trailer, trends & nformation irom kronef...

The easTis calling!

www.krone-trailer.com

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14 challenge France Krone scores wiTh qualiTy

T r a i l e r , T r e n d s & i n F o r m a T i o n F r o m K r o n etrailerforum

16 Trailer across The BalTic sea The lüBecK Ferry porTs 20 moTivaTion in diFFiculT Times

review oF The iaa

06 a journey Through easTern europe’s up-and-coming marKeTs

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The easTis calling!

Lead TopicTough course eastwards. trailer forum joins 8 Krone trailers on their long distance journey through Eastern Europe’s up-and-coming markets.

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TechnicaL progressTwice as cool. Insulated transport vehicles place high demands on material and technology and, at Krone, there is the choice between steel and GRP.

inTerviewMake the most of qualities. Bernard Richard is captur-ing the French market for Krone and responds to the challenges and questions of trailer forum.

reporTGateway to the Baltic Sea. The Skandinavienkai terminal in Lübeck is one of Europe’s biggest ro-ro and ferry ports and a huge trailer handling point.

iaa reviewInnovative signals. At the IAA Krone was able to strengthen trust with customers with a product offensive and sent positive signals to the industry.

proFiLeA sure sign of confidence. Paul Schockemöhle has been buying his trailers from Krone for already 30 years. Now the 1,000th vehicle has been delivered.

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welcome to thetrailer forum! w e deliver the future – this is our new company motto.

The current economic situation is not exactly charac-terized by positive news headlines and the increased

road toll only intensifies the difficult situation for the transport companies even further. It is precisely in this economic environ-ment that it is particularly important for businesses to recognize the importance of the future. The significance of economically sustainable and future orientated detail solutions in vehicle con-struction could hardly be any greater. Our technical innovations should also help us to reduce costs.

At the IAA commercial vehicle exhibition we presented a whole series of practice-orientated products for this, e.g. the automatic curtain closing EasyTarp – all with an overwhelming response. The former federal president Richard von Weizsäcker once said: “The market economy does not take place in law books but in the thinking and actions of the people.” Perhaps we are able to un-derstand this so well because people and their needs have always been at the centre of our actions.

This applies to our customers and our employees. In this issue you will find many interesting topics as well as the people behind them. We hope you enjoy the read!

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Krone news on Krone Tv“Krone Cinema” which can now be seen on Krone’s new internet site, provides totally new insights into the company and its products. Viewers are here able to see exciting and informative pro-duct films online and, in the episodes shown on “Krone TV”, representatives of Krone’s management answer questions and discuss the latest developments. All this can be viewed in the “Experience” section on www.krone-trailer.com

road FreighT TransporT increasingGerman HGVs transported 5 per cent more goods during the first half of 2008 than the previous year. A total of 1.48 billion tons were transported on Europe’s roads, announced the Kraftfahrt-Bundes-amt (Federal Motor Transport Authority). Freight transportation rose by 4.1 per cent to 173.3 billion tkm., 141.6 billion. tkm of this (plus 3.4 per cent) was gene-rated by commercial transport.

halF a cenTury For KroneJosef Finner has been honoured for 50 years work at Krone by Dr. Bernard Kro-ne and Bernard Krone. He joined Krone in Spelle as a locksmith on 1st Octo-ber 1958 and moved to the new plant in Werite in 1964. In 2001 he reached retirement age but continued, in “non retirement”, to regularly take visitor groups through the plant which he did with great enthusiasm.

TicKer

Tcontrol units now provide

more than 150 Kro-

ne customers with the

relevant data on the

location and condition of

the transport unit. More

information on:

[email protected],000

k The Profi Liner Eco, intro-duced in the last issue of trailer forum and at the IAA, impresses not only with its fuel saving po-tential. The innovative vehicle concept also offers drivers a fur-ther added benefit. Krone has used a new type of side curtain – easyTarp – which is secured and closed using pneumatic central locking which means that the driver now only has to secure 4 in-stead of 25 locking points. The in-

novative curtain equipment also offers drivers and transport com-panies a further advantage: be-sides a shortening in loading/un-loading times, the risk of injury is also clearly reduced. Drivers op-erate the pneumatic central lock-ing at the front of the vehicle so they are not at risk when opening – for example from cargo which has shifted during transport.

k Meyer & Meyer, the international lead-ing specialist for fashion logistics in Eu-rope, officially received its 1,250th Krone swap body at the IAA in Hannover. Arnulf Bleck, Director Fleet Management of the Osnabrück logistics company, were present for the celebratory presentation. Bleck praised the close partnership of many

years of both companies as a guarantee of quality and target orientated innovations. Bernard Krone and Gero Schulze Isfort also highlighted the good rapport: “Both companies are classic family business-es from the Osnabrück/Emsland region. We are both on the same wavelength,” said Bernard Krone.

k It is the most coveted award in the Europe-an commercial vehicle industry – the “Truck of The Year” title was awarded at the IAA com-mercial vehicle exhibition in Hannover to the Daimler flagship vehicle, Actros. The jury, which was made up of 20 European trade jour-nalists, judged the innovations of the third Ac-tros generation as the decisive factor in winning the title. The experts paid special attention to the improved cost effectiveness and the com-prehensive safety features. An important de-tail: the reworked power shift drive now be-longs to series standard features for all long

distance Actros vehicles. This power shift drive not only helps improve driver conditions on long distances but also plays a decisive role in reducing fuel costs. Hubertus Troska, head of Mercedes commercial vehicles worldwide at Daimler AG, commented on the win: “I think this is good confirmation that our work in con-tinued fuel consumption efficiency and the fea-tures which we offer the driver, have been rec-ognized.” Second place went to the new Iveco Eurocargo. Scania and Volvo were equal third. The “Truck of The Year” title has been awarded since 1978.

and the winner is ... actros!

