DC Velocity - January 2015

4 DC VELOCITY JANUARY 2015 www.dcvelocity.com inbound

Looking for a way to give new life to a couple hundred old pallets? The “Wilde Dads” of Thornewilde Elementary School in the Cincinnati suburb of Hebron, Ohio, have an idea for you.

The fathers’ group, which volunteers at the school, designed and built a 3,828-square-foot maze out of shipping pallets and straw for the elementary school’s annual Fall Festival in October. The pallets were loaned and delivered to the school at no cost by Westside Pallet Co.

The maze took three days and about 100 dad hours to build. Nearly 750 people paid to navigate it, raising funds for the school.

A-maze-ing pallets

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and driverless forklifts have been proving their worth in warehouse operations for some time now. But that’s just the tip of the automated-vehicle iceberg when it comes to logistics applications, according to a recent report from DHL.

The report, “Self-Driving Vehicles in Logistics,” begins by explaining how automated, or robotic, vehicles work; their potential benefits; and the regulations and policies that influence their acceptance and adoption. The report then reviews current uses in military, consumer, automotive industry, and public transportation environments. Finally, it highlights four logistics applications: autonomous transport and assisted picking in warehouses; autonomous outdoor logistics, such as airport, yard, and marine terminal operations (the equipment at Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte II container terminal, described elsewhere in this section, is a good example); assisted highway trucking and convoying; and “last mile” delivery.

DHL’s researchers predict that the logistics industry will lead
the way toward a driverless future. “Some warehouse operations
have been using self-driving vehicles to some extent for years,”
said Dr. Markus Kückelhaus, director, DHL trend research, in
announcing the report’s release. “Moving onto public roads
is the next evolutionary step. With its history in deploying
self-driving solutions in controlled environments, the logistics
industry is in a prime position to further shape the future of
self-driving vehicles.”
Where to next? In a blog post, Kückelhaus suggests that the big
focus will be on cars and trucks; in the near future, he says, we’ll
see enhancements to existing driver-assistance functions and the
introduction of autonomous driving in specific situations, such
as on congested highways. Further out, look for fully autono-
mous truck convoys on highways. Other opportunities include
remote outdoor locations where harsh conditions put human
drivers at risk, linehaul transportation, and last-mile delivery.

Driverless vehicles: Where to next?

Many of us in the logistics biz find the clean lines, sparkling paint, and shining chrome of a brand-new heavy-duty truck aesthetically pleasing. If you’ve ever received a calendar from one of the manufacturers of Class 7 and 8 tractors, you’ll know what we mean. But even the most dedicated truck aficionado is likely to find something new to appreciate in the stunning images produced by the Swiss photographer Ulysse Fréchelin.

Fréchelin is a fashion photographer who works for such style icons as Burberry, Dior, Chanel, and Cartier—so it’s probably no surprise that his book American Trucks would depict the big rig as a thing of beauty. In 2013, the photographer spent two weeks at truck stops along the Arizona-New Mexico border, shooting photos that capture the vibrant colors, massive size, and bold design that characterize these symbols of the open road. Fréchelin says he was attracted by the combination of open spaces, blue skies, and the brightly colored vehicles as expressions of power and freedom.

The MB&F M.A.D. (Mechanical Art Devices) Gallery in Geneva, Switzerland, published the 100-page book and also produced limited-edition prints of some of Fréchelin’s photos. You can see samples at www.mbandf.com/mad-gallery/press/ other/ulysse-frechelin.