Media attention was high in the beginning of April when six HGVs rolled in columns almost full automatically through Europe.
The European Platooning Challenge shows in what direction transport and logistics are going to and furthermore, what is already possible. The term connection itself is today the key to more efficiency and competitiveness in logistics already.
These are visions for the transport sector: Lorries driving with short distances in slipstream, automatically reacting to other road users and while rolling, updating the time at arrival at the loading ramp or sending freight documents digitally. With the European Platooning Challenge a further step was taken to the future of logistics, coming from the vehicle manufacturer. Also in other parts of the transport industry companies have been working on its added value and more importantly connecting its supply chain. It will be interesting when companies from different industries start cooperating. Only the connection between them optimises synergies.
Improve utilisation of vehicles
Utilisation and avoiding empty runs become more and more the focus of attention due to the European Platooning Challenge. On the “Campus Connectivity” in Düsseldorf, Germany, Daimler pointed out chances and opportunities for transport companies, when it connect its telematics systems and its scheduling software with a freight exchange. If in the future the intelligent and with the freight exchange communicating lorry joins, high efficiency and profitableness will be reached.
Europe’s largest transport platform TimoCom is prepared for that future, what is missing is the comprehensive use of connected lorries. In fact, more than 180 telematics providers are already connected to TimoCom. Within the transport platform the tracking solution is already connected with the freight exchange. In addition, transport and logistics companies are able to connect its scheduling software directly to TimoCom.
The future has begun
This connection means a lot to the daily work life, dispatchers can enter a relation into their scheduling software and with help of TimoCom’s tracking function they know the arrival of the truck and with the area search he can find a suitable return load. If now intelligent and connected lorries start this process, it will be possible to automatically communicate with the transport platform as well as with the telematics system to send suggestions for suitable back loads based on current data to the dispatcher.
The European Platooning Challenge has given new pulses for logistics 4.0. Some companies already are ahead and pioneers when it comes to innovation but connecting and cooperation of all involved in transport will bring even more efficiency and profitableness.