Quality in the face of a crisis – a Turkish success story
The Turkish commercial vehicle industry is struggling with declining sales, but quality remains in demand, particularly in difficult economic times – more than 20,000 BPW axles and air suspension systems were assembled in BPW Otomotiv’s plant near Istanbul in 2018, and the company’s production output has tripled in the past five years.
Will trucks soon park in high-bay warehouses?
According to the German Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal Federation (abbreviated BGL in German), German motorways lack 35,000 to 40,000 parking spaces for trucks. What can be done about this? A software company has developed an innovative system that creates three to four times as many parking spaces in a given area, thus solving several problems at the same time – the ‘TruckTower’ is an environmentally friendly truck parking facility and an inexpensive hotel for truck drivers in one.
Practical testing of electrified commercial vehicles – are they ready for day-to-day operations yet?
How reliable is an electric drive in the axle? Are the ranges sufficient for day-to-day long-distance transport? How will the customers respond – and what do drivers think of the electrified drive system of the future? A six-month practical test of the BPW eTransport axle at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has returned some revealing results.
City logistics: what will solve the problem?
Given that online trade is booming in Germany, logisticians should actually be happy. After all, an increasing number of orders also means a greater number of assignments for them. But what if the number of parcels continues to rise to unimagined heights? Are logistics in the city then the problem or the solution? At the Moving City event, the industry considered new logistics approaches and technologies to cover the last mile.
‘The drivers are the backbone of the German economy’
Logistics is suffering from a severe lack of drivers – the profession has lost its appeal and its image is suffering. The ‘PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image’ initiative aims to change this and ensure that industry, retail, the transport sector and the general public once again appreciate professional drivers for what they are, namely one of the most important players in the logistics chain. In an interview, Professor Dirk Engelhardt, chairman of the board of Germany’s Federal Road Freight Transport, Logistics and Waste Management Association (abbreviated BGL in German), and Ralf Merkelbach, key account manager for major fleets in Europe at BPW Bergische Achsen, explain how the initiative plans to achieve this goal.
FUTURE LAB
‘We need an Elon Musk of long-haul logistics’
Logistics needs to be everything at once: reliable, eco-friendly, flexible, affordable – and ideally invisible, too. Individualisation and digitisation are putting even more pressure on the industry. How can it respond? According to Prof. Dr Gernot Liedtke from the Institute of Transport Research at the German Aerospace Center, the industry needs to show more entrepreneurial spirit and make its own visions a reality.
Logistics juniors: ‘Pitching in rather than waiting around’
ELVIS juniors have very little to do with rock ’n’ roll – but all the more with digitisation. In fact, junior logisticians at the European Cargo Federation of International Freight Forwarders would rather kick-start the future of digital processes today. But which tools are required to get a company on the right track? The juniors collected tips at a workshop held within BPW’s ideas workshop.
Who will win the clash of economic systems?
Digital transformation is much more than just technology hype. It is putting nearly everything to the test – business models that have been successful for decades as well how we interact with one another in society. To what extent can a social market economy thrive in the face of digitised logistics? What opportunities does Europe have in the clash of economic systems between the USA and China? And how can logistics companies handle these upheavals?
eLOUNGE
Practical testing of electrified commercial vehicles – are they ready for day-to-day operations yet?
How reliable is an electric drive in the axle? Are the ranges sufficient for day-to-day long-distance transport? How will the customers respond – and what do drivers think of the electrified drive system of the future? A six-month practical test of the BPW eTransport axle at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has returned some revealing results.
Powering ahead to the very last mile: optimising routes for commercial electric vehicles
How can fully electric commercial vehicles’ battery capacity be designed to reliably meet everyday transport requirements? When it comes to electric mobility for logistics, this question is key. There is a lack of practical experience as well as valid data. Researchers from TU Berlin, Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Fraunhofer IML are hoping to shed more light on the issue with their latest research project.
A clean sweep: Cologne street-cleaning service goes electric
The Mercedes-Benz Vario hasn’t been consigned to the history books yet, as Cologne’s municipal waste management company AWB will soon start using an electric version of the iconic truck for the first time. The 7.5-ton truck is set to put a new spin on urban mobility in the cathedral city. The commercial vehicle is driven by a spectacular piece of high-tech engineering: the eTransport drive axle from BPW.