Actros is „Truck of the Year 2009“

k The new Krone website has been launched featuring a modern design and improved user guidance as well as a clear plus in service and products. The new trailer configurator, for example, allows users to put together their de-sired trailer using modules and send a non-binding enquiry to Krone. In cus-tomer service, Krone now provides a new delivery portal which enables cus-tomers to co-ordinate the collection of their new Krone vehicle 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The new website also features all texts in both German and

English. The re-launch represents the fact that the company always focuses on customer benefits, customer closeness and innovation – at Krone this is matter of course!

new look for www.krone-trailer.com

easy opening with easyTarp

evenTs

20.04 - 24.04.2009 comTrans 2009 Moscow (RUS)

06.05 - 09.05.2009 logistics Transport Helsinki (FIN)

12.05. - 15.05.2009 Transport logistic Munich (D)

12.05. - 16.05.2009 solutrans Lyon (F)

20.06. - 21.06.2009 heilbronner Truck messe Heilbronn (D)

eurocombi rolls through denmarkk Denmark has been preparing itself for this for three years and has, in the first step, taken around 8 million euros to extend intersections and round-abouts, enlarge motorway stations and set up two so-called re-connection points. Since 24. November the “Modulvogntog”, a 25-metre HGV, is now rolling across the motorways to the ports and freight cen-tres of the country. After the Netherlands, Germa-ny’s northern neighbour now wants to investigate, for three years, the effects of the more voluminous truck and trailer combination on the economic ef-ficiency of transport and transport safety. The As-sociation of Transport and Logistics in Denmark (DTL) predicts that there will be around 100 mod-ule truck trailers which can go on the road, at the beginning, without special registration, and up to 1,000 at the end of the test period.

1,250th swap Body For meyer&meyer

parTners on The same wavelengTh

m o r e T h a n

wrote Ernst Vollrath, former press speaker of the Minister of

Transport Werner Dollinger (1982-87), in a manuscript to his

boss. Vollrath has, in his role as BAG president, enforced a

road toll for HGVs since 2005.

»The introduction of the road toll is a step back into the age of the stage coaches.«,

rubrik

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h High-tech vehicles on low budget roads – the contrast between the ultra-modern Mercedes Actros/

Krone duo and the transit routes of East-ern Europe, many of which are hundreds of years old, could hardly be any greater. The four-week long haul journey through the booming regions of the East impres-sively proved this over 4,000 kilometres.

The goal of the long round trip through the continent’s flourishing regions is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of local transport in Eastern Europe. In addition to this, the trek through half of Europe will also become a real acid test for both truck and trailer as it is precisely here that the modern and sophisticated commercial vehicle technology gets a chance to show what it is really capable of. Only in the toughest, continuous use, between the Estonian flatlands and the High Tatras, the Black Sea mountains and the endlessness of the steppes, can a vehicle prove its real road capability.

sTarT in The BalTic The starting shot for this freight marathon was fired in Es-tonia. The next stops of the 4,000 kilome-tre tour are the Baltic brother states of Latvia and Lithuania. Travelling across the roads of the former Soviet republics, today remarkably well developed, man and vehicle are not overly challenged which helps in preparation for the long journey ahead. The major roads are com-parably well developed and the service stations along the way are of a high level. The transport markets have grown im-mensely, accordingly, particularly during the last few years.

In Estonia the turnover of heavy goods vehicles has increased by almost 24 per cent. And, in the neighbouring states of Latvia and Lithuania, the market has practically exploded with more than 50 per cent growth. The close proximity to the Russian mega market, awakening with an immense power, is also notice-able in the vehicle configuration.

The trend is moving away from the traditional truck-trailer to the trailer. Ul-tra-modern curtain siders like, for exam-ple, the elegant varnished Krone trailer in grey and red behind the metallic red Actros truck, are right at the top of com-pany order lists. Almost all semitrailers

for European destinations are ordered with sliding top, without side walls, yet the proven bordwand semitrailers (tar-paulin) live on. These are now used on routes which are tough on the material and which go right into the deepest East, right up to the big neighbour – Russia.

