• Express service celebrates topping-out ceremony at its new site in Bavaria
• A transshipment hub for the two networks: Express and ThermoMed
• Transshipment hall that is temperature-controlled at 15 to 25 degrees Celsisus, plus a separate area for chilled goods at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius
• Facility that offers photovoltaics, e-charging points, a heat pump and rainwater drainage system
• The Mayor welcomes the special sustainability of the sorting hub

The trans-o-flex express service, which specialises in pharmaceuticals and other sensitive goods such as cosmetics and electronics, is constructing a new site in Bavaria. Yesterday, trans-o-flex celebrated the topping-out ceremony for a new logistics hub in Steinach, situated right next to the A3 motorway between Regensburg and Deggendorf. “The new transshipment hub not only helps us to increase our capacities, but also enables us to create further synergies between our two networks,” said trans-o-flex CEO Martin Reder at the topping-out ceremony. “To date, both trans-o-flex Express and trans-o-flex ThermoMed have each had one site respectively in this region. In the future, both networks will operate under one roof.” To this end, a completely temperature-controlled transshipment hall is now being constructed on a 33,360 square metre site. The larger area is intended for the ambient handling of goods at 15 to 25 degrees Celsius and a smaller area for refrigerated goods, which are handled and transported by trans-o-flex ThermoMed at 2 to 8 °C. The hub is scheduled to open in May 2025.

From Steinach, trans-o-flex will then deliver and collect goods between Regensburg and Passau as well as from Landshut up to the borders with Austria and the Czech Republic. They are sorted on an automatic conveyor system with a capacity of up to 4,200 parcels per hour. The transshipment hall has 29 gates for lorries and 79 gates for the loading and unloading of vans.

“One key difference to conventional sorting centres is the sustainability of the facility,” explained Reder. “Solar panels will be installed on the roof and we will use the electricity they generate in the hall itself, to operate the heat pump for the heating or supply it to the charging points for our employees’ electric cars.” Connections are being prepared for the future charging of e-trucks and e-transporters. “The sorting centre offers high levels of thermal insulation due to its active temperature control system, LED lights provide plenty of light without consuming much electricity and all the rain that falls on the roofs and sealed surfaces of the site is collected and channelled into the drainage system in a controlled manner.” Last but not least, noise barriers that will be completely greened will be erected around the site. The hall is operated in combination with a free cooling system to minimise the use of its energy-intensive air conditioning system. The air conditioning system only has to be put into operation once the desired temperature in the hall can no longer be achieved by means of air circulation through supply air grilles and exhaust air fans. In this way, the temperature control required for the safety of the sensitive goods being transported is guaranteed at all times, combined with minimised levels of energy consumption.

The special sustainability of the logistics hub was also emphasised at the topping-out ceremony by Christine Hammerschick, First Mayor of the municipality of Steinach: “trans-o-flex is demonstrating here how the much-maligned transport industry can provide its services in an environmentally friendly manner and thus also secure the supply of important medicines to our population in the long term. As Mayor, I can only welcome the fact that this will create more than 100 jobs in our region.”