A multi-company project group is testing a long truck concept where two semi-trailers are pulled by just one truck.
The year-long pilot project, made up of German and Spanish companies and led by the German Automobile Industry Association, aims to reduce carbon footprints in the transport chain.
The EcoDuo vehicle combination optimises pre-carriage and on-carriage in combined transport. Connected by a dolly, it reaches a total length of 31.70 metres with the standard semi-trailers easily loaded onto trains – unlike long trucks, whose semi-trailer dimensions deviate from the standard size.
“Unlike previous long-truck concepts, existing semi-trailers can continue to be used without any expensive investments,” said Schmitz Cargobull CEO, Andreas Schmitiz. “When modern semi-trailers equipped with the latest axle and brake technology are used, the EcoDuo complies with all safety standards. The EcoDuo combination is ideally suited to combined transport and directly reduces the carbon emissions per transported tonne in road traffic.”
After a positive experience with similar projects in Spain and Scandinavia, the long truck concept is now due to be trialled in Germany, travelling between the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg and the MegaHub, located 70 kilometres away in Lehrte near Hannover.
From there, the semi-trailers will be transported 1,700 kilometres by rail to Spain using Kombiverkehr KG’s network for environmentally friendly transport. At a transshipment station in Barcelona, the individual semi-trailers will be connected to an EcoDuo combination again and then transported on the road by Sesé until they reach their destination.
Using real-life operations as its basis, the one-year pilot project aims to assess the opportunities and risks of the EcoDuo vehicle combination and calculate the potential savings on the road and at terminals. The results of the pilot project will be summarised in a final report.
“With the cooperation of all the partners involved, we have built a broad foundation for this pilot project,” Schmitz said. “With the EcoDuo, we are underlining our European outlook as the vehicle meets most common standard dimensions and can be easily used for intermodal transport, including on trains.”
When compared to a conventional truck and one trailer with a 40 tonnes total articulated vehicle weight, the EcoDuo concept offers the following advantages:
– Reduced fuel consumption and, as a result, lower carbon emissions per transported tonne.
– Lower single axle loads.
– Increased road capacity or reduction of traffic due to the use of fewer vehicles with more capacity.
– Less strain on roads and bridges due to lower axle loads and fewer articulated vehicles.
– Solution to the driver shortages – One driver, two semi-trailers for long-haul journeys.
The EcoDuo from the pilot project will be on show at the Transportation 2024 at booth T81 outdoors.
In other news, UPS has agreed to acquire German healthcare logistics provider Frigo-Trans.