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ISSUE 146
TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS T H E
I N D U S T R Y
F O R WA R D
ISSUE 146
D R I V I N G
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE
FLEET SOLUTIONS FROM TCH LEASING : e d i s lso in
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LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT PAGE 72
PROLOG PAGE 56
BALDOUKIE MOTORS PAGE 34
PLUS: YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST PAGE 40
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THE STANDING START IS “PLATOONING” COMING TO OUR ROADS? ave you heard of “platooning”? As our industry tries to find new ways to be
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more fuel efficient and, importantly, environmentally sustainable, there are lots of new technologies being tested to achieve these goals. You’ve probably seen Amazon’s drones being exhibited on television as the online retailer moves to remove the human process from the transportation of
goods. This is in the hope it can robotically deliver customer products via the air within 30 minutes of the order being placed. It does sound like something out of a science-fiction film but with rapid technological
PUBLISHER: Noah Quirke
discoveries occurring at pace, it is one of many new pieces of equipment we are likely to
EDITOR: Daniel Stephens
embrace in future. For the road haulage industry, I was interested to hear about the latest
MAGAZINE MANAGER: Shane Kelly FEATURE MANAGERS: Stefan Drakes Ray Clayton Eddie Hunt ART EDITOR: Steve Williams DESIGNER: Stacey Brewer ` CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Senior Liam Brown
tests carried out on what is known as “platooning”. Essentially, this is where one driver controls a number of vehicles in his wake, so that everything he does is replicated by a computer in the vehicles behind. This is seen as a fuel efficient method that will produce less air pollution. But, perhaps disconcertingly, it takes away the need for drivers in each vehicle in the convoy. That means more jobs for computers, less jobs for people. But if businesses find this new method produces significant cost benefits, the future of road haulage could see drivers take on roles reminiscent of air traffic controllers. Their vehicles will be out on the road while they oversee proceedings from a control centre. It would mean a single driver could control a
PRODUCTION: Vicki Lindsay Lisa Pollinger
number of vehicles.
ADMINISTRAT0R: Charlotte Lewis
they can rest easy, I mean literally so. In the first tests of “platooning”, the lead vehicle is
ACCOUNTS: Nick Charalambous Transport & Logistics Magazine is published by: NQ Publishing, 6th Floor, Crown House Southgate, Huddersfield HD1 1QX Tel: +44 (0)1484 437300 E-mail: noah.quirke@nqpublishing.com www.tandlonline.com
At the moment, however, drivers can rest easy that their jobs are safe. And when I say driven by a trained driver while the “road train” behind him is manned by drivers who do nothing but oversee that the vehicle is moving along the road safely. Indeed, as the convoy made its progress, the sight in the trailing vehicles revealed some drivers reading books while others enjoyed their lunch. This is hands-free driving! The technology in operation allows the lead driver to control the convoy while radar-based “adaptive cruise control” ensures the trucks remain at a safe distance from each other. Similar to road cyclists who bunch together in order to reduce drag resistance and therefore use less physical energy, the “road train” acts in a similar way so that fuel
Transport & Logistics Magazine is published by NQ Publishing. Company registered in England & Wales. All material is the copyright of NQ Publishing. All rights reserved. Transport & Logistics Magazine is the property of NQ Publishing. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of NQ Publishing. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.
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savings can be as high as 15%. Analysts believe we will see “platooning” on our roads in the future. How “near” that future might be is less clear but this is another example of how the transport industry is trying to reduce its carbon emissions.
DANIEL STEPHENS EDITOR
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE
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CONTENTS
INSIDE SECTIONS
NEWS LEGAL LOGISTICS EVENTS & SHOWS BUS AND COACHES LEASING AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE RECOVERY EVENTS CARBON EMISSIONS FORS COMPANY PROFILE THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS LOOKING BACK AT...
