SEAT is strengthening its fleet of duo trailers and giga trailers , and many of you are now wondering what this is about — we'll be right there… As you might guess, behind the cars that manufacturers make, there's a whole logistical world associated with their production.
Many of the parts that make up a car are not produced in the same place where the car is assembled, obviously needing to be transported. Option that is made using road transport (but not only), that is, trucks.
In order to reduce the logistical costs of this activity, both economic and environmental, SEAT started a pilot program in 2016 by putting into circulation its first gig trailer and in 2018, the first duo trailer.
After all, what are they?
We still refer to trucks or rather, mega-trucks as you will understand. But as the name implies, it is not so much about the truck or tractor itself, but about the trailers and semi-trailers they carry.Subscribe to our newsletter
THE trailer duo it consists of two semi-trailers measuring 13.60 m each with a total length of 31.70 m and a gross weight of 70 t. It is designed to circulate on highways and by being able to transport the equivalent of two trucks, it effectively reduces the number of trucks on the road, reducing logistical costs by 25% and CO2 emissions by 20%.
SEAT also states that it is testing new nine-axle trucks and 520 hp that promise to reduce emissions by 30% when compared to conventional trucks. Also noteworthy is the lowest occupied area on the road: six duo trailers occupy 36.5% less road space than six common trucks.
THE gig trailer , despite its name, is smaller than the trailer duo. It consists of a 7.80 m trailer plus a 13.60 m semi-trailer — maximum length of 25.25 m — with a gross weight of 60 t, being able to reduce logistical costs by 22% and CO2 emissions by 14%.
It's not exactly the Australian road trains (road trains), but the advantages of duo trailers and giga trailers (the result of the combination of existing trailer and semi-trailer types) are evident, not only because of the reduction in the total number of trucks to traveling on the road, as well as by the consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.
The SEAT duo trailers and gig trailers
SEAT was a pioneer in Spain in the use of duo trailers and giga trailers, and after the pilot programs decided to expand the routes of suppliers using these mega-trucks.
Today, there are two duo trailer routes, which link the factory in Martorell (Barcelona) to Teknia (Madrid) in the supply of interior finishing parts; and Global Laser (Álava), which deals with metal parts, a route recently started.
There are also two giga trailers in use that connect Martorell and Gestamp (Orcoyen, Navarre) to transport materials related to the bodywork; and one more for KWD, also in Orcoyen.
Dr. Christian Vollmer, Vice President of Production and Logistics at SEAT“SEAT's commitment to sustainability and logistical efficiency is part of our goal of reducing the impact of production to zero. like the number of trucks on the road”.
And the railroad?
SEAT also uses the railroad to transport vehicles leaving its Martorell factory — 80% of production is exported — to the Port of Barcelona. Called the Autometro, the 411 m long convoy has the capacity to transport 170 vehicles in double-decker wagons, preventing the circulation of 25,000 trucks per year. In October 2018, the Autometro line reached the milestone of one million vehicles transported, 10 years after its entry into service.
It is not SEAT's only train service. The Cargometro, which connects Martorell to the Free Trade Zone of Barcelona, is a freight train for the supply of parts, preventing the circulation of 16 thousand trucks per year.