growTh marKeTs Poland, the sec-ond stop of the European tour, belongs, alongside Romania, to the stars of the transport boom of recent years. Since its membership of the EU, outsourcing

from the central European core states to the East has grown continuously. The boom of the producing consumer goods industry as well as auto and HGV pro-duction and automotive suppliers in Poland has developed the Polish trans-port market to a logistics hub, going in all European directions. With growth rates of more the 60 per cent in 2007, the market is growing over-proportionally. This can also be seen in the road land-scape. The average age of vehicles is also becoming younger and the only poten-

tial lies in the development of the ma-jor road network. Yet the test cargo still manages to make rapid progress, de-spite the high volume of traffic. No time-consuming main through roads or big construction sites slow down the high tech convoy.

road Toll The Czech Republic and Slovakia, the next stops on this mega tour, today offer central European stand-ards – with regards to the major roads as well as the discount markets of the big

European companies which can be seen everywhere. In recent years regular con-nections have developed between de-pots with the transit traffic which came with EU enlargement Eastwards. Both the brother states have long arrived in modern Europe, also unfortunate-ly with regards to the price level. As a pan-European infliction, a toll must be paid, also here, for all major roads and these are often painfully high.

The Bulgarians also demand a road toll for their roads which are of-

The journey is the reward: the HGV convoy drove more than 4,000 kilometres through eastern Europe’s new EU states. There is still a big difference in the quality of the major roads.

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Lead Topic

here boom region, there national bankruptcy – good and bad sides lie often very close together.

Tough course easTwards

a four-week round trip through

eastern europe – on a long distance

journey through the up-and-co-

ming markets of eastern europe,

eight krone trailers prove that

modern technology can stand up to

the test of poor road conditions.

ten more than desolate. After cross-ing directly Hungary and Romania, the journey from the city of Sofia begins promisingly on a new motorway but the four-lane road soon ends and directs all East-West transit traffic onto old coun-try roads of the lowest category. For cen-tral European visitors the scenery here

is idyllic, even though the traffic has its perils. Donkey carts which may sudden-ly appear from a side road are just as much a part of the daily traffic here as an armada of worn out, old HGVs from the Iron Curtain era.

The old comrades from Kamaz, Raba, Ifa and co. are spending their “retirement”, which is anything but quiet, belching out black smoke and showing clear signs of aging. They struggle uphill at a snail’s pace, chased on by a phalanx of transit

trucks all driven by the pressure of their delivery deadlines. Going downhill the ve-hicles move more with the force of gravity than with engine performance, and this at a frighteningly fast speed, through narrow towns and villages – past scared chickens and handcart drivers who are persistently stoical on the roads.

This is precisely where the interplay of safety technology between the towing vehicle and the electronically regulated trailer clearly proves itself. Despite its 40 tons full load, the duo is still able to safe-ly steer its way, without wavering, across narrow provincial roads which fall off to the sides. The precise road handling pro-vides the driver, who sometimes has to steer the rapidly driven articulated lorry between stray dogs, combine harvesters and trees which reach far into the road,

with considerable support. Reducing the speed is not an option here. Fellow drivers from the not so distant East, with the blind faith of divine providence, use any availa-ble free space for death defying overtaking manoeuvres.

soFT Tarmac Bulgaria shows is post-Socialist malaise amongst the people and the economy particularly on the land. Even though the people have never had it so good, the wounds of decades of Social-ist indifference have not yet healed. Even though the number of new commercial vehicles authorised has gown strongly, the Black Sea state is still far from the prosperity of its western neighbours. In things concerning road toll, though, the country is, in contrast, bang up to date, particularly with the tariffs. The bridge official demands no less than 52 eu-ros for the journey across the run down Donau Bridge on the Romanian border – and that’s just one way, of course! The hefty toll on the main axis to Turkey and Greece is unavoidable as there are no al-ternative border crossings.

After the journey in time through contemporary Bulgaria and Europe-an history, it is Romania which awaits its visitor with the five axes. The recent EU member excels with annual growth rates which go beyond 100 per cent. The boom in outsourced production, indus-try and consumerism cannot be missed – as well as the cost of the rapidly grow-ing prosperity of the cities. Despite mas-sive work in road construction, the trip through the Carpathian state becomes a time-consuming and strenuous tour de force.

Here, too, old roads slow down the traffic on the most important East-West axis which begins already on the Bulgar-ian border. Now it is no longer the pe-dantic toll inspectors which blight the onward journey but the sunny weather. With temperatures often exceeding 35 de-grees in the summer, larger HGVs are, by law, not allowed to drive until the evening hours. The tarmac, softened by the heat during the day, is unable to withstand the constant stream of 40-ton vehicles.

narrow ravines The disastrous ring bypass of the capital of Bucharest shows how cheap road construction can take its revenge. The permanent weight of the heavy traffic has made wheel ruts up to 20 centimetres deep in this poor road foun-dation which makes driving on this road similar to dancing on a tarmac volcano for passenger vehicles. And the sides of the 495 super wide trailer tyres also suffer in the tight “corset” of the eroded tarmac surface. Hours of “stop and go” traffic is the price to pay for this section of the trip in a pul-sating city in the heart of a country which is developing so quickly into a market economy.

