Cargo handler Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) will next month add a ‘CargoKiosk’ at Heathrow to automate the processing of trucks.
The CargoKiosk allows companies to complete the driver, vehicle and cargo authorisation process electronically prior to the truck arriving on-site.
The driver then enters an ID and follows the touchscreen prompts on the kiosk to conduct the full acceptance and delivery process.
Traditionally, drivers arriving on-site go to the station’s reception desk where their paperwork is checked manually before they are assigned a loading bay.
WFS first introduced the CargoKiosk technology in Brussels in 2019 and it went live in Amsterdam this summer.
Following next month’s launch at Heathrow, 2022 will see the digital process introduced at other major cargo stations, including Paris-CDG, Liege, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Frankfurt.
WFS is also developing similar concepts for its operations at New York JFK and in South Africa.
“Given the severe shortage of truck drivers internationally, our customers value all initiatives which save their drivers time and improve their productivity,” said John Batten, WFS’ executive vice president, EMEAA.
