Energized: electric mobility at the depot
by Frank Zscheile I 4 minute read | Photos: TII KAMAG
21/01/2026
In the early 1970s, swap bodies made their way into general cargo logistics – and revolutionized road freight transport. Today, these flexible transport containers can be found everywhere. At DACHSER’s depots, swap bodies are increasingly being moved around by electric yard movers. A nimble weasel continues to play an important role in this process.
A standardized transport container that can be detached from the drive units and can be exchanged between vehicles – that’s what sets the swap body apart. In the 1970s, this was a completely new concept for the logistics industry. The idea came from Thomas Simon, son-in-law of company founder Thomas Dachser and later primarily responsible for the development of international business and technology in the management team.
The new swap body helped to reduce downtime, optimize goods handling, and thus significantly increase efficiency throughout the entire transport system. Thomas Simon was inspired by the first containers used by the US Army in German ports and applied the concept to truck transport. Today, the swap body with its fixed dimensions and fold-out support legs has become standard in logistics.
Yard movers for fast goods handling
The swap bodies are moved around the yard of a branch by so-called yard movers. TII KAMAG is one of the leading manufacturers in this field with its PrecisionMover, formerly known as the “Wiesel” – German for weasel. The vehicle manufacturer was one of the first to bring the lift truck to series production, thereby making an important contribution to increasing efficiency in logistics. DACHSER has also been using such vehicles for many years as a solution for transporting swap bodies at several locations throughout Germany.
Read more about e-mobility at DACHSER. Discover the highlights from the past ten years in this photo gallery.
With the KAMAG ePrecisionMover, we are taking a decisive step toward combining sustainability and efficiency.
Quiet, comfortable, and emission-free: the electric “Wiesel”
The PrecisionMover is now 30 years old, and there is now also a version with a fully electric train. DACHSER has already had good experiences with it, including at its Erlensee location near Frankfurt/Main. The quiet, emission-free swap body transporter also reduces noise pollution at the depot and increases driving comfort.
Anna Monika Chomot, who has been moving swap bodies at the Erlensee branch depot for four years, can confirm this: “The old Wiesel was already my favorite vehicle – until we got the electric version. That really changed my view of the workplace. It’s a very quiet vehicle that maneuvers well.”
The electric Wiesel also shows that electric mobility can work well in everyday logistics. With a fully charged battery, the yard mover can last a full six to eight-hour shift. The charging time is only about an hour and a half.
Happy birthday! The popular “Wiesel” PrecisionMover from KAMAG turns
30
Driving innovation forward together
“With the KAMAG ePrecisionMover, we are taking a decisive step toward combining sustainability and efficiency,” says André Bilz, Senior Category Manager Truck, Trailer, Swap Body in the Corporate Indirect Procurement division at DACHSER. Since the middle of last year, DACHSER has been operating eight battery-electric vehicles of this type in the network.
Another example of the innovative strength of the partnership is the SAFE20 research project, which was launched in 2020 and successfully completed in 2024. The aim of this project was to develop a safety concept for autonomous vehicles in logistics yards and to build a functional prototype. Through the cooperation, solutions were tested to enable PrecisionMover to be controlled autonomously and safely at speeds of up to 20 km/h in depots.
