Awards Shortlist Information
Large Rental Company of the Year
Ardent Hire describes itself as a trailblazer for the UK rental industry, which it attributes to its focus on digitalisation, sustainability, and exceptional customer service.
Examples of its digital focus in 2023 could be seen in its collaboration with PoW Technology and Western Global to conceive, develop, and produce an inventive fuel management system.
The fuel IT system utilises telematics for heightened fuel accountability and transparency. “It can integrate with Ardent’s Site Manager platform, with 75 units being delivered to Ardent customers throughout 2023.
According to the company, the system showed “remarkable results that surpassed initial expectations”, with Colas, a Northeast contractor, noting an 85% reduction in fuel usage.
As a result of the early success, Ardent placed a further order for 100 units at the start of 2024 as part of a fleet expansion initiative.
Another success, the company says, is the increase in users of its digital platform throughout 2023, which increased by 175% in the year. The company also upgraded the software with the introduction of Delivery Tracker.
Meanwhile, the company continued to invest in new equipment, with £55 million put towards new equipment fleet in 2023. For example, it grew its fleet of roto telehandlers from 55 to 103 units in the 2023/24 period.
Outside of its operations, the company has established the Plant and Hire Aid Alliance, which has seen over 65 plant and hire companies in the UK and Europe collaborate to deliver £4.5 million of aid delivered to Ukrainian refugees in 2022 and 2023.
In terms of revenue, the company ended 2023 with a 6% increase in revenues to £75 million, 63% increase in profit to £7.5 million and EBITDA margins surpassing 50%. At the same time, the company invested £55 million in a new equipment fleet.
Acquisitions played a key part in a successful year for Spanish company Gam. 2023 saw the company acquired OZMAQ, a family company founded in 1983 in San Luis Potosí (Mexico), and Carretillas Mayor, a Spanish company with more than 30 years’ experience, specialising in rental and maintenance services for all types of handling, lifting, overhead cranes and AGVs.
With the addition of OZMAQ, the company has added more than 100 employees and a fleet of more than 1,100 industrial machinery units. GAM says the purchase is a significant step in its growth in Mexico, where it has been present since 2008.
In the case of Carretillas Mayor, a company specialising in rental and maintenance services for all types of handling, lifting, overhead cranes and AGVs, the company adds 220 employees and a fleet of 3,000 machines.
At the same time, GAM created new distribution brands with the aim of broadening the range of products available to its customers and consolidating its position as an integral supplier of solutions in the sector.
However, the company says that its start-up of Reviver, the largest remanufacturing plant in Europe, is “one of the most important events for GAM.”
The site is located on a surface area of 200,000 m2 – in which the company, through a circular economy process, will put back on the market some 3,000 machines per year, both nationally and in Europe.
In this way, GAM says it seeks to reduce the environmental impact by reducing the production of new machinery, while at the same time extending the useful life cycle of the machines, with their remanufacturing and the generation of spare parts.
In addition, Reviver will generate employment in an area that has been severely affected by depopulation. Reviver is estimated to employ more than 150 people when it is fully operational.
Under this same innovative strategy, the company is developing its own Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I) center, called GAM Innovation Lab.
2023 was a year of growth for Kiloutou, which reported 7% revenue growth (pro forma) and improving margin (+11% EBITDA) in a challenging declining construction market and inflationary environment.
The company also held a number of events in 2023 with a focus on the environmental transition, including the Construction of the Future event in Copenhagen.
In France, the company created the Sustainable Equipment Association in partnership with leading construction companies, equipment suppliers (OEMs) and also local rental companies to work together for a greened industry.
In recognition of its social and environmental goals, the company was awarded the Ecovadis Gold Level certificate for the 5th consecutive year. In terms of its fleet, it was the first European company to receive delivery of a full electric 32 tonne delivery truck to develop its emissions-free operations.
Digital development and innovation in its services were also two key factors for the success of the company in 2023.
Early in the year it launched its new commercial website Kiloutou.Fr, while September saw it launch a new customer portal, MyKiloutou, enabling customers to manage their rental contracts (extend, stop) but also giving access to telematics and carbon emissions reporting.
As a result, the company reported e-commerce growth of 60%, while portal weekly usage was multiplied by 10.
Finally, Kiloutou launched the Kiloubox lockers, set outside Kiloutou branches and enabling customers to return equipment 24/7 and to pick-up equipment with a reservation. Additionally, Kiloutou also developed an equipment-sharing app alongside its customers, enabling general contractors to safely share their Kiloutou equipment with subcontractors.
