Without this invention, the transportation of perishable goods, such as food or medicines, over long distances would not be possible. The idea of having access to fresh vegetables, fruits, or fish in our local store would remain a dream. Today, we’ll look at the origins and development of temperature-controlled transport. Refrigerated Transport: Early Experiments of the “Ice King” and the First Refrigerator Humanity discovered long ago that storing perishable food in cool conditions helps...
A Brief History of Refrigerated Transport
Electric Road Systems: Zero-Emission Road Transport in a Different Way
Truck manufacturers are tirelessly working to offer electric or hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks and semi-tractors with increasingly larger operational ranges. Range (and still high prices) remains the biggest limitation in the widespread adoption of EV and FCEV vehicles in the transport and logistics industry. Insufficient charging infrastructure along highways and expressways also continues to be an issue. Hence, alternative projects collectively known as Electric Road Systems (ERS) are...
Road Trains from Down Under
When you think of Australia, images of kangaroos, koalas, the Sydney Opera House, the "Mad Max" film series, Foster's beer, and a slew of Hollywood stars like Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie probably come to mind. However, for those in the logistics and transport industry, Australia is synonymous with something else entirely: road trains. Road trains are as Australian as a “kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree” and a Vegemite sandwich. These massive rigs consisting of a semi-tractor and two...
The First Motor Vehicle Powered by Fuel Cells Was…a Van
The revolution in electromobility is gaining momentum. More and more automotive manufacturers are introducing electric cars to their offer, and some brands are completely eliminating models with combustion engines from their portfolio. Electric drives are also gaining popularity among commercial vehicles such as vans, and, although to a lesser extent, trucks and semi-tractor units - with an increasing tendency from year to year. The situation of vehicles powered by fuel cells, or in simple...
Trucks of the Future… but from the Past
The history of trucks and semi-tractors is filled with projects that seemed innovative or futuristic at first but ended up only as interesting side notes. Even though these vehicles didn't make a lasting impact, they showcase the creativity and forward-thinking of their inventors. Here, we highlight five trucks that were considered cutting-edge when they first appeared. Dodge Airflow Tanker In the 1930s, the directions in which the future of the automotive industry was to go were set...
ETS and Others. The History of Truck Simulation Games
Simulations are a unique genre of computer and video games. It has been around almost as long as the entire electronic entertainment industry. At first, simulators allowed you to sit at the controls of airplanes or racing cars, and in the following decades, developers came to the conclusion that almost any type of human professional activity could be turned into a video game. Also driving a 40-ton semi-truck. Today, fans of computer sim games can play as digital versions of car mechanics,...
A little Bit of Knowledge About Tachographs
Tachograph - a device that probably holds no secrets for truck drivers and other professionals in the transport industry. However, not every person operating in the logistics industry needs to know exactly how a tachograph works, which has been a mandatory equipment of trucks operating on European routes for several decades. Let us briefly describe what a tachograph actually is and what it is used for. What is a tachograph? Tachographs are mechanical, analog or digital devices that are...
Artificial Intelligence in Logistics. Is There a Place for AI in Our Industry?
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a walk, not even a run, but a real sprint. AI solutions are rapidly entering new industries, significantly transforming the way various companies operate on a daily basis. Modern logistics is an industry characterized by significant complexity of processes. How can AI change the landscape of our industry in the coming years? Is there any room for support from AI technology in logistics? In this article we will try to answer these...
Transport Management System from the Perspective of Coyote Logistics Experts
In one of our previous articles, we introduced you to what a TMS, i.e. a transport management system, is and explained what tasks it can be used for by companies from the logistics sector. But what does it look like in practice? We invited four Coyote Logistics experts who use TMS on a daily basis to share their comments and reflections on working with the transport management system. Here's what they told us. The following people participated in the roundtable discussion: Anna Rauch, EU...
Electricity or Hydrogen? What Will Be the Future of Road Transport?
The year is 2029. Auto Trucks - big semi-tractors with even bigger semi-trailers - are speeding along the highways in the rural USA. What's so special about them? Tractors do not have driver’s cabins. Why? Because they are autonomous vehicles that do not need drivers at all. This is how the future of road transport was imagined in 2017 by the creators of the sci-fi flick entitled "Logan". Will driverless trucks really be on the roads in just a few years? It's really hard to say, although...