Market trends and business perspectives
The Mercedes-Benz plant at Wörth has shipped its 750,000th truck assembly kit.
Called the CKD Centre, for “Completely Knocked Down”, the Wörth facility in Germany sent the 750,000th truck kit to South Africa.
The item was packed in a 40-foot sea container for its journey overseas. It will be shipped to Rotterdam before it embarks to Port Elizabeth, in South Africa, its destination country. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz plant ships 750,000th truck assembly kit
A US public policy organization called the Competitive Enterprise Institute is urging states to update their laws to enable driverless truck platooning.
The CEO says the measures would offers safety, economic, and environmental benefits.
New automated vehicle technology will help freight truck companies transport consumer goods in a more fuel-efficient way, reducing transportation costs and emissions and boosting highway safety thanks to always-on automatic emergency braking. [Read more…] about Public policy group calls for updating of laws to enable driverless truck platooning
by Anna
The fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros will now take to the roads for the food logistics specialist Nagel-Group in Hamburg.
The vehicle will round off the Mercedes-Benz Trucks eActros “Innovation Fleet” for testing the heavy-duty electric truck.
The first eActros has been taking part in customer testing since September 2018 and the eActros in use by Nagel-Group is the tenth vehicle in the fleet.
[Read more…] about Nagel tests Mercedes-Benz eActros electric truck in Hamburg
by Anna
The Seat factory in Martorell is the first Spanish plant to receive components via drone delivery. In collaboration with Grupo Sesé, the Spanish carmaker has a pioneering service connecting Sesé’s logistics centre in Abrera with the Seat factory using drones.
The first parts delivery service between two production plants in Spain by drone will deliver steering wheels and airbags to the Seat assembly lines.
The pilot project is being carried out under the supervision of the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) and will go forward in an experimental phase with several flights per day.
[Read more…] about Seat and Grupo Sesé launch a parts delivery service using drones
by Anna
DB Schenker has presented the world’s first autonomous electric truck, the T-Pod, to a wide industry audience in Germany for the first time at a transport logistics trade show in Munich in June.
The T-Pod was developed in cooperation with Einride, a Swedish startup. It is the world’s first truck approved for commercial use on public roads.
Alexander Doll, member of the management board for finance, freight transport and logistics, says: “We want to be a reliable partner for our customers in the logistics, freight transport and infrastructure segments now and in the future. We have set out to implement new ideas and innovative technology to become better, day after day.”
By Jack Smylie, North America sales manager, Ancra Systems
As 3PLs (third-party logistics) companies, distribution centers, and warehouses all get ready for the all-important holiday picking, packing, and shipping season there is a fundamental flaw in how space utilization is conceived.
Most warehouse managers are sure if they had double the number of loading and unloading bays, their operation would be twice as efficient. Nothing could be further from the truth. The efficiency of truck unloading and loading occurs when that process is automated.
Fully automatic loading and unloading always require two combined systems: one system in the truck or trailer and a fixed installation on the loading platform or in the warehouse. Truck loading conveyors and other automated solutions allow increased efficiency. [Read more…] about The Benefits of Automatic Truck Loading Systems: Reduce loading and unloading times to a few minutes
by Anna
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has sent another fully-electric eActros onto the streets: the heavy-duty truck will now be put through its paces by Rigterink Logistikgruppe in regular operations transporting foodstuffs around Frankfurt am Main and other towns in the Rhine-Main area of Germany.
The daily distance from the Rigterink logistics premises in Flörsheim am Main to supermarket branches and various central logistics centres of supermarket chains is around 200 km.
The route will be driven once a day by the 25-tonne truck, making full use of its range of around 200 km with a single charge. The batteries will be charged overnight.
[Read more…] about Rigterink Logistikgruppe tests the all-electric eActros truck
by Sam Francis
The US Postal Service is testing driverless trucks from TuSimple in a two-week pilot program.
TuSimple, a self-driving truck company, says the USPS has awarded it a contract to perform five round trips during the trial, hauling USPS trailers more than 1,000 miles between the Postal Service’s Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas distribution centers.
The truck will have a safety engineer and driver on board for the duration of the pilot to monitor vehicle performance and to ensure public safety. [Read more…] about US Postal Service testing driverless trucks from TuSimple
by Anna
A pilot project on truck platooning has been successfully completed by DB Schenker, MAN Truck & Bus and Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
‘Platooning’ is when two or more trucks drive in a tight convoy on a motorway, benefiting from reduced air drag. All vehicles driving in the platoon are electronically linked to each other
Operating electronically linked trucks on German motorways is safe, technically reliable and easily applicable in the routine of a logistics company.
[Read more…] about Tests reveal potential of truck ‘platooning’ in Germany
Autonomous electric vehicle developer Einride and logistics giant DB Schenker have launched a driverless electric truck in Sweden.
The vehicle – called “T-Pod and intended for logistics operations – is believed to be the first cab-less electric truck to go into operation on a public road.
The world premiere and inaugural run took place at DB Schenker’s facility in Jönköping, Sweden. The T-pod will transport goods between a warehouse and terminal at the facility, as part of a commercial flow.
[Read more…] about Einride and DB Schenker launch driverless electric truckRobotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.
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