During the onward journey of the test convoy via Herrmannstadt towards Hungary, the shortcomings of the road infrastructure, which is still poor, reveal themselves. Road construction sites, visible almost everywhere, are evidence of the immense economic upturn which the young EU member state has made in recent years. Kilometre-long traffic jams, on the other hand, on new stretch-

es of road which have been hurriedly covered with tarmac, hinder the East-West convoy, notorious for being under great time pressure, on this totally over-loaded stretch between Bucharest and Hungary.

The journey through the narrow ra-vines of the Carpathians once again be-comes a real test for vehicle and chassis. Without a safety hard shoulder, the ve-hicle traction must cleanly stick to the course taken. The continuous ongoing traffic as well as urging HGV drivers in the rear mirror require maximum con-centration. Finely tuned brakes are a must here; the emergency brake assist-ant faces its first test. The driver realises that a well functioning safety technolo-gy plays a more important role here, on these undersized roads, than high en-gine performance.

The bottle neck experiences a dra-matic climax on the country road when it goes up and downhill. The “wild East” can be seen at its most drastic when going downhill across the moun-

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Horsepower versus horse and cart: handcarts and horse and carriage are still quite common in the East (far left).

Up-and-coming: in post-Socialist society it is not only the radio towers which aspire to greater heights (left above).

Team briefing: morning meeting before the trip across the rough roads (left below).

Market economy: the people living on the land also want to benefit from the boom in the East (centre).

No longer always at the ready: discarded memories out of aircraft steel from the time of the Warsaw Pact (right above).

Busy streets: many of the new transit routes go right through sleepy provincial villages.

TiTeLThema Lead Topic

“wild east” at the wheel: transit truckers here do not appear to be aware of any speed limit or overtaking ban

rubrik

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Same old problem: despite open EU borders, there are still kilometre-long traffic

jams at the weight controls on the Hungarian border.

tain routes. Behind the Krone semi-trailers with retarder brakes, screeches a pack of worn out transit semitrailers going at maximum speed with red-hot tread brakes. Emergency braking in the middle of these freight “desperados”, all speeding downhill, would be a sure death sentence.

The highlight for frayed driver’s nerves is the waiting procedure at the Romanian-Hungarian border. Freight control at the new EU border may have stopped but, instead, the toll person-nel, now largely unemployed, weigh all vehicles with petty preciseness. A five-hour wait – almost as long as during old border times – is the result of the new “openness between the countries” – totally misunderstood by the toll personnel.

Hungary, the final stage of the jour-ney through the eastern European states, has the heady process of renew-al already behind it. Production export from the high priced countries is not so much at home here, the state economy is strained and the price level is almost that of the western European countries. Budapest’s traffic is generously re-rout-ed on generous and extremely well-built motorway bypasses – the Hungarians have long done their road construction homework. Having paid the omnipres-ent toll, the convoy rolls towards Vien-na on spotlessly clean motorways which are clearly above the quality level of their Austrian neighbour.

acid TesT passed! The final 600 kilo-metres from the Prater city to the Mer-cedes Wörth plant act as a sort of run-out phase in what has been a fascinating round trip through the new European markets. Both man and machine were spared from any major incidents or breakdowns – modern technology has passed the acid test!

The young EU states still have this ahead of them.

The level of eastern Europe’s growth markets is growing with every month. The transport material is measured here as there – modern quality is in and low tech is out, even in the East. Only in things concerning road con-struction is there still the occasion-al gaping gap between what is desira-ble and what is reality. European unity will, hopefully, fill this out in the next few years.

Dracula’s home run: picturesque but dangerously narrow stretches through Transylvanian ravines.

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Lead Topic

Strong team: the Mercedes team drove eight Actros

trucks right through Europe. Always there: the fully

loaded Krone trailers on super single types.

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TechnicaL progress

It is well known that tastes differ. So, to cater for all, Krone offers its Cool Liner Duoplex insulated semi-trailer in GRP, with a glass fibre reinforced plastic panel, as well as in steel, with a continuous steel panel. Customers can choose and, whether they choose GRP or steel – they can be sure that the decision is the right one!

Besides a few minor differences in weight and insulation performance, both models im-press equally with maximum usage options, a well thought-out and sturdy construction, and a high level of cost effectiveness. Both models use only standard components which makes any necessary repair easy and economical. The Cool Liner is available with many optional fittings such as a double deck, strapping rails, Vario Lock load securing system and cooling zone arrangement – to meet individual customer needs perfectly. And new ideas are continually being added to this!

Twice as cool

TechnicaL progress

protected fuel tank

continuous, height-neutral

chassis integrated into

coffer floor

variable double

deck guidance rails

+ optimum cool

air guidance

smooth

facings

docking

protection guides

any blows into

the chassis and

not into the box

drawn up skirting

panel stabilises

the front wall

and protects

against damage

large pallet box for

36 European pallets

lLow noise flooring

for quiet loading

trailerforum 13

inTerview

proFile

Bernard richardis 50-years-old and Président Directeur Général at Krone France, based in Chassieu. The qualified engineer gained his professional experience at Fruehauf Trailer, the Rattcliff Group and Schmitz Cargobull.

K rone has been active in France for the past four and a half years. Ber-nard Richard, Managing Director

of Krone France, reports in the trailer fo-rum interview on the challenges of the French market.

