BSH strikes new path: Vessels replace mega trucks.

Previously, the European market leader had relied on road transport to supply the UK market with cookers, fridges and freezers and dishwashers. Every day, numerous mega trailers made the journey from the production sites in Southwestern Germany – Bretten, Dillingen and Giengen – to its main UK warehouse in Milton Keynes – and more and more frequently got stuck in traffic jams.

The initial situation

From its production sites in Bretten, Dillingen and Giengen, BSH supplies the UK market with domestic appliances. It uses mega trailers or jumbo trailers to move the goods to its main warehouse in Milton Keynes. But the overland routes are increasingly congested.

The requirement

A new freight transport strategy incorporating the waterborne mode is to bring about greater efficiency. Here, it is not only economic factors that count. Environmental aspects also feature prominently in the group's visions and values. One of the major challenges is to ensure that the containers are filled in an optimum manner.

The result

The products from the factories in Southwestern Germany are consolidated in Bretten. Every day, special HGVs transport oversize containers to the trimodal terminal at Gernsheim. Here, the containers are transferred to inland waterway vessels for the voyage to Rotterdam and their onward movement by short sea ships to Purfleet (UK). From there, their final leg to the main warehouse in Milton Keynes is by HGV.
The volume of the modal shift is 12.24 million tkm per annum, which means that, since 2004, the road infrastructure has been relieved of 61.2 million tkm. CO2 emissions are reduced by 856.457 tonnes per annum, which means that to date a total of 4,282.286 tonnes of CO2 have been saved.

• Waterborne transport is less expensive and offers greater due-date reliability.
• Costs are constant and easier to calculate.
• The special oversize containers guarantee optimum economic efficiency.
• As “floating warehouses”, the containers help to reduce inventories.
• The shift to water results in significant environmental advantages.