

These are visions for the transport sector: Lorries driving with short distances in slipstream, automatically reacting to other road users and while rolling, updating the time at arrival at the loading ramp or sending freight documents digitally.  With the European Platooning Challenge a further step was taken to the future of logistics - coming from the vehicle manufacturer. 


Also in other parts of the transport industry companies have been working on their added value and more importantly connecting their suppy chain. It will be interesting when companies from different industries start cooperating. Only the connection between them optimises synergies. 


  


Improve utilisation of vehicles 


Utilisation and avoiding empty runs become more and more the focus of attention due to the European Platooning Challenge. On the "Campus Connectivity" in Düsseldorf, Germany, Daimler pointed out chances and opportunities for transport companies, when they connect their telematics systems and their scheduling software with a freight exchange. If in the future the intelligent and with the freight exchange communicating lorry joins, high efficiency and profitability will be reached. 


  


Europe's largest transport platform TimoCom is prepared for that future - what is missing is the comprehensive use of connected lorries. In fact, more than 180 telematics provider are already connected to TimoCom. Within the transport platform the tracking solution is already connected with the freight exchange. In addition, transport and logistics companies are able to connect their scheduling software directly to TimoCom. 


  


The future has begun 


This connection means a lot to the daily work life: dispatchers can enter a relation into their scheduling software and with help of TimoCom's tracking function they know the arrival of the truck and with the area search he can find a suitable return load. If now intelligent and connected lorries start this process, it will be possible to automatically communicate with the transport platform as well as with the telematics system to send suggestions for suitable back loads based on current data to the dispatcher. 


  


The European Platooning Challenge has given new pulses for logistics 4.0. Some companies already are ahead and pioneers when it comes it innovation but  connecting and cooperation of all involved in transport will bring even more efficiency and profitablility.