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Transport Logistic preview 737 2011-05-09 15:29:57
Just a few days from now and Europe’s biggest logistics exhibition is to be opened in the Munich Expo. Participating in the Transport Logistic Exhibition means a certain status in business, therefore, it is evident that the Waberer’s Group will be represented in an illustrious position. We were looking for answers to the question how the representatives of each group estimate their attendance in the Bavarian capital.

Waberer’s Group

György Wáberer, Chairman– Chief Executive Officer:

–– It is evident that our company takes part at Europe’s biggest logistic exhibition because we are tied to forwarding, freight, and logistics with a thousand threads. This is the fourth time we participate at the Expo, and I can say it gladly that we can exploit our appearance in many aspects. We can meet our future partners in Munich who only heard from our work, but we can also meet our already existing clients who know our work and sit down with them for a cup of tea or coffee to talk. The exhibition is also a great opportunity to show our existence to the world, proving that a small country’s shippers and logistics experts in the middle of Europe can also have a dominant role in this profession. It is especially important now that together with our new investor, Mid Europa Partners, we have foreseen daring plans. I am sure that with hard work the name Waberer’s Group will sound familiar in a few years in most European countries.


Waberer’s International Zrt.

Ferenc Lajkó, Transport Deputy Chief Executive Officer:

– Our company is one of the most prominent road transport companies in Europe. However, just like our partners, we had to face many serious challenges in the last two years, but with patience and hard work- accompanied by luck, we could always get “good wind for sailing” because “shipping” has to be done. Our company is looking back to more than 50 years and serves its partners by European standard and size. The continuously renewed, young fleet is a proof of our environmental commitment. Our booth image serving as the background in Munich would also like to show this commitment. Due to our results in reliability, flexibility, speed and fleet size we achieved not having the need to introduce ourselves in Europe, although we gladly do so to new partners. The exhibition is also an excellent opportunity for introductions.

Zoltán Márton, Transport Chief Operating Officer:

– We continue the organizational transformation started last year, in which franchise-enterprises have started on the grounds of former units. Ownership aspect is realized more this way because the executive and owner is the same person. Besides creating Ltd.s, transport units -especially special transport units- remain, and Waberer’s Romania continues to work as a subsidiary. We appear in the European transport market with a significant fleet this year as well. The same qualitative expectations apply to our fleet regardless to the position within the organization. We are going to travel about 300 million kilometers in Europe with this fleet this year, while using up to 100 million liters of fuel and 2 million liters of AdBlue additive. According to the plans we are going to work with more than 2200 vehicle assemblies this year, but if the economy gets stronger, the numbers might increase. This means that more than 2600 drivers are going to be employed, so it is our priority task to ensure more than favorable working conditions. We are the sixth biggest fleet in Europe’s major transporters, but taken our operation, our preparedness and our efficiency we are likely to be in the Top 3.

Ákos Brandhuber, Chief Commercial Officer:

–Taking part for the fourth time in Munich is outstandingly important for all the three divisions of the Strategic Commercial Team (key account, sales and regional offices). First of all, the amount of discussions with the already existing clients in these four days have the value of three months business negotiations, during which we can show not only our work of transporting, but also other activities of our group. Therefore, our participation rate will be significant at the exhibition, and it will prove an impressive appearance this year as well. The other reason for our accented presence is meeting our future clients. Many visitors are attracted by the sight of our stand and our business development colleagues invite many new partners on these occasions to have negotiations. Although we are present in great strength on European roads and people can see many of our trucks, our potential clients can only associate face to the well known logo at the exhibition. Not many think that the Waberer sun hides a Hungarian freight company which offers many logistics services besides international transport for its clients. Our appearance at Europe’s most important exhibition was so far very successful from a business aspect, and I hope that this is not going to change this year. The dynamic improvement of our group in the past few years is reflected accurately by the size and improvement of our participation at the exhibition, which will not slow down in the next years either.



Zoltán Gáldi, Leader of Sales and Business Development:

– The exhibiton in Munich is the most prominent European event in the world of logistics. It is a major scale exhibition where the number of represented companies and visitors justifies our place among the exhibitors. Such a concentrated sales potential is present for visitors that has to be managed with adequate efficiency and proficiency. Instead of using common sales forms we have to introduce our company, estimate business potential, take notes of further tasks to do through 10-minute mini negotiations, creating a lasting positive impression in the visitor because he is going to have negotiation talks with our competitors at the next stand too. It is a very challenging job to do so because we have to be ready to work for four days non-stop. It is going to be my third appearance in Munich, but our current sales team is going to take part in an organized manner to this extent for the first time at such an event. I am happy and proud that our sales branch receives the opportunity to prove our preparedness in Munich too. Transport Logistic is such an event where value and power are shown in many dimensions: the stand where sometimes actual deals are made value and power are shown in our clients who value our hospitality at our neatly designed stand and the value and power is also shown at getting feedback from clients years later. Many clients recall memories thinking about visits years ago when a smiling colleague from Waberer’s welcomed them in Munich. According to my view, the exhibition is such an event where even the industry expects our company’s appearance and considering our size, market role, and goals it is evident that we have to be part of the exhibition again.

Attila Domán, Leader of Key and Major Accounts Branch:

– We introduced a benchmark in 2010 for our key account company that monitors co-operation uniformly to the slowest details. This is not of controlling character, of course, but focuses rather on client contentedness. Major part of our key account tasks are performed by key account operators, therefore all problems connected to capacity (loading and unloading, standing out with a wrong vehicle body, damages, etc.) are recorded in a system accessible for them too. This system generates a general KPI (Key Performance Indicator) projected to the client by the end of the period. This is a very important question because satisfaction of the client establishes the image of the entire company. We would like to use the opportunity at the Munich exhibition to meet our featured partners who will definitely honor us with their presence.

