With the "Free Tyre Check" the Rotterdam harbor cares for more traffic safety and relies for this purpose on the innovative tire inspection system PNEUSCAN from VENTECH Systems.
When leaving the APM Terminal at the Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam, the truck drivers can chose one of three lanes. On one of them the trucks drive at 10 km/h - without having to stop - and pass over a sensor surface. The measuring equipment installed into the floor quickly checks the "foot print" of the tires on all axes. If the system measures at least 7.5 bar for all tires, the display outside the driver's cabin shows a green smiley and the truck driver will have "green light".
But if a red smiley is shown on the matrix sign further inspection is required. At the information column, the driver receives upon pressing a button a report and knows whether he should see a tire service as quickly as possible.
By the way: Besides the measuring results the print-out provides also information and addresses of local tire specialists as service with added value.
Pilot project in terms of traffic safety
As Gabriel Kierkels, head of the department "Health, Safety, Security and Environment" at the APM terminal reveals, the tire inspection system shall provide more traffic safety on the highway network and shall on the other hand in no way disturb the smooth processes at the terminal. For this reason, the exit of the logistics premises was selected as location for the PNEUSCAN system. Many of the truck drivers already know and appreciate this system. Those having a need for further advice are informed by means of multi-lingual flyers as well as detailed internet information.
The complete PNEUSCAN equipment from VENTECH Systems is running at the APM Terminal Maasvlakte since May 2, 2015. The joint initiative from Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, APM Terminals and De Verkeersonderneming is a pilot project.
Crucial for the use of the fully automatic tire pressure inspection system was the fact, that on the roads around the Rotterdam harbor two trucks per day on average fail due to flat tires. A tire blow-out even caused a fatal accident in one of the tunnels.
If the results are positive after the test phases, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam and De Verkeersonderneming are ready to have these measuring systems also installed at other locations in the harbor area. A second location at the Distripark Eemhaven is already taken into consideration.
By means of the tire inspection the operators provide an efficient contribution to increase safety of the vehicles on European roads. The main objective is to reduce the number of accidents due to tire failures as much as possible. Especially in the region around the harbor area traffic jams due to accidents have very negative effects on the overall traffic flow.
Marcel Zuidgeest from ZTA Expertise, Oosterhout, underlines that the tire inspection is effected on a voluntary basis. Actually, we do not want to additionally burden the drivers, but to convince them that the tire inspection helps to ensure their own safety.
The driver can - but is not obliged to - roll over the sensor surface. However, a positive measuring result means that the driver can be relaxed and is better concentrated at his work place. After all, the fleet operators and forwarders also profit from a smooth running of their service provisions.
The "Free Tyre Check" has positive effects on the economic efficiency and environment, as an adequate tire pressure saves fuel and thus reduces the CO2 emissions. In Rotterdam, everybody is convinced that the PNEUSCAN equipment from VENTECH Systems is an efficient solution and they assume that it will also be fully accepted by the drivers.
Everyone at the APM Terminal is completely satisfied with the course of the cooperation with VENTECH Systems. The in-house services take care of the daily upkeep of the equipment, but maintenance and optimization work is carried out upon agreement with the Dorsten specialists. For individual coordination and detail questions, they always have a "sympathetic ear" there. Furthermore, an automatic software check is carried out at regular intervals so that eventual functional disorders of the system are quickly detected and can be easily removed.
Andreas Pietsch, technical head of VENTECH Systems comments: "We are happy that such an important platform as the Rotterdam harbor uses our tire inspection system. We especially support the customer APM Terminal, because the system works on a voluntary basis and contributes to the motivation of the professional drivers."
Conclusion: It would be very positive, if the Rotterdam initiative acted as a precedent for other countries. This could be promoted by traffic safety organizations worldwide.
When leaving the APM Terminal at the Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam, the truck drivers can chose one of three lanes. On one of them the trucks drive at 10 km/h - without having to stop - and pass over a sensor surface. The measuring equipment installed into the floor quickly checks the "foot print" of the tires on all axes. If the system measures at least 7.5 bar for all tires, the display outside the driver's cabin shows a green smiley and the truck driver will have "green light".
But if a red smiley is shown on the matrix sign further inspection is required. At the information column, the driver receives upon pressing a button a report and knows whether he should see a tire service as quickly as possible.
By the way: Besides the measuring results the print-out provides also information and addresses of local tire specialists as service with added value.
Pilot project in terms of traffic safety
As Gabriel Kierkels, head of the department "Health, Safety, Security and Environment" at the APM terminal reveals, the tire inspection system shall provide more traffic safety on the highway network and shall on the other hand in no way disturb the smooth processes at the terminal. For this reason, the exit of the logistics premises was selected as location for the PNEUSCAN system. Many of the truck drivers already know and appreciate this system. Those having a need for further advice are informed by means of multi-lingual flyers as well as detailed internet information.
The complete PNEUSCAN equipment from VENTECH Systems is running at the APM Terminal Maasvlakte since May 2, 2015. The joint initiative from Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, APM Terminals and De Verkeersonderneming is a pilot project.
Crucial for the use of the fully automatic tire pressure inspection system was the fact, that on the roads around the Rotterdam harbor two trucks per day on average fail due to flat tires. A tire blow-out even caused a fatal accident in one of the tunnels.
If the results are positive after the test phases, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam and De Verkeersonderneming are ready to have these measuring systems also installed at other locations in the harbor area. A second location at the Distripark Eemhaven is already taken into consideration.
By means of the tire inspection the operators provide an efficient contribution to increase safety of the vehicles on European roads. The main objective is to reduce the number of accidents due to tire failures as much as possible. Especially in the region around the harbor area traffic jams due to accidents have very negative effects on the overall traffic flow.
Marcel Zuidgeest from ZTA Expertise, Oosterhout, underlines that the tire inspection is effected on a voluntary basis. Actually, we do not want to additionally burden the drivers, but to convince them that the tire inspection helps to ensure their own safety.
The driver can - but is not obliged to - roll over the sensor surface. However, a positive measuring result means that the driver can be relaxed and is better concentrated at his work place. After all, the fleet operators and forwarders also profit from a smooth running of their service provisions.
The "Free Tyre Check" has positive effects on the economic efficiency and environment, as an adequate tire pressure saves fuel and thus reduces the CO2 emissions. In Rotterdam, everybody is convinced that the PNEUSCAN equipment from VENTECH Systems is an efficient solution and they assume that it will also be fully accepted by the drivers.
Everyone at the APM Terminal is completely satisfied with the course of the cooperation with VENTECH Systems. The in-house services take care of the daily upkeep of the equipment, but maintenance and optimization work is carried out upon agreement with the Dorsten specialists. For individual coordination and detail questions, they always have a "sympathetic ear" there. Furthermore, an automatic software check is carried out at regular intervals so that eventual functional disorders of the system are quickly detected and can be easily removed.
Andreas Pietsch, technical head of VENTECH Systems comments: "We are happy that such an important platform as the Rotterdam harbor uses our tire inspection system. We especially support the customer APM Terminal, because the system works on a voluntary basis and contributes to the motivation of the professional drivers."
Conclusion: It would be very positive, if the Rotterdam initiative acted as a precedent for other countries. This could be promoted by traffic safety organizations worldwide.
