More double deck trailers to ensure eco-friendlier letter and parcel transport at bpost
bpost will bring 14 new double deck trailers into use by the end of this year. Double deck trailers will be used to transport letters and parcels between the five major sorting centres and the hundreds of distribution centres across Belgium.
Thursday 17 August 2023The first double deck trailers (DDT) were added to bpost’s fleet of trucks in 2020. They fit in with bpost’s sustainability policy and its promise to continue to reduce its ecological footprint. The trailers will be procured rather than leased, which is further proof of bpost’s commitment. The in-house fleet currently includes ten double deck trailers. That will increase to 14 by the end of this year and 38 by 2024.
Trailers with options: movable floor and solar panels
Some of these double deck trailers are equipped with cutting-edge options like a movable floor and solar panels on the roof. The movable floor makes loading and unloading a snap compared with fixed floor trailers. The top deck floor is lowered to ensure it is flush with the loading dock. The solar panels generate the power needed to operate the movable floor and loading flap operations. These models not only have better sustainability credentials, they are also user-friendlier.
14 DDTs in 2023:
- 8 with movable floor (two with solar panels)
- 6 with fixed floor (one with solar panels)
Larger loads, fewer journeys
The double deck trailer accommodates 69 trolleys (44 on the upper deck, 25 on the lower deck), compared with a standard trailer’s 44-trolley capacity. As a result, DDTs have 60% more total capacity per journey, which means fewer journeys and fewer trucks on the road. The double deck trailers contribute to a better environment and a 40% reduction in carbon emissions.
Jos Donvil, CEO bpost Belgium: “We are investing heavily as an e-commerce and logistics service provider in sustainable delivery of parcels and letters, with regard to both distribution and transport. We have already committed to slash our carbon emissions by 55% by 2030. Our transition to a greener fleet is key to achieving that target. We are making our daily journeys greener through a balanced mix of sustainable vehicles, including double deck trailers, LNG trucks and electrical vehicles.”
Hundreds of thousands of kilometres are covered every day to deliver letters and parcels. bpost runs a fleet of 650 trucks/tractors and 330 trailers. In due course all standard trailers will be replaced with DDTs. Alongside other initiatives, the use of DDTs will ensure that bpost achieves its sustainability targets.
An overview of the advantages
- +60% load capacity: every DDT accommodates 69 cage trolleys, compared with a standard trailer’s 44-trolley capacity.
- 40% less CO2: the use of DDTs to transport larger loads cuts carbon emissions by 40%.
- Fewer trucks on the road.
bpost’s sustainable fleet
- 6630 green vehicles, including 5200 bikes (403 with trailer), 1153 e-vans, 226 electric three-wheel scooters, 1 electric lorry (by the end of 2023), 50 LNG tractors.
- DDTs: 10 (currently) > 14 (by the end of 2023) > 38 (by the end of 2024). bpostgroup aims to procure more than 320 double deck trailers by 2030, rising to 550 within 20 years.
Sustainable vehicles are being added to the fleet in a structural way. By the end of 2023, 50% of the total fleet will be sustainable (including bikes and e-bikes).