4 7 8 10 18 26 32 38 40 44 46 56 68
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AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES
FEATURES News The latest top stories
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Backhouse Jones An employer’s duty of care
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Eco Techology Show 2014 Be the first to see the latest electric vehicles
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Birmingham International Coaches Choice, quality and value
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Redroute Bus and Coach Hire Always there on time
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Bluebird Coaches Travel in comfort, arrive in style
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BVRLA Promoting responsible road transport
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TCH Leasing Fleet solutions
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London Gatwick Airport Gatwick for growth
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Newquay Cornwall Airport Playing its part
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DH Price Motors First class service
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Baldoukie Motors The road to recovery
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Foley and Miles Specialist solutions
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Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Cutting emissions
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Arla Foods Closer to nature
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Aggregate Industries The complete service
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AD Boyes Logistics Driving your business forward...
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Prolog The UK’s leading outsourcing partner
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Bring Cargo Finding new ways
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RIF Logistics Delivering excellence worldwide
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Looking Back At... The Forth Rail Bridge
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LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT
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CONTENTS
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BALDOUKIE MOTORS
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YELLOW BUSES
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ECOTECHNOLOGY 2014
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PROLOG
38
FOLEY AND MILES
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news 146_feature 2 16/05/2014 10:09 Page 4
NEWS
HAULIERS UPBEAT ABOUT FUTURE HAULIERS feel more optimistic about their business prospects for this year, with many expecting to see an increase in volumes, according to a recent report by the Freight Transport Association (FTA). International operators in particular feel more positive about business this year than last, the results of the association’s Logistics Industry Survey 2013/14 revealed. The FTA claimed hauliers carrying out work overseas saw business increase in 2013, mainly due to growth in the manufacturing industry and an improved economic outlook. It is the most optimistic the sector has been since 2010.
Domestic road freight operators also reported that their level of business exceeded expectations last year. Many are also confident that volumes will improve this year, with 58% of operators surveyed expecting an increase in business. The results of the survey, published in the association’s annual Logistics Report, also revealed that the greatest turnaround in expectations for 2014 came from operators in the construction sector, which the FTA believes is due to a boom in house building in 2013. Nearly half of construction operators surveyed expect to see growth in activity this year. More operators invested in their HGV, van or trailer fleets last year than they had
BRITTANY FERRIES RETURNS TO THE BLACK BRITTANY Ferries has returned to the black after four loss-making years which saw it rack up an accumulated deficit of €70 million. For the 12 months to 30 September 2013, it made a profit of €1.6 million which followed a loss of €17 million for the 2011-2012 financial year, said Brittany’s chairperson, said Martine Jourdren. Last year’s positive results are directly linked to economic recovery
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in the UK which triggered growth in passenger traffic for the first time since 2009 (+9%). ter load factors on vessels. However, Brittany Ferries’ freight traffic was down 5%. “We are suffering the effects of a rates war among cross-Channel operators,” Jourdren said, adding that the pick-up in the economy saw UK firms looking for business opportunities in Germany and northern Europe in particular.
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anticipated, the survey also found. The majority of respondents said they do not plan to invest significantly in their fleets in 2014, mainly due to the “stockpiling” of Euro-5 vehicles last year, resulting in sufficient capacity in their fleets this year. A less-than 1% year-on-year increase in HGV operating costs also reflected the “relatively stable” price of fuel and the lack of fuel duty increases throughout 2013, the FTA added. The survey took place in the final quarter of last year and the Logistics Report was compiled in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
EUROTUNNEL IN NEW CROSSCHANNEL RAIL FREIGHT INITIATIVE EUROTUNNEL has annonced a fresh initiative to support the development of rail freight traffic through the Channel Tunnel which increased by 10% last year and by 13% in the first quarter of 2014. The fixed link operator’s ETICA programme (Eurotunnel Incentive for Capacity Additions), which was put in place in May 2013 to provide aid for a limited period at the start up of new intermodal freight
services, is to be extended to five new categories of traffic. These include new car transport, food and drinks transported in conventional full train loads and consumer goods. Eurotunnel has also ensured the removal of the surcharge established by French rail network manager, Réseau Ferré de France, for security at the entrance to the Tunnel at Fréthun.
