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BOX ® Intermodal & ContainersIntermodal & Containers BOX ®Bild: WeconNew MegaSwapBoxDevelop, build and test an intelligent transport systemBild: WeconHot „Brussels“ EU developments036For the containerrepresentation(s)in Brussels to besuccessful, oneneeds to bepatient whilehaving a longbreath.It is exactly 10 years ago (2003), theEuropean Parliament and Council proposeda Directive on the standardisationand harmonisation of intermodal loadingunits, with the objective to reduce inefficienciesin intermodal transport resultingfrom various sizes of containers circulatingin Europe.In 2012, the EU’s priorities were “efficientload units” for “seamless interconnectedlogistics” focusing on “standardised andmodular solutions (read below ‘New ModularContainers’) for freight transport vehicles”which overcomes “current physicalbarriers to collaboration” between the differentmodes of transport [EC/WP2012].Currently, 2013, EU authorities are aboutto update or ‘clarify’ the Directive relatedto Weights and Dimensions (Dir.96/53).Though opinions may differ, apparentlythere is a broad consensus in the industryon the necessity to accommodate palletwide containers of 45 ft length through anincrease in length of the vehicle by 12 or15 cm. Industry also requested to reducethe current administrative burden relatedto 45 ft containers by a release of theneed for special (border crossing) permitsof these containers. Extra space(+50cm/rear end) for aerodynamic devicesfor trucks will be handled with in thesame EU Directive.This loading unit topic reached ‘VIP’ levelssince even EC President Barroso was involvedin correspondence (July 2012) betweenthe European Commission and EUParliament to speed up these weights anddimensions issues. A final proposal wouldlikely be shared with the College of ECCommissioners for adoption in March2013.Develop, build and test an intelligenttransport system applicablefor road, rail, short sea and inlandshipping, consisting of a modular setof volume-optimised and trackable/traceable MegaSwapBoxes (MSB), aswell as an adapted trailer and a lowdeck tractor for the road transport:TelliSys. A mouth full for yet anotherambitious EU (FP7) funded industrialresearch project!TelliSys builds on the successful finelisedTelliBox initiative: tri-modal (road,rail and waterway); stackable, insideheight of 3 metres, loading capacity of100 m , top-handable, length of 45openable on 3 sides, pilfer and theftproof,complying with all existing standards,suitable for use on existinglow-loader railway wagons and usablein road transport thanks to a suitableadapted chassisIntermodal cocktail(www.eia-ngo.com/tellibox.html).Following the success of TelliBox, thegoal of the TelliSys project is to differentiatethe MSB in regard to requirementsthat are placed by the differenttransportation modes, commoditiesetc. The idea is to reach a higher flexibilityof the MSB by varying e. g. thelength, the number of openable sidesor by adding new options for tempera-We recently issued an ‘Intermodal cocktail’ in the form of an USBstick. It contains EU freight flows, infrastructure/terminal maps,port-hinterland strategies, potential capacity of ports, new markets,green corridors, names of operators, media tools and policy overviews.An EIA team desk-researched and selected it by striking abalance between strategic, tactical and operational issues relevantto intermodal transport.The tool saves you desk research time, whereas it can be used tosupport management decisions to better use existing capacity orto develop new markets. Order: info@eia-ngo.com (‘please send IntermodalUSB cocktail’). Costs: postal & usb stick €15.037