IFOY Logistics
Made by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

Acting as exclusive logistics partner, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics ensures the smooth handling of all transport tasks and also provides the infrastructure for the in-depth testing of forklift trucks.

They don't come any bigger: the massive Toyota forklift is slowly manoeuvred onto the loading bed of the truck with the finest of touches and a keen eye. Only a few millimetres separate the fork masts from the roof of the special trailer - despite the latter's impressive height of 3.85 metres. The red Toyota Tonero is one of twelve material handling vehicles and two logistics solutions nominated for the IFOY Award 2015. The heavy-duty machine began its journey to Osnabrück on February 19. The destination was the glass hall at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, where this year's IFOY test week was taking place. Hellmann equipped the building with wifi especially for this occasion to allow twitter posts, messages and mails live from the tests. Alongside the material handling vehicles from five manufacturers, a specialist tester and 22 jury members from 14 countries also travelled to Osnabrück to put the finalists through their paces. The jury is made up of representatives of the leading logistics media from all over Europe.

The test week is one of the special features of the IFOY Award. A written entry on its own does not form a sufficient basis for a well-founded expert verdict. This is why, during the test week, the nominees have to prove in practice what they claim in their entry. The "Oscar of intralogistics" is awarded in five categories. Awards are presented to the best new vehicles of the year in the forklift truck, automated guided vehicle and warehouse truck classes along with a successful intralogistics system solution. The entrants and nominees range from lift trucks through to reach trucks, from 2-tonners to 8-tonners and beyond. "Most of the twelve nominated vehicles can only be transported using special equipment", says Stefan Haase, the project manager at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics who organises all the transports for the IFOY Award. The global family-run company performs these challenging transport jobs together with specialised transport firms like Pfaff, Marcus and TMM. This year, five manufacturers have made it to the final round: Clark, Jungheinrich, Still, Toyota Material Handling and Unicarriers. Their trucks will face the verdict of the jury in Osnabrück in 2015. Testing capacity is at the limit this year in the "Warehouse Trucks" category with a total of five nominated models.

The logistics services for the IFOY Award were pooled and centrally contracted out for the first time this year, and Hellmann won the contract ahead of several competitors. The reason the services were outsourced this year is the growing importance of the respected IFOY test for the intralogistics sector. Transports need to be scheduled and executed just-in-time in order not to influence the subsequent tests. Moreover, some of the vehicles make unusual demands on the testing infrastructure; the new FM-X reach truck from Still, for example, whose special oscillation damping system calls for a highly specific testing environment. 

Moreover, Hellmann also made the so-called logistics workshop and the lecture theatre in the "Speicher III" building on the company grounds in Osnabrück available as venues for the jury meetings. Speicher III is also the administrative headquarters of the Hellmann company and a unique office building: the rooms in the light-flooded former grain silo exude a modern and cosy atmosphere with a stylish design and abundant open spaces. The logistics workshop turns out to be a multifunctional work area which can be rapidly adapted to suit varying technical requirements. During the test week, this was where Anita Würmser, Executive Jury Chairperson of the IFOY organisation worked together with the two Dutch forklift experts Theo Egberts and Mark Dohmen from Andersom-Testing, IT specialist Dr. Horst Mayer, photographer Tobias Schwertmann and two film crews. The team was supported by Daniel Rynio from the Hellmann marketing department. This team was tasked with preparing the jury documentation, compiling a video and photographic record of the various processes, writing press releases and evaluating the tests and questionnaires. 

Everything runs smoothly as the test week begins on February 19. As scheduled, the first of four trucks is ready and waiting at 8 a.m. in front of the testing hall and is speedily unloaded. The other trailer trucks follow every hour, so that all twelve nominated material handling vehicles are "ready to go" by 11:30 am..