Gábor Hegedûs, Procurement and Maintenance Director:

– The group’s procurement philosophy is to look for long-term, high standard and balanced service background solutions. We believe that premium quality combined with adequate proficiency ensures the most favorable cost level on the long run for our fleet. This engagement appears in all procurement fields. In the spirit of this effort the backbone of our fleet is made up of premium brand semi-tractors and trailers. Most dominant brands of our semi-tractors include Volvo, DAF and MAN, while the most dominant trailer manufacturers we are connected with are manufacturers such as Schmitz and Krone. We always obtain our vehicles according to the strictest environmental norms available, and this means EURO 5 at this moment. EURO 5 characterizes our fleet since 2007, although it is only compulsory ever since 2009. We can talk about one of the youngest fleets in Europe considering the age of our vehicles, and we will go on with our vehicle replacement accordingly this year as well. We have ordered 100 tractor units from MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG just before the Munich exhibition which we are going to receive and commission during the summer. We supervise the entire fleet’s maintenance ourselves through our workshops which perform their services according to manufacturer regulations. The entire fleet rools on Michelin tires, and the so called Michelin Fleet Solution system was introduced by us in the region first. The reason for this is that environmental and and quality protecting strategies at Michelin, besides being the world’s best quality truck tire manufacturer, is similar to what we represent in transport. We decided to choose a system in vehicle tracking that is product of a world-wide acknowledged company, called Qualcomm. Our tank system relies on the biggest companies which provide quality and supply: Shell, OMV, and the  Hungarian company, MOL.

Waberer
Hostesses of Waberer’s: Adrienn Pozsár, Ágnes Orbán, Enikô Dávid and Judit Koncz. In Munich Adrienn Farkas will join them

Waberer’s Network Kft.

Judit Palicska, Executive Director:

–Most people know us as the collective freight forwarding branch of Waberer’s International, although we appear as a new unit of management and have a new company name from January 2011. Emphasis is still put on collective road transportation out of all services performed by Waberer’s Network Kft., but today this is not the only dynamically improving product. Summing it up in one sentence, our role within the Waberer Group is Waberer Network being a partner when the freight is smaller than an entire carload. By choosing the company name we wanted to express that a very important part of our activity is network, which in our case means a European network consisting of local market leader service providers, and it enables us to look after our clients in any country within the continent. Improving the network is a continuous task for us. We hope that the exhibition is going to be an excellent opportunity to make our new potential clients acquainted with Hungarian and regional services. We see a great chance in popularizing our regional services because experiences showed that Budapest is a competitive distributional platform for Western European clients.

Waberer’s Logisztika Kft.

Zsolt Barna, Executive Director:

– Waberer’s Logisztika Kft. being Hungary’s leading logistics service provider and leader in the region (Hungary and Slovakia) is offering multinational companies logistics, distributional and transport services. The exhibition in Munich is important for us because we can show the market that even on a regional level we are a stable, reliable, modern enterprise even by European standards. Participating at the exhibition also means that existing and future partners and their affiliates can get to know the complexity and services of Waberer’s Group more in depth.


Budapesti Intermodális Logisztikai Központ (BILK)

Miklós Marján, Chief Executive Officer:

–BILK, in the neighborhood of the M0 beltway, right next to the M5 motorway, embodies improvement for many years. Newer and newer warehouses have been built and investments continue this year as well. We closed a favorable year last year too, one characteristic of this is that we passed the 4 billion dollar income that means serious prestige for us. We see it as a significant result from an investment aspect that storage surface is 170,000 square meters. We are beyond the crisis, and speaking about our tenants we experience more favorable tenant behavior and signs showing improvement. Transport Logistic Exhibition is important for us because we want our visitors to be acquainted with Central Europe’s largest logistics center that has already given and continues to give many European and international companies first class logistics services.

Multicont Zrt.

László Berszán, Chief Executive Officer:

– We will also be in Munich, of course, but not as exhibitors. Our tasks are focused mainly on transcontinental containerized transports, not Europe to Europe transports, and our clients can be found in Hungary. Munich is important to us because everybody we work with is going to be there. I have browsed all the 1800 exhibitors on the exhibition’s website to find those twenty-thirty firms in containerized transport, shipping companies, railway operators, port representatives, Chinese forwarders, agents from Hamburg we are interested in. This way I don’t have to go to Belgium or Germany because the exhibition gives a great opportunity for meetings where we can get to know each other. I will try to meet subcontractors most, this means twenty exhibition stands. There are six or eight shipping companies and agencies I am planning to have serious negotiations with, mainly because we have already worked together, or we are trying to develop a relationship in the future. We closed a good year in 2010, our planned 2.6 billion income turned out to be 3.5 billion, and 100 million forints were realized instead of the 70 million result before taxation.

DeltaSped Kft.

Gábor Kiss, Executive Director:

– I think that the group’s reputation is essentially limited to full truck service, it didn’t reach common knowledge in the market yet that the forwarding business within the group’s activity includes all the branches in forwarding. DeltaSped Kft. and some of its member companies can, nevertheless, complete all forwarding tasks of clients besides full truck service. We would like it to be common knowledge in Europe, and not only Hungary, that Waberer Group, being one of the most important European forwarder, is engaged in all branches of forwarding and movement of freight. Because of this, two of our co-workers will represent DeltaSped Kft. during the entire period of the exhibition, and will welcome announced clients, but also unannounced guests interested in the stand’s appearance. Management members of our company are going to take part at certain days of the exhibition and are going to meet those partners who notified us in advance.
 The Goal: Among the European Top 3 740 2011-05-10 14:41:42
Waberer’s can double its income as a result of internal reorganization of the last months, the establishment of individually working transport limited liability companies, and the appearance of Mid Europa Partners investment company’s completed increase of capital. This way Waberer’s can step up from being sixth among European transporters to being third on middle-distance.

György Wáberer, chairman and CEO, emphasized that the involvement of the new partner can lead to a 12 million euro increase of capital which is an excellent opportunity to realize the planned growth path. “We doubled our turnover in the past six years. We can achieve this with our new partner in half the time.”
György Wáberer explained thanks to his cost saving management and his increasing efficiency, he was able to improve even during the time of crisis. The entire enterprise underwent reorganization, in which middle level managers were let in the circle of owners. Transport limited liability companies that were established in the recent past are smaller, therefore, the company became size independent, that is, more flexible which can be a good basis for further development. The chairman-CEO repeated his idea from a few years ago whereas he wants our home to become Europe’s logistics center. Hungary’s geographical position is excellent in this regard, and the economic environment is improving too, and transport operators do not face any competitive disadvantage compared to anyone in the region because of established commercial fuel. In compliance with this the company plans doubling its income in a middle distance, and although it possesses strong Western positions, it wishes to grow in Central Europe primarily. Targets of acquisition might be those companies in neighboring countries that are in possession of a 200-1000 fleet. In addition to this, the company is going to buy 300-400 new vehicles this year, partly to expand the fleet, and partly to replace out of date vehicles.