Monsieur Richard, Krone has been active in France for four and a half years now. How do you convince your French customers to buy a German product? Bernard richard: We distribute all Krone products on the French market, from the Dry Liner, curtain siders, swap bodies and the Box Liner, to the Cool Liner, in other words, the complete Krone range. We do not manufacture in Lyon but have two assembly lines here on which we can assemble more than 100 vehicle units per month. Here we can adapt the products to meet the exact customer demands of the French market and offer custom-ers the highest level of flexibility. In this we benefit from our broadly positioned product range.

Which vehicles are most popular with your customers? Is there a bestseller?

Bernard richard: Currently it is definitely the Profi Liner and the Cool Liner Duo-plex Steel and GRP which are both ex-cellent products. We were, unfortunate-ly, unable to sell the Cool Liner Duoplex Steel as much as demand required as the backlog was too high at Krone. With the new production capacity in Lübtheen we should, nevertheless, be able to satisfy the market demand. The French market is very protectionist. The refrigerated ve-hicles, for example, are mainly vehicles with GRP panels although I think that the cool trailers with steel walls are also excellent products which we are selling more of since the presentation in July. Customer feedback on this was extreme-ly positive!

There are many strong competitors on the French market. What do you think are the specific strengths of the Krone products compared to the competition?Bernard richard: As I have already men-tioned, the French are quite protectionist in their attitude, they tend to buy more domestic than German vehicles. But I am convinced that the best trailer qual-

ity comes from Germany. The quality in the colouring, the cataphoretic painting and the quality of the welded chassis are all excellent. Particularly Krone is a clear leader here. It is not the product alone, though, which counts. In this business it is clearly about being competent and fulfilling customer needs quickly. This makes Krone perfect – it’s as simple as that! One example: if one of our custom-er’s trailers breaks down, we will provide the necessary part within 24 hours, any-where in Europe. Our customers are, af-ter all, travelling more and more interna-tionally and need this support.

How do you accommodate the interna-tionalisation of transport trend?Bernard richard: Look at the increased transport with containers. With our new product range we have taken a decisive development step towards user friendli-ness and customer benefits, particular-ly in the area of container chassis. With the Profi Liner and the Profi Liner Eco we have also met customer needs spot on. It is now our goal to make the truck and trailer more popular in France. Here ar-ticulated lorries are more popular yet the combination of truck and trailer is more flexible in many areas of use and many of our customers want corresponding prod-ucts for this. By the end of 2009 we intend to launch up to twenty trailer units on the French market every month. We are entering a new market with this but with the classic Krone product qualities, of course!

Is there sufficient interest amongst French transport companies to save fuel with the trailer?

Bernard richard: Business owners know that there is a great deal of potential here but do not yet know how they can best use this. In large fleets, in particular, you have the effect that the forwarding agents are placing increasing importance on sustain-able, environmentally friendly transport. This is new for our customers and they must respond to this with their fleet.

So this is a good opportunity to capture the French market with new model se-ries?Bernard richard: I think we are in a very good starting position here. After four and a half years market presence we are, with a twelve per cent market share, the national number four. I am convinced that, with our product philosophy, we can make it to number two.

In the discussion about environmental protection does the EuroCombi play a role on the French market?Bernard richard: This is, of course, an is-sue. For road transport there are not many alternatives. The railways would prob-ably need about twenty years to develop the transport potential. The EuroCombi would be a completely developed solution for everyone to immediately significantly reduce Co2 emissions. Our customers, the transport companies, would be prepared to use this technical solution immediately. We just have to ask ourselves why the Eu-roCombi is not really taking off? In Scan-dinavia it has been running for years with-out a problem and does, ultimately, only protect the railways.

Monsieur Richard, thank you for the interview!

maKing ThemosT oF german

qualiTies

»We can offer almost every customer the

optimum vehicle for his needs,«

says Bernard Richard,

Managing Director of

Krone France

Chassieu


inTerview

F rom the motorway it is only a short journey across the county road 20 until you reach the port. As soon as

the HGVs go over the ramp, the Skandi-navienkai terminal opens up in front of them. Here there are HGVs and trailers, waiting for their ferry or collection, as far as the eye can see. Yet before you enter the port you must pass one of the gates on the South Gate. With its 22 exit and en-try lanes, the new gate has, according to the Lübecker Hafengesellschaft (LHG), established itself very well. This is where port workers complete the loading proc-ess and check papers. If drivers have not booked their journey, they are able to do so with the shipping companies which can be found slightly further up in the port building. The biggest in Lübeck in-clude Finnlines, Stena Line, Transfennica

and TT-Line. Then, with ticket in hand, drivers can enter the 669,000 m² site. It’s good if the driver knows where he has to go as it’s very easy to get lost here with the many narrow driving tracks between the endless trailers.

The Skandinavienkai terminal in Lübeck-Travemünde is one of the biggest ro-ro and ferry ports in Europe. Around 80 ferries arrive here weekly at the nine quays. These come from Sweden, Fin-land, Russia as well as the Baltic states to where they also return. On some days more than ten large cargo ferries can be seen going up the Trave.