The YOUSE service enables a community of workers to book equipment and use it responsibly (control of user’s identity, machine safety check, insurance coverage). This service is now marketed and used in France on construction and industrial sites.
Portugal-based Machrent says that 2023 marked a year of remarkable growth in which it achieved a 27% increase in turnover and a 45% rise in EBITDA, all while developing rental concepts in new sectors like agriculture.
The company’s training centre also ranked as the top in Portugal for IPAF trainees, while it received the Five Star Award for three consecutive years, which it says shows its dedication to excellence and innovation.
Operating across various sectors including construction, industry, forestry, and agriculture, the company offers round-the-clock technical assistance and fosters innovation through machine sharing initiatives.
Machrent says it enters the Large Rental Company category with the most recent fleet in the market comprising over 1500 machines distributed across eight categoriess, and strives to offer the most sustainable and therefore greener solutions.
In terms of its contribution to the circular economy, Machrent says it continues to invest in cutting-edge technologies and promote eco-friendly solutions, which is characterised by its green-branded equipment.
At the same time, it says Its commitment to customer satisfaction is evident through its focus on key variables such as satisfaction, price-quality ratio, brand trust, and innovation.
Small- and Mid-sized Rental Company of the Year
Family owned Spanish company Alquisagar says it is an example that economically beneficial performance is not incompatible with the responsibility of leaving a better world for future generations.
The company says sustainability and the environment are main drivers, which it has actively pursued in recent years.
An example of this is its search for machinery which, driven by clean fuels, would offer a “remarkable operational efficiency.” It says this has been the protagonist of the company’s running in the last years and has generated a constant renewal of machinery.
Alquisagar says the assumption of this challenge has contributed to boosting its business growth. The process, which it describes as cautious in the beginning, accelerated over the past year, leading to significant advances in its operations.
It adds that the growing use of this type of machinery has facilitated the promotion of the company in the food sector. Specifically, for wineries in the D.O. Rioja.
The company says growth in 2023 allowed it to improve in a number of regions, including Logroño, Calahorra and Zaragoza. Meanwhile, it also signed commercial agreements with the likes of Kubita, Thwaited and Merlo, with which it has a developed a specific system of direct sales.
In Zaragoza and Calahorra, the company has seen its operational space increase with three new industrial warehouses. In Zaragoza and Calahorra, the company has seen its operational space increase with three new industrial warehouses, where it has opted for renewable energy sources by installing solar panels.
The company has also been involved in a number of key projects, such as the dismantling of the famous Andorra thermal power station in Teruel, the replacement of the grass at Las Gaunas Stadium in Logroño, which required special expertise, and various jobs at the new Amazon warehouse in La Muela (Zaragoza).
Scotland-based Blackwood Plant Hire generated revenue of £18million in 2023, with an operating profit of £2 million.
During that year Blackwood Plant Hire employed 180 people, with 10 of those starting as apprentices in the same year. In 2024, the company plans to increase its workforce by 8% and add an additional 4 apprentices.
Meanwhile, the company says investment in its fleet of more than 300 machines, alongside brand identity and championing plant as a career for young people and women, is some of the most important drivers as a business.
Part of that fleet expansion has seen Blackwood Plant Hire branch out into more specialist types of equipment. For example, its customers have the option of specifying new excavators to be fitted with tiltrotators which can increase productivity and reduce machine movement and fuel usage.
It has also fitted Trimble Earthworks machine control technology on its heavy excavator fleet and new dozer fleet, with other machines to be added that are Trimble Earthworks ready.
To tackle the need for better trained operatives and to address a wider skills problem in the industry, Blackwood Plant Hire has its own training academy, which it opened after identifying a customer need.
The company has also embraced apprenticeships, recruiting numerous young people over the years into both plant operator and plant mechanic roles.
Furthermore, the company says it is a champion of women in rental and a “highly engaged” member of the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA).
Blackwood Plant Hire also supports the Women in Plant Working Group and regularly provides paid leave for female staff to attend SPOA meetings and events.
For health and safety, the company has introduced an app for staff that provided health and safety updates and monitors lone workers on breakdowns and remote jobs. It has also embarked upon the process of standardising Safety Shield on its rental fleet, the most advanced AI human form recognition safety system which has an over 99% accuracy rate.
Irish company Dromad Hire says one of the significant achievements in the last year is that of its total fleet investment, 70% of which was described as eco-friendly (electric or hybrid powered).