Craig Butcher, leader of Mid Europa Partners Hungary, accentuated that the investment company came to its decision analyzing two factors. First, the steady development of Waberer’s that had been going on for many years; second, the favorable impact of internal policies in favor to revive Hungarian economy. We picked Waberer’s because it is the most important transportation company in the region and by expanding its possibilities it could become a significant figure in Europe as well.
80 % less CO2 at globetrotting 749 2011-05-11 17:09:46

Future truck technology

Transportation is facing a significant transformation. The tools and systems used and known today – especially in road transportation – seem to be efficient by sight, but the reality is that in the past 125 years (since the appearance of the first automobile), not even half the evolutionary path had been covered. The 40 ton  truck assemblies consuming only one-third liters per kilometer and doing the large part of continental freight seem to be better than any device. Although it is far from anything called sustainable transport. Transportation politicians now plan more complex long-term projects. They have realized the need for a change and the influence of regulations. The European Union has formulated a major and further reaching objective than ever before in its Transport White Paper called Transport: 2050. Expectations shaping transportation, energetic and other industrial development directions have the goals set in one, two and four decades. These perspectives are set because Europe’s 96 percent crude oil dependence would hardly decrease more than 5 or 6 percent without a strategy in the middle of the 21 century. This means an approximately 300 billion euro sum for Europe this year. What is worse, the more the dependence and consumption in the world, the bigger is the shock in the change of oil prices.
Without a strategy, the “business as usual” would lead the traffic giving half of the CO2 emission in Europe by 2050, at least one- third more than nowadays. An 80 percent reduction of the current emission is needed, i.e. 60 percent less greenhouse effect gas emission than in 1990 for Europe to effectively keep global warming below 2?C, keeping in mind that freight performance is the double.


The multiple honored worldwide known designer, Luigi Colani started his aerodynamic courses at Sorbonne in 1948. His camions were completed in 2006. The German born Swiss designer cared not only for the drag coefficient, but for reducing the frontal area as far as its possible

Split in Transport Segment
A three time efficiency development is only possible with a complex transformation expanding into every field. This begins with the division of labor approach between the transport department, inland navigation, public road energy, railroads and emission. Rationalizing the transport of goods means that the competition between the methods of freightage undergoes a transformation of an expense optimizing co-operation. The goods put on the truck in the factory get on the nearest railroad or ship (if possible) to finish the journey’s destination on the public road. It can be denoted in figures that 30 percent of deliveries exceeding 300 kilometers must be detoured from the road by 2030, and 50 percent by the middle of the century. Transport and financial politics try to enforce this kind of co-operation by imposing and gradually shifting CO2 based fuel taxes. Serious assessments of taxes will strike fuels based on the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP), therefore forcing less energy intensive modes of transportations into prominence, supporting the reimbursement of technological innovation and the spread of cleaner fuels.


Besides drag optimization, Magna’s chief designer has taken into consideration manufacturability as well. The name of Eco-Truck covers a biogas fuelling solution

Europe’s transport politicians know that pressure of taxation is not enough to lead operators into the positive direction because it can easily cause the decrease in capacity and the decline of the continent’s economic competitive superiority. There is anecessity of building and developing core infrastructure, many times in the area of those member states which joined the EU later.
Therefore, completion of the long ago designed TEN-T corridor must be accelerated, as much as the completion of navigability of the Danube, the building of the North-South Polish-Hungarian axis railroad, and the completion of the East-West corridor, etc. The major transports by land must be completed by 2030, while the high-performance, complex systems must line up before 2050. It is good news that infrastructure and development levels of transport routes must not reflect the economic potential of the member states since they serve the economic interests and transport goals of the European Union. Infrastructure improvement will reach 1500 billion Euros in the next two decades, while TEN-T corridors consume 550 billions of community cash this decade.
If the amount of money invested into the improvement of vehicles and the building of charger infrastructure are also taken into consideration, expenditure will grow two or three times in order to achieve the goals set.
Thanks to vehicle technology, drastic harmful emission decreased in the last two decades (PM10 decreased over 40 percent, acidic emission over 45 percent, ozone-forming emission components decreased over 55 percent). However, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission did not improve so vigorously, although energy consumption is directly proportional to harmful emission. Europe’s public transport capacity increased by 3.5 percent between 1990 and 2005, and its energy demand changed to the same extent too. According to the EU forecast, public transport capacity will most likely increase yearly by 1.5 percent in the next two decades and by 0.5 percent until 2050. In order to achieve an 80 percent transport CO2 emission decrease compared to the emission of today, vehicles will have to be transformed. A quarter of all transport greenhouse gas emission originates in cities. Transport top managers are working on putting an end to this kind of emission completely. Energy demands of passenger transportation will have to decrease to two-thirds between 2005 and 2050, while the transport of goods has to decrease by 50 percent during the same time. This seems to have a drastic CO2 emission projected to vehicles. In case of passenger cars the more extensively known fleet average will have to be cut from the current 140 g/km level to 95 g/km by 2020. Light-duty vehicles will have to reach 135 g by the end of the decade (deviation in mass is possible), starting from around 190 g. A decrease by 15 percent is calculated in case of heavy-duty vehicles, in 15 years compared to the level from 2005. Such a project is also planned for the railroad, expecting a 20 percent improvement.
The likeliest result of the White Paper seems to be the CO2 press being increased by 40 percent by 2050 in the case of commercial vehicles (compared to 2005). It might appear as a smaller step forward in comparison to passenger cars where politicians think average emission can be pressed down to 20 g/km, for light-duty vehicles it can be pressed down to 55 g/km. The focus of the different scripts means different energy consumption compositions. It is vividly expressive that the entire oil usage in European transport might decrease from the current 350 Mtoe to 100 Mtoe, while electricity usage might increase from 8 Mtoe to 32-45 Mtoe. Oil usage decrease might reduce import from the current 84 percent to 60 percent, but what is even more significant is that given the probable oil prices (for the current price level) oil import bills might decrease to a quarter of the current expense.