Yet all this began with only one quay 46 years ago. The Skandinavienkai termi-nal was established on the site of a fishery and fur farm in the Siechenbucht in 1962. The Ostpreußenkai (East Prussian quay) in Travemünde was no longer big enough

and so the mayor at the time, Max Wart-emann, decided to build the

Skandinavienkai terminal. Ferry traffic was launched by TT-Line with the newly built “Nils Holgersson”. In the first year the turnover figures were still relatively modest – in 1963 60,400 tons of cargo and 36,000 passengers went through the ter-minal. Yet success was not long in com-ing. Already in 1965 there were four ferry quays and the volume of goods handled here went up accordingly – from 1963 to 1970 freight handling increased by 1,833 per cent and passengers increased by 248 per cent. In 1972 a rail connection was also added.

successFul developmenT In 1987, shortly before the fall of the Wall, the city parliament decided to develop the Skandi-navienkai terminal into an efficient, com-pact port and, in doing so, the surround-ing landscape should be affected as little as possible. This was to be achieved with new technologies and strict eco-

The Port of Lübeck is a hub for Baltic Sea traffic. With its Skandinavienkai terminal, the Hansa town on the Trave has one of the biggest ro-ro and ferry ports in Europe.

The gaTeway To The BalTic sea

more than 10 ferries leave Lübeck daily for various baltic sea locations

A short trip: ships only have to travel a few hundred

meters down the Trave until they reach the Baltic Sea.

reporTreporT


saFely To The desTinaTion

If the sea is rough, insufficiently secured loads can quickly start to move around. In extreme cases this could even lead to the ferry sinking. The shipping com-panies, therefore, have strict guidelines on securing loads on deck. For freight carriers the load is generally secured on the trailer according to the current regu-lations. Vehicles should, therefore, adhere to the current load securing regulations of the VDI guideline 2700. The Krone trailers, for example, can be transported on a ferry without any problem as they fulfil all the necessary guidelines for load securing. Particularly important for sea transport are the strapping eyelets of which there should be a sufficient number on the trailer. This is also outlined in the “Terms and Conditions of Carriage” of the TT line.

nomic criteria. In this, the city parliament paved the way for a highly successful de-velopment.

clouds on The horiZon The success story continued also last year. The LHG handled a cargo volume of 22 million tons at the Skandinavienkai terminal – an in-crease of eleven per cent. The passenger figures were even better – with the ex-pansion of passenger capacity to Finland and South Sweden, the number of passen-gers increased by 16 per cent to 350,000 persons.

If Heinrich Beckmann, Managing Di-rector of the Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft, has his way, this success will continue for many more years to come yet this will not be easy. The political decision to build a new bridge to Denmark could jeopardize future turnover figures. The financial cri-sis and first signs of an economic crisis are also showing the first effects. The LHG has, at least for this year, adjusted the fig-ures downwards. Now it must look for new areas of business whilst, at the same time, offering port customers maximum effi-

ciency in handling, says Beckmann. The 46-year-old managing director has been jointly responsible, together with former managing director Hans-Gerd Gieleßen, for the LHG for the past few months.

Trailers as core Business The fer-ries only have a brief journey on the Trave – it is only 100 metres from the Lübecker Bucht to the Skandinavi-enkai terminal. Yet before ships an-chor at the approximately two kilome-tre-long quay, some captains have to turn their vessel in a very small space as some ships have their ramps at the rear. It is usually trailers which emerge from the ship’s inner when unloading – and these come in all forms. Trail-ers are the main form of cargo on the Skandinavienkai terminal, regardless of whether in accompanied or unac-companied transport. Alongside these, containers, swap bodies, cars and dan-gerous goods are also loaded. And, for all trailers which do not have a towing unit, there are more than 100 so-called tug masters waiting at the port. These powerful small units are the busy “workers” who collect the unaccompa-nied trailers from the ship’s inner and bring them to their locations. As soon as the ferry has been unloaded, loading begins again – and the whole process begins from the start. Last year alone 800,000 trailers rolled across the ramps which equals a 13 per cent increase compared to 2006. The unaccompa-nied vehicles then mainly wait for a towing vehicle.

The remaining units are taken care of in the Kombiverkehr (combined trans-port) terminal (KV) which was estab-lished 5 years ago – this has two portal cranes which, together, weigh 600 tons. The terminal currently has five plat-forms which are the length of a train.

Around 90,000 and 100,000 units are handled here annually. The KV terminal is operated by the Baltic Rail Gate GmbH which is equally owned by the KV oper-ator, Kombiverkehr, and the LHG. “The terminal has, until now, a maximum ca-pacity of 120,000 to 130,000 units. We are, therefore, planning to extend the platforms further,” says Rolf Klein, PR

director at LHG. With this, the termi-nal would gain a further 20,000 units a year. If the turnover continues to in-crease, the site can be expanded at any-time. The block trains do, after all, travel from here to Italy and France and there is also a shuttle connection to Verona.

