The prototype E25 L Roadster is being tested at Fraport Cargo Services GmbH.

It is the only truck of its kind in the world and, since the middle of this year, a prototype has been operating at Fraport Cargo Services GmbH at Frankfurt Airport.

The prototype E25 L Roadster from Linde Material Handling is being used to assemble air freight pallets and is being subjected to extended periods of testing.

To ensure safety when loading the pallets, forklift drivers often work with a second person who provides the driver with instructions. However, the Linde Roadster, a clear-view electric counterbalance truck, dispenses with the need for another person.

Dieter Quante, manager of logistics projects and quality management at Fraport Cargo Services, first saw the truck at the CeMAT in Hannover last year. "We would have taken the truck home with us that day, we liked it that much.

"Improved visibility is a huge advantage for our drivers. Loading air freight pallets with so many packages, all with completely different dimensions, is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. For economic reasons, it is also very important that a plane is loaded in a way that makes optimum use of the space available inside that model."

The new design of the prototype, which features an overhead guard made from laminated safety glass, significantly improves the driver's field of vision, both in front of and above the truck.

Ralf Dingeldein, vice president of new trucks at Linde Material Handling, says the aim of the long-term testing process at Fraport Cargo Services is to gather additional, real-life customer experiences before deciding to take the truck into series production. "We already have all of the technical approvals for the prototypes."

The Linde Roadster is also being put to use in the pallet racks in the warehouses at Frankfurt Airport.