Successful Future Day 2024

With the theme Innovations in Long-haul Transport, the ACE Mobility Future Day took place at the HAN Energy Innovation Lab. Innovations in long-haul transport are not only driven by technology. Data infrastructure and logistics, together with the resulting challenges, also play an important role. Two speakers, Herman Wagter, senior programme manager of Connekt and Guus Arts, project manager Advanced Technology of DAF Trucks gave their insights on long-distance transport from a different perspective from industry and logistics. Joining the discussion was Onoph Caron, CEO of Elaad.

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Herman Wagter's lecture entitled ‘Long-haul Transport: Beyond the obvious’ was about shifting the focus from the tractor to the trailer, where not the driver drives the truck and trailer, but where the trailer is transported at hubs with different tractors. It means thinking differently, much consequence for digitalisation and telematics. Another factor is that in transport, the cost to the customer is the most important thing at the moment, but that could soon change because of available capacity (read drivers). Furthermore, digitalisation and competitiveness play a major role in the transport sector. This requires insight into operations (own use, cargo owners, slot planning, scarcity distribution, network densification, etc.). See Herman Wagter's presentation here. 

Guus Arts' lecture was entitled Navigating the digital Highway. Key focus areas are efficiency, safety, and productivity. He talked about the importance of connectivity platforms and the connection to fleet management systems and indicated that you automate the activities that are necessary / useful for the driver, but not what is technically possible. He outlined the thinking on electrification and H2 in trucks and that digitalisation of logistics is an enabler for automation and alternative energy supply. 

The discussion with moderator Frans Tillema, the speakers and Onoph Caron, CEO of ELaad focused on how charging of large numbers of electric trucks could take place, and the bumps that digitalisation is going to give, as there is no common language to facilitate data exchange.