A digitally monitored cargo restraint system and Active Reverse Control are the two innovations that loggers should consider!
The result of the two innovations are safer loading and more flexible trailer manoeuvres. BPW is celebrating its win of an important innovation prize. A jury of 16 international trade journalists and experts from the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) selected two innovations from BPW for the ‘Trailer Innovation 2019’ award. Both innovations combine a significant gain in safety with substantial cost savings for vehicle operators.
The ‘iGurt’ intelligent cargo restraint system and the ‘Active Reverse Control’ electro-hydraulic auxiliary steering not only reduce the operating costs for the vehicle, but also target the most common causes of accidents, which cause vast sums of damage each year: incorrectly secured loads and manoeuvring errors.
The ‘iGurt’ from BPW is a sensor that is quickly threaded onto the lashing straps. It measures the preload and displays this on the housing, on the driver’s smartphone and in the telematics portal. This means that the cargo restraints can be monitored at all times to ensure that they are correct and this can be documented seamlessly. Damage caused by excessive tension can also be reliably avoided. Inadequate securing of loads causes around 20 to 25 percent of road accidents in heavy-duty transport. Regulatory bodies find fault with more than 70 percent of inspected vehicles due to insufficient securing of loads. High penalties with costly and time-consuming re-securing and reloading work are the result, as well as high insurance costs. The ‘iGurt’ results in lower staffing costs for dealing with accidents and it reduces insurance costs significantly.
The ‘Active Reverse Control’ electro-hydraulic auxiliary steering system makes the trailer a dream to manoeuvre. The compact system does not require separate approval, is straightforward to fit and even retrofit – and is therefore so cost-effective that the manoeuvrability could potentially set a new standard for trailers. The auxiliary steering system is a clever enhancement of a BPW bestseller – the self-steering axle. Its design principle – which is also behind the manoeuvrability of office swivel chairs and shopping trolleys – gives the trailer a unique cornering ability and a tight turning circle, thus enabling massive savings for fuel and tyres.
A compact hydraulics and control unit and the intelligent sensors mean that, for the first time, the trailer now also offers this manoeuvrability during reverse travel. The sensors use the reversing light to determine whether reverse gear has been engaged; the steering angle is set fully automatically and can also be controlled separately using remote operation if desired. Source