Th. Wouters finds its chassis with Suivo

References

Th. Wouters finds its chassis with Suivo

Thanks to their dispatchers always knowing where there is a free chassis, the company is now able to plan trips more efficiently and arrange future technical inspections and maintenance on time.

About

Transport Th. Wouters specializes in transporting containers by truck between Port of Antwerp, the Benelux, north France and the Ruhr region. The transport company is part of TCL, an important logistics group with its own covered and open warehouses, overseas shipping services and import and export services. Transport Th. Wouters has 32 trucks and approximately 80 container chassis.

The challenge

Clearer overview of all chassis

Since switching to modal and time shifts (night trips) in 2018, Transport Th. Wouters has expanded its fleet by 20%, half of which is now also deployed at night. While this avoids congestion at the container terminals, it has also created more administration as the dispatcher needs to allocate containers to a free chassis and prepare the journey in the planning module for drivers. This was a particular challenge for the 15-35 chassis that Transport Th. Wouters has permanently at a shuttle customer, as the dispatchers didn’t know which containers were on which chassis. Nor did the company have an overview of their Genset chassis for frozen containers and often had to make multiple calls to find out. It was also challenging to plan technical inspections or to process any damage. In fact, dispatchers often spent more time looking for suitable rolling stock than they spent planning rides.

The solution

One dashboard with track-and-trace and planning info

Transport Th. Wouters has already invested in digitalization. All their tractors are equipped with on-board computers that are linked to a planning module and the company’s ERP system. For their chassis recognition project, Transport Th. Wouters initially contacted a number of potential suppliers before discovering that only Suivo’s trackers could be linked to both the on-board computers and the ERP software. Thanks to Suivo’s API, the Hydrogen trackers are visible on one dashboard in the dispatcher’s planning tool.

We felt we had to work with a partner who specializes in chassis recognition. Suivo was able to connect us to other TMS suppliers, such as Transics, which was a deciding factor for us.

Karl Garmyn

Director

Chassis tracking saves money

Thanks to the new Suivo tags, the company can see in real time which chassis is where, including Genset chassis for refrigerated containers. Dispatchers no longer need to call around to find the right chassis, so they can plan more efficiently. Plus, dispatchers receive a notification when a chassis is stationary for more than 48 hours. The Hydrogen trackers operate autonomously, run on batteries and are extremely easy to install. As a result, Transport Th. Wouters can equip, track and optimize its fleet of chassis. This helps the company reduce the number of rented chassis to a minimum and respond much more flexibly to changing circumstances.

Better control of damage claims

Bald tires, broken mudguards and broken container twistlocks are reported daily at Transport Th. Wouters.

Thanks to the connection between Suivo’s tracker and the planning module, Transport Th. Wouters can now see which driver has driven with a damaged chassis. The company believes it can hold its drivers more accountable, reducing damage and cutting costs.

The chassis tracking also helps the dispatcher to send the correct chassis to its annual technical inspection on time, avoiding expensive fines.

The results

Thanks to the modal and time shift, Transport Th. Wouters now has to plan significantly more trips. “The time gain is difficult to quantify, but because our dispatchers have an immediate view of the available chassis, they can concentrate on their main task – planning – instead of looking for available rolling stock.”

A clear overview of all free chassis, including Genset chassis, is always available
Easier scheduling of journeys
Better control of damage claims
Chassis are sent to technical inspections and maintenance checks on time
Cost savings: rented chassis requirements are reduced to a minimum

References