By Thomas Heckel, Member of the Board, Kögel Trailer GmbH & Co. KG
I would like to try by consciously emphasising certain statements during my talk. However, before I start I would like to illustrate the competence of the trailer manufacturers.
Each of the three largest European trailer manufacturers is based in Germany. So we can see that Germany plays a leading role in the trailer segment in Europe. We “Top Three” have a total of more than 5,000 employees and have over 250 years’ experience with commercial vehicles. Kögel contributes around one-third to this quarter millennium of trailer competence. This year we are celebrating our 80th Anniversary.
Does this statement really apply to the truck semi-trailer combination – “wow” at the front and “booh” at the rear – as indicated by a Swedish truck manufacturer? Is just the semi-trailer truck “state-of-the-art”, but not the trailer? Is it possible that we trailer manufacturers have been sleepwalking through the last few years?
No! I will prove to you that truck trailers are far from being “booh”. I will demonstrate this using three levers for increasing the efficiency of goods transport by road.
Firstly, the product itself, in other words the trailer, must be efficient. Secondly, the framework conditions must be applicable. Thirdly, network formation in diverse respects.
Lever number ONE relates to efficiency increase directly at the product. Appropriate application of aerodynamic measures and roof tarpaulins reduces CO2 and fuel by around 4-5 per cent. This is already starting to sound good. But it gets better. Let us broaden our horizons and consider innovative integrated transport concepts.
Even today, intelligent transport concepts can already make CO2 and fuel savings of 10 to 30 per cent. By the way, in contrast to aerodynamic measures, these ecological and economic benefits are independent of the speed of travel. The products for this have long been available. For example, trailers that are 1.3 metres longer than the usual length of 13.6 metres. This moderate extension makes it possible to transport up to eight more pallets per journey. And, with an unchanged permissible total weight, the benefits are obvious: depending on the transport requirement, up to 10 per cent fewer semi-trailer combinations are needed, 10 per cent less fuel consumption and 10 per cent reduction in CO2 emission.
As an alternative, the trailer extended by 1.3 metres can transport two swap bodies on a single vehicle. This is a property that the leading freight-forwarding associations have been asking for a long time. A long truck can even make savings of 30 per cent.
If you think that a trailer has no bearing on fuel, let me tell you: “yes, it does, a trailer can certainly contribute ACTIVELY to the drive”. For example, by making clever use of the length of a trailer and fitting a CNG module. 
This triples the range of a gas-powered semi-trailer combination to more than 1,000 km. In this way we can take advantage of the ecological benefit of gas trucks for long-distance applications.
Reduced tare weight means more payload on the one hand, and, on the other, it means that there is less mass to be hauled, thus reducing fuel consumption. For decades we trailer manufacturers have been reducing the weight of our trailers whilst retaining or increasing stability and safety.
The trailer sector still has many more inspired ideas in the pipeline. Allow me to state the diverse quick-opening mechanism solutions, the equipment variants that can be customised to meet your individual wishes, depending on the application or recuperation, and the recovery of braking energy.
Suitable framework conditions are lever number TWO in the increase in efficiency of goods transport by road. For example, this means the services ancillary to the trailer: comprehensive breakdown cover, replacement parts availability and financing solutions.
However, let’s take a look at the horizon: what will the best products and concepts provide if the infrastructure continues to be a drag on sustainable and climate-friendly transport? Or if the situation on the ramp is less than efficient! Or the parking situation on motorways. Or if there is insufficient qualified driving personnel available?
I would like to send a clear message to the politicians: “Have the courage to make pioneering decisions.” We trailer manufacturers are already very well prepared technologically. Now it’s your turn: please provide the suitable framework conditions.
Because there are only a few politicians (or even none) in the loop at present, I would encourage the representatives of the press to “help us to make the general public and politicians aware of the opportunities and to implement the measures that provide a more efficient and environmentally-friendly logistics system”.
The third and final lever for optimisation of goods transport by road is, in my opinion, “network creation”.
And by this I mean networking in all respects:
• networked telematics
• sensible networking of the transport routes, by road, rail, water and by air – in other words multi-modality
• the Europe-wide traffic flows conceal optimisation potential
• comprehensive fleet administration
• the collaboration between the contributing stakeholders, to be expanded further, namely, truck manufacturers, trailer manufacturers, associations, political parties, shippers and transport companies
I hope I have been able to show you, using a few examples, that the semi-trailer combination is both “wow” at the front and at the rear!
Because, truck semi-trailers and truck trailers have many talents. They are much more modern and efficient than many would think. And if we manufacturers were to be given a little more freedom we could make goods transport by road much more efficient and environmentally-friendly.
In conclusion, I would like to point out three things: Firstly, private consumption will continue to grow. Secondly, we all, as consumers, are demanding ever more sophistication. Thirdly, economists tell us that growth and prosperity go hand in hand.
Road-bound goods transport is and remains the driver of the economy and prosperity in Europe. We, as the manufacturers of bodies, trailers and semi-trailers, are proud of the fact that we can provide growth and prosperity with our ideas and products.