That investment formed part of its larger focus on innovation and sustainability, alongside investment in more reliable equipment and improvements in environmental & waste, diversity, communications, sustainability, training and its people. The company says it offers a range of access platforms and general plant equipment, all less than 12 months old.
2023 also saw the company launch an Approved Trade-Ins Division within its ex-rental sales. The division sees the company generate a price based on the assessment of equipment, and if the equipment passes a checklist, Dromad can offer a discounted price on anything from its Approved Ex-Rental Equipment Sale Stock.
In the last 6 months the company has also invested in its workforce, with the aim of improving operations in all departments. Last year, Dromad also introduced a five-day working week from Monday to Friday, which it says has benefited the operations and general staff mindset.
For customer satisfaction, Dromad scored 90% on Mystery Shopper reports in 2023, which rated the company on a number of factors, including its facilities, service, product range, availability of equipment required and branding.
Velafl, an Iceland-based dealer for Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe), more than tripled the size of its fleet to meet the growing demand for rental equipment in the country in 2023.
That follows the addition of 29 new units that it added in 2022, which it attributes to its growing success in Iceland.
As the authorised Hitachi dealer in Iceland, Velafl rents construction equipment from the manufacturer to its customers (as part of the Hitachi Premium Rental scheme).
This comes amid a change in strategy for the company, moving from selling Hitachi construction machinery towards renting, which it says has helped to meet the needs of its customers, who face rising costs.
In terms of rental, the company says it has become a growing market of opportunity, having started the Hitachi rent-to-rent scheme in 2021. As such, it estimates that as much as 80% of its business comes from rental.
According to Velafl, until recently there has only been one dedicated rental company in Iceland, which has meant that potential customers have been reluctant to rent machines in a relatively underdeveloped market.
The company says it has worked to change the perception of rental in Iceland and is now making good ground in the country due to its efforts.
The company also offers servicing on all the rental machines as part of its offering.
Rental Product of the Year
Ecosun Innovations says it designed its Frame-Watt is a mobile solar system to contribute to the energy transition.
The system for container roofs, which can be integrated into the rental portfolio of rental companies, underwent expansive deployment across sites in 2023, Ecosun says, with it set to be deployed at the Paris Olympics Games in association with its rental partners.
With an area of almost 15m², Ecosun says the roof of a standard container offers enormous potential for the use of solar energy. It says its vision was to tap this potential and create a sustainable energy source that is particularly used in temporary applications with limited space.
During the development of the Frame-Watt, the focus was on the following aspects: easy integration into the transport logistics of rental companies, robustness and maximum solar power yield.
It can be easily integrated into existing network infrastructures and offer immediate operational readiness without complex installation or configuration. Thanks to the plug-and-play principle, they can be used wherever they are needed.
The expandability of the Frame-Watt makes it possible to cover larger energy requirements by connecting several systems to one another. Thanks to its space-saving design and robust construction, the Frame-Watt is said to be ideal for temporary use such as construction sites.
Meanwhile, its laterally extendable modules, which doubles the PV area to 12 modules and extends beyond the container roof area, enables an output of around 4.7kWp and ensures optimal energy harvesting.
It is available in both DC and AC systems, depending on the customer’s individual requirements. In the AC configuration, the system integrates seamlessly into existing grid infrastructures, while the DC version in conjunction with our battery storage, the Solar Hybrid Box, offers maximum autonomy.
Up to 16 frames can be transported on a semi-trailer vehicle, while at the same time the modules remain protected by the intelligent design.
In terms of the ecological value, Ecosun says a single system in Europe produces up to 8,000kWh per year (Lisbon location). Compared to fossil power generation, for example with a diesel generator, up to 6,400 kg of CO2 can be saved every year. In addition, the shading effect over the container ensures that the air conditioning system runs less within the container space.
2023 saw France-based EODev sell its 100th GEH2, an electro-hydrogen generator, a product that it says is “setting standards in the industry in terms of environmental impact” and “leading the rental industry to a zero-emission era.”
To date, the company has worked with several of the biggest rental companies across more than 25 countries around the world, including Loxam, Kiloutou, GCK, Revolt and United Rental.
Having been established four years ago, the company says it has been involved in a number of key projects for the company’s development with a worldwide deployment.
For example, it has “reinforced relations” with distributors and clients from all around the world to increase visibility and the amount of usage and application cases with its hydrogen power generator.
As such, the GEH2 has been deployed on several type of events and manifestations to power them without emissions.
One such case was with Kiloutou, which used the unit or several type of events over the year. The main one occurred in the south of France for a mountain bike course that lasted for a whole weekend. The solution powered the electrical bikes attending the event by recharging them under a dedicated tent.
