At first glance, it appears to be an ordinary scene in a loading bay: steel coils, a lorry with a trailer, and a few workers equipped with hammers, nails, and pieces of wood. You can hear the clattering and muttered curses, and smell the characteristic scent of freshly cut pine – the smell of traditional logistics. Although wood is cheap and readily available, it still reigns supreme as a material for supporting steel coils. However, this dominance is maintained only by force of habit.
From an efficiency point of view, this scenario is an anachronism. Each transport requires the manual construction of wooden structures, which increases loading time and man-hours required. Operators complain about downtime and costs, while accountants lament the silent but consistent avalanche of losses that accumulate year after year. Although wood seems cheap, it can hit your pocket when you have to use a new piece for each trip.
Then there’s the ecological issue of all those blocks and supports that end up in the bin or furnace after one or two uses. In an era where companies want more than empty slogans about sustainable development in their ESG reports, wooden wedges seem like a relic of a bygone industrial era.
Not to mention safety. Wooden supports can break, shift and sometimes even crumble under the weight of a ten-tonne roll. One sudden manoeuvre on the road can turn an apparently stable load into a potential accident hazard.
It’s no surprise that operators such as P&O Ferrymasters are starting to opt for more modern solutions. According to Niels van der Putten from the company, the reusable KLP® Coil Transport Cradle was created to solve these outdated problems, reduce loading time, and improve driver safety.
Steel coils transportation: key features and advantages of transport cradles
Anyone who has seen a ten-tonne coil start to ‘dance’ on a transport platform during sudden braking knows that reality can be far from romantic. In a world where every second of downtime costs money and every damaged load can result in losses amounting to thousands of euros, engineers have long sought a way to combine safety, durability and logistical sense. Enter the transport cradle from Lankhorst Engineered Products.
It is not just another plastic gadget that ends up in the scrap heap after a few trips. The CTC is a robust, reusable structure made of thick-walled plastic and designed specifically for transporting steel coils on standard platforms. It is a solution that, let’s not be afraid to say it, brings a breath of fresh air to an industry where the word ‘innovation’ often arouses more suspicion than enthusiasm.
The product looks solid, and has the paperwork to prove it. TÜV certification and testing in accordance with VDI 2700 confirm that this unassuming piece of engineering really does improve safety. This means that the design has been rigorously tested in conditions that simulate the real transport of heavy coils; it has not just been ‘tapped’ in the laboratory as part of an internal test. Consequently, the carrier can rest assured that the steel coil will remain exactly where it should be.
There is also something to be proud of from an environmental point of view. The cradle is made of 100% recycled plastic and can be recycled again after a long service life. So this is not just another ‘green’ marketing slogan, but a genuine closed loop. Furthermore, the product fits perfectly into reverse logistics as it can be returned and reused.
Photo credit: Lankhorst Engineered Products
Anyone concerned that such versatility might come at the price of limitations need not worry. The set of two clamps can easily hold a coil weighing up to 10 tonnes and with a diameter of 900 to 1250 mm. This eliminates the need for specialised trailers with ‘reel recesses’, as everything can be transported on a standard platform. In the current climate, where any excess investment in rolling stock is problematic, this is music to the ears of logistics professionals.
As if that were not enough, the whole system has been designed with everyday work in mind to be straightforward, consistent and, above all, safe. The solution stabilises the coil, even on uneven surfaces, thereby minimising the risk of movement and protecting both the steel and the people around it. So you could say that this solution does more than just “meet the standards”; it actually makes a difference where steel meets asphalt.
Bas Brouwer, Product Manager at Lankhorst, knows this world inside out. With 25 years of experience, he has seen more than one wooden support break under the weight of reality. His practical knowledge and understanding of the industry’s problems contributed to the creation of CTC.
Although plastic does not sound like a material worthy of steel giants, it makes a difference in practice: it does not absorb moisture, it does not damage the trailer floor, and it allows the coils to be stacked. In transport, where every journey and every kilogramme counts, KLP® is not just a gadget; it is the logical next step. After all, if something can withstand 10 tonnes and hundreds of journeys while remaining recyclable, it’s more than just an ‘alternative’ to wood.
Is this the end of the era of wooden wedges? Maybe not yet. After all, the industry likes its habits. However, those who have tried KLP® with a steel coil are unlikely to go back to using boards and chains. When something works, saves time and protects goods and the environment, it’s hard to ignore the difference. Even if that difference comes in the form of an inconspicuous plastic cradle.
