TELLIBOX

Intelligent MegaSwapBoxes for Advanced Intermodal Freight Transport

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Faced with a trend towards increasing freight transport, a global market that is constantly growing and the need for a resource-saving transport system, it is mandatory that European transport policy shifts the balance between all transport systems.`Intelligent MegaSwapBoxes for Advanced Intermodal Freight Transport’ (TelliBox) as an all-purpose loading unit will actively promote the EU’s objectives of achieving intermodal integration and operational optimisation. By drawing together the ideas and contributions of freight forwarders, manufacturers and scientists, the scientific aim is to achieve an all-purpose, intermodal loading unit that is applicable to transport via road, rail, short sea and inland shipping. The advantages of containers and semitrailers will be combined by a MegaSwapBox. Challenges facing the development are that the MegaSwapBox has to - be trimodal, - be stackable and applicable for handling from the top, - use existing low floor wagons for rail transport, - provide an adaptable chassis for road transport, - have an optimised cargo volume of 100m³ with an internal height of 3m, - have loading facilities from three sides (completely openable doors), - offer improved safety features against pilferage. Within six decisive project steps, an interdisciplinary European consortium will realise three optimised and certified prototypes which will be tested on an intermodal European corridor (PL-D-NL-UK). TelliBox will achieve its objectives by combining new materials with innovative and intelligent constructions. A complementary bundle of scientific evaluation methods and profitability calculations will reduce project risk, and the integration of all interest groups will ensure that the MegaSwapBox is accepted. The project TelliBox seeks to successfully introduce the MegaSwapBox onto the market with a view to encouraging the standardisation of new loading units in the long run.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers developed a new all-purpose loading unit that can be used in road, train and maritime freight transport.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Freight transport will have to become more efficient in the future due to mounting economic and environmental pressures. One way to increase the flexibility of transport is to make it easier to switch between transport modes. This will enable operators to profit from the most efficient transport option at any point in a logistics chain.

An EU-funded research project, 'Intelligent megaswapboxes for advanced intermodal freight transport' (TELLIBOX), developed a new concept for a cargo container that could be used in different transport modes and thus facilitate intermodal transport. Research institutes, manufacturers and logistics companies collaborated to design the MegaSwapBox, a container suitable for road, rail, inland and short sea shipping.

With a cargo capacity of 100 cubic metres, the unit is competitive with current megatrailers used in freight transport. Its dimensions are also comparable, with an internal height of three metres without exceeding the overall permitted height of four metres for the box plus chassis. Other features of the MegaSwapBox are a liftable roof, three openable sides, stackability and solid sidewalls that offer high theft protection.

The team tested prototypes and optimised their design on a defined intermodal corridor from Poland, via Germany and the Netherlands, to the United Kingdom using rail, train, road and short sea shipping. The TELLIBOX concept is ready to be put into wider use and the project also created a strategy to exploit the innovative technologies and maximise uptake. Project results should help lead a shift in freight transport, with Europeans benefiting from more sustainable intermodal transport solutions.