Emons History – Emons Cargo 2WIN Fleet Development

This year, the Emons Group celebrates its 80 years in logistics. It seems a good moment to have a look back at where we came from. In this blog, we would like to briefly retrace the history of Emons fleet development. Let us show you the beginning of it all and the development of our fleet with the technological advancements of trailers and trucks over the years.

Join us for this little trip down memory lane!

The history of the trucking industry’s evolution is long and fascinating. From horse-drawn wagons to today’s self-driving prototypes, it covers about a century. Emons family businessstarted in1943 with one truck. In its 80 years of existence, our company witnessed many changes and technological innovations with its tractor units.

One of the first innovations was the adoption of gas-powered trucks. In 1953, the Emons Group introduced the third LPG-powered truck in the Netherlands.

After World War II, the trucking industry grew significantly, and commercial vehicles history really started. Transportation company evolution grew together with trucks and trailer fleet development. Trucks become larger and more powerful. Sleeper cabins were introduced to accommodate long-haul drivers.

From the 1960s on, driver’s comfort and road safety gained more attention. The introduction of air suspension systems and, later, the first anti-lock braking systems (ABS) contributed to improving the overall driving conditions. In the 1980s, computerized engine control systems came about improving fuel efficiency as well as diagnostic and maintenance.

As concerns about the environment grew, innovations started moving towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving fuel efficiency and introducing alternative fuels. LNG-powered trucks, for example, appeared in Europe between the mid and late 2010s.

Like in the 1950s with LPG, the Emons family soon embraced this innovation and nowadays, about 30% of the Emons fleet runs on LNG.

In the following years, the history of truck development focused more and more on decreasing CO2 emissions and increasing safety features. Upgrades in the aerodynamics of vehicles and optimization of the engines brought about improvements in fuel efficiency. At the same time, collision avoidance systems, lane departure warning, and adaptative cruise control enormously enhanced road safety and driving comfort.

After this little excursus in truck fleet history, we reached today. Nowadays, truck manufacturers pay much attention not only to safety, comfort and environmental impact. They also have an eye for aesthetics.

Just have a look at one of our previous news and check the tractor units that recently joined the Emons fleet. DAF trucks with optimized combustion and improved aerodynamics. And they look so cool!

The first double-deck trailer in the Netherlands was introduced in 1991. Who did it? Emons, of course!

In 1992, in collaboration with the German transport company Schober, Emons devised and developed the 2WIN concept. A transportation company evolution took place and Emons Cargo 2WIN set off on the conquest of the double-deck transportation niche market putting its signature on another cargo transport milestone.

In the following years, the production of the 2WIN trailers was entrusted to three manufacturers: Langendorf, Bruger Carrosserie, and Van Eck. They all contributed to our trailer fleet expansion and, of course, to the Emons Group’s history.

One of the innovations Emons introduced was the tail lift on the back door of the trailer in 2004. At first, it only comprised the external lift. One year later, in 2005, it was upgraded with an internal lift improving loading and unloading efficiency.

In 2010, one of the first double decks became the ‘Mobile Drivers Training Centre’. The Emons Drivers Academy was born.

Not exactly a technological innovation, but surely an important Emons Group transportation legacy and an innovative location for both practical and theoretical training!

In the course of the years, our 2WIN fleet went through many changes and improvements. There is not space enough here to mention any single little technological or mechanical advancement that makes our 2WIN the safe, secure, and efficient trailers they are today.

One big innovation, however, must be mentioned. Solar panels. Between project, development, and testing it took more than a year to witness the birth of the first ‘2WIN Solar Powered.’

Today, a good share of Emons Cargo 2WIN fleet is equipped with solar panel systems making our fleet more sustainable than ever (read about it here).

We hope you enjoyed this little dive into Emons Cargo 2WIN history. We are quite proud of it. Looking back at our roots gives us motivation and energy to keep improving and innovating. Now, we are looking forward to stepping into the future and continuing to make our 2WIN fleet even more beautiful, safe, and sustainable than it is already.