FERCAM – No Tour without PNEUSCAN

In order to have the 2,850 load units of their own vehicle fleet deliver their freight on time and safely to the customer’s plant, the traditional and multi-specialist provider of transport and logistics relies on modern and eco-friendly vehicles as well as on innovative solutions.

Today, Fercam disposes of an international logistics network with 394 distribution centers as well as 75 own branches and employs around 3,400 people. Besides classic Intermodal transports on road and rail the South-Tyrol company transports huge quantities of sea and air freight and realizes regional and local dispositions. They offer various special services such as Cargo projects or exhibition logistics.

For the purpose of highest possible product safety, systems like satellite supervision, digital damage detection as well as monitoring and alarm systems are used.

The logistics company, which is certified according to ISO 9001, was recently awarded for its environmental management system thanks to sustainable development concepts. Within this context, we should like to hint at the “green” warehouses with photo-voltaic equipment, but also at the innovative, ecologically relevant tire inspection.

Simple Handling, efficient Inspection

Still a young addition to the management which is oriented to efficiency, economic feasibility and sustainability is the tire inspection system PNEUSCAN installed on the Bolzano premises by the specialist VENTECH Systems from Dorsten. The Fercam transport units roll at walking speed over the sensor plate mounted into the floor and the condition of the tires is shown on a display. In a matter of seconds the high-tech equipment measures tire pressure and depth of the sculptures and signalizes to the driver as well as to the scheduler any possible problems. A big advantage for the Fercam fleet offers PNEUSCAN by means of the vehicle identification: Thanks to two video cameras the license plates of all tractors and also of the alternating trailers or semitrailers are detected, so that the measuring values can be assigned without a doubt.

The fleet and workshop supervisors Josef Schroffenegger and Eduardo Gualdi initiate the replacement of the tires in the company-own tire workshop, if the inspection shows that tire pressure is too low. Their statement on the new acquisition: “The automatic tire check is a relief for us as well as for the drivers. Besides the increased safety in road traffic, we can save tires and schedule their procurement more easily. Not least in the case of correct air pressure, mileage can be increased and the environmental impact can be reduced.”

Andreas Schreck, working for Fercam for around 10 years, can only agree as professional at his steering wheel: “Compared to the past, when we still checked the tires manually, we can now save a lot of precious time and are on tour with the certainty that we will not experience a break-down somewhere with a flat tire.”

Thus, automatic tire inspection became a responsible matter of course. According to Dr. Andrea Boninsegna, Head of Marketing at Fercam, about 83,600 tires were checked during the five months since commissioning of the PNEUSCAN equipment. The axis load was measured at more than 35,700 axes as well. This additional feature of the PNEUSCAN system offers to the operators an additional benefit in the overall management and helps – in the case of differing requirements on the European roads – to avoid further costs.

Heiko Briegel, responsible for the sales D-A-CH-I at VENTECH Systems GmbH, has taken care of the South Tyrol customer right from the beginning. He sees further potential in this development: “Especially a logistics provider with the format of Fercam, who sets on highest safety, economic efficiency and quality, obtains clear competitive advantages by using innovative technologies.”

Johann Harder, Fercam Branch Manager, Bolzano: “The procurement and responsible usage of the PNEUSCAN tire inspection of VENTECH Systems is an integrative part of our economic premium standard. Because of the huge volume of our international logistic tasks, it is important to us to achieve a maximum of safety and efficiency for the Fercam fleet by means of simple handling. Amongst the winners are besides our company also the customers, the complete traffic infrastructure and not at least the reduced environmental impact.”

Conclusion: Thanks to the fully automatic PNEUSCAN only safe vehicles of the Fercam fleet drive on the Italian roads and via the Brenner road towards European destinations. Reliable provision of services and highest possible traffic safety are thus the trade mark of the South Tyrol logistics company.