Still unveils automated truck loading breakthrough

Billed by Dr Florian Heydenreich, MD sales & service at Still, as the “holy grail” for logistics operations, the Hamburg-based manufacturer used the show to launch its AXL 15 iGo — a low-lift pallet truck designed to automate one of the most complex and labour-intensive parts of the supply chain.

While warehouse automation has advanced rapidly in recent years, the dock door has remained a stubborn bottleneck, largely due to variability, safety constraints and physical demands. Still’s new system aims to overcome this by combining autonomous navigation with onboard safety systems, removing the need for fixed infrastructure such as scanners or safety gates.

In a live demonstration that drew sustained crowds throughout the opening day, two units worked in tandem to move up to 30 pallets into a trailer in around 35 minutes.

Outside the trailer, the AXL iGo uses 3D visual SLAM technology to navigate. Sensors detect if a lorry moves away unexpectedly during loading, triggering an automatic stop both when entering the trailer and when returning to the warehouse. Once inside, the system switches to LiDAR-based localisation, enabling centimetre-precise operation. LiDAR safety scanners, camera systems, and visual and acoustic warnings ensure people and obstacles are detected, while integrated 3D pallet recognition allows handling of slightly misaligned loads.

LogiMAT is one of Europe’s leading intralogistics exhibitions, showcasing the latest innovations in warehouse automation, materials handling and supply chain technology. Speaking to Motor Transport at the event, Andreas Krinninger, president of Still’s executive board, said automated loading and unloading could deliver significant benefits for fleet operators facing cost pressures, labour shortages and operational inefficiencies.

“The big benefit is obviously productivity gains,” he said. “You can free up workers from doing that task, and loading and unloading is, from an economic point of view, a very challenging process.”

He also highlighted the physical toll of dock work. “Whenever you go over the ramp, you feel that shock,” he said. “Even with dampening systems. So relieving employees from that task is a strong improvement.”

The system is not limited to dock operations. As Krinninger explained, its flexibility allows deployment across a wider range of internal transport tasks. “It’s not only for loading and unloading; it can also do point-to-point transfer,” he said, suggesting applications between staging areas and warehous storage.

From a commercial perspective, Still is positioning the solution as a relatively fast-return investment. “We expect that we can achieve ROI within between two to three years,” Krinninger said, while acknowledging this depends on throughput, pallet volumes and operational stability.

A key differentiator, he added, is the absence of fixed safety infrastructure. “It doesn’t require any safety curtain,” he said. “The safety is all within the vehicle, with camera and laser systems ensuring there is no human in the area.”

However, despite strong interest at LogiMAT, the system’s immediate applicability across all markets remains limited — particularly in the UK. Its reliance on Euro pallets presents a clear constraint.

“It requires a Euro pallet — that’s by design,” Krinninger confirmed. While broader compatibility is in development, it is not imminent. “We will advance the design to cater to other pallet forms… I would say in the next 12 to 20 months it should become an option.”

That timeline suggests many UK operators — especially those within pallet networks or handling mixed and non-standard loads — may face a waiting game before adoption becomes viable. The initial target market is instead likely to be high-volume, standardised environments such as large retailers and third-party logistics providers.

Krinninger is also a member of the executive board of KION Group, Still’s parent company, which also owns Linde Material Handling and Baoli.

Beyond the launch itself, he emphasised the importance of process stability when implementing automation. “You need to be wise in how you invest,” he said. “Look at your process flow and identify which processes are stable. That’s where you start bringing automation.”

He also pointed to a broader transformation underway across intralogistics, increasingly shaped by automation, connectivity and artificial intelligence.

“We expect a pretty high share of automation going forward,” he said, suggesting that in some environments between 50% and 80% of processes could ultimately be automated.

Central to that shift is the growing role of AI as a practical tool for improving reliability. “AI makes these solutions much more robust,” he said. “Systems learn much quicker what is signal and what is noise, and that’s critical, because when you install automation, you need it to work reliably.”

He also highlighted the emergence of digital twin technology as a key enabler for operational optimisation. By creating real-time virtual models of warehouse systems, operators can simulate changes in volume, identify bottlenecks and test different scenarios before making physical adjustments.

“You can portray real life into a digital twin and monitor processes in real time,” he said. “Then you can run simulations. For example, what happens if volume goes up or down — and identify where you have bottlenecks.”

Such tools, he suggested, will become increasingly important as supply chains grow more complex and interconnected. “What we will see is much stronger orchestration across the supply chain,” he said, pointing to the need for closer coordination between suppliers, warehouses, transport providers and end customers.

“I think there is still a lot of inefficiency including unnecessary inventory and lack of coordination,” he added. “The more we can orchestrate across different players, the more efficient it becomes.”

For operators, the challenge will be balancing ambition with practicality. While the direction of travel is clear, adoption will depend on proven use cases, clear returns and the ability to integrate new technologies into existing operations.

“It’s always about total cost of ownership,” Krinninger said. “When that works out, customers will invest.”