The block trains leave five times a week and transport P400 trailers, swap bodies as well as containers.

hamBurg’s gaTeway To The BalTic sea The Port of Lübeck also wants to ben-efit from the growth in container trans-port. A close co-operation with the Port of Hamburg is, particularly here, very important says Beckmann. “With the

Lübeck-Hamburg land bridge, particu-larly time critical loads can reach their destination much quicker. In addition to this, hinterland transport is also be-ing developed. The planned electri-fication of the Hamburg-Lübeck rail stretch will ensure that rail transport is even quicker and more efficient. “An easing of the busy A1/A7 motorways around Hamburg, on which there are always traffic jams, with an additional eastern bypass, is also urgently need-ed,” emphasises Beckmann. Then the HGVs which collect the unaccompa-nied trailers will be able to reach their destinations quicker. First, though, they go through the exit gates, up the ramp, and onto the district road. If the driver takes a look in the rear view mir-ror, he will have a wonderful view of the Travemünde estuary.

reporT reporT


BacKgroundThe port of lübeckBesides the Skandinavien-kai terminal, there are four further terminals going up the Trave towards Lübeck’s old town: the Schlutrup, Seelandkai, Nordland and Konstinkai terminals. The conditions for the ferries are almost equal everywhe-re with a water depth of up to 9.5 metres.k The Nordlandkai termi-nal is the hub for paper and forest products from Finland. k The Schlutrup terminal is the most modern termi-nal for paper products and was developed together with Swedish paper manuf-acturers. k The Seelandkai terminal is the latest multi-functio-nal terminal and contai-ners can be loaded/unloa-ded here using the ro-ro procedure or swap body platforms.k The Konstinkai terminal focuses on Russian traffic and has a new trailer check system.

Trailers dominate the Skandinavienkai

terminal.

Accompanied and unaccompanied trailers, all well-secured, travel up the waterway to and from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

Lübeck handles over 800,000 accompanied or unaccompanied trailers a year

iaa review

m any things were predicted ahead of the IAA commercial vehicle show in Hannover. Industry in-

siders even spoke of an exhibition of “fate” for the entire transport industry.

innovaTive producTs For customers and Krone employees, though, the 10-day

performance show at the world’s biggest commercial vehicle exhibition was a

success. The credo which managed to banish any “spirits” of a threatening

recession was “upturn through in-novation”. The product offensive

led many uncertain customers to gaining a new found trust in Krone’s vehicles and services.

Managing Director Bernard Kro-ne explained his obligation to-

wards his customers: “We want to convey to them that we have ideas

and innovations and prove, with this, what we are really capable of. Furthermo-re, we want to be by our customer’s side, as partner, also in difficult times!”Fuel savings and multifunctionality – with these targets the trailer innovations were right at the centre of customer in-terest. The Profi Liner Eco stood, as eye catcher of the exhibition, at the centre with its aerodynamically optimised ex-terior. With its reduced wind turbulence it offers up to seven per cent savings in fuel representing a noticeable reduction in fuel costs.

susTainaBle concepTs The Profi Liner Eco also offered many innovative new features in detail for Krone guests. The new easyTarp rapid locking sys-tem reduces stand times when load-ing and unloading. This user-friend-

ly technology was welcomed not only by business owners but also by driv-ers. Bernard Krone knows how impor-tant satisfied users are: “Only when the HGV drivers appreciate and enjoy us-ing our products will they use them with care and recommend them to their bosses.”

cusTomer orienTaTion counTs With many cross-sector innovations, Krone set new trends at the IAA. “The strategy of manufacturing our Douplex Cool Trailer in steel as well as in GRP is a good example of how we meet many different customer needs,” said Andreas Völker, head of the export division, outlining the company’s philosophy. The Cool Liner which cools using nitrogen received as much public in-terest in Hannover as the Mega Liner with coil cavity. The live demonstrations of the new Box Liner sled-chassis, with quick adjustment, showed how new technology can really increase user value. A clear growth in demand from eastern Europe’s booming countries was also noticed at the exhibition. A great need to catch up in things concerning modern vehicle technology dominates here. In the end the total interest in the new pro-ducts in hall 27 could be seen in simple colours. The orange rucksacks visible on the backs of the more than 13,500 Krone exhibitor guests, clearly revealed, even from afar, where innovations and customer service could be found at the IAA!

A whole industry discusses – innovations and informati-

on in a relaxed atmosphere at the Krone Plaza.

Clear statement: Krone managing director

Bernard Krone during an interview on the red sofa

of DVZ Newspaper.

The Krone product offensive for the IAA proved that future-orientated

service and the latest equipment can help, particularly in difficult

economic times.

The orange rucksacks from the Krone shop were clear

evidence of visitor numbers, even from afar.

Matthias Wissmann, President of the Association of the Automobile Industry (VDA), and Lower Saxony’s Minister President Christian Wulff, create their own impression with management at the Krone stand.

