Swap Bodies for the General Cargo Partnership

Swap Bodies for the General Cargo Partnership

23.04.2016

IDS Logistik has invested nearly ten million euros in 1,000 new swap bodies. With this investment, our general cargo partnership is promoting the transition to the 7.82-meter-long high cubes.

Since 2007, the IDS general cargo partnership has been in the process of standardizing the swap body situation. 10 years ago, there were about 20 different types of containers in circulation, each with various equipment characteristics. Now, with this last provisional order, more than 85 percent – a total of 4,035 – will be high cubes by April 2016. The remaining 15 percent are standard swap bodies.

The high cube swap bodies are used to make the main runs between IDS depots. With a volume of 101 square meters per swap body, the high cubes provide much more volume. So, based on this higher loading capacity, double-deck loading can be better implemented on IDS’s side.

This also gives IDS trucks the further advantage of having less space between the cab and the trailer. This means less air turbulence and thus, better fuel efficiency. “We have made a commitment to the environment and we’re acting accordingly,” stresses IDS’s managing director, Dr. Michael Bargl. The replacement of 883 swap bodies in the period between April 2012 and April of 2013 has led to a CO2 reduction of about 20 percent. “The current order of 1,000 high cubes will lead to further, tangible CO2 savings.”