The concept drawings for 2020 of Volvo Trucks chief designer take care not only for the aerodynamic improvement, but supposes longer vehicles, moving in shorter following distances in lanes separated for trucks. Altogether, the picture suggests a 25-30 percent better by-ton consumption as today average

Lower Commercial Vehicle Energy Consumption

The 40 percent CO2 reduction in the truck community is connected with the vehicle’s technology and usability. Usability is also an important factor, because such countries like the Scandinavians, have already authorized longer trucks; a smart decision for trucks used and highly required between logistic centers . 7 or 8 axle 60 ton Scandinavian trucks have not only better axle load, but the semi-trailers used in the continent can also keep the turning corridor, and can transport significantly more goods.
Instead of 24 tons, it transports 40 tons; instead of the usual 100 cubic meters it holds 160 cubic meters, or 54 pallets instead of 34. Therefore, 15 percent less fuel per ton is needed, maintenance is 13 percent lower, and also road covering is more favorable.
The 25.25 meter trucks running in the North were not manufactured for city traffic, but the goals set in the White Paper will transform goods transport customs in cities, not only for EuroCombis, but also 16.5 meter camions will not be allowed to enter the cities. Logistic centers therefore will be more important, and so will be the justification of higher capacity trucks. 500 kW or higher capacity engines make it possible to develop 60, 80, or 100 ton vehicles (leading to a decrease of 21 or 25 percent fuel consumption). This development may become reality if other vehicle resistance to progress on the road decreases simultaneously affecting the reduction of motor load.
Consumption of trucks on motorways can be categorized by three factors considering the resistance to progress on the road: effort put into driving uphill, rolling resistance, and air resistance. The first one is hard to influence, a good result can only be achieved by controlling the mass of goods compared to the truck’s mass, or by retrieving the potential energy on the slope. Reducing weight-bearing is obviously a good choice considering any variable-speed motion, i.e. considering any acceleration.
Rolling resistance needs a lot more treat, as a semi-truck occupies 60kW engine power on the motorway, and besides the developments it shows insignificant results. Besides reducing (and easing) the axle affecting mass, rolling resistance of the tires (and the road surface), loss of tire bearings, and resistance power in usage can be decreased (so that aging does not accelerate the rolling force). Trailer and semi-trailer axle steering can avoid sideway creeping resistance. Efficient correction of the rolling resistance might lead to a one or two percent consumption reduction.
A more significant result is expected from reducing air resistance. Fighting the rolling resistance takes up twice the energy at motorway speed, forms possessing air resistance are sometimes worse than 1.Details can be changed systematically on the shoe box form without significantly influencing the usability of trucks. MAN’s idea has showed that only length restriction of the homologation has to be modified to make wedge type semi-trailers suitable for traffic. Streamline models promise a 25 percent saving on CO2.


The “ironed” long-nose Freightliner has a significantly better drag coefficient as the European models. With a well fitted semi-trailer this form can reach up to 15 percent CO2 savings

An average, good condition assembly nowadays having a shape factor of 0.8 must be formed into 0.47. Cd=0.34 would also be possible which would mean the reduction of engine power by 35 percent. Not only modernizing the shape, but also reducing truck height could produce results, instead of being a fixed 4 meters. Trucks designed for long-distance transport are not traveling with a load calculated in cubic meters and sometimes loading level does not reach higher than 1-1.5 meters. Frontal and air resistance can be reduced by lowering the trailer to the hauler’s roof line or below. Flatting alone can reduce the average 9.5-9.8 m frontal by 2.3-2.5 m.
Twice the consumption improvement can be reached if not only the shape factor changes, but also this small input that alone leads to 14 percent CO2 reduction.
The biggest part of consumption reduction for longer, bigger capacity EuroCombis originates from the smaller specific air resistance value. Air resistance to be fought on the motorway can be overcome in other ways as well. When a following vehicle gets close turbulent atmosphere is formed behind a vehicle and deterrent air resistance originating from cavitation can be reduced significantly. In the meantime, the following vehicle exerts lower thrust in poorer air space than driving by itself. This is called drafting behind a truck. The closer the two vehicles are the better are the results. The leader vehicle’s consumption can be reduced by 7 percent and the follower vehicle’s consumption by 10 percent, given the current truck shapes. Drafting behind a truck if it has better air resistance reduces efficiency, but given the current box shapes, better results could be achieved if transport safety reasons would not prohibit this action. Control can be taken away from the driver, and a very close distance could be made possible with a complex vehicle commanding system and V2V (communication between vehicles). Volvo is leading this kind of joint EU research work, while Ford and GM are responsible for research in North America. Only a complex, modern IT system will reach savings which do not originate from the vehicle itself, but the different modes of uses. On one hand, electronic surveillance of steering and brakes is absolutely necessary, on the other hand, data and processing from different wavelength radar equipments and optical image processors, as well as the data from the position and movement of the vehicles on the road and road information must be processed. Stress is put on being quick because drafting means moving one meter forward within 40 milliseconds.


The trailer base flaps are to reduce the in low pressure separated recirculating wave flow. The accessory generates 0,08 Cd development for the complete vehicle

Powertrain Optimization- Emissions Tracking

A lot of money was invested in the past two decades by vehicle manufacturers for a better understanding of combustion processes and the perfection of controllability. This process was generated by the newer and newer emissions regulations every four years. The consequently forced spiral development has reduced the damaging exhaust pipe fumes to a hundredth from EURO 0 to EURO 6. Efficiency improvement did not show as much with bigger engines because richer mixtures are needed for cleaner exhaust. The contrast can be followed by looking at the drastically than ever changed emission steps given that the 6 norm will be compulsory in every aspect from 2014. This can only be solved by the constructors by a high rate exhaust gas recirculation and the selective catalytic reaction combined (EGR+SCR). Applying EGR requires a higher amount of hydrocarbons, while the use of the SCR requires a problematic catalyst material to be sent to the exhaust system. This fatal transport externality has been successfully decreased to the greatest extent. The journey, however, does not stop here EURO 6 is not the final stage, only a station for developers of internal combustion engines. Unwanted exhaust fumes are going to be cut down by 50 percent in the future, and also newer criteria are expected to appear. First of all, the demand for filtering fine particles (100-2500 nm solid particle diameter) appears, and so does the monitoring and restriction of ammonium compounds. Engine developers will have to think hard about ensuring the required emission level until the end of the life-cycle.

