International collaboration

Impact of innovation in multi-modal cold chains

An interview with Adrie Visbeen, Managing Director/Owner at Visbeen Transport Groep

Visbeen Transport Groep transports temperature-controlled products over road, water and rail and does this in more than 25 European countries. Part of the activities include the daily supply of vegetables and fruit, through DailyFresh Logistics CV, to hundreds of locations in England. Apart from within England itself, the loads originate from the Netherlands, France, Spain, the Canary Islands and Morocco. The company also transports deep-frozen products throughout Europe. Visbeen provides a high-quality service at competitive prices and with a minimum burden on the environment through establishing multimodal lines with partners. Participation in Cargo Driven Intermodal Transportation contributes towards the development of knowledge regarding the management of intermodal transport networks.

Intermodal initiatives

Visbeen is the originator of various intermodal transport solutions for both refrigerated and deep-frozen products. Huckepack trailers and 45ft Coolboxx reefer containers are employed to this end. The objective of the initiatives is fewer kilometers by road. Cargo Driven helps Visbeen to organize intermodal transport more efficiently. Adrie Visbeen: “We strive to fulfil intermodal transport with our own fleet, using our own and local partners. For example, goods go by train from Rotterdam to Poland, where a Polish partner unloads and reloads the container for new destinations in the Netherlands or the United Kingdom.”

Container handling

Vegetables and fruit arrive in Europe in overseas containers. The containers are stripped, the loads sorted, combined for each route and prepared for the following transport, in compliance with European standards. Visbeen: “The contents of five 40ft containers are transferred to four 45ft containers or four Huckepack trailers. A European unit can accommodate a 25% larger load and can also carry all the returns. This is not possible with 40ft containers. This limits the number of empty kilometers dramatically and the shipper has his 40ft reefer container available more quickly for overseas cargos.” 

Savings breakdown

Shippers are actively involved in the process and are continuously kept up-to-date. They receive a breakdown of the savings based on a COâ‚‚ model. Visbeen: “We transport fruit from Spain for a supermarket in the United Kingdom. They receive this breakdown every week and specific details of the goods transported, the transport modality employed, the COâ‚‚ emissions avoided and the corresponding savings.”

Results

  • Limitation of the number of empty kilometers.
  • More than 50% of all transports take place via shortsea, inland waterways and by rail.
  • Savings breakdown with specific details of the modalities and COâ‚‚ emission reduction based on a COâ‚‚ model.
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