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NEWS
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NEWS
LACK OF RESOURCES HAMPERS FUEL BILLS REDUCTION NEARLY half of managers of haulage firms (46%) feel powerless to capitalise on opportunities to cut their fuel bills due to a lack of resources, funds and information according to a study. It also found that two thirds (67%) singled out improving their drivers’ fuel efficient driving skills as the most effective way to cut their fuel consumption. The fuel management practices of more than 200 managers for UK-based haulage firms were analysed as part of the work commissioned by Shell. Over half (54%) think tackling driving practices would single-handedly reduce their fuel bills by at least 5%, while 12% think the saving could be more than 10%. But the study also identified frustration among managers that they don’t have the resources to make the most of the insights that telematics systems are providing. Phil Williams, head of Shell Commercial Fleet UK, said the role of
PIC
haulage operators has become much more complex: “Not only are they required to manage day-to-day fleet operations, they also have to stay on top of emissions regulations, investigate new fuel and vehicle solutions, and find ways to minimise fuel consumption. Many managers are telling us they’re just not getting the support they need to deliver this.” However, Jim Chappell, UK ECO Stars fleet recognition scheme manager at Transport & Travel Research, said the problem was not insurmountable: “Driver training requirements identified thorough telematics can often be undertaken in-house and ‘on the job’. Similarly, employing someone to capture, sort, and present telematics and fuel usage data can be low cost in comparison to the total fuel spend and cost effective by freeing up a manager’s time to lead the implementation of fuel saving measures.”
FRANCE COULD FORCE FOREIGN TRUCKS TO TAKE MOTORWAYS FRANCE could force foreign trucks to take the country’s toll motorways - instead of using the corresponding A-road itineraries, when these exist - as an alternative to its HGV tax scheme which was postponed last autumn amid growing opposition. The proposals have been roundly criticised in Brussels with a spokesperson for European Transport commissioner Siim Kallas, underlining that it was impossible to put in place "a discriminatory system" between French and foreign hauliers. Undeterred, new French Ecology and Sustainable Development minister, Ségolène Royal, argues that, on the contrary, they would re-establish fair competition.
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“When a foreign truck enters France, having filled its tank in Belgium, crosses the whole of the country, using roads paid for by French taxpayers and subsequently fills up again in Spain, it is not paying any taxes on fuel or motorway tolls. In effect, French trucks are paying for the upkeep of the roads. One must make everyone pay, especially those who today don’t contribute anything.” The proceeds generated by a greater number of foreign trucks using toll motorways would be reserved for the funding of transport infrastructure, she added. Since 1 April, foreign hauliers are now charged to use UK roads through a HGV road user levy.
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This was introduced to counterbalance the costs incurred by UK truck drivers working in Europe in the form of tolls and levies when delivering goods abroad. Separately, at a European conference in Paris last week, French Transport minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, called for the creation of an EU Transport Agency, part of whose role would be to ensure better supervision of the regulatory framework for road haulage. The conference had discussed the harmonisation of labour legislation in the sector in the EU. “There can only be an internal market in the EU if there are controls to ensure its laws are being respected,” Cuvillier said.