Thermal efficiency development and powertrain optimization, being not the most important ambition so far, will bring the breakthrough for the following two decades. So far lots of money have been invested in the research and development work, but the manufacturing cost of the entire powertrain only changed to a small extent (the catalyst system not taken into consideration). More and more expensive additional components will have to be integrated in the future. Manufacturing costs and the purchase price will increase with the objective to fulfill transportation tasks energy efficiently and with less operational costs. Powertrain optimization will consist of two major fields: usage area will have to come as close as possible to the ideal thermal efficiency area; lost energies must be retrieved. It is however doubtful whether development can be achieved without the mass increase of machines.   

Internal combustion engines possess different thermal efficiency because of different revolutions per minute and different deflecting force. So do larger commercial vehicle engines. Large commercial vehicle engines run on ideal load speed range can currently transfer 43 percent fuel energy to the main axle. In a bad range this number is 40 percent less, meaning only a quarter of the fuel’s thermal energy is put into work. If soot formation and nitric oxide development didn’t limit the injection strategy strongly, it would be possible to produce better results. It seems probable that the spread and exact use of the better known thermal reaction PCCI (Partially-Premixed Charge Combustion Ignition) insertion strategy will be used for diesel engines in the future. Following this strategy precisely will help efficiently avoid two main damaging compounds, leading to a 95 percent decrease of emission. As a disadvantage, consumption increases by 6 percent, which is lower than the high EGR level where there is a 7 percent consumption increase. PCCI gives a wider space with no punishment for the local excess air factor than HCCI (Homogenous Charge Combustion Ignition). Therefore, there is more freedom for regulations. Adjustment to the actual industrial points and the expansion of the optimal efficiency range will be approximated by perfecting air ignition, the multiple-stage turbo and varying valve timing of the manufacturers. Electronically operated (or at least controlled) valves will appear soon, meaning that the amount of ignition will change cycle by cycle. Different timings of the two-two admission valves can influence the angular momentum ratio of the absorbed air depending on rpm and load. Harmony is created by the perfectly and precisely dosed fuel. A newer level of freedom is the changeability of the compression ratio, although it might not keep the hopes set on it, but valve movement surely will keep all the advantages. Avoiding the formation of nitric oxides combustive temperature will be kept low. Slightly lower compression relation (14.5-15.5:1) and more efficient cooling of recycled gases will add up, too. This will also help prevent the crystallization of the local rich gasoline-air mixture, which also prevents the solid particle formation. Valves opened up by computers will also be able to dissolve rich mixture ranges with fresh air in condensation phase. Thermal efficiency might increase to a level around 50 percent without emission increase. Better future filling and ignition is expected for commercial vehicle engines, also catalysts working in a wider temperature range than nowadays with the use of fewer precious metals.



The trailer base flaps are to reduce the in low pressure separated recirculating wave flow. The accessory generates 0,08 Cd development for the complete vehicle

Powertrain Optimization- Consumption

Designers are not concentrating in decreasing the specific fuel consumption’s minimum (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption), but the widening of the range belonging to minimum consumption. This way a vehicle’s real consumption could be efficiently improved in field conditions. Widening the ideal range means staying at a certain gear shift easier when speeding. Temporary industrial conditions can be made more economic this way. Not ideal set points must be avoided continuing the task and the application range of the installed engine must be narrowed down. Multiplying the switch gears alone does not lead to a solution; the engine has to be supported by ancillary facilities and auxiliary drives in the future. Out of all set points, the most useless is the idling rpm, where fuel is used without useful labor when traffic is still, but truck drivers are running the vehicles also in resting time because it is cold or hot, or they need to produce electricity for other comfort devices. Many times the air compressor must be run continuously in order to make sure the load is protected. This means 20 liters useless combustion per day per truck, which is 6 to 7 percent of the total consumption. Two measures have to be taken in order to avoid idling rpm use.
When the vehicle in traffic is stopped, the engine should be turned off by the start-stop function already used by passenger cars and small goods transporters. The other improvement is the installation of fuel cell generators. This ensures the energy needed in rest time from a hydrogen or ethanol source. Before this, the heating and air-conditioning of the cabin as well as steering must be separated from
the engine and must be made electrical. The next group of parasites on the engine must be made electrical too: the water pump, the fan, the oil pump and the air compressor because this way they are more manageable separately and only need to perform the absolutely necessary work, and they will also be able to work when the engine is turned off. The separated consumers will leave a drive valuable part of engine power. If all these consumers are separated, then a 30 to 40 kW engine power moldering can be avoided. Collateral impact of electrification demands that traditional generators be dismantled from the block and the entire power supply has to be put on a new basis. The essential step forward for car industry lies in regaining thermal losses rather than tap the so far useful engine power.
Trailer buyers had a 50 percent wider supply of selectable power and weight, instead of 500 horsepower tractors 730 horsepower ones can be bought, instead of submitting 2000 Nm weight, 3500 Nm engine and shift can be ordered. This improvement is a result of the better combustion techniques on the one hand, but on the other hand it needs greater cooling capacity. The need for cooling means wasting the thermal energy of the fuel-air mixture through the cooling radiator. Because of the demand for better cooling, radiators have become bigger in size, therefore influencing the size of the cabin and air resistance. What is more, better capacity means higher energy content of the exhaust emissions. Approximately 50-50 percent of the energy not operating on the main axle leaves through cooling water and exhaust emissions.
Today this means 33-33 percent of the consumed fuel’s energy considering the entire labor domain. This is the most important topic of this energy content currently. The reduction ratio of losses must be put in two sections. The seemingly easiest and already realized technology uses the energy flow in the exhaust emissions. Some manufacturers use the so called turbocompund, a turbine connected to the main axle to tap this energy flow currently. In the future, however, a much more wide range, better efficiency generator is going to take up this role. The function is easy: exhaustion emissions actuate a second turbine where the generator on the axle produces energy flow. A 350 kW nominal capacity engine would be able to generate 50 kW energy flow. Equipping the “turbogenerator” would be able by tomorrow (only electrical consumers have to be ensured), but increasing the use of thermal energy takes more time for development.
Two methods of application are expected by the end of the decade. A traditional steam engine could easily be heated up by gas through a heat-exchanger because gas keeps its high temperature after being in the catalyst in the exhauster. The engine could be fixed on the undercarriage of a truck, this way strengthening the engine. Results show that efficiency achievable by steam engine is 25 percent, meaning a surplus of 8 percent capacity. Using a special, low boiling point agent, cooling water circle might be tapped with the steam engine. The use of Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs), however, seems to be easier nowadays and it also has been experimented on the exhaust systems. Temperature differences cause TEGs to start low voltage Edison effect. Only the specific high technology prices cause difficulties nowadays. 10-15 kW of energy can be produced from a truck’s exhaust system, its EGR cooler and the cooling water with low efficiency (because of the low water temperature), although the economic grounds are still questionable.
Photovoltaic solar cells are more and more widespread. A semi-truck’s side and roof cover can be coated with up to 100-110 m2 solar cells; this means a total of 20 kW integrated capacity. Development of solar cells could lead to 30 kW capacity in ten years, and probably more than 40kW capacity in twenty years. Of course this does not equal the current power in sunny weather because it is also important in what angle and what kind of light arrives to the panel. 50-60 kWh could be produced in average today if the acquisition didn’t mean a 20 thousand euro net cell cost.
Generation of current increase and current consumption makes it necessary to store the current. One of the main questions of the strategy is what capacity size to install. Not only the internal combustion engine, but also the batteries and other parts of the powertrain have to be provided with electric aid. The generator is going to take the role of the retarder. This way kinetic energy accumulated when braking can be used when speeding and going uphill. Problems are caused by big amounts of current making it necessary to build a too big battery capacity in the frame, or the energy to be recovered has to be shared.
Braking energy when recuperation energy is allocated must be directed to fast charging and dischargeable super capacitors. Condensers have to be attached to the frame close to the electromotor generator unit working in the capacity dividing system connected to the shift. This central, primary task electromotor is supplemented by hub generator units. The units provide smaller capacity individually, but in their entirety can produce one and a half times as much capacity. The condenser package and its controller are connected separately. Sizing the capacitors has to be made by saving braking at top speed. Acceleration of trucks moving downhill will be avoided by the main generator. Gravitation will be stored in the batteries in order to use this kind of energy for supplementing the internal combustion engine when reaching a point of elevation.
Modern IT will solve the problem of batteries being overcharged for the durability of brake performance. The computer estimates navigational data from the slope’s length and incline, the share of electric propulsion increases, and the battery package runs down in the required extent for the energy to be saved. If the slope’s length exceeds energy saving capability, the computer predetermines and sets up a safe speed with which the slope has to be approached. Precise, wheel by wheel vehicle load data lies in the background to determine a safe speed.
The good side effect of recuperation robots is that truck brake lining and disk duration last for the entire life cycle. Electromotor systems ensuring a 0.4-0.6 g deceleration will be able to activate assemblies from full condensers after braking and will accelerate them up to 50-60 km/h purely electronically. Separate control of trailer hub engines will ensure to see other driving dynamics functions. Control of co-ordinated wheel rpm can avoid truck collapse due to slipping and spin. Wheels driven and brake use according to the bend of the curve reduces reacting force and increase the turning ability. Trailer motorization also helps to increase durability of tires.