Load securing plays an increasingly important role in multi-functional vehicles

such as the Mega Liner.


iaa review

iaa commercial vehicle exhiBiTion: innovaTive signals

publisher: Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone GmbH Bernard-Krone-Straße 1, 49757 Werlte/Germany

publishing personnel: Dr. Frank Albers Tel.+49 (0) 5951 / 20 92 00 Fax +49 (0) 5951 / 20 94 20 E-Mail: [email protected] http://www.krone-trailer.com

publishing home: DVV Kundenmagazine GmbH

Nordkanalstraße 36

20097 Hamburg/Germany

Tel.: +49 (0) 40 / 237 14-01

editorial contributions to this edition: Gerlach Fronemann, Ralf Johanning, Martina

Schulz, Oliver Willms

photographer: Erwin Fleischmann, Richard Kienberger, Johannes Knuth, Krone, Scania, sirknippsalot/PIXELIO, Markus Stühmke, LHG/Vögele, Oliver Willms

print: Asco Sturm Druck, Bremen/Germany

trailer forum appears four times a year with a total circulation of 35,000 copies in German and English. The publication, its contributions and

illustrations are propretary. Any reproduction or distribution must be authorised by the publi-shing house or the publisher. This also applies to the electronic utilisation, such as the transfer to data bases, online media (internet), intranets or other electronic storage media. Publisher and publishing house exclude the responsibility for photographers, scripts or other data carriers that are sent without request.

i n 1966 the three times world show jumping champion from Mühlen in Westphalia founded an agricultural

goods and transport company. Only a few years later, entrepreneur Bernard Krone, a manufacturer of agricultural machin-ery, added transport industry vehicle construction to his business. In a time in which trade relations still developed mainly across shorter distances, it made sense for the two firms to do business to-gether. During the 30 years of their part-nership, both companies have undergone a tempestuous development and have become leaders in their fields. Krone be-came a leading European manufacturer of trailers and swap bodies for many dif-ferent types of transport. Paul Schock-emöhle Logistics GmbH is, today, an im-portant logistics group with branches throughout Germany and Poland.

For the 1,000th Krone vehicle to go to Schockemöhle Logistics GmbH, the trailer manufacturer from Emsland in-

vited forwarder Paul Schockemöhle and managing directors Ernst Nordlohne and Klaus Roeser, to his plant in Wer-

lte. Here Dr. Bernard Krone received his visitors where he thanked the compa-ny, on behalf of Krone’s management, for three decades of good partnership and trust. The guests, which also in-cluded well known names from region-al politics, used the opportunity to visit the highly modern production site, the new varnishing facility and the Trailer-Forum customer service.

Can there be a better sign of a trusting business partnership? During the last 30 years, Krone has supplied 1,000 vehicles to Paul Schockemöhle Logistics.

Klaus Roeser (Managing Director Schockemöhle

Logistics), Rainer Steu-ernagel (Krone National

Sales Director), Ernst Nordlohne (Managing Director Schockemöhle

Logistics), Bernard Krone and Paul Schockemöhle

listen intently ...

... to the words of Dr. Bernard Krone.

Besides sauna and massage, there is also the opportunity to visit the casino in Bad Kissingen.


pre view

issue 1/2009

Finland Towing units are put to the toughest test in the Arctic Truck Test.

hamBurg Heik Spedition has equipped the Hansa town with new Citylight pillars for out-of-home media company Stöer.

impressum

BacKground

Paul Schockemöhle began his business with the transport of animal feed with two silo towing vehicles and develo-ped it from this. Today Schockemöhle Logistics provides, together with subsidiaries and associated companies, a comprehensive range of logistics and transport solutions. This includes conventional transport as well as the transport of building materials, refrige-rated goods and heavy and bulk goods. The vehicle fleet has 300 towing ve-hicles and 350 trailers, many of which were supplied by Krone.

proFiLe diaLog

k Andreas Jackel from the company Spedition & Umzüge Gebrüder Rost GmbH & Co. KG from Vacha/Oberzel-la, and Tassilo Hundertmark from the company Hundertmark Lkw-Trans-porte e.K. from Breidenbach, are the lucky winners of the Krone online sur-vey on the overall impression of Krone’s stand at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Exhibition 2008. They can look forward to two active wellness days in Hotel Sonnenhügel in Bad Kissingen.

opinion-makersk The past two issues of the Krone magazine trailer forum have featured a revised concept and look. Did you notice it? We hope you liked it! We are interested in your opinion – write to us! Help us, with your constructive criticism, to make trailer forum even better. Which articles did you like? What did you miss? What do you think of the change in design and format? Tell us exactly what you think. We welcome all feedback from our readers. We will reward your efforts – everyone who sends in their feedback by 27. March 2009 will be entered in a prize draw with the chance of winning one of three models of the Krone Cool Liner Duoplex Steel, size: 1:87.send us your opinions by post, fax or e-mail to:Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone GmbHtrailer forum Editorial OfficeBernard-Krone-Straße 149757 Werlte/Germany Fax: +49 (0) 5951 / 20 94 20E-mail: [email protected]

wellness weekend wone

a sure sign oF conFidence

www.krone-trailer.com KRONE UK • Tel 44 (0)1469 571626

Stays Ice-Cold in the Burning Heat.Convincing cooling effi ciency: the Cool Liner Duoplex series.

Krone_Deutschland_trailerforum_240x270_DU261108_CL_gb.indd 1 26.11.2008 12:56:45 Uhr

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