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LEGAL LOGISTICS
AN EMPLOYER’S DUTY OF CARE
Andrew Woolfall looks at the duty of care owed by employers to their employees EMPLOYER’S DUTY OF CARE: Operators owe a duty of care to their drivers just like most other employer/employee relationships. If the operator breaches this duty and the driver suffers loss, injury or damage as a result then the operator is exposed to both civil and criminal liabilities. This could include having to pay compensation to the employee or facing prosecution for the breaches. The duty placed on employers comes from both case law and legislation and it has developed over many years in both a civil and criminal context. The civil law looks to compensate the injured party for the harm that they have suffered whilst the criminal law looks to punish the ‘wrongdoer’ in terms of fines and even imprisonment. Throw in the traffic commissioner’s role as regulator in charge of compliance with undertakings and it can be seen that complying with the duty of care is one of the top priorities in a haulage or bus and coach business. SCOPE OF THE DUTY OF CARE: The duty of care owed by an employer to its workers has developed over many years. In summary, it requires employers, so far as is reasonably practicable to provide: 1. A safe place of work and access to it, 2. Safe equipment and machinery including vehicles for use and 3. A safe system of work The duty is fundamental to all areas of work and most always be borne in mind when looking at any aspect of operations including vehicles used, their maintenance, how they are loaded, drivers hours and workloads and general working conditions. An employer must keep up to date with ongoing developments in their area of work, identifying risks posed to their employees. Steps must then be taken to negate or minimize those risks. These risks can be on a number of levels – they might cover how work is performed in general, the equipment that is used, the weather conditions each day or even developments in healthrelated issues which are applicable to their employees. The duty requires employers to be proactive in ensuring they look after their employees. In short the operator must assess all of its activities and see whether the driver could suffer harm if something went wrong – the oper-
ator must then take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that doesn’t happen. Operators cannot simply set up a system and then never review it against what is deemed to be best practice. Furthermore, they cannot fail to monitor their staff to ensure that the system is being complied with. Operators cannot simply rely on drivers instinctively knowing what is the safest way to work or the fact that the law itself may impose obligations on drivers to work safely. The duty of care owed by the employer is also a specific responsibility owed to each of their employees on an individual basis. If one particular employee has a pre-existing condition making them particularly vulnerable to injury, the employer owes that employee a greater duty of care. The duty also extends to accessing individual capabilities within the workforce and ensuring that the work assigned to each employee is given on the basis of their individual capability. In Johnstone v Bloomsbury Health Authority (1991) an employer was deemed to be liable when he failed to consider the health of a particular employee in assigning him excessive working hours. Despite the fact that the duty of care has evolved from case law principles, the duty has been embellished and expanded by the introduction of an increasing amount of workplace related legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW74) which employers must also adhere to. Section 2 of the act requires an employer to ensure “so far as is reasonably practicable the health, welfare and safety at work of all his employees.” In order to ensure compliance, there are a number of steps that operators can take including: • Having risk assessments for the workplace and other activities done by drivers. These should be coupled with policies and practices adopted by company setting out how work should be done. These should be created and monitored by a competent person who possesses the adequate accurate knowledge to ensure that the relevant risks are identified and managed. • Employees should be educated and trained in order to make sure they are sufficiently aware of the risks posed to them in the course of their employment and how they can avoid such risks. This requirement extends to agency drivers who should also be similarly
trained and educated in the company’s health and safety procedures. • Employees should be disciplined when they do not abide by the company’s health and safety policies and procedures. However, the employer should keep the employees constantly informed of any updates or substantive changes to the risk assessments. CONSEQUENCES OF A BREACH OF DUTY: As can be seen above, one incident arising from a breach of the duty of care can have many consequences. Firstly, there might be a criminal prosecution brought by the HSE or police, resulting in fines, imprisonment for key individuals or other penalties. Then there might be a claim for compensation made by the injured person or their estate – as has been said above, drivers and others can bring a claim for damages if they suffer loss, injury or damage as a result of employer negligence. Fines hit company turnover and profitability whilst claims for compensation can alter insurance premiums. Furthermore, insurers expect operators to have some basic systems and procedures in place – if these are completely lacking or the operator’s breach goes beyond negligence then the insurer might claim that the policy is void and leave the operator without any cover in place. However, a prosecution or claim for injury related compensation is not necessarily the end of the matter – an employment related claim might also follow. It might be said that the operator’s failure is a breach of the employment contract that it has with the driver - an employee can resign and claim constructive dismissal for a serious or fundamental breach of health and safety law by the employer. An incident might also lead to the operator being called to appear before the traffic commissioner for a public inquiry hearing in relation to the O Licence. Action against the licence might be justified based on a conviction being incurred or a breach of one of the numerous undertakings that operators give in return for the licence being granted. In conclusion, operators must give a high priority to complying with the ‘duty of care’. In many ways it is fundamental to, and underpins much of the work the business performs. A failure to comply with what is expected might mean there is no business left at all.