The e-motors help keeping the engine in the most efficient field

Wheel hub engine for 22,5” wheels. Size still can be improved, but the 15 kN torque is already respectable

Starting up the combined truck drive is ensured by the trailer hub and PTO tractor operating on the electro motors, if the driver did not stop rolling, but using the generator brake. The internal combustion engine ensures the main energy supply of driving, while the shift keeps the main axle in the ideal 1000-1250 rpm range, using and ideal 60-75 percent engine load. Higher engine load demand, or simply meaning pushing the gas pedal to the floor means that surplus load is given by the tractor’s electro motor, running down the battery. If a 40-60 percent working range is needed, an ideally smaller 60 percent gas means that the load will lead to the generator connected to the shift charging up the batteries. Below 40 percent the electro motor takes over the role of driving entirely until it runs down the battery to 40 percent, so that the internal combustion engine is turned on, and is charged at a 60 percent load.
The necessary size of the internal combustion engine has to be measured again for this strategy. The installation of a 70 percent load and capacity (that could originate from a one size smaller piston displacement) would be enough because of the electrical help entering when driving on an incline or speeding. Hybridization might lead to multiple mass increase, no matter that down-sizing means mass decrease.
The biggest advantage of hybrid drive is that less efficient work ranges of the internal combustion engine can be avoided easily.
What is more, the lowest pollutant emission is formed at best efficiency, avoiding worse ranges, as for example high load speeding or idling. Life cycle damaging pollutant emission can be reduced by over 20 percent while long-distance hybrid drive can lower CO2 emission by a 5-6 percent range according to a consensus state. Driving in more hilly regions or in heavy traffic can lead to an even higher CO2 saving. Many small, partial results can be achieved following the strategy accurately, for example, optimizing the engine to a lower range and avoiding transient working processes.
The changes listed so far have not only made the tried and tested trucks heavier, but the surplus components also made them more expensive. The listed technical changes will not stop at a price lower than one-hundred thousand euro even if mass production costs will increase. Without making calculations of how much costs would have to be spent on the listed technical changes and how much money could be refunded, it is worth calculating the savings. Putting together the listed modifications could lead to saving 200 thousand liters of gasoline, avoiding 500 tons of CO2 emission and the reduction of a more than 300 thousand euro energy bill given a 1.2 million kilometer life cycle. The excess investment expenditure would therefore not only favor the environment, but the owner would also get his money back in at least three years.

