DPD

DPD racing ahead of ambitions for all-electric deliveries

DPD has confirmed it is now providing an allelectric service to 10 UK towns and cities.

The delivery giant is targeting a further 30 locations by the end of 2023 – five more than originally planned and two years earlier than expected.

In October 2020, DPD announced plans to create 25 all-electric towns and cities in the UK by 2025. Oxford became its first ‘green’ city last July, with a fleet of 40 electric vehicles based at the new Bicester eco-depot (pictured), delivering over 15,000 parcels a week across the city.

The nine other UK locations to achieve allelectric delivery status are Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Hull, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Southampton and Stoke.

Progress is also being made at DPD’s remaining 15 original green delivery locations –Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Sheffield.

DPD expects these to achieve all-electric status two years earlier than planned, by the end of next year.

It is also planning for five more towns – Birkenhead, Gateshead, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Rotherham and Shipley – to become all-electric by the end of 2023.

Downgrading of station size will see HGVs, not rail, removing waste Euston HS2 plan would need 800 trucks a day

By Chris Tindall

A decision to reduce the size of HS2’s London terminus station at Euston means spoil will no longer be shifted by rail and may have to be achieved with thousands of HGVs instead.

In a written statement transport minister Baroness Vere said a smaller, 10-platform station design at Euston was prompted by the Oakervee Review, which addressed efficiency concerns.

She said: “Following the move to the more affordable 10 platform station design, the original plans for the removal of a proportion of construction spoil by rail are no

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longer possible.

“In response, HS2 has been working, in close liaison with colleagues from Network Rail, to consider alternative options for how to remove spoil from the construction of HS2’s Euston station and how it can minimise impacts.”

Camden Council has previously raised concerns about the number of lorry movements required to remove 1.2m tonnes of demolition, construction and waste material from Euston and its approach during the redevelopment works.

In a report, the council said: “The net effect is up to 800 daily two-way lorry movements in the Euston area during busiest times.

“Around 90% of those lorries will be heavy goods vehicles.”

Strict tacho rules were ‘sneaked in’

Road transport solicitors have criticised the government for “sneaking in” tough new tachograph rules during the pandemic.

Backhouse Jones described the new EU requirements as the most onerous “since the tachograph was first invented” and said nothing at all had been done to raise awareness of the rules.

However, the DfT said it sent three bulletins to operators highlighting the August 2020 changes.

According to Backhouse Jones, the rules require every professional driver, regardless of how little EU-regulated driving they undertake, to record every minute of every day – whether driving, undertaking other work, taking rest, on holiday, or even on sick leave.

The record must be made on a tacho chart or the driver’s digi-card, or using a printout from the digital device.

Vehicle shortage will stop hauliers meeting London ULEZ deadline

The logistics industry is calling for mitigations for hauliers if plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the whole of London by 2023 go ahead.

The call follows the news that TfL has been instructed by London mayor Sadiq Khan to launch a consultation on the proposed expansion.

Logistics UK is warning that a shortage of ULEZ-compliant trucks is preventing operators maintaining continuity of operation in the existing ULEZ zones.

The shortage has been exacerbated by delays to the delivery of cleaner vehicles due to the impact of Covid-19 and supply chain disruptions created by the Ukraine war and microchip shortages.

Natalie Chapman, head of policy for the south at Logistics UK, has urged TfL to consider helping hauliers. She said: “Until cleaner vehicles are available, Logistics UK is urging TfL to consider mitigations – such as those being implemented by councils that have introduced clean air zones – for those that have ordered them and are awaiting the delivery.”

ON TRACK: Woodland Group has opened its second distribution facility at iPort in Doncaster, in response to significant growth. The 130,458sq ft location was secured on a 10-year lease and is now fully operational with six clients under contract. The move follows the opening of a 195,000sq ft fulfilment and distribution warehouse at iPort in February last year. The company said the multimodal freight terminal, iPort Rail, has enabled it to develop carbon-conscious solutions across its supply chains and it has even launched a dedicated rail service through iPort Rail for onsite clients.

‘Stop the blame game,’ says RHA

Operators need to pay drivers more to end the driver crisis, attract new blood and retain staff, according to RHA’s policy chief Rod McKenzie.