For all related enquiries, please contact Andrew Woolfall, Director at Backhouse Jones Solicitors on 08450 575 111 or email andrew.woolfall@backhouses.co.uk
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EVENTS & SHOWS: ECO TECHNOLOGY SHOW 2014
Be the first to see the latest electric vehicles at
2014
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EVENTS & SHOWS: ECO TECHNOLOGY SHOW 2014 he Eco Technology Show kicks off on 26 June at the Brighton Centre, showcasing the latest electric and low-emission vehicles. Headline debutants include BMW’s electric i3 and i8 hybrid supercar, Mitsubishi’s Outlander - the world’s first plug-in SUV, as well as the ground-breaking Tesla Model S and a range of electric bikes. Visitors to the Eco Technology Show will be able to test-drive some of these vehicles along Brighton seafront, while learning about sustainable fleet solutions in seminars and networking events. A recent British Gas study revealed British companies could cut the annual running costs of their fleets by an average of £350,000 and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 5% – the equivalent of 830 tonnes – by replacing just
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The Eco Technology Show will be open from 9.30am-5pm on Thursday 26 June and 9.30am-4.30pm on Friday 27 June. Registration is free.
www.ecotechnologyshow.co.uk. 10% of their current vehicle fleet with electric models. This makes the Eco Technology Show an important diary date for business owners and transport managers looking to streamline costs. Nicola Gunstone, Commerical Director at the Eco Technology Show, is positive: “EVs should be part of any business’ green agenda. Thanks to developing technology and the growing network of charging points and options around the country, the UK’s EV market is growing, with over 3,500 plug-in cars registered in 2013, up 59% on 2012.
“The Eco Technology Show, which focuses on how sustainability can save companies money and deliver practical benefits, is committed to this important sector. “We have a host of relevant exhibitors, including Fleetdrive Electric, the UK’s leading provider of low emission business vehicles. The firm is launching its new app, which maps charging points for EVs, then calculates how long charging stops will take for specific vehicles and total journey time. I urge business owners and transport managers to register for the show, as it will be a worthwhile investment of their time.”
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Birmingham:feature 2 09/05/2014 11:54 Page 10
BUS AND COACHES: BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL COACHES
CHOICE, QUALITY AND VALUE Birmingham International Coaches is a prestigious affordable coach travel company based in Birmingham and operates some of the finest coaches on the market, fulfilling all types of private and contract Hire. irmingham International Coaches (BIC) is a prestigious affordable coach travel company based in the West Midlands. Operating some of the finest coaches on the market, BIC fulfils all types of private and contract hire. Importantly, the company meets the high standards for the Coach Marque status award, the UK coach industry’s only quality and safety standard accreditation scheme. Travelling on a Coach Marque vehicle means that customers can be reassured of no less than first-class service. BIC is a family owned business and was established in 1977. Its success over the years has been as a direct result of ensuring customer expectations are not only met but exceeded. Complementing this has been the continual investment in the fleet, training for drivers, and an emphasis on the safety of the vehicles. The company states: “Choice, quality and value are three of the key features which make coach and bus travel with Birmingham International Coaches such an attractive option. Gone are the days when an old coach or bus took people to the seaside for a day trip – today customers will travel in an ultra modern airconditioned coach with all mod-cons.”
