Big data, artificial intelligence, IOT, M2M, interconnected solutions: the 4.0 evolution of transport and logistics is revolutionising the mobilisation of goods, opening up new perspectives and leading to major changes in companies and professionalism.

But what does Industry 4.0 mean for the transportation sector?

“The 4.0 Transition as a facilitating law does not concern vehicles (as defined in Article 1 of Italian Directive 70/156/EEC). Having said that, a large number of systems and equipment in the road haulage industry can also be included among the so-called technologically advanced tangible capital goods”, points out Antonello Villa, VP - Business Development at AMA - Applicazioni Mobili Avanzate [Advanced Mobile Applications].

“Industry 4.0 is a single concept with Logistics 4.0” - adds Giorgio Fiammenghi, Chief Marketing Officer of Ubiquicom - “In transport it means using IoT to contribute to the safe efficiency of warehouse operations through location-based technologies (RTLS) and Artificial Intelligence. Transportation of goods is increasing due to the expansion of e-commerce. The transport sector is under great stress due to rising fuel and personnel costs. Businesses and logistics operators can cope with these external conditions by streamlining internal processes and reducing loading and unloading times. Industry 4.0 is also about safety, with anti-collision machine-to-machine, man-to-machine and lone workers such as hauliers.”

“For transport, Industry 4.0 means products that comply with the requirements of Italian Law no. 232 of 11 December 2016, such as our REYESOL system, which has been approved following a certified technical assessment carried out by an ACCREDIA-authorised body.” - specifies Edoardo Angelini, FIWAY Sales Manager - “So, REYESOL allows direct access to the benefits provided by the new Industry 4.0 regulations, but above all to remotely control all the relevant parameters of the fleet, interconnecting and integrating with the customers' business systems”.

Infogestweb-Golia identifies Industry 4.0 with its own product, as Claudio Carrano, General Manager, told us: “When I think of Industry 4.0, my mind immediately goes to our platform, GOLIA (Gestionale Organizzazione Lavoro Imprese Autotrasporto, i.e. Road Transport Companies' Work Organisation). The technological devices we offer are in fact certified and allow our customers to access Industry 4.0 incentives with the aim of accelerating the company's digital and technological transformation. I consider this to be a very important factor for the sector in which we operate, where representative companies need to be as efficient as possible. All the platforms that companies use to improve their work need to be interconnected to increase productivity and business data management. Golia allows interfacing with other company software for GPS tracking and travel planning: all transport can be organised on a single platform”.

“As a company we have been focused on the implementation of Telematic solutions capable of adapting different types of equipment to the mandatory and additional requirements of the National Industry 4.0 Plan since 2018, allowing those who purchase them to access the tax credit and have, at the same time, the good interconnected with factory systems and remotely controlled.” – Emanuele Cefalo, CEO of SIPLI FLEET, told us – “In less than four years, tens of thousands of pieces of equipment have been upgraded all over Italy, also in response to requests from multinational companies, including leading manufacturers and fitters, who have recognised our expertise and analytical skills that they could not find in other companies on the Italian market. The various types of suitable equipment include work vehicles, operating machinery, waste disposal equipment, building and construction equipment, tractor units and various types of suitably equipped semi-trailers. The services offered, in addition to the feasibility study, include giving technical support to the fitter/builder of the equipment and supplying and installing the turnkey, fully interconnected solution in accordance with the 5+2 requirements”.

For those who adopt it, this new freight handling concept offers a tangible series of advantages, not least of which is the possibility of accessing government incentives, as Villa pointed out: “It is undeniable that the first tangible advantage is the tax benefit in the form of a tax credit of up to 40% of the investment”. But that’s not all: “It has to be said that in the medium term the use of 'smart' systems and fittings also brings a number of very interesting and above all measurable operational benefits, and this is the real added value of the Transition 4.0 paradigm.” – he added – “At AMA - Applicazioni Mobili Avanzate we currently only have one pre-packaged solution, and that is on-board weighing, i.e. the ability to weigh the load with great precision without using a roadside weighbridge. Hauliers know the disadvantages and risks of not having load weight data immediately available. For the rest, we have a 'tailor-made' approach to the 4.0 issue, focusing on listening to the customer's needs and identifying the best solutions that can be adopted, focusing on the requirements dictated by the incentives available”.

Carrano emphasises the importance of cost optimisation: “The main advantage of a 4.0 solution is economic. By investing in our services, companies can not only save money, but also increase the profitability of their business. This is possible thanks to our platform, which monitors the fleet, plans trips and offers much more to optimise the resources available to all businesses in the goods and passenger transport sector. Infogestweb’s Golia is the first software capable of creating intermodal routes, helping to reduce environmentally harmful resources and fuel costs. From a single platform like ours you can access numerous services, such as legal assistance (Golia Legal), training courses (Golia Academy) and Golia International, dedicated to the posting of drivers”.

Cefalo also returns to tax deductions, but reiterates that they are only one part of the savings their solutions can guarantee: “In addition to the tax credit, currently available at 40% and a major help in the decision to purchase the asset itself as well as valid financial support, the advantages of adapting the asset to the National Industry 4.0 Plan also include management benefits. The digitalisation process with which SIPLI FLEET introduces the company into the so-called 4.0 era highlights the remote management of equipment with the possibility of knowing, in real time, the progress of the activities carried out and the optimisation of the work cycle. In addition to the advantages mentioned for Industry 4.0, there are also those arising from the monitoring and control of vehicles in general, including the possibility of having a tool that can provide information in real time and useful for improving or, in some cases, jump starting a real management control, thereby increasing management efficiency and reducing non-quality costs, as well as increasing profitability in terms of EBITDA”.

Fiammenghi continues by announcing the innovations that Ubiquicom will be bringing to Transpotec: “The IoT RTLS (Real-Time Locating System) solution, SYNCHRO is a WMS booster for large logistics-intensive companies that integrates localisation and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to optimally orchestrate loading/unloading tasks. Double-digit percentage savings can be achieved on truck operating costs, thanks to the reduction in average mission times, the reduction in loading and unloading bay bottlenecks and delays. To reduce and prevent accidents, we offer a range of solutions and devices based on innovative technologies such as UWB (ultra wideband). PROXIMITY is a machine-to-machine, man-to-machine collision avoidance system. uTag T is a device for the safety of lone workers such as drivers”.

Finally, Angelini emphasises the usefulness of these systems to simplify the life of those involved in logistics, whether they are the customer or the carrier: “FIWAY’s fleet control and monitoring solutions are aimed at both the owner of the vehicles and the owner of the goods being transported. Through a new, modern and simple web portal, it is possible to view and control the situation of the fleet at a glance. By connecting to our website or to the APP and entering a dedicated user and password, the customer has a solution designed for the needs of the fleet, with a quick view of the vehicles and any alarms, and the possibility of customising the reports to be analysed and sent to the customer. The web portal also allows the possibility of exporting data, by means of web services, for the integration of fleet data in third-party systems. This allows the customer to optimise the information available on a single system, simplifying the logistics and fleet management operators' activities”.