Powering ahead to the very last mile: optimising routes for commercial electric vehicles
How can fully electric commercial vehicles’ battery capacity be designed to reliably meet everyday transport requirements? When it comes to electric mobility for logistics, this question is key. There is a lack of practical experience as well as valid data. Researchers from TU Berlin, Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Fraunhofer IML are hoping to shed more light on the issue with their latest research project.
A clean sweep: Cologne street-cleaning service goes electric
The Mercedes-Benz Vario hasn’t been consigned to the history books yet, as Cologne’s municipal waste management company AWB will soon start using an electric version of the iconic truck for the first time. The 7.5-ton truck is set to put a new spin on urban mobility in the cathedral city. The commercial vehicle is driven by a spectacular piece of high-tech engineering: the eTransport drive axle from BPW.
SUCCESS STORY
Wine logistics: fruits of the vine in the best of hands
Reading time: approx. 5 minutes Text: Michi Jo Standl Photos: Jennifer ZumbuschIn Germany, around 20.5 litres of wine were consumed per person in 2018. Regional wines are growing in popularity. According to the latest GfK wine market analysis, food retailers sold 6.1...
A quick route to Asia: the new Silk Road
The new Silk Road is bringing the idea of ancient trade routes into the modern age – the gargantuan infrastructure project is set to fundamentally change logistics in Asia. But what realistic potential does the megaproject actually offer? Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has used the rail link for several years, including for Porsche. An intercultural project at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is looking at what the Silk Road means for the neighbouring countries and the people who live there, with students following the trading route over land from Hamburg to Shanghai.
Tools for digitalisation and successful transformation
The Ulm-based logistics provider C. E. Noerpel GmbH is really getting to grips with digital transformation. The solutions that the company has implemented with carefully selected digitalisation tools are set to bring rapid benefits to employees and customers. The focus is therefore on controlling warehouse processes with control centres, replacing existing freight-forwarding software with a company-wide solution and establishing a modern data management system.
SUCCESS STORY
Wine logistics: fruits of the vine in the best of hands
Reading time: approx. 5 minutes Text: Michi Jo Standl Photos: Jennifer ZumbuschIn Germany, around 20.5 litres of wine were consumed per person in 2018. Regional wines are growing in popularity. According to the latest GfK wine market analysis, food retailers sold 6.1...
A quick route to Asia: the new Silk Road
The new Silk Road is bringing the idea of ancient trade routes into the modern age – the gargantuan infrastructure project is set to fundamentally change logistics in Asia. But what realistic potential does the megaproject actually offer? Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has used the rail link for several years, including for Porsche. An intercultural project at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is looking at what the Silk Road means for the neighbouring countries and the people who live there, with students following the trading route over land from Hamburg to Shanghai.
Tools for digitalisation and successful transformation
The Ulm-based logistics provider C. E. Noerpel GmbH is really getting to grips with digital transformation. The solutions that the company has implemented with carefully selected digitalisation tools are set to bring rapid benefits to employees and customers. The focus is therefore on controlling warehouse processes with control centres, replacing existing freight-forwarding software with a company-wide solution and establishing a modern data management system.
SMART CITY
City logistics: what will solve the problem?
Given that online trade is booming in Germany, logisticians should actually be happy. After all, an increasing number of orders also means a greater number of assignments for them. But what if the number of parcels continues to rise to unimagined heights? Are logistics in the city then the problem or the solution? At the Moving City event, the industry considered new logistics approaches and technologies to cover the last mile.
Urban logistics: on the road to zero emissions
Many European cities are experimenting with their own ways of making urban logistics more sustainable and more user-friendly for residents. Gothenburg, for example, is focusing on consolidating inner-city freight transport, Zurich is examining which trends in the retail sector will impact the city in the future and Utrecht is striving for a completely emission-free centre.
Autonomous driving in cities – opportunity or risk?
The transport infrastructures of large cities are reaching the limits of what they can handle. The roads are becoming congested with an increasing number of delivery services and individual mobility solutions. Is autonomous driving the answer? Would it make urban mobility safer, more efficient and cleaner – or would it just mean even more vehicles on city roads, thus causing the system to break down completely?
