In 2023, DSV will double the life of 1,100 trailers on its European lanes, kicking off a new trailer refurbishment programme in collaboration with equipment service provider TIP Group.
“DSV has high ambitions for operating more sustainably. Realising those ambitions often involves high-level innovation and new technologies. But sometimes, we can achieve great value with solutions that are more straightforward. Refurbishing rather than replacing our trailers will enable us to save carbon while delivering services of a continued high quality to our customers,” says Søren Schmidt, CEO of DSV Road.
Typically, DSV uses a trailer for approximately five years before it returns it to the leasing company or manufacturer. Refurbishing a trailer after the first five years, DSV expects to add another entire lifecycle of five years of use to the trailer.
In addition, refurbishing a trailer entails significantly lower emissions. The refurbishment of DSV’s 1,100 trailers includes replacing those parts of the trailers that are most subject to wear and tear, such as the brake discs, brake pads, airbags and side and roof curtains.
Based on TIP Group’s calculations, refurbishing a used curtainsider emits an estimated 2.7 tonnes CO2. This includes both materials, energy and heating used for the refurbishment. The difference in emissions between a new and a refurbished trailer shows emissions savings of an estimated 16 tonnes per trailer and approximately 18,000 tonnes for the total 1,100 trailers.
“Refurbishing our trailers is a great example of how circular economy initiatives can bring us closer to realising our sustainability ambitions. With limited resources available globally, we must think smarter and more responsibly when it comes to the consumption of those resources,” says Søren Schmidt.
Source: DSV
