ITS UK: freight experts call for technology to support deliveries

Members of ITS (UK)’s Freight Interest Group have raised concerns that relying on autonomous vehicles and platooning to provide future solutions may be diverting attention away from current technology which could help in the short-to-medium-term, at the Industry 4.0 Summit in Manchester. The group suggested that logistics efficiency could be improved by better communication with light goods vehicle drivers. Additionally, signal timing technology could decrease the number of stops that Heavy Goods Vehicles
March 5, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Members of ITS (UK)’s Freight Interest Group have raised concerns that relying on autonomous vehicles and platooning to provide future solutions may be diverting attention away from current technology which could help in the short-to-medium-term, at the Industry 4.0 Summit in Manchester.

The group suggested that logistics efficiency could be improved by better communication with light goods vehicle drivers. Additionally, signal timing technology could decrease the number of stops that Heavy Goods Vehicles make in towns and city centres to help reduce congestion and emissions, and that this technology has been successful with lorries transporting wings for Airbus planes moving to Bristol.

At the event, the forum heard how the production of some goods are finished and packaged locally in an added value logistics warehouse or fulfilment centre and then taken the last few miles for delivery. The new ways of working highlight the need for the logistics industry to utilise alternatives to deiseal lorries to comply with green city aspirations.

Geoff Clarke, hon secretary of the Freight Interest Group of %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external AECOM Aecom Website Link false http://www.aecom.com/ false false%>, said: “It was heartening to hear many interesting ideas for using technology to assist logistics in the future. Many of those solutions exist today in the passenger transport industry and could easily be used by and for freight companies as well. At the event where the way factories will operate in the future was showcased, it is clear that the freight industry will have to embrace more technology in order to keep up.”

Jennie Martin, ITS (UK) secretary general, added: “The Industry 4.0 Summit showed a lot about how the Internet of Things and blockchain will revolutionise manufacturing, and with logistics as a key part of the supply chain, there are many opportunities for the technology to play its part in the delivery of those goods as well. ITS (UK)'s range of expertise can help facilitate an understanding of these emerging solutions.

Related Content

  • March 16, 2016
    Registration now open for ITS Europe Congress
    Registration for the ITS European Congress in Glasgow, Scotland on 6-9 June 2016 is officially open! Early bird registration rates are available until 18 April. Over 2,5000 ITS professionals are expected to attend the event which has an extensive programme this year, including the Mayor’s Summit on Wednesday 8 June and a Gala Evening at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Wednesday 8 June. In addition, there are more than 100 sessions around the five Congress topics, a student programme, technical vis
    Read More
  • March 21, 2014
    Cream of the crop in contention for Innovation Award
    Smart and innovative thinking is again about to be awarded here at Intertraffic Amsterdam, the world’s largest and best attended trade fair for the infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety, parking, and smart mobility sectors. A total of 15 products have won through to the shortlist for the most innovative exhibits at the event. The official opening of Intertraffic Amsterdam 2014 takes place this morning from 08.30 to 09.30 at the Innovation Lab in the Elicium room where the winners of the Intertraffi
    Read More
  • February 1, 2016
    Intertraffic Amsterdam 2016 Innovation Awards finalists
    Smart and innovative thinking will again be awarded at the world’s largest, and best attended, trade fair for the infrastructure, traffic management, safety, parking, and smart mobility sectors, when the winners of the 2016 Intertraffic Innovation Awards are announced on 5 April during the opening ceremony.
    Read More
  • August 30, 2019
    ITS Asia Pacific Forum 2020: entry reminder
    The ITS Asia Pacific (AP) Forum 2020 is accepting entries on the theme of ‘ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities’ until 6 September. The programme committee invites submissions for consideration as either scientific, technical or commercial papers. They are also accepting entries for special interest sessions. Additionally, AP 2020 has opened the Future Leaders Programme to recent graduates under 30 years old, allowing them to develop skills they need for academic and professional careers.
    Read More

Highlighted Content