30 SEPTEMBER Hanover, Germany The IAA Commercial Vehicles in 2020 will address the question of what the future of commercial vehicles will be like. IAA takes place in Hanover and is one the world’s leading trade shows for transport, logistics and mobility. The entire value chain in the industry will be represented from logistics service providers to manufacturers to suppliers. www.iaa.de

KEEP A LOOK OUT MEGATRANS2021 April 2021 Melbourne, Australia www.megatrans.com.au

TRANSPORT LOGISTIC 2021

4-7 APRIL 2021

Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology Symposium 16 TBC China www.road-transport-technology.org/ conferences/china-2020

Messe Mßnchen, Munich Germany One of the leading transport and logistics events in Germany, Munich’s aptly named Transport Logistic show saw more than 2,374 exhibitors and some 64,000 from 125 visitors from 125 countries and regions in 2019. www.transportlogistic.de

TRANSPORT SCANDINAVIA 2021

15-17 APRIL 2021 Herning, Denmark Transport 2021 is an inspiring fair for all those with roots in the transport industry. This is the place to find new vehicles, new equipment, new services and new ideas. The Transport trade fair was launched in 1988. Since then more than 450,000 professionals from the transport industry have attended the event. www.transport-messen.dk

W W W. G LO B A LT R A I L E R M AG . C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 57

M E GATR E N D S

CHAMPIONS

OF THE CRUCIBLE STEELMAKING IS ONE OF THE MOST ENERGY-CONSUMING AND CARBON-DIOXIDE EMITTING INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE WORLD. TWO PROMINENT STEEL PRODUCERS HAVE SET AUDACIOUS TARGETS TO TACKLE THEIR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

S

ustainability is a key driver for many manufacturers in 2020 as executives look for alternative, more efficient ways of producing quality, hard wearing metals such as steel. Even end users such as trailer builders are concerned with their environmental impact and are assessing the value chains of their suppliers to determine the most ethically and economically viable deicions going forward.

When London-based GFG Alliance acquired Adhunik Metaliks and Zion Steel in a $60 million USD (approx. €55.8 million) cash deal in February, it also announced the launch of a more sustainable business model, GREENSTEEL, to revive the steel plants by combining steel recycling with low carbon and renewable power sources. Once revived, and facilities and operations restored, it will begin integration into the LIBERTY Steel Group. In October 2019 GFG Alliance announced the consolidation of its steel businesses into one global entity – the LIBERTY Steel Group – the eigth largest steel producer in the world outside China, with operations in 200 locations in ten countries. LIBERTY Steel Group has a target to become carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30).

Meanwhile, SSAB’s approach to sustainability, for instance, is guided by its goal of becoming the first fossil-free steel producing company in the world.

Managing business in a sustainable way is reported to strengthen the company’s ability to deliver strong financial and operational results and by 2045 it aims to be completely fossil-free.

A vital part of this strategy, which involves continuous improvement to minimise emissions and improve productivity, as well as material and energy efficiency, is the fossil-free steelmaking process via the Swedish joint venture, HYBRIT. SSAB together with mining company, LKAB, and power company, Vattenfall

5 8 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 5 2

are piloting the production of steel using hydrogen instead of coal and coke. Taking this ambitious initiative further, the group in charge of HYBRIT aim to tackle ‘hard to abate’ industries that account for more than 30 per cent of global emissions as well as provide specific policy framework models for how government and industry can transition to these low carbon solutions.

In 2019, SSAB claims the customer endproduct carbon emission savings totalled 9.9 million tonnes i.e. 8.3 million tonnes from SSAB EcoUpgraded deliveries and 1.6 million tonnes from Automotive Premim deliveries.

Analysis company CDP ranked SSAB the best company in the world at transforming to fossil-free steel production. In its report, CDP analysed how well prepared 20 of the world’s biggest listed steel companies are for transforming to production with low carbon dioxide emissions. CDP states that with its plan to become fossil-free by 2045, SSAB has the most ambitious emissions targets among steel companies. www.globaltrailermag.com

NEXT ISSUE

GT 53

EXPERIENCE THE WORLD’S ONLY DEDICATED B2B MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAILER AND ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY. Features* Axles & Suspensions Trailer Design: Trailer Maintenance

52

Specials* Market Report: Spain Event Review

50 49

XX

ON SALE JULY 2020

www.globaltrailermag.com

XX XXX

*All features and special reports are subject to change.

ISSN 1839-5201

05

36 9 7718

w.g

ww

lobaltr ISSN

Event Review: TMC Trailer Builder Profile: Van Eck CIMC’s Consistent Profitability World Events, Industry Updates

Librelato Executive Interview South America’s Rising Star Special Report: Machine Learning Market Report: Indonesia

GLOB 2 /

1

-520

Exec Kögel JOST CEO Voice: Turkey Industry Report: Market nd Factory Tour SAF-Holla

Devices 9 BPW s 201 Axle Lift Solutran eler’s lligence Wew ler Inte VDL Trai WABCO

I SS U ER /

Schm Announce s Executive Expansion Business Events Industry

iew In Rev cements s 2019 oun st NewUpdates NUFAM Chain Ann Speciali gy ent nolo Supply Equipm Tech and Trailer, Events stry Indu

S NEW

ivity SS s bal Act BUSINEup on GloNetherland r TIO N Factory Tou k Pee INN OVA Hungary Sneak

m

02

520000 AIL A L TR

le NEWS Cargobull’s E-Ax s itz ment

S BUSINES utive Interview

520000

g.co

rma

aile

1839

836 9 771

COVER STORY

Kässbohrer Talks Low Loaders Cross-Border Freight Solutions SAE-SMB Makes Moves Sustainability In Steelmaking

ents, movem g freight ler buildin y tralia’s dre e trai Vaw of Aus petitiv that anding the com fidence tunderst nce in of con and drough fide kind ethos and of con n – the areas sionate degree itio sland politan t Queen es a pas a certain the compet rs. om g metro t tak nec ON yeaag.c ong altra VATI ilerm con with Review r 40 that bustlin ds INNO along to rise am .glob ove Show les ia’s www for roa Solutrans t, tor5201 ial Vehic 183903al marke ia has had ISSN On Spec r Aerodynamics of Vic the region CIMC Traile to parity n Austral WABCO’s ds: Digitisatio the dis th Wales From w Sou Megatren d Ne affecte

I

TO BECOME PART OF GLOBAL TRAILER PLEASE CONTACT:

NEWS

BUSINESS

INNOVATION

9 771836 520000

TII Gro Report: w Market Intervie hes Hitc Tow CIE CEO Talks JOST

E 49

MAR KET U P DATE

JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON.COM

FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au

OUT OF

PRECEDENT FOR

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

18 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I SS U E 3 0

W W W.G LO B A LTR A I LE R MAG .C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 19

MIND

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 ]

M

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

THE

HUMAN

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 ]

F

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”.

3 4 / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / I S S U E 3 0

globaltrailermag.com

W W W.G LO B A LTR A I LE R MAG .C O M / G L O B A L T R A I L E R / 3 5

58 / G LO BAL TRAI LE R / ISSUE 30

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.

W W W. G LO BALT R AI L E R M AG. C O M / G L O B A L TR A I L E R / 5 9