Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics invites employees and customers to two-day RoRo Rodeo

'RoRo Rodeo' is a successful American concept of knowledge sharing. In October 2022, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics organized it for the first time in Europe, in Zeebrugge. This year, the two-day event took place in Southampton, England. We asked Pieter Carrette, Health Manager at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, which notable logistics innovations caught his attention.

Wallenius Wilmhelmsen Logistics is the largest RoRo port in the world. The group provides scheduled logistics service worldwide through a fleet of more than fifty modern Roll-on Roll-off vessels. They transport a mix of products, from automotive, construction, mining and agricultural machinery to a wide variety of general cargo products. "Wallenius Wilhelmsen's 'RoRo Rodeo' events are always a unique opportunity for our employees, partners and customers to share insights and experiences on safe, ergonomic and efficient working in cargo handling and transport through hands-on product presentations," Pieter points out. 

"Last year, more than three hundred operations supervisors from our company - from various countries - attended our event. Among other things, they met with technical representatives from major machine builders, who explained the use of vehicles and machines."

Technical innovations in Southampton

This year, Southampton's terminal was the place to be for a new RoRo Rodeo. "It was once again a very inspiring two-day event, where various technical innovations were reviewed," confirms Pieter. 

"For example, a photobooth was presented that photographs vehicles in 360 degrees before they are driven off a ship. In this way, any damage to a vehicle is visualized very accurately. In the future, artificial intelligence may play an important role in identifying this damage automatically." Another notable innovation that came into focus in Southampton was the use of laser equipment to scan the height of cargo. "We saw an impressive feat of technological ingenuity," Pieter said. "Through the automatic scanning of vehicle or machine dimensions, it is possible to prevent cargo that is too high from coming aboard a RoRo ship."

VR safety training

Also in Zeebrugge, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is a pioneer in future-oriented business. "This year we were the first logistics company in the world to develop wordless VR safety training for our technicians," says Pieter. "As many as 34 nationalities work together in our company. Thanks to VR training, we overcome language barriers and realize more efficient training paths."

"In addition to using virtual reality
in our training courses, we also deploy the HoLoLens, a headset to evoke an operational environment with three-dimensional holographic images. With this, we can simulate, for example, how to fit accessories to a new vehicle in a 'vehicle processing center' and how to use tools correctly and safely." ■