DHL Freight, a unit of the German logistics giant DHL, has deployed one of the very first LNG-powered Iveco Stralis long-haul trucks capable of towing a mega-trailer.

DHL said last week that the truck would operate under a year-long trial period as a daily shuttle between DHL’s logistics center and a BMW Group production plant in southern Germany.

Thanks to a higher loading height mega trailers in road transport are particularly important for the automotive industry.

Since last year’s contract renewal with the BMW Group, DHL has been managing the automotive manufacturer’s supply chain in seven additional areas as well as all road transport between 17 countries.

It is worth noting that DHL Freight gained initial experience with LNG trucks in Belgium. Since summer 2018, four of these heavy-duty long-haul trucks have been part of a sustainable transport solution for one of the world’s largest developers and sellers of athletic footwear and sportswear.

Now, for the first time, a natural gas-powered truck can be combined with a mega-trailer, a feat previously not possible due to tank design.

An internal loading height of three meters makes this equipment a preferred solution in the automotive sector as it offers not only more loading capacity but also the possibility of loading larger spare parts.

DHL Freight is increasingly investing in alternative drives for short- and long-distance transportation to meet Deutsche Post DHL Group’s target to reduce all logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050.

LNG-fueled trucks offer 15 percent higher fuel efficiency compared to traditional diesel-powered engines and have a reach of 1,500 kilometers.

They also emit 99 percent less particulate matter and up to 70 percent less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than the levels required by the current Euro VI diesel norms.

To remind, DHL Freight purchased four liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Stralis trucks from Iveco in Belgium back in June 2018.