14 BULKDISTRIBUTOR Logistics May / June 2017
14 BULKDISTRIBUTOR Logistics May / June 2017
Time to guzzle gas ?
With the extended range available on gas-powered vehicles with compressed natural gas ( CNG ), is this a realistic alternative to diesel power ? That ’ s the question David Batty , fleet engineer at UK logistics firm Abbey Logistics ’, has been asking for many years . “ One of my most important roles at Abbey Logistics is to analyse and trial new vehicles and associated technology ,” he says . “ Before selecting any vehicles for our fleet , I take a highly detailed approach to understanding the vehicle ’ s whole life cost , taking into account everything from mpg performance , maintenance costs , kerb weight , specialist equipment fitting and aerodynamic drag .” Having trialled many gas-powered vehicles in the past , including dual fuel , LPG , LNG , CNG and many more , trials have usually shown the same results ; promising technology , easy to maintain , zero emissions and reduced fuel costs . However , and crucially for a company like Abbey , which counts every penny of its fleet costs , and rely on the flexibility of its network ; the vehicles have always been too expensive to buy and their mileage range has always been too low to be a viable alternative to diesel .
Abbey ’ s trial Scania at the refuelling station
That was until now . Innovative new technology from Scania and Iveco means that LNG ( liquid natural gas ) and CNG ( compressed natural gas ) can now be used in vehicles that can achieve almost the same miles per tank as their diesel equivalents . Abbey Logistics is now working with CNG Fuels , the UK ’ s leading operator of CNG , to run trials on new vehicles . The trucks from Iveco and Scania will be put through their paces in a two-month trial , operating on the same routes carrying the same loads as their diesel counterparts to give the firm a clear picture of how they are performing . “ One of the key benefits of conducting real world trials of new vehicles especially ones which use new technology , is that our drivers have the opportunity to feedback how they are performing ,” says Batty . “ Are they comfortable ? Is safety and compliance impacted in any way ? Are there any other concerns that only emerge once the vehicle is out on the road ? We conduct in-depth interviews with drivers to get their feedback , which is vital as it is our drivers who will be working with these vehicles every day .” Drivers involved in the trial will be trained to use the new refuelling pumps , which use a traffic light system that tells the driver when fuelling is complete and it takes no longer than filling up a diesel tank . Refuelling is also inherently safe and clean due to zero spillage and the driver doesn ’ t need to stand next to the vehicle during the process . Additional benefits are minimised emissions and reduced fuel costs and because the engines themselves are much simpler than modern diesel engines , maintenance costs should be reduced too . “ While the latest CNG developments are exciting , we are reserving judgement until a full evaluation of the gas-powered vehicles is complete ,” Batty adds . “ While I ’ ve known about the potential benefits of gas power in LGVs for a long time , it is only now through these new engines that there is a real alternative to diesel emerging . I ’ m excited to understand how these trucks perform in the real world as the potential benefits to the environment and our cost base is significant . We will test them objectively and if we find that they perform as well or better than our current fleet , that will be a real game changing moment for Abbey and the wider industry .” www . abbeylogisticsgroup . com
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Britain ’ s Freight Transport Association ( FTA ) has slammed a potential new fee imposed by France on foreign workers , including drivers . The French government intends to charge a € 40 fee for every worker operating in France on a temporary basis and employed by a foreign company . The fee will be used to maintain a database that will handle all documents required by French authorities for posted workers – including drivers . The move is set to come into force from 1 January 2018 at the latest . The FTA claims this would amount to a restrictive practice which would severely curtail the ability of UK logistics operators to work effectively in continental Europe . Pauline Bastidon , FTA ’ s head of European Policy , said : “ In practice , in our sector , this new charge amounts to a restrictive tax on international transport carried out by foreign operators . The fee of € 40 per driver is excessive and , simply put , is a protectionist measure designed to close the French transport market to any operator established outside of France . “ It will disproportionately increase the cost of operating in France and could have negative consequences for international transport to and from the country . Coming on top of already burdensome requirements , such as the need to have a permanent representative in France , the decision to implement an additional charge on the working of international operators is nothing more than a protectionist tax benefitting the domestic French market , and is one which our members wholeheartedly oppose .” The FTA is calling on the European Commission to react strongly and speed up its ongoing legal case against France , to ensure that trade can continue to flow seamlessly across borders and to protect the integrity of the single market . “ Emmanuel Macron ’ s new government will have the power to reverse this decision which was made by its predecessors , and we urge him to do so , to ensure that the EU ’ s trading routes remain open and frictionless to all operators ,” Bastidon said .
Samskip unveils ���������� carbon calculator
In line with its sustainability strategy , Samskip has unveiled an online CO2 carbon footprint calculator designed to visualise the benefits when using multimodal versus road transport . Previously , when a client requested the carbon footprint of a specific unit load , a reliable answer was hard to find . Now , the Samskip CO2 online calculator provides an easy-to-use , online tool that can determine the CO2 footprint of any multimodal load moving within Samskip ’ s network to acquire the equivalent carbon offsets against a conventional road move . The app , previewed at April ’ s Multimodal Show and formally launched by Samskip at transport logistic , Munich , is based on the CE Delft ‘ STREAM International ’ study , which uses recognised CO2 calculation methods . This study contains an overview of vehicle-specific emissions in several market segments in the international freight transport ; measured by tonne per kilometre . The calculator analyses the environmental impact of multimodal transport ( a combination of shortsea , rail , inland waterways and road ) compared to conventional road transport . In considering every step from pick-up to delivery , including Samskip ’ s complete European network ( from Iceland to the Baltic Sea and Turkey ), routing and mode of transport , the calculator can provide clients with an understanding of the carbon footprint of their transport . In just a few clicks a reliable footprint for any lane can be calculated . It can also demonstrate how changing specifications can influence the total carbon footprint . Shippers can assist the end-user in the decision-making process by entering various routings into the Samskip CO2 tool . The calculations can also be used in environmental reporting to identify “ carbon hotspots ” in the customer ’ s supply chain . In the first instance , calculations focus on a single transit leg , using a 45ft pallet-wide container ( equal to 2.25 TEU , with a payload of 15 tonnes ) as its base load for comparison . However , other equipment types will soon be added , as will other multimodal transport scenarios , such as transits involving multiple stops , the weight impact of different cargo types , shipper preferences on routing , and shipment through Sulphur Emissions Control Areas . Samskip says its new system is part of a focus on increasing the intermodal component of transport services , but the company also considers sustainability to be a company-wide operating principle . In securing ISO14001:2015 certification , Samskip is one of the first Dutch companies whose environmental management system is recognised under the renewed quality assurance scheme . In its commercial and operational activities , Samskip ’ s integrated approach to environmental responsibility is to make progressive reductions where possible in paper waste , water use and energy consumption .
Samskip ’ s CO2 online calculator provides an easy-to-use , online tool that can determine the CO2 footprint of multimodal load movements within its network