Ardagh Glass Packaging-Africa, part of Ardagh Group, has introduced five cutting-edge Smart Trucks to enhance its logistics capabilities. These Performance-Based Standards (PBS) vehicles will strengthen the glass manufacturer’s delivery fleet through a partnership with DP World.
Paul Curnow, CEO at AGP-Africa, said, “These state-of-the-art vehicles represent a major leap forward in transportation efficiency and safety for our operations. The Smart Trucks feature innovative designs that deliver improved productivity while simultaneously reducing environmental impact and infrastructure wear.”
The new Smart Trucks offer impressive specifications – each truck can carry 100 pallets, 28 more than the existing fleet – with a 55 tonne payload capability and an overall laden length of 30 metres. They are equipped with advanced dual-fuel engines that use both diesel and compressed natural gas. According to DP World’s analysis, these vehicles cause approximately 50 percent less road wear per tonne of payload and are expected to deliver a 37 percent reduction in carbon emissions per pallet shipped.
“Over the next six years, we estimate these vehicles will eliminate approximately 1.7 million kilometres of travel and prevent 1,765 tonnes of CO2 emissions, supporting our sustainability strategy and efforts to reduce emissions.” added Curnow.
Safety remains a top priority at Ardagh, and Smart Trucks are equipped with advanced, comprehensive safety systems. These include EBS brakes on all trailers, auto-inflating tyres and self-weighing functionality. The vehicles also feature adaptive cruise control, dynamic and corrective steering systems, driver-alert support, lane-departure warnings and lane-change support.
While the Smart Trucks represent the business’s forward-looking ambitions for reduced carbon emissions, the refreshed branding that will identify these vehicles is a nod to the company’s strong legacy, with a nostalgic reference to the 2016 award-winning advert featuring the iconic Consol preserve jar.