Speaking at the Microlise conference, McKenzie (pictured) challenged operators to do more to improve the image of the industry.

“Some hauliers claimed they couldn’t afford to pay more; their margins were too tight,” he said. “It’s the supermarkets' fault, or driver agencies. This becomes a blame game and guess what? It ends up damaging our own industry.”

McKenzie said this lack of investment backfired at the peak of the driver shortage last year, stating: “Ministers picked up that theme and used it as a stick to beat us with. It’s true: a race to the bottom in terms of best price to customers that by implication means you are shafting your own staff with low wages is no way to run a business. It’s no way to retain staff.”

McKenzie also called on hauliers to invest in training to make HGV driving more attractive, and warned that the younger generation would continue to shun the industry until this was done.

He pointed to research showing the UK is short of 11,000 lorry parking spaces and urged delegates to sign the RHA’s petition demanding better facilities.

Popular industry event is back after a three-year gap due to pandemic Microlise chief hails conference return

By Steve Hobson

The Microlise Transport Conference returned to Coventry on 18 May after a three-year gap due to the Covid pandemic. At the event, Microlise chief executive Nadeem Raza (pictured below right) said it was “fantastic to be back”, with over 1,000 delegates in attendance.

“We have clearly hit the mark in terms of the subjects people are interested in,” he commented. “There is a good buzz around the place and there are people here I haven’t seen face to face for three years.”

As well as workshops on innovation, skills and compliance, the main stage, hosted by TV presenter Spencer Kelly, featured presentations from transport minister Baroness Vere, the RHA, Microsoft, DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder, and senior traffic commissioner Richard Turfitt, as well as an operator panel with Graham Lackey, CEO of Brit European, Lesley O’Brien OBE, director of Freightlink Europe, and Matt Rhind, distribution director of Tesco.

Switch to electric is on hold, new research reveals

A major new survey of over 25,000 senior logistics and fleet professionals has found none have plans to roll out electric vehicles within the next 12 months, although 41% claimed it was part of their longerterm strategy.

The research, carried out by Microlise and revealed during the firm’s conference in Coventry last week, also found 26% of operators would switch to electric once the technology was available for HGVs.

A further 12% said they already had electric vehicles, while 21% said they were not in their future plans.

Asked which non-electric vehicles they might be planning for their fleets, 34% of operators said they would choose biodiesel, 17% liquified natural gas (LNG), 12% hybrid and just 6% hydrogen fuel cell.

However, 30% of those questioned failed to respond.

Turning to the current challenges facing the sector, the survey found fuel costs (20%) were having the most impact on hauliers while rising salaries and inflation (18%) and vehicle shortages (17%) were also prompting concern.

Other pressures included environmental legislation (16%) and the recruitment of back office staff (13%).

Asked how they were expecting new legislation and increased fuel costs to change their fleet strategy, 37% of operators said they would stay with their current mix while 27% said they would seek alternative fuels.

A small number of hauliers (5%) said they would increase the size of their trailers while the same proportion said they would increase their number of small vehicles.

Meanwhile 26% of those questioned admitted they were not sure enough to comment.

‘Work together on customer solutions,’ industry urged

Richard Skidmore, head of customer service delivery at MercedesBenz Trucks, has urged the industry to embrace the benefits of increased collaboration to save costs and improve efficiencies.

“We work in partnership with other suppliers, but what we haven’t done in the past is work with the end customer,” he told conference delegates. “That doesn’t necessarily mean going to the same meeting with someone from BP, but working on solutions with people at the OEMs, fuel companies, telematics companies, trailer companies and customers.”

Mercedes-Benz has seen a growing opportunity for collaboration since the launch of its multimedia dashboard which hosts different driver apps, Skidmore explained. “We set up workshops with our customers and created apps for partners like Wren Kitchens and Continental that were absolutely ground-breaking,” he said. “We’re testing a BP fuel app for Wren that allows the driver to go to the petrol station, pick a pump number, fill up and drive off; it’s that simple. The truck knows how much fuel has gone in, and BP knows how much has been sold, so theft is very difficult.

“It’s an example of working with another supplier to create an integrated solution for our customers, which is a growing trend.”