Kühne + Nagel is the first Logistics company in Germany to rent a complete fleet of the energy-saving RX 70 Hybrid diesel trucks from STILL, the known maker of customized internal logistics solutions worldwide from Hamburg. At the fair grounds in Hannover, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Nuremberg and Munich, various goods including fragile glass cabinets, bulky wooden boxes and complex rod assemblies are moved at minimum energy consumption and reduced CO2 emission with playful ease through the narrow corridors of the fair halls.

Kühne + Nagel Expo Service, being one of the largest fair logistics service providers worldwide with branches in Europe, Asia as well as North and Central America offer their customers a complete fair and event package including all of the respective complex services. Andreas Kerkmann, KN Expo Service branch manager in Hannover, explains: “We provide frictionless fair hosting by personally attending our customers. In setting up and removing fair stands quickly, efficient use of forklift trucks plays an essential role. Last year alone we had about 38,000 hours of operation on our major fair venues. To enable us to move the complex goods even faster and more efficiently, we have tested the trucks of the latest generation in fair ground application. In the test, the RX 70 Hybrid from STILL scored best by far at a consumption rate considerably below that of the models it was compared to. This is why we decided to rent a complete fleet of twenty RX 70 Hybrid trucks which we operate at the fair grounds in Hannover, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Nuremberg as well as Munich.” This makes Kühne + Nagel the first Logistics company in Germany to operate a fleet of RX 70 Hybrid trucks from STILL at trade show fairs.

Rental fleet to increase flexibility
Opposed to normal shift operation in a producing company, the trucks at fair grounds are subject to very volatile demands. Branch manager Andreas Kerkmann at Kühne + Nagel underpins: “For this reason we cover nearly 90 percent of all applications with rental trucks. The transparent cost structure allows us to handle a very broad range of different requests and orders.

To ensure full availability of the trucks in the long run, regular service is indispensable. The large number of STILL branches ensures fast service at every fair ground.” The project manager responsible for the hybrid rental fleet at STILL, Oliver Hoffmann, adds: “We also adapt the trucks to individual requirements for specific applications.” For this, the hybrid trucks are equipped with minimum fork length 2,000 mm, particle filter for indoor operation in fair halls, full cabin with heater for outdoor operation and paint of the counter balance weight in K+N blue.

Ten hybrid trucks with a load capacity of three and three and a half tons respectively and closed mast heights ranging from 2,180 mm to 2,925 mm and lift heights from 4,480 mm to 6,430 mm were delivered to the five major fair grounds in Germany. Besides the standard equipment, ten RX 70 Hybrid are equipped with a hydraulic double pallet handler. Oliver Hoffmann emphasises: “Trucks with low closed mast heights were ordered for the fair in Cologne were they also operate in cellars with low ceiling heights. Kühne + Nagel Düsseldorf, in contrast, asked for trucks with large lift heights. To increase the comfort for the drivers, all trucks were equipped with an exclusive, air suspended seat with a seat heating.” The head of the technical department at Kühne + Nagel Hannover, Uwe Gildner, underlines: “The initial scepticism of the drivers concerning the new RX 70 Hybrid has by now transformed into full enthusiasm.”

The right rental truck for every application
Be it counter balance trucks with different drive types, warehouse equipment, various reach trucks or tractors, STILL offers a range of 60 different vehicle types and is able to rent the right truck for any occasion. A fleet of about 6,000 rental trucks is available at 33 locations in Germany.

The manager responsible for short term rental in Europe at STILL, Oliver Hoffmann, underlines: “Especially in times of high utilisation or in case a customer’s truck fails, our customers are perfectly prepared by our ‘Full-Service’ rental trucks. Due to an increase in the demand we have enlarged our pool of rental trucks in Germany by 500 new trucks already in the first quarter of this year.” Besides this special accessories and attachments such as fork arm positioners, bale clamps, role clamps or double pallet clams are part of the rental range offered by STILL. Also available any time are special trucks with long forks and high lift capacities up to 16 tons such as needed for special requirements like assembly of racks or pressure vessels or to move heavy machinery. “Our tight network and the numerous subsidiaries in 17 European countries currently provide a total of 23,500 rental trucks. If a customer needs a truck, we are able to provide the truck at short notice from a branch nearby.