DHL Freight is trialling a ‘Terminal of the Future’ in Langenhagen to reinforce its position as a road transport and innovation leader.
The courier company is investing in its existing European network of 200 terminals following the opening of a new freight hub in the Airport Business Park in Langenhagen that will trial innovative technologies at the state-of-the-art transshipment facility. Approximately 290 employees currently dispatch and consolidate freight at the new terminal.
“The opening of the new Hanover-Langenhagen freight terminal adds another important hub in European overland transport,” said DHL Freight CEO, Uwe Brinks. “The combination of a convenient location and innovative technologies makes this new future-oriented freight transshipment centre an important growth driver within our network.”
The 8,700m² transshipment terminal is reported to house more than 86 loading bays, where freight for both the Europe-wide all-in-one groupage service ‘Euroconnect’ and the ‘Eurapid’ premium day-definite groupage service is handled. Expert personnel also assist national and international customers with customised logistics solutions and transport management for the ‘Euronet’ full truck load (FTL) service.
To further strengthen its position as a road transport market and innovation leader, new technologies for the ‘Terminal for the Future’, according to DHL Freight, are being trialled and deployed at the new freight centre. In the field of yard logistics, for example, DHL Freight is already testing an electric manoeuvring assistant that uses augmented reality and automated steering to independently manoeuvre and swap bodies at the site. The technology developed by StreetScooter in cooperation with special vehicle manufacturer, Kamag, reportedly facilitates smooth operations.
Another innovation being tested at the new DHL Freight terminal is automated weight, volume, and shipment data recording devices. With the help of a combination of different technologies, all shipment-relevant data is digitally transferred to the transport management system within a few seconds. Less than load (LTL) cargo is primarily still recorded manually. The partial automation of the process is reported to increase both efficiency and speed; accurate recordings of freight dimensions are essential for optimal loading strategy and correctly billing customers.
(Image L-R: DHL Freight CEO, Uwe Brinks, DHL Freight CEO – Germany & Alps. bernhard Wirth, DHL Freight Hannover Terminal Manager, Hartmut Köhler, Vice President DDC/IDC and Transport Procurement, Gero Schiffelmann, DHL Global Forwarding – Freight CEO, Tim Scharwath.)