Equipped for challenging tasks

Focus on solutions rather than problems: this approach enables Gruber Logistics to be more eco-friendly when it comes to heavy-duty haulage and special shipments.

Anne Fischer, Branch Manager in Kreuztal (D), together with Michael Gruber, Director of XTL Heavy and Special Transport, in front of one of the LNG Ivecos. Source: Gruber Logistics

Heavy-duty haulage and special shipments is the transport of goods by road that exceed the weight, dimensions and/or safety limits defined by the Road Traffic Regulations. A special permit is required for this in each case. International freight forwarding specialist Gruber Logistics has now clearly demonstrated that this type of transport can also be handled by means of alternative drive systems.

“We often focus too much on the problem rather than the solution. LNG and bio-LNG can easily be used on a large scale in the heavy-duty haulage and special shipment segment,” explained Michael Gruber, Head of the XTL Division at Gruber Logistics. “To do so, we have to slightly adapt deployment, routes and driving style – but that’s all. But these and other factors have to be tackled if we’re to successfully apply ecological innovations on a large scale – including in those areas where it wasn’t thought possible until recently.”

Whether silos, tanks, special components, containers or work and agricultural machinery, Gruber Logistics’ XTL department uses the LNG-powered Iveco to take care of their safe and most sustainable transport. Source: Gruber Logistics

The performance capacity of LNG vehicles for heavy-duty transport with standard loads of up to 24 tonnes is absolutely on a par with that of diesel trucks. However, there is a difference in engine output that can potentially affect the vehicles’ torque on particularly steep roads or with loads beyond the weight limits. Gruber Logistics has overcome this limitation by creating the necessary logistical conditions for the introduction of alternative fuels such as bio-LNG or biogas in the heavy-duty haulage and special shipment segment.

NFollowing an initial test phase, LNG vehicles have been successfully deployed on routes between Germany and the UK from Kreuztal, one of the company’s main locations. The weight of the loads transported varied between 30 and 50 tonnes. For this, Iveco S-Way powered by LNG drive were used, boasting excellent efficiency from both an economic and an ecological point of view. “Together with Gruber Logistics, our Iveco S-Way powered by LNG is helping to expand the decarbonisation of road freight transport to include heavy-duty haulage and special shipments,” explains Fabrizio Buffa, Iveco Italy Market Alternative Propulsions Manager. “This is another key milestone for the industry. According to a recent study by the Comité National Routier (CNR), a heavy-duty vehicle powered by bio-LNG can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 121 % as compared to a diesel engine.” (jas, 1 March 2022)