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After a successful launch in May 2022, the product, which belongs to the transport expert EUROGATE Intermodal, is already on track towards expansion. Just a few clicks, and intermodal transports are confirmed – that‘s how quickly bookings work via the cloud-based, all-in-one platform railMybox. Additional organisation, management and administrative work for transports are all smoothly handled online. And with transparent pricing, customers benefit from an overview of total costs, without hidden surcharges.
„With railMybox, we revolutionised intermodal container transport booking,“ says Christopher Beplat, a member of the EUROGATE Intermodal GmbH (EGIM) management board since 2020 and sole managing director since 2022. Working alongside Beplat, Christian Neubauer, Head of Corporate Functions at EGIM and railMybox, and Niels Riedel, Sales Manager at EGIM and railMybox, play pivotal roles in advancing this innovative product from the EGIM Group.
„With this platform, we greatly simplify our customers‘ day-to-day operations. By streamlining processes, we achieve cost savings and eliminate repetitive manual entries on our side. It‘s a win-win situation for all parties involved,“ explains Beplat. „We took inspiration from airlines like Eurowings: You start by booking the pure flight service, the actual transport. Additional options, such as seat selection or baggage, are also available. In the end, you receive a fixed total price for the service. With railMybox, we‘ve adapted this model to work for intermodal transport.“
railMybox offers customers access to real-time data surrounding their desired intermodal connections. This data includes, among other things, available capacity, transport time and price, which is calculated based on the container’s weight. With the help of integrated vessel tracking, the container’s ETA is always accessible, making it simple to rebook onward intermodal connections in the event of ship delays. Added services like container weighing, customs clearance, temporary storage and truck pre- and on-carriage via real-time routing can be easily booked.
The platform’s concept guarantees customers receive a confirmation, including a fixed price, directly after submitting a booking – and it’s all managed digitally. Unwelcome surprises on invoices are now a thing of the past. And after a recent update, railMybox now also offers the possibility to book hazardous goods and waste, complete with simple digital document management.
„Customers particularly appreciate railMybox‘s ability to generate capacity information and booking confirmations in a matter of seconds,“ notes Christian Neubauer. Niels Riedel adds, „They often have their clients on the phone while making the booking online. Real-time data and prices are now available to them – a significant competitive advantage.“
The backbone of these transports is EGIM‘s rail network, combined with pre- and on-carriage by truck, which can be booked via the digital platform drive- Mybox. A sister company of EGIM, driveMybox specialises in truck transports and seamlessly connects transport orders with truck capacities. It caters to both cargo owners and (independent) truck operators.
Whether on rail or road, the platform-based approach to digitalised transport provides significant advantages to customers. “Clients can not only digitally track their transport at any time, but also receive automatic updates on any delays, which can be tailored to their individual preferences. Invoicing is also fully digital. All documents are stored centrally in a personalised dashboard, which is accessible anytime, anywhere,” explains Riedel.
While automation reduces issues with digital transports, human assistance is still central. A chatbot as well as a help desk are always available for questions or problems. „However, problems occur much less frequently with digitalised transports than in the past due to automation,“ adds Neubauer. „This frees up capacity, allowing our staff to focus on other tasks such as customer care and ensuring service quality.”
The rail network currently links the North German seaports of Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven and Bremerhaven, as well as Rotterdam, with German inland terminals in Duisburg, Frankfurt, Kornwestheim, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Ulm as well as Budapest in Hungary. „Our goal, of course, is to continually expand our rail network. In addition, we are focusing on further developing cooperation with driveMybox, particularly in terms of combined transport,“ Beplat explains.
In the market, EGIM‘s intermodal platform received a warm reception. The initial stage aimed to introduce the railMybox product to smaller existing customers from the freight forwarding sector, as well as resellers. This plan was realised more quickly than expected, and the focus swiftly shifted to software development. With the introduction of an API that allows large customers to connect to the platform easily and securely, railMybox will reach another milestone in autumn 2023. Additionally, an expansion is planned to allow interested railway companies or operators to use the platform for their own capacities.
The number of transports booked through the platform is significant: „In summer 2023, we exceeded 10,000 rail freight transports via railMybox,“ reports Neubauer. He adds, „With our platform, we can provide our customers with a high-quality product and achieve significant productivity gains.“
In addition to supply chain advantages, sustainability plays a crucial role for customers. Combined transport inherently offers advantages by using different modes of transport. railMybox enhances these benefits significantly: All EGIM trains are powered by 100% renewable hydroelectric power. Additionally,
the intelligent integration of pre- and on-carriage with driveMybox optimises truck usage and eliminates unnecessary trips. The result: substantial CO2 reductions.
„Digitalisation offers enormous potential for our sector, yet only a few providers have consistently embraced it. At EGIM, our goal is to deliver what the market needs. This platform is a direct response to the ongoing digitalisation of business processes and transport operations among shippers, forwarders and other service providers. After all, our job is to simplify our customers‘ work. And we will continue to do just that in the future,“ says Beplat, summarising the philosophy behind railMybox.
The implementation of the digital platform was a success. And those familiar with EGIM and its extensive experience in combined transport know: This is only the beginning
Managing Director
at EGIM
Head of Corporate Functions at EGIM
and railMybox
Sales Manager
at EGIM and railMybox