Transform Safety
Safety
ACCORDING TO THE GERMAN INSURANCE ASSOCIATION (GDV), EVERY YEAR ACCIDENTS CAUSE BILLIONS OF EUROS IN LOSSES IN THE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND HUMAN SUFFERING. AS A RESULT, GREATER FOCUS IS BEING PLACED ON THE TRAILER’S POTENTIAL TO INCREASE SAFETY.
The topic of safety can also grab people’s attention, as Goldhofer has proven with its YouTube video for the company’s new StepStar semi-trailer. Dramatically displayed against a black background to the sound of pulsating electronic music and featuring dynamic camera movements, the tail and position lights from BPW subsidiary Ermax create dramatic effects. With their eye-catching chase effect, it is no coincidence that they are reminiscent of high-performance sports cars – “gotta-have-it” factor included. But the appeal of the tail and side lights goes beyond their visual appearance. Made of ‘hammer-hard’ polycarbonate, the lights are extremely impact-resistant as well as waterproof and can withstand both minor collisions in car parks and the constant mechanical stress on the motorway.
Ermax is not only a prime example of how to combine cost efficiency and safety, but also of the BPW Group’s innovation strategy – after its acquisition in 2004, BPW steadily transformed the Danish subsidiary from a secondary market manufacturer to a successful premium original equipment manufacturer, preferred by an increasing number of vehicle manufacturers on account of its quality and progressive ideas. For example, manufacturers such as Goldhofer, Seka, HRD, Willig, Schmidt and Krampe in Germany, the Russian market leader Kamaz, Grünwald and Indetruck in Spain and Menci and Pezzaioli in Italy have all already switched to Ermax.
The ambitious Danes are determined to extend their innovative lead, and the company has most recently developed an LED monitoring system that uses trailer telematics to transmit the lighting status from all of the lighting units on the trailer to the driver’s cab or even directly to the fleet manager. Initial field tests are already taking place in Denmark. Long required in the UK, LED monitoring is set to become mandatory throughout Europe.
SAFETY AS AN ADDED BENEFIT
Ermax is also a good example of how the BPW Group’s subsidiaries cooperate with each other to create added value together – the company developed the cable system for the AirSave tyre pressure control system, for example. The Ermax lighting control system also uses the same Bluetooth short-range communications technology used in the iGurt load securing system. This solution has been officially available since September 2020; before that, BPW, in cooperation with eight hauliers, further optimised the system, which has won numerous innovation awards. In addition to drivers, vocational schools and skilled tradespeople have also expressed interest in the iGurt – new target audiences for BPW that require new sales channels. This is why BPW primarily intends to market the iGurt digitally.
The importance of the trailer in preventing accidents is becoming clear to an increasing number of hauliers – and also to legislators. For example, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which has long been compulsory for tractor units, is set to become mandatory on trailers throughout the EU by 2022, with a draft regulation to this effect currently being prepared in the relevant committees. Many hauliers have decided not to wait for the law to come into force because they know the impact of the tyre pressure on fuel consumption and tyre wear.
Chairman of the Board of the German Association for Road Freight Transport, Logistics and Disposal (BGL)
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: INNOVATION IS NEEDED
»Safety in road freight transport is one of the areas with the most urgent need for action and innovation in the industry. Up until now, the focus has been on the driver’s cab – the electronic turning assistant is one example of this. In future, the industry needs to systematically exploit the potential offered by the trailer – after all, this is where the freight is actually transported. The iGurt from BPW is a prime example of how load securing can be supported digitally. Despite the need to do everything possible to combat climate change, we cannot afford to neglect the issue of safety!«
According to the German Association for Road Freight Transport, Logistics and Disposal (BGL), in 2017 the number of fatalities in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles of all sizes increased by 6.7 percent year over year, from 745 to 795. Trucks with a maximum authorised mass of less than 3.5 tons account for around 28 percent of this total. Fatalities in accidents involving trucks account for around 25 percent of the total number of road casualties. Similar to fatalities, the number of people seriously injured in accidents involving trucks also unfortunately increased compared to 2016, rising by 0.5 percent from 7,278 to 7,315.
The transport and logistics industry has a vital interest in increasing safety, as doing so would not only save lives, but also reduce the cost of transport damage – the German Insurance Association (GDV) settles claims involving transport damage to the tune of 1.2 billion euros annually. A large part of this is due to insufficient or even non-existent load securing. Over 70 percent of the inspected vehicles are written up by the inspection authorities due to inadequately secured loads. This results in stiff penalties as well as costly and time-consuming re-securing and reloading processes, but also high insurance costs – improperly secured loads are estimated to be the cause of 20 to 25 percent of accidents involving heavy goods vehicles.