At the same time, Revolt used it to run an installation for the Parisian music festival We Love Green back in June 2023. For 4 days, the GEH2 powered partially one specific stage and area of the festival which was not connected to the grid at all.
Elsewhere, Genpower, its Dutch distributor, managed to synchronize three GEH2 units in early 2024 to power a zero-emission construction site managed by key local actors. Tennet, the local grid operator and A.Hak specialise in the building industry. For 2 weeks the solution was running to provide up to 210kW continuously and recharge the electrical machinery on site plus a 500kW capacity battery pack.
Komatsu says it designed its PC33E-6 mini excavator to set new standards in emission-free operation, with “exceptional performance and unrivalled safety features.”
The company says the machine significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to engine types, as it is electric, with no emissions at the site of operation.
The mini excavator, which is compact thanks to its small swing radius of 1020mm with a minimal overhang over the track of 240 mm, offers a 17.4kW electric motor. This is powered by a long-lasting 35kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
It has an operating weight of approx. 3620kg (3.6 tonne), including weather protection roof, work equipment, driver and standard equipment. Also included in the standard equipment is an external 400 V fast charger for particularly efficient battery charging (from 20% to 100% in 1.8 h).
The PC33E-6 also comes with the Komatsu E-Support customer program. Created specifically for owners of Komatsu PC33E-6 electric mini-excavators, this program consists of three parts: Factory-scheduled maintenance performed by a Komatsu-trained technician using genuine Komatsu parts, an additional warranty for the machine, and a warranty for select electric drivetrain components.
It includes free factory scheduled maintenance for up to 3 years or 2,000 hours of operation, whichever comes first, as part of the extended warranty. The component warranty on the new high-quality components for the electric drivetrain offers even greater operational reliability. These include, for example, the battery and inverter, the external charger and the electric motor. The exclusive warranty period here is up to 5 years or 10,000 operating hours.
This offer is based on Komatsu’s conviction to provide its customers with the greatest possible support and safety when using Komatsu machines. This is the only way to take a joint step towards alternative drives and thus towards a long-term successful future based on partnership.
Niftylift’s HeightRider 15 Hydrogen-Electric (HR15 H₂E) platform integrates hydrogen fuel cell technology with the all-electric drive features of the HR15E All-Electric boom, providing continuous zero-emission operation without the need for traditional charging facilities.
The company says it addresses the urgent demand for sustainable, high-efficiency work platforms, offering operational benefits such as lower maintenance costs, improved ease of use, and enhanced energy economy.
The hydrogen fuel cell efficiently charges the machine’s batteries, doubling its range while emitting only water vapour. In doing so, the HR15 H2E addresses environmental concerns and supports operational net-zero targets with its easy-to-replace G20 Hydrogen bottle system.
Niftylift says this means the HR15 H2E addresses environmental concerns and supports operational net-zero targets with its easy-to-replace G20 Hydrogen bottle system.
The HR15 H₂E features a number of the same benefits of its HR15E All-Electric boom, such as operational cost savings, compact design, and advanced features like AGM batteries, onboard diagnostics, and comprehensive battery monitoring. It also includes SiOPS and Niftylink telematics.
According to Niftylift, its hydrogen-electric technology is a “pioneering step in the industry”, offering a practical solution to reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution, particularly in urban and indoor settings. This technology is said to enhance operational efficiency and aligns with the increasing environmental regulations and net-zero targets.
Its design addresses current environmental challenges and provides a long-term solution for companies aiming for sustainability. Its versatility and green credentials make it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications, ensuring broad market appeal.
Amidst the backdrop of more stringent regulations across Europe, Trime set about designing and manufacturing a range of generators that are comparable to traditional diesel sets in terms of power provided, but gives the user a positive reduction in terms of fuel consumption, CO2 emission and total costs.
The range combines Stage V-compliant engines, lithium batteries, inverters and solar panels that can provide emission-free power.
When the battery level is low, the engine automatically starts and begins to recharge the batteries.
Whilst the engine charges the batteries, it delivers stable power from the sockets, which means the user can continue to work. Immediately after the batteries are fully recharged the engine will shut down and the set will operate entirely from its batteries.
The solar panels will continue to charge the batteries (even when the generator is not in use) throughout the day which reduces the overall time of recharges. It is also possible to fit the set into additional solar, free-standing solar panels that increase the power to charge the batteries.
