The logistics industry is facing major challenges: According to recent studies, there is a shortage of 400,000 secure parking spaces for trucks in the European Union alone. The result: dangerously parked and accident-prone vehicles, increased cargo theft, increased traffic and CO2 emissions due to the search for a parking space. Added to this is the pressure on drivers to stick to their driving and resting times. To address these challenges, Bosch Secure Truck Parking and TRAVIS Road Services have formed an alliance against the shortage of truck parking spaces in Europe: In a new partnership, the two companies will combine their units and offer transport companies the largest number of reservable truck parking spaces in Europe: “From the beginning of 2023, users of Bosch Secure Truck Parking and TRAVIS Road Services will have access to a total of 15,000 parking spaces at around 400 locations in 14 European countries, including in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France and Poland,” explains Dr. Jan-Philippe Werz, Head of Bosch Secure Truck Parking.
Joint action against lack of parking spaces
“Together, we are taking an important step towards addressing the challenges of the logistics industry,” said Dennis van Veghel, CEO of Travis Road Service. “In addition to the high safety standards that the majority of Bosch’s 100 locations meet, there is good site coverage with Travis Road Service’s nearly 300 parking locations.” The portals provide shippers with parking spaces in different areas, such as truck stops, truck marshalling yards and logistics centers. This approach allows new locations and parking spaces to be flexibly linked, promising further rapid growth in parking spaces. What changes fundamentally is the scope of the offer to existing customers: shippers can view and book all the parking spaces they need in real time via the usual platform, and invoice paperlessly with efficient group invoicing.
Individual offers are kept.
Regardless of the cooperation, Bosch and TRAVIS maintain their individual offers on their respective portals. Bosch Secure Truck Parking advises outside the platform on comprehensive solutions for the transport and logistics industry and supports shippers in the structural implementation of security and service solutions. Depending on the requirements, Bosch complies with European safety certifications such as the Transport Asset Protection Association (TAPA) certificates or the EU parking standards developed by the European Commission. This is important because the financial damage caused by cargo theft alone is estimated at around EUR 8.2 billion within the EU. Bosch has also recently introduced a service that provides shippers and drivers with support as needed via a Europe-wide telephone hotline.
On the other hand, TRAVIS offers a co-booking service for cleaning and repair services. Transport companies can continue to book these services at around 1,450 partner locations in 17 countries as usual. They can easily simplify their management by receiving just one invoice for different bookings or services that include special VAT rules (e.g. reverse charging mechanism). The possibility to pay and book road services using company fuel cards, which TRAVIS offers in cooperation with partners such as Shell, DKV or UTA, is also still available.
In short, the alliance between Bosch and TRAVIS results in a significant increase in truck parking spaces for trucking companies, their drivers and their customers, many of which have high safety standards. At the same time, it also relieves municipalities along major traffic axes of haphazardly parked trucks and reduces traffic hazards and the resulting accidents.
