Dachser Focuses on Megatrailers for Its Fleet in the Future

Since April 2021, Dachser has exclusively relied on so-called megatrailers for the new acquisition of semi-trailers in Germany. Thanks to their larger cargo space – while maintaining the same length and width – these are more economical and resource-efficient for long distances compared to standard trailers. The transition in Germany is expected to be fully completed by 2027 with a total of around 680 new megatrailers.

(Kempten) After transitioning to megatrailers in Germany, Dachser plans to start the exchange in the 24 other European countries where it operates with its Business Line European Logistics in the coming years.

The so-called megatrailers are the same length and width as standard trailers. The overall height also remains below the permissible vehicle height of four meters in Germany. However, they have an interior height that is 20 centimeters greater, as the loading area is just under 100 centimeters above the road surface. This results in an additional 8 cubic meters of cargo space. With double-deck loading, a megatrailer can accommodate 67 Euro pallets. This nearly matches a articulated truck with two swap bodies, which, however, offers five more parking spaces and is therefore still preferred by Dachser.

Loading Volume over Total Weight

“The limiting factor in the general cargo business is usually not the maximum permissible total weight of 40 tons, but the available loading volume,” explains Christian Schütz, Department Head Technics/Technical Purchase at Dachser. “More cargo space means better utilization; with the megatrailer, this is up to 18%. This is efficient and also good for the climate balance, as it allows us to save trips.”

“Dachser has been a pioneer in introducing swap bodies for 50 years, which remain the benchmark for loading space efficiency. Additionally, we want to be the first major general cargo logistics provider in Europe to use megatrailers instead of standard trailers,” says Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at Dachser. “While megatrailers are more expensive to acquire, they compensate for this during their operational period through greater efficiency. Furthermore, this advancement in process efficiency contributes to our long-term climate protection strategy.”

Climate Protection with Technical Innovations

Dachser pursues a long-term climate protection strategy that focuses on efficient logistics and technical innovations to achieve the 2-degree target of the Paris Agreement as well as the climate protection goals of the European Union and many other countries in the medium and long term. Dachser collaborates with customers and partners who also want to actively shape the transformation of logistics towards low and zero-emission technologies. Dachser concentrates its climate protection initiatives on four key areas: process and energy efficiency, research and development, and corporate citizenship, i.e., social and community engagement beyond the direct business interests of the company.

Photo: © Dachser