TRANSPORT Management 118

The news of the last few weeks has been quite interesting, which has prompted me to share some thoughts with you.

In one year, Driver's Day has grown considerably! The second edition of this day dedicated to professional drivers has mobilised no fewer than a hundred additional companies, and that has not gone unnoticed. The drivers risked a delivery crisis due to all the croissants and butter biscuits offered, but the importance lies elsewhere: we notice that, for example, more and more shippers are realising that if the drivers do not feel like coming to load or unload at their premises, they run the risk of not finding any more transporters. What the drivers still ask for above all is a little respect and friendliness and access to a little comfort.

Drivers are also a topic of discussion at Einride. This Swedish start-up has surprised many by signing a contract with ABInBev. They will provide transport services for this company with electric trucks and will be responsible for the charging infrastructure themselves... but by having their own trucks driven by drivers 'borrowed' from other carriers. On the one hand, this offers a much easier threshold for many companies that do not dare to buy electric trucks themselves, but on the other hand, we can ask ourselves questions about this hybrid positioning because this company is also developing autonomous trucks that can do without drivers.

We will discuss electric propulsion in detail in our 'Buy Green' dossier. Because we have now reached the point where it is no longer prototypes or demonstration vehicles that are driving around in Belgium, but entire fleets that are switching, sometimes forced, to 'zero emissions'. Hats off to those pioneers who want to try out the new technology, but they will gain a huge competitive advantage in terms of energy management: not only in terms of the best way to charge the batteries of their vehicles, but also (and above all) in terms of the best way to have sufficient electricity for all operations. After all, who can guarantee that there will be sufficient electricity for the needs of every industrial zone in Belgium and along the main road axes? We will come back to that later...

For its part, Transportmedia is committed to informing fleet managers about these new energy challenges, and I can already announce that we will be organising the Zero Emissions Xperience at the beginning of autumn, an event that will combine information sessions with tests of both light and heavy zero-emission vehicles.