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BIC operates a competitive fee structure and will accept an invitation to quote for a specific private coach excursion. Customers find that the company is ideally located for travel to and from Birmingham International Airport, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham City Centre, International Convention Centre and the National Indoor Arena. Exampling some of the services on offer, Warwickshire County Cricket Club set off to Barbados for their recent pre-season tour of the Caribbean with the help of BIC. Birmingham International Coaches delivered the team to Gatwick Airport, from where they flew off to the Caribbean. The travel firm has just signed a new two-year official travel partner deal with Warwickshire, which will mean that BIC will provide the transport for all Warwickshire 1st Team Away matches, in addition to other major events in which the Club are involved. The travel firm, based at Tile Cross in Birmingham, has always had close links in Warwickshire, as well as other sporting clubs in the city such as Birmingham FC and Moseley Rugby Club. Darren Andrew, Sales Manager, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said, “Birmingham International
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BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL COACHES
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BUS AND COACHES: BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL COACHES
“WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BE NAMED WALSALL FC’S OFFICIAL TRAVEL PROVIDERS. WE HAVE A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH SPORTING CLUBS IN THE MIDLANDS AND ARE REALLY PLEASED TO BE WORKING WITH THE SADDLERS.”
Birmingham International Coaches Ltd. 10 Fortnum Close, Tile Cross Birmingham, West Midlands B33 0JT www.birminghaminternationalcoaches.co.uk Tel: 0121 783 4004
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Coaches have a brilliant reputation for service, reliability and comfort. Our relationship with them stems back over two years but to forge a new two-year travel partnership with a coach provider such as this is really the icing on the cake.” Elsewhere, Walsall Football Club were delighted to unveil BIC as the club’s new official travel providers. The football club has signed a three-year agreement with BIC which will now transport the first-team to all away fixtures as well as provide travel for specific reserve and youth fixtures. "We are really pleased to have Birmingham International on board," explained Club Secretary, Daniel Mole. "The coach that the team will travel on really is state-of-the-art. It comes fully equipped with a commercial kitchen with oven, microwave and four fridge freezers plus plasma televisions with satellite television, i-Pod docking stations, PS3 and the necessary equipment required to allow the coaching staff
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to provide pre and post-match briefing to individual players and the squad as a whole. It even has the ability to convert an area into a treatment room should our head physio, Jon Whitney, need to do so. It’s an impressive vehicle and one that will ensure the team travel to and from away fixtures in real style and comfort.” BIC also works with football clubs Birmingham City and Leicester City, ice hockey team Coventry Blaze and rugby club Leicester Tigers. Director, Andy Watkiss, added: “We’re delighted to be named Walsall FC’s Official Travel Providers. We have a long association with sporting clubs in the Midlands and are really pleased to be working with the Saddlers.” Birmingham International’s first task was to take the Saddlers’ first-team squad to Stirling as Dean Smith’s men embarked on a five-day tour of Scotland. As well as team coach hire, BIC also offers private hire with 36-53-seat executive coaches available. To ensure continued client satisfaction BIC provides facilities to the highest standard during travel, with low emission vehicles to help the environment at the same time. BIC’s coaches have also proven popular with business and hospitality travel as its stylish executive fleet offers a unique travelling experience. Facilities such as wi-fi are available while table seating, comfortable leather reclining chairs with safety belts, hostess service and on-board catering are on offer. Birmingham International Coaches would like to thank Portland Fuels and Master Part Truck & Bus for their ongoing support.
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Birmingham:feature 2 09/05/2014 11:54 Page 13
BUS AND COACHES: BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL COACHES
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redroute:feature 2 08/05/2014 15:17 Page 14
BUS AND COACHES: REDROUTE BUS AND COACH HIRE
ALWAYS THERE...