Alternative Propellant Choice

In the process of CO2 emission reduction this decade, besides choosing the energy resources operator freedom appears. The exclusive energy resource used today in long distance transport in Europe is gasoline. Biodiesel content must be increased to 5.75 percent according to the regulations because additives will not be a good way to reach further given the unsatisfactory supply.
More major dimension second generation large scale industrial bio fuel producer locations will be set up by the middle of the decade and will possess 8 to 10 times as much ethanol output than synthetic diesel from the biomass with the considered technology. Gasoline will be becoming the most expensive fuel and it will have to be replaced with something else. Fine tuning and significant altering of the diesel engine is necessary for most energy resources that are suitable.
Ethanol, being the oldest applied alternative, can only operate if diesel engines are altered significantly. Compression has to be increased significantly (30:1), and a combustion starter additive has to be used which are protected by technology and fuel developers (such as Scania and Sekab). Therefore, neither developments of background infrastructure, nor propagation have occurred, and it does not seem to be likely to happen in the future either. ED-95 fuel has half the energy capacity  than gasoline, so the range can only be covered by bigger tanks and heavier fuel supply. Turning to newer fuels will bring two other application methods for ethanol: the application will zoom on the vehicle’s view, and on the fuel manufacturers’ view.
The appearance of vehicle focused application big series are only expected around the 2020s because of the complexity of the system, the settings, and the regulations that have to be done, and also considering turnaround time. This technology appears under the “dual-fuel” collective noun. In theory this means that the combustion of the hydrocarbon-air mixture in the combustion chamber is initiated by the pilot injection of a different composition energy resource. Constructors get a new level of freedom creating this field type technology. Not only the richness of the mixture, the absorbed air, the amount of fuel, and the starting time of combustion can be influenced, but also a new and different behaving compound gets into the combustion area with the hydrocarbon injected close to the deadlock, being able to be controlled quantitatively and temporally. This technology is 20 to 25 percent more efficient than bigger road engines nowadays, and raw emission values are also more favorable. Dual-fuel engines have compression based combustion, and the ethanol injected in the air scoop can mix perfectly with air. Ethanol mixed with gasoline (or other cetane boosting additive) starts combustion. Gasoline is good to start with because it can always be provided from the two fuel tanks (to make the truck drive with gasoline purely) if the primary fuel tank gets empty.
In another approach, ethanol molecule formula produced by thermochemistry can be shaped in such a way that its pyrophorous ability makes it possible to be combusted in the ordinary diesel engine. What is more, gasoline refined from crude oil burns cleaner because aromatics immunity causing soot formation and a 20 percent oxygen amount serves combustion (compensating the lower energy capacity). Use of the fuel (standing on the theoretical research level) needs supplementary additives to avoid oxidization and wearing off of the engine so it can be tailored to the different demands. Some biodiesel types are beyond the sample project state; these are the NExBTL and DME. The preceding biodiesel is hydrogenated, being a rather a refined produce based first generation biodiesel, than the latter second generation fuel.
DME is produced from black liquor thermochemically, and is entirely crop-free. Its source material is a rich wood waste basis. A different category can be set up by algae-based biodiesel. Its potential cannot be compared to any other output and is the most promising synthetic gasoline source coming from a field that cannot be cultivated for almost anything else, and it is also consuming 4 kg of CO2 with every liter manufactured.


At Westport in Canada the LNG vehicles are already booming. The range is not a barrier either

The other alternative is natural-gas drive. Its transport filling infrastructure is growing in Europe, although the intensity of growth is strongly disparate. Methan molecule source as the basis for natural gas does not only have to be fossil. Biogas industry is improving rapidly, and is primarily producing methan gas from many organic materials (communal waste, purification of sewage, agricultural and forestry waste, livestock farming waste, faeces, and various energy herbs). Biogas can be produced through fermentation in 20 days, and is broken down into biomethane and CO2 after purification. The unwanted gas component can be separated easily, so that gas is suitable for vehicle drive. Methane can also be obtained right away from synthetic gas produced during the thermochemical bio fuel process.

The LNG tank requires relatively small room, Volvo is already testing this alternative solution

The source of methane, therefore, can be of great variety. It is a widespread energy resource and cleaner exhaust gas can be produced with it than with any other gasoline based fuel. Pollutants are also decreased, EURO 6 is realized with no problem, and CO2 is 25 percent lower than in the case of diesel. The problem about methane drive is the relatively low energy capacity. Even for a 200 bar load a five-time tank is needed compared to carrying gasoline. This circumstance makes CNG vehicles only suitable for limited range (300 km) tasks. As a rare exception there are a few examples of liquid state cooled (-162°C) methane drive. From the point of view of charging and storing, the much greater challenge technology’s advantage is that compared to gasoline a 1.6-time tank volume is needed. This way long-distance travel is also enabled.
Engine technology is also very simple: suction injection (apart from a few immediate injections) and spark ignition are used for commercial vehicle size engines. On the other hand, it was proved that compression sparking is also possible. Self-ignition can be created easiest with dual-fuel technology application, using gasoline pilot injection. Gasoline can be replaced, as technology will spread by the second half of the decade. It will be justified economically to introduce a different, cleaner fire starter. The widespread appearance of dual-fuel gasoline engines will be expected only when other CO2 and operational expense saving technologies will become expensive or more expensive than the 15-20 thousand euro additional charge.
From an operational aspect it can be said that use of methane gas is very attractive because no excise duty applies to the resource energy’s price until 2023 in Europe. What is more, natural gas guide price moves more reliably than Brent. A clean environmental factory image is also created. Security of supply (reassuring because of more European resources), slower exhaustion of fossil resources and cheap, large scale CO2 reduction appear as considerations from energy political reasons. Years by year gasoline cars increase by 25 percent in Europe and newer, more advanced technology models will only speed up this process. According to transport politics directives primitive motorway LNG filling stations will appear by the middle of the decade on the East-West and North-South axis for the formation of long-distance transport.
Transport politics experts only want the spread of hydrogen and purely electric infrastructure more than methane gas. Purely electronic drive will not appear as an option in long-distance transport in the next four decades. Energy density is even smaller for hydrogen drive than it is in the case of CNG. Even a fuel cell efficiency improvement would mean a problem of range for long-distance transport.
Hydrogen will nevertheless appear in transport because production methods will make it possible and economic to mix a 20 to 30 percent ratio methane gas which would make transport of CNG vehicles able to reduce CO2 emission by 7 to 10 percent and would enable them to burn cleaner.

Crude oil based fuel will definitely disappear from the cities by the middle of the decade, but the internal combustion engine does not disappear. Internal combustion engines will remain for long-distance transport and primarily for forwarding, and the place of crude oil based fuels will be replaced with synthetic bio fuels and natural gas mixed with biomethane.
The perspective of energy resources makes a major economic and ecologic shift possible from today’s 96 percent crude oil base. It is harder to foresee the end result than consequences of technologic improvements. The protagonist in Europe will be the produced energy resources and not the extracted energy resources. Renewed energy resources will ensure the fuel chain’s CO2 intensity to be halved, just like the improvement of truck technology. Public road long-distance transport industry’s CO2 footprint will be reduced to a quarter although capacity is increasing.