They are available in 5kVA, 8kVA, 15kVA, 24kVA, 30kVA and 45kVA sets and are designed to be comparable with traditional diesel sets in terms of power provided, all while reducing fuel consumption, CO2 emission and total costs.
The company says it believes the range will revolutionise the way temporary power is delivered to worldwide construction and outside event sites.
Early results from site reports have shown a reduction across a number of areas. For example, One of Trime’s distributors, PR Power, based in Perth, Western Australia, was asked to offer up an efficient power system to provide power for a wheel washing system on a construction site, in Brisbane.
Previously the company had used a standard 20kVA diesel generator. Peak power was needed to power the pump, which was only operated at irregular intervals, therefore the generator consumed over 3-litres of fuel per hour when the pump was idle.
PR Power delivered a Trime MGTP 15000/20 THS 3P generator. During the 365 days, with an 11½ hours average of working time on the construction site, the MGTP 15000/20 THS 3P allowed the customer to reduce fuel costs when compared to a previously deployed 20kVA diesel machine.
The MGTP 15000/20 THS 3P is fitted with a 320-litre fuel tank, which subsequently allowed the customer to reduce the refueling operations (compared to the 100-litre tank size of the 20kVA diesel generator) and other related costs. At the end of this period, the client saved 82% of costs – equated to approximately £28,400 GPB or $54,592.37 AUD.
Wacker Neuson describes its battery-powered reversible vibratory plate APU3050e, pary of its zero-emissions portfolio, as a groundbreaking achievement in the realm of construction equipment, representing the first reversible vibratory plate to incorporate the DireX direct drive system.
DireX ensures high efficiency and a maintenance-free operation, while also eliminating the transmission and friction losses as it does not use a V-belt..
The company says this contributes to the plate’s low maintenance requirements and an extended battery runtime.
The APU3050e is powered by the Battery One lithium-ion battery, a universal energy solution that can be used in the APU3050e vibratory plate as well as various other compaction equipment from Wacker Neuson – and further manufacturers.
The vibratory plate compacts up to 333sqm of soil with one battery charge (with the Battery One BOB14). If the battery is discharged, it can be replaced with a charged battery in a few simple steps.
According to Wacker Neuson, the Battery One system, with its three battery packs – BOB5 with 504 Wh, BOB10 with 1008 Wh, and BOB14 with 1425 Wh – standard and quick chargers, and a modular transport systems, meets market demands for flexibility, safety, and value in use.
It says that it has been designed with rental-parks in mind, with Its “user-friendly features” such as “easy and quick starting and changing of the battery” and “easy adjustability of the center pole” making the plate more convenient for the user.
The reversible battery-powered plate features an easy control, a direction adjustment through a hydraulic system, and a push-button start to further simplify the operation, making it suitable for both experienced and inexperienced users.
At the same time, the integration of features from Wacker Neuson’s conventional vibratory plates, including continuously variable forward and reverse speed, sophisticated base plate geometry, and built-in wheel set for easy transportation around the construction site, is said to further enhance manoeuvrability.
ERA Technical Committee Award – Compliance with ERA guidance
JCB has integrated ERA’s recommendations on tie down and lifting points in their design. They have equipped their machines with a QR code directing users to Quick Start Guide that provides all the necessary information about the machine.
They stipulate a range of standard operating procedures and policies, which ensure that each ERA requirement is covered during the PDI process, meaning that machines are rental ready upon delivery to the customer.
Rental companies have access to JCB technical publications and training from level 1 to level 4. JCB has always been an advocate promotor of Telematics, introducing LiveLink almost 15 years ago to capture machine data.
LiveLink developed from a data capture system to a sophisticated portal providing users with a variety of information and action proposals and is fully compatible with ISO Telematic Standard.
Tie down & lifting points are part of the design for all new Manitou products. 100% of Manitou telehandlers & MEWPs are delivered with an instruction guide providing the basic information for logistics, start-up, daily maintenance.
In addition, since beginning of 2023, every machine is equipped with a QR code providing all information, available in the language of the operator scanning the QR code.
PDIs are done by Manitou dealers’ network in line with the Key Accounts charter for each machine. Level 1 to Level 4 technical trainings are available for Rental companies.
Tie down and lifting points are key items related to machine usage safety so higher standard is set for these. Volvo CE internal PDI is above ERA recommendations.
ERA Telematics requirement is used as a starting point, and, from there, Volvo CE develops the API to fulfil the requirements from ERA.
ERA Sustainability Committee Award – Best emission reduction case study involving rental products
Boels describes SmartControl Insights digital service platform as a “game-changer for the worksite, redefining project management with its cutting‐edge digital service platform.”
