Belgian transport companies lose an average of 335 hours per lorry each year as a result of trucks being stuck in traffic jams. This congestion often occurs at well-known points along the road network but also builds up in queues at freight forwarders, receivers or terminals. With an economic value of 50 euros per hour, this represents a total loss of 16,750 euros per lorry each year. It comes as no surprise then that the sector is diligently searching for a solution. A study by the Smart Mobility Expertise Center shows that a communal trailer parking lot would save many lost hours.

A communal trailer parking lot is a supervised parking area located along a congestion-prone route. Carriers can use it to temporarily park up loaded or empty trailers or chassis, allowing them to take a more flexible approach to loading and unloading times, congestion, queues and customers’ opening hours. This enables them to then reduce the number of ‘lost hours’ and avoid empty journeys.

The Smart Mobility Expertise Center (formerly known as the Flemish Institute for Mobility) conducted a 12-month pilot project in association with the sector. This involved various transport companies using a shared, secure area in the Antwerp Harbour to station their empty or loaded trailers.

26 transport companies

Johan Boonen, Project Manager at Antwerp Management School: “The unusual part of this project is the horizontal cooperation in the highly competitive transport sector. No fewer than 26 transport companies participated. Together they conducted 9,264 trailer exchanges with an average exchange time of just 11 minutes. It requires a certain amount of mutual confidence – after all, we’re talking about commercial cargo. This project proves that the transport sector is actively pursuing innovation and cooperation.”

Initiative continuation and expansion to 100 lots

Kurt Joossen, Transport Joossen: “Initially, the trailer parking lot offered enough space for 38 trailers. This has since been expanded to 100 spaces. This project has made clear that the benefits of shared trailer parking enjoyed by the transport companies far outweigh any associated costs. Almost all the pilot project participants have decided to participate in the follow-up phase, which can easily be continued without any subsidies.”

Limitless logistics

The ‘communal trailer parking lot’ pilot project builds on the results of a research project commissioned by the Provincial Development Agency Limburg (POM) as a part of the European Project “Limitless Logistics”. This study resulted in a Masterplan demonstrating how a communal trailer parking scheme might work and the requisite preconditions.

The ‘Communal trailer parking lot’ project was made possible by the financial support of http://www.vlaio.be/

More information on http://www.vim.be/projects/sha... Partners

Alders Internationaal Transport nv, Alders Bulk Logistics bvba, Transport Gheys nv, Handico Trucking nv, Kiko Trans bvba, Ldh-Trans bvba, Multimodal Transport & Logistics bvba, Schrauwen nv, Smeetrans nv, Speltincx nv, Transport Goosssens bvba, Vintra bvba, Group Joosen, Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf Antwerpen, POM Limburg, SAVA, VVL Febetra, VUB-MOBI

More information on https://www.antwerpmanagementschool.be/project-gemeenschappelijke-trailerparkings/
Rechtenvrij fotomateriaal is downloadbaar via deze link.

Press contact

Johan Boonen, Project Manager Smart Mobility, Antwerp Management School

T +32 11 24 60 05 – M +32 475 45 99 51 – E johan.boonen@ams.ac.be

Kurt Joosen, Managing Director Transport Joosen

T +32 3 313 85 58 – M +32 495 29 04 90 – E kurt@transportjoosen.be

Sandra Vanderniepen, Marketing & Communication, Antwerp Management School

T +32 11 24 60 05 – M +32 494 41 32 90 – E sandra.vanderniepen@ams.ac.be

Expertise Center Smart Mobility

Smart Mobility (formerly known as the Flemish Institute for Mobility) is an expertise center run by Antwerp Management School. Our operations are aimed at finding sustainable alternatives for commuters, innovative applications of mobility data and new transport concepts. In pursuing this, we focus on the acquisition and expansion of knowledge with which we can develop new or improved tools, methods and services. This expertise is then shared through publications, courses, seminars, technology transfer and consultancy.

www.smart-mobility.be