trans-o-flex ThermoMed, the specialist for temperature-controlled shipments within the trans-o-flexfamily, has extended its service range while also doubling its capacity within a few months with
the inclusion of temperature-controlled logistic services in the range of 15 to 25°C.In addition to the already existing handling module for the 2-to-8-°C shipments, trans-o-flexintroduced a new transport solution for products with the temperature ranging between 15 and 25°C.
“Following this step, we meet all logistic demands that the pharmaceutical industry makes onthe trans-o-flex Logistics Group: actively temperature-controlled shipments in the two requiredtemperature ranges taken over by ThermoMed as well as the shipment of temperature-insensitiveproducts taken over by trans-o-flex Schnell-Lieferdienst”, said Carsten Glos, Managing Director oftrans-o-flex ThermoMed. Both areas include the transport of parcels and pallets. “Our customers arenow offered the complete service from a single source”. The necessary capacity extension andre-organisation was completed in less than six months.
With respect to the depot infrastructure, the company doubled its cargo-handling capacitiesat the 38 depots. While the vehicles currently still dock directly to the cold-storage cells, theseunits will soon be connected by an additional handling module set up in front of the cold-storagecells. This module’s gates offer enough space for both docking articulated lorries andtransporters. This accelerates the handling process in general and also facilitates the sorting ofpalletised goods, trans-o-flex said in a statement.
The technology was tested and further developed within the scope of a pilot project that tookplace in the summer of 2009 at the company’s location in Weinheim. In order to enable the closedcooling chain for both temperature ranges, trans-o-flex ThermoMed, re-organised its complete depotnetwork as well as its entire vehicle fleet in Germany from June 2009 onwards. From October 2009onwards, the optimised depots will successively be put into operation in all locations of theThermoMed network with the whole re-organisation to be finished presumably in the first quarter of2010.
The company acquired more than 100 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter transporters with a specificchamber construction featuring two variable cold-storage cells arranged one by one. An additionalfleet of more than 200 two-chamber vehicles is provided by Rhenus Life Sciences GmbH & Co. KG,which was acquired by trans-o-flex ThermoMed in July 2009 and discontinued its independentoperations in September 2009.
The new handling modules are manufactured by Saarbrücker Karosserie-Fabrik GmbH. Establishedin 1926, the company specialises in superstructures for small lorries, especially refrigeratorlorries and has already manufactured many vehicles for the trans-o-flex group.
