trans-o-flex pilots Germany-wide network for active temperature control

Trans-o-flex Logistics Group, the German-based subsidiary of Austrian Post, is starting a testrun next month of its new nationwide network for the active temperature-controlled transport of

From September onwards, trans-o-flex will be trialing the network under everyday conditions forseveral weeks. The company generates about half of its revenues from transport and logisticsservices for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Tighter EU regulations for the transport of pharmaceuticals, under the EU’s so-called GoodDistribution Practice (GDP) regime, have pushed the reorganisation of trans-o-flex, supported andpromoted by its parent company Austrian Post. The aim is to help trans-o-flex stand out from itscompetitors more strongly than before and ensure sufficient capacity for direct deliveries ofparcels and pallets in its core industries of pharma and healthcare, in view of the growing demandfor temperature-controlled transport.

This week, the company announced that it had created all the necessary conditions for the launchof its new ambient network for the transport of pharmaceuticals in the temperature range 15-25°C.The basis of the network is a fully air-conditioned central transshipment centre in Kassel,northern Hesse, Germany. Transport will partially be conducted via special temperature-controlledvehicles as well as via conventional vehicles equipped with actively temperature-controlledboxes.

Other measures that have been implemented in time for the test run include air conditioning inthe bonded warehouses and the installation of equipment for measuring and documenting thetemperature at every location, which has been connected to a centralised temperature monitoringsystem. The remaining works will be completed over the coming weeks, the company said.

At the same time, the production of active temperature-controlled cooling boxes for bothstandard vehicles and special thermo-vehicles is on its way. The first of these boxes have alreadybeen installed in existing vehicles.

With its trans-o-flex ThermoMed system, the trans-o-flex group already offers its customers aGDP-compliant transport solution for sensitive pharmaceuticals that is today used for thoserequiring a temperature between 2-8°C or between 15-25°C. The new ambient network will graduallyincrease the capacity for transporting shipments within this temperature range.

The goal is to almost double the company’s transport capacity for shipments in the 15-25°Ctemperature-controlled range.

Christian Knoblich, Managing Director Sales and Marketing at trans-o-flex Logistics Group, said:“We are on schedule for this major project and will be able to start on the exact date we promisedour customers last year. We have been, to date, the only logistics service provider to invest thesubstantial capital, know-how and workforce in developing a nationwide distribution system formedical products that satisfies the conditions of the new EU GDP.”