Urban logistics: on the road to zero emissions
Many European cities are experimenting with their own ways of making urban logistics more sustainable and more user-friendly for residents. Gothenburg, for example, is focusing on consolidating inner-city freight transport, Zurich is examining which trends in the retail sector will impact the city in the future and Utrecht is striving for a completely emission-free centre.
Autonomous driving in cities – opportunity or risk?
The transport infrastructures of large cities are reaching the limits of what they can handle. The roads are becoming congested with an increasing number of delivery services and individual mobility solutions. Is autonomous driving the answer? Would it make urban mobility safer, more efficient and cleaner – or would it just mean even more vehicles on city roads, thus causing the system to break down completely?
LOGISTICS HERO
Will trucks soon park in high-bay warehouses?
According to the German Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal Federation (abbreviated BGL in German), German motorways lack 35,000 to 40,000 parking spaces for trucks. What can be done about this? A software company has developed an innovative system that creates three to four times as many parking spaces in a given area, thus solving several problems at the same time – the ‘TruckTower’ is an environmentally friendly truck parking facility and an inexpensive hotel for truck drivers in one.
‘The drivers are the backbone of the German economy’
Logistics is suffering from a severe lack of drivers – the profession has lost its appeal and its image is suffering. The ‘PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image’ initiative aims to change this and ensure that industry, retail, the transport sector and the general public once again appreciate professional drivers for what they are, namely one of the most important players in the logistics chain. In an interview, Professor Dirk Engelhardt, chairman of the board of Germany’s Federal Road Freight Transport, Logistics and Waste Management Association (abbreviated BGL in German), and Ralf Merkelbach, key account manager for major fleets in Europe at BPW Bergische Achsen, explain how the initiative plans to achieve this goal.
Truck drivers have big heart for small children
When around 125 trucks drive onto the large motorway service area in Schwabhausen, near Gotha in the German state of Thuringia, quite a few of the people watching have tears in their eyes and goosebumps . This is because there’s a child in every driver’s cab that is enjoying a very special happy day today. ‘A Happy Day of Life’ is the name of the annual charity event that gives children and young people from difficult backgrounds the opportunity to go for a ride in a real truck.
BPW ON YOUTUBE
BEST SOLUTION
Quality in the face of a crisis – a Turkish success story
The Turkish commercial vehicle industry is struggling with declining sales, but quality remains in demand, particularly in difficult economic times – more than 20,000 BPW axles and air suspension systems were assembled in BPW Otomotiv’s plant near Istanbul in 2018, and the company’s production output has tripled in the past five years.
Mini black box: a small box with huge impact
Why make it complicated if it can be simple? To trace the forces that impact a running gear during a field test, Reiner Moog used to have to unpack all his measuring equipment. Now, with the mini black box, the head of field testing at running gear specialists BPW Bergische Achsen is breaking new ground: the new device fits inside a case and can be ready to use in two hours. This might not sound spectacular, but it could be the Holy Grail of measurement technology.
Upturn in the economic wonderland
India’s economy is flourishing with remarkable growth rates. The requirements for transport and logistics are also growing in line with this. Kamal, one of India’s largest manufacturers of tipper vehicles, has now installed BPW air suspension in its first tipper. The technology offers many advantages, in particular given the harsh conditions on the country’s roads.
Mini black box: a small box with huge impact
Why make it complicated if it can be simple? To trace the forces that impact a running gear during a field test, Reiner Moog used to have to unpack all his measuring equipment. Now, with the mini black box, the head of field testing at running gear specialists BPW Bergische Achsen is breaking new ground: the new device fits inside a case and can be ready to use in two hours. This might not sound spectacular, but it could be the Holy Grail of measurement technology.
Upturn in the economic wonderland
India’s economy is flourishing with remarkable growth rates. The requirements for transport and logistics are also growing in line with this. Kamal, one of India’s largest manufacturers of tipper vehicles, has now installed BPW air suspension in its first tipper. The technology offers many advantages, in particular given the harsh conditions on the country’s roads.
BIG PICTURE
A Christmas tree in the horizontal plane
What a tree! A proud 17.50 metres high and weighing 4.5 tonnes is the spruce that lights up the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin at Christmas 2019.