Henrik Domanovszky
Transportation Engineering Expert
Waberer’s on Transport Logistic exhibition 752 2011-05-13 23:25:24
One of sector’s greatest exhibition was held on 10-13th May in Munich. Transport Logistic means a highly important opportunity for manufacturing, R&D, railroad and naval companies, airways, forwarding agents and of course, road transport companies.
The latest event, held in 2009, met 1,764 exhibitors and nearly 50,000 visitors, from 113 countries. It was beyond question that Waberer’s Group would be present again at Messe Munich – this time fourthly. According to our traditions, the team focused not only on the content but on the exterior as well: the truck fitted with sails and other naval accessories, stood out from the uniformed booths.



Our stand’s scenery closely interlocked with our slogan for this year: “Navigare necesse est”, meaning “To sail is necessary.” It referred to the requisiteness of road transport and to the importance on environment protection.

There were many companies the representatives of which were attracted to the stand by the spectacular scenery, on the other hand, some big transnational corporations were present on Transport Logistic only because of the Hungarian company. The Waberer’s team in Munich saw the exhibition fruitful already at the end of the second day.



(We will publish detailed report soon.)
Waberer’s continues to grow after closing of transaction 770 2011-07-03 16:54:45
20 per cent growth forecast

Budapest, 9 June 2011 – The 49.05 per cent share purchase of Mid Europa Partners (MEP) in Waberer’s Holding Zrt. was closed with a general meeting’s resolution. All preconditions of the closed transaction were duly fulfilled, including the permissions granted by the competition authorities of the countries concerned. Waberer’s Holding Zrt. and the group in the scope of its consolidation came under the balanced, joint management of György Wáberer and MEP. 

The shareholders simultaneously provided new capital to the company in the value of 17.37 million euro, which was spent on reducing the amount of its loans outstanding. Following the general meeting, György Wáberer, chairman-CEO, said: “The reduction of the loan amount by 30%, in parallel with the easing of the interest burden, improves the terms of bank financing serving acquisition purposes. We have commenced the preparation of buyouts in the Central Eastern European region and continue to improve organic growth.” 

For the purpose of further promoting organic growth, György Wáberer modified the originally 10 per cent sales revenue growth target of the holding for the year 2011. Accordingly, this year the company plans to increase by 20 per cent the 331 million euro sales performance realized in 2010. To this end, in line with the practice of the previous year, the holding is further expanding its capacities in 2011 with 150- 200 tractors and the related trailers. In parallel with the replacements serving the sustainability of the vehicle fleet’s quality, the company is planning the acquisition of a total of 550 new vehicles. The running performance of the fleet – currently consisting of 2,300 own vehicles – increased on average by 5 per cent in the first five months of the year, with an average load of over 90 per cent. 

The success of the acquisition efforts of Waberer’s is based on the capacity shortage on the EU freighting market and the uncertain financing background of many of its competitors. The economic crisis cut capacities by 20-25 per cent in Europe and forced major road freighters to put the brakes on. European sales of heavy vehicles declined by 40 per cent in 2010, while the number of bankruptcies within the sector rose by 23 per cent due to freight fees that remained constant despite the drastic rise of fuel prices. The revenues of Waberer’s increased by 15 per cent in 2010 as well, while the company managed to continuously improve the quality and safety of its services and the efficiency of operation. In view of the company’s extraordinary stability and flexibly expandable capacities, in the second quarter of this year customers accepted an average 6 per cent freight fee increase to offset the rise of costs. 

“The continuous improvement of efficiency is a condition for sustainability, while continuous acquisitions are essential for retaining and improving our competitive position” said György Wáberer after the closing of the transaction, adding that a team of experts is already working on the identification of acquisition targets. “We are primarily seeking medium sized companies in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Poland.” The chairman-CEO projected the doubling of the holding’s turnover in the medium term.
New jobs, further efficiency growth 804 2012-01-30

After the record results of 2011 additional measures to sustain growth

Budapest, 18 January 2012 – In its Budapest board meeting Waberer’s Holding has concluded that it has completed its 2011 EBIDTA growth plan. Preliminary data indicate that the results before the write-off of interests, taxes and depreciation to the amount of 373 million Euros in revenues will be around 47.4 million Euros, exceeding the last year’s performance by 20%.

A fleet of almost two and a half thousand trucks has completed over 330 million kilometres with over 90% average load rate. Its freight performance closed on 5 billion goods/tons-kilometres. The number of transport vehicles grew by 150 tractor-trailers of the newest technologies, while fifth of the fleet was replaced by similarly economical and environmentally sound trucks. The company managed to significantly up almost all of its performance indicators in 2011. To sustain the increase of tasks the company has created 250 new jobs, while decreasing the number of administrative staff per truck. With these indicators Waberer’s was able to further strengthen its dominant position in Europe’s road transport market. 

Based on its analysis of the expected effects of Europe’s prolonged economical and financial crisis on industrial output and supply chains, the board accepted the Holding’s development plans for 2012. To maintain its growth the fleet’s capacity will expand with a further 150 tractor-trailers and the number of employees by 150 people. The company will focus more on attitude based employee selection, and competency based training, and by the improvement of its telematics system modernizing its corporate management system. Additionally the handling of cargo and the transport operations will be simplified by re-organisational measures furthermore processes related to sales activities will become more transparent.

In 2012 Waberer’s will continue its previously successful commercial expansion. In order to sustain its growth it will focus on its five most important European markets, in addition to answering the logistical needs of Hungary, also Germany, Great-Britain, France and Italy. Although the corporation had gained significant shares in operating the supply chain of the FMCG sector, which it wishes to increase by obtaining further logistic tasks of non-perishable food and household cleaning and chemical products. To increase the effectiveness of its fleet, Waberer’s will stop its international refrigerated transport service and will focus on the quality transportation of traditional pallet based merchandise.

In 2012 the company will continue its efforts to fuel up its vehicles in Hungary, in order to increase Hungarian state budget revenues by paying excise taxes here. With this, Waberer’s added over 4 billion forints to the Hungarian state household budget revenue in 2011.

Waberer’s will continue its integration politics, announced last October, in order to create a more effective and economic organizational structure, that will result in the merger of its biggest subsidiaries into one standardized commercial organization. The company will maintain its organic growth, which it intends to speed up by possible acquisitions.
 

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