...ON TIME
Redroute Bus & Coach Hire have a wide range of vehicles available to hire through out London, Kent and the surrounding areas edroute Bus and Coach Hire has a wide range of vehicles available to hire throughout London, Kent and the surrounding area. These vehicles range from a 31-seat minibus to a 78-seat double-decker bus. The company also boasts a classic 1960’s Routemaster and an open top bus amongst its fleet, and can proudly offer these vehicles for a variety of occasions. They are particularly popular for weddings. All Redroute vehicles are checked regularly to ensure they are in optimum condition which has resulted in an excellent track record of superior customer service. Redroute aims to give its customers affordable and dependable bus and coach hire. Its
R Redroute Buses Ltd Grove Road, Gravesend Kent DA11 9AX Tel: 0800 234 6842 www.redroutebuses.co.uk
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range of vehicles accommodates a variety of customer needs such as luxury travel with its three executive coaches, high volume shortdistance travel with its double-deckers, and special occasion travel with its vintage buses. Operating from the company’s depot near to Ebbsfleet International Train Station, Redroute’s purpose built yard has its own workshop facility which ensures all vehicles are maintained to the highest standards. All drivers have years of experience working in Kent and London with good national knowledge, ensuring customers get the service they require with efficiency and safety. In addition, all drivers are CRB checked to give customers peace of mind. The company says, “We are a professionally run family business who strive to make the
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BUS AND COACHES: REDROUTE BUS AND COACH HIRE experience of bus hire, coach hire or wedding bus hire as painless as possible for our customers. From the initial booking to the end of the rental period, we will help customers in any way we can to ensure everything runs smoothly; not just the vehicle. “We believe the benefit of being a family business gives us the personal as well as professional touch. Unlike many other companies, we have our own vehicles, mechanics, workshop and cleaners and we offer many different services from private coach hire and double-decker bus hire, to our lovely Routemaster Wedding Bus and an Open Top Bus which is great for sporting or corporate events. “We cover Kent, London, Essex and most of Southern England, and will travel to anywhere in the UK. Our Routemaster Buses are required nationwide, and often these can be completing jobs anywhere in the UK due to their uniqueness and rarity. “Redroute has a reputation of being extremely helpful, obliging and reliable. We are friendly and professional, and as well as dealing with quotes and bookings, working with you, we can offer advice on planning and organising your coach holidays, trips and passenger transport needs.” Redroute Buses would like to thank Magee Gammon Chartered Accountants for their ongoing support
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Bluebird Coaches:feature 2 08/05/2014 12:20 Page 16
BUS AND COACHES: BLUEBIRD COACHES luebird Coaches, based in Neath and Pontardawe, West Glamorgan, provides first class coach holidays and day excursions as well as coach hire. Having secured a reputation for customer attentiveness, the company can provide vehicles for short local journeys or longer trips around the UK and into Europe. It also operates a contract hire service, running local school transport services. The extensive range of vehicles can meet any requirements clients may have. The fleet numbers 16 with vehicles ranging in size from 22 to 57 seats. Models and manufacturers include Volvo Vanhool, Scania Plaxton, Daf Bova and Mercedes-Benz Jonckheere.
B Bluebird Coaches (Neath) Limited 9 & 10 London Road, Neath, Swansea SA11 1HB Tel: 01639 643 849 www.bluebirdcoachesneath.com
Facilities onboard include air conditioning, reclining seats, toilet, and hot and cold drinks. Customers have also become accustomed to the reliability and cleanliness of the fleet. Indeed, vehicles are regularly serviced by Bluebird’s in-house engineers at the company’s workshop. In addition, the service is further complemented by the professionalism and experience of the drivers who are trained through Arctic Training Swansea alongside additional in-house training. On an annual basis, drivers are further assessed to ensure standards never drop. The company first started in the mid 1950s when the father and grandfather of current owner Ian Warren began running a taxi service with a single vehicle. Success was quick to come and more taxis were
COACHING BY THE
PROFESSIONALS
Bluebird Coaches prides itself on providing a loyal, professional and reliable service
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BUS AND COACHES: BLUEBIRD COACHES
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added to the fleet before the incorporation of a minibus. By the 1970s the company was operating a fleet of vehicles including taxis, minibuses and coaches on school and NCB contracts. By the 1980s, the company made the decision to focus only on coaches, operating school and college contracts and private hire services. It also supplied a number of coaches to a large UK tour operator and continues to do so to this day. Ian Warren believes the last few years have been a challenge for the industry as a whole and expects those challenges to continue into the near future. However, he has every reason to look forward positively as Bluebird Coaches continues to remain competitive in the market. “Our customers do remain loyal,” he says. “We are small enough to care and go that extra mile to get things right.” Ian adds that the company is always looking at ways to improve. “We ensure our high standards are maintained by providing our customers with feedback questionnaires that are read by both our clients and ourselves to ensure best practice at all times.” Proudly owned and run by the Warren family to this day, Bluebird Coaches continues to deliver a loyal, professional and reliable service.