The solution offers real‐time insights into energy consumption and automates emissions tracking from various machines, simplifying environmental impact reporting. This, according to Boels, not only saves time but also enhances transparency and accountability across projects.
Boels says central to SmartControl’s prowess is its ability to tackle the pressing issue of CO2 emissions during construction head‐on. Through real‐time insights into energy consumption and automated tracking of emissions from various sources, SmartControl equips customers with the tools to identify and mitigate their carbon footprint swiftly.
It also enables proactive measures to drive change, the company adds. Whether through optimising energy usage or transitioning to electric alternatives, SmartControl is said to enable users to make informed decisions that not only reduce emissions but also yield tangible cost savings.
One key feature is its Equipment Pool module, fostering a sharing economy that minimises machine and transport requirements at construction sites.
By facilitating shared usage among subcontractors and enabling on‐site equipment returns, Boels says SmartControl enhances productivity and safety and slashes rental costs with less fleet on site and less transport to site, delivering substantial benefits for both the environment and project budgets.
Sunbelt says it’s dedication to customers with rental solutions to help reduce emissions was more apparent than ever in 2023, with the company undertaking a number of projects that required temporary power solutions.
In that regard, the company has deployed its Battery Storage Units (BSUs) across the UK. The company says that when working alongside traditional generators, they deliver periods of fuel free, emission free and noise free power, reducing generator run time significantly and saving fuel.
A case study of that reduction was on show last year when the company worked alongside a film production company to pioneer an innovative energy solution on a brand-new movie being filmed at Sky’s flagship TV and film studio at Elstree, north London.
Through analysing the peak production demands and available power supply on this project, a ‘power at mains parallel system’ was designed utilising mains power and Sunbelt Rentals’ Battery Storage Units to reduce the need for back-up generators.
In this case, additional power was needed over and above the 63-amp 3 phase mains supply available to support the filming of the movie.
Sunbelt says the studio would have usually needed additional generators to deal with periods of higher demand, but a hybrid power system was implemented utilising two large batteries to subsidise the mains power, with one generator supplied as back-up only.
The two 318kVA Battery Storage Units provide primary power to the studio and are configured to work in unison with the mains supply to power 16 cabins, 4 workshops, 2 spray booths, 1 craft services, technical vehicle support (such as props and lighting) and electric vehicle charging facilities.
As the batteries need charging, they are set up a ‘trickle charge’ overnight and when the load is low, utilise the mains supply. During working hours, the batteries use their stored power, automatically responding to varying spikes in energy demands, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of power.
Six months into filming and the batteries provided power to site 99% of the time, with the generator only being called upon for 4 hours in total across a 6-month period.
When compared with a traditional generator power solution, the system saved over 104,000 litres of fuel and carbon emissions have been reduced by 33.7 tonnes when compared with HVO, or 330 tonnes when compared with diesel. A total cost fuel saving of £220,000 has been made, and the overall commercial saving over the 6-month period was £20,800.
Zeppelin Rental says its new equipment sharing app (Rental+) significantly reduces CO2 emissions during individual construction phases by optimising machine utilisation and reducing the number of transports to and from the construction site.
Having undertaken a one year case study, the company noted that 55 shareable Rental+ machines (e.g. aerial work platforms, earthmoving equipment, or material handlers) were used on a construction project in Germany.
The equipment had been used by various contractors during different construction phases in accordance with the equipment sharing principle of the app solution.
The availability of its assets directly on site for all contractors throughout the various construction phases ensured that the machines only had to be transported once to and from Zeppelin’s nearest rental station (110km).
Meanwhile, the transports were planned and optimised in such a way that at least two machines were transported on one trip.
As a result, the machines were shipped approximately 12.000km in total. This multiple utilisation advantage was observed frequently for the 55 machines, which resulted in an average of 70% less transports.
In a comparable project, without the use of the Rental Plus app, Zeppelin says the contractors usually take care of the organisation of the machines required for their construction work individually. As a result, approximately three times as many machines were required and delivered for the work to be carried out (approx. 165).
In addition, each machine would be delivered individually. With an average delivery distance of 110 km, this results in almost 74.000 km of transportation. A modern heavy-duty truck has an average fuel consumption of approx. 30l/100km. The case study revealed that around 62.000km was saved on the construction project thanks to the use of Rental+. This corresponds to approximately 18.600 litres of saved diesel and up to 49.290 kg less CO2 (18.600 km * 2,65 kg).
