Van den Bosch Transporten (Erp, The Netherlands) has procured 50 new 40FT silo containers. They will be used for the intermodal transport of dry bulk products in Europe.
“We want to further strengthen our position as one of the top 10 bulk transporting companies in Europe by this new investment”, says Business Unit Manager Wally Lentjes. The activities of the company comprises the transport of both dry and liquid bulk products via road, water and rail connections, thus intermodal transport.
The intermodal fleet for dry bulk presently counts well over one thousand silo containers, most of them being pressurized. The new 40FT silo containers can also be used for pressurized unloading.
“It makes these containers extremely suitable for the transport of both powders and granules”, Wally Lentjes explains. “This investment is made to further expand the transport of powders and granules in the European market. The focus is on the transport of food products, such as sugar and potato flakes, as well as on chemicals, such as PVC and technical starch.”
The investment in new silo containers perfectly matches the lightweight strategy of Van den Bosch Transporten, according to Wally Lentjes. “Many powders and granules typically have a low density, such as PVC powders and Low Density Polyethylene. As the density of these products is extremely low, we are able to transport more product mass in proportion. We top this by investing in lightweight equipment. The new 40FT silo containers weigh about one thousand kilos less than the 30FT silo containers, which results in further payload optimization and cost savings for our customers.”
Furthermore, pressurized container transport provides various quality benefits. Wally Lentjes explains: “The new containers have a smooth aluminum inner surface, making them easy to clean. Also, a rotary valve is not required to unload the product, meaning that the residual product risk after cleaning is zero. The quality of the goods being transported is guaranteed this way.”