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LEASING: BRITISH VEHICLE RENTAL AND LEASING ASSOCIATION
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LEASING: BRITISH VEHICLE RENTAL AND LEASING ASSOCIATION
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE ROAD TRANSPORT
The BVRLA is the trade body for the vehicle rental and leasing sector ehicle rental and leasing companies buy 82% of UK-manufactured vehicles sold in this country, making a £2.4 billion contribution to GDP and supporting 52,000 jobs. That means BVRLA, which is the trade body for companies engaged in the leasing and rental of cars and commercial vehicles, has a very significant role to play. The association was formed in 1967 to ‘encourage, promote and protect the interests’ of the industry. It now has more than 500 member companies that operate around 3.3 million cars, vans and trucks, representing the interests of more than two million car drivers and millions of others who use a rental car each year. Help for members is provided through a series of activities that include ensuring new regulations and legislation are fair by lobbying the UK and EU governments and working with agencies, industry associations and business influencers on key issues. BVRLA also provides a range of training courses and accreditations, runs forums and offers various products that include risk management tools, a vehicle mileage database, guides and a recruitment service. High standards are maintained by ensuring members adhere to a code of conduct that requires them to provide safe and roadworthy vehicles, give clear and accurate information and generally deliver the best standards of service to their customers. Backing that up is a quality assurance programme that carries out random inspections of vehicles, with a particularly thorough inspection of commercial vehicle premises, and a conciliation service to help customers resolve disputes.
V www.bvrla.co.uk Tel: 01494 545700
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Recent achievements have included persuading the Department of Transport to relax CPC requirements for those driving short distances as an incidental part of their job, removing a burden for most rental and leasing staff. It’s also boosted the profile of the sector through commissioning a report that demonstrates the contribution it makes to the UK economy, persuaded the FCA to classify vehicle leasing broking as a low risk activity and prevented a reduction in the 50% VAT reclaimable on leased cars used privately and for business amongst other successes. All that activity has contributed to the BVRLA being rated as delivering good or very good value for money by 96% of respondents in its 2013 member survey. The membership is growing and saw the acquisition of the first rental broker member in 2013 to broaden the association’s representation, with ambitions to expand the number of members even further. The BVRLA is currently working with the DVLA as it seeks to modernise its services and has recommended improvements that could save the government £19 million and businesses £22 million each year. It’s also working with the government to deliver a fairer system of taxation to provide incentives for the use of low emission vehicles, is attempting to reduce insurance costs, participating in the development of a new London ultra-low emission zone, launching two quarterly surveys to provide up-todate research on the sector and encouraging increased membership engagement including proactive discussions about key issues.
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LEASING: TCH LEASING
FLEET SOLUTIONS TCH Leasing provides a comprehensive range of fleet products and services that offer solutions to all sectors of the market.
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LEASING: TCH LEASING
CH Leasing, based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, provides a comprehensive range of company car leasing, contract hire, and vehicle fleet management solutions across all industry sectors throughout the UK. Its broad offering ranges from working with one vehicle owner-managed businesses through to SME’s and blue chip companies. TCH also works with central and local government departments as well as national health and education bodies in the public sector. When the company was first established back in the 1960’s, primarily local business was done on a finance lease or contract hire basis. As the business grew and developed over successive decades, its service capability broadened. For example, in the seventies, it was one of the first to offer local authorities vehicles for use in employee contributory schemes. TCH’s rela-
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tionship with the public sector has remained strong and it is now one of the appointed suppliers to the Crown Commercