Swiss Post Delivers Electrically to the Construction Site

The logistics of a construction site must be planned and coordinated down to the last detail. Especially in urban areas with limited space, construction companies often face significant logistical challenges. The Post, as a logistics company, lends a hand: it takes care of the entire construction logistics planning as well as the transport, storage, and disposal of materials. This saves money, time, noise, traffic, and CO2 emissions.

(Bern) The more complex and larger a construction site, the higher the demands on logistics: the right materials must be at the right place at the right time, access and exit routes must be coordinated, and delivery, storage, and disposal of materials must work together ideally. Particularly in urban areas, space conditions are often limited, making logistical challenges especially great. For about four years, construction companies have also been able to rely on the support of the Post. It is only natural that the Post provides services for construction logistics: as a national logistics company, it has decades of experience in the storage, planning, and transport of goods and materials.

The Post Assists in Planning as Well as Implementation

Deployment on construction sites: The Post takes over the planning as well as the transport, storage, and disposal of materials. Well-thought-out planning is the be-all and end-all of any construction site: How are loading, unloading, and maneuvering areas optimally utilized, and how are potential bottlenecks identified early? What is delivered, parked, and disposed of when and where? How is access to the construction site regulated? Such questions require precise and reliable planning. The Post supports construction companies in this planning.

In collaboration with the Swiss company Amberg Loglay, it creates a digital representation of the construction site and thus plans the precise deployment of materials and labor. This also involves proprietary digital services. For example, a software tool coordinates goods lifts and cranes to avoid overlaps or unnecessary waiting times. The Post not only handles the planning tasks but also many operational activities on-site, trains contractors, and ensures what is central to a construction site: that all logistical processes run smoothly and that the necessary materials are available on time. The Post also takes care of access controls, signage, the transport of materials on the construction site, and last but not least, the proper separation and disposal of the resulting construction waste.

Consolidation Warehouse and Electric Trucks – Two Firsts at Roche in Basel

For transport to the construction site, the Post uses electric trucks: less noise, fewer emissions, less CO2. In Basel, Roche is currently implementing one of the largest construction projects in Switzerland: a new research center. The Post coordinates and takes over the transport of goods for Roche to, from, and on the construction site. To do this, the Post is taking a completely new approach: it operates Switzerland’s first consolidation warehouse in Pratteln.

All suppliers deliver their goods and materials to this warehouse outside the city. Here, the Post stores the materials, consolidates them, and transports them bundled to the right place on the construction site at the right time. This prevents partially empty trucks and reduces the number of trips by about 60 percent. Additionally, the Post primarily uses two new electric trucks for these transports from Pratteln to the large construction site in Basel. This also pleases the residents: they benefit from less noise, fewer unpleasant emissions, and reduced CO2 emissions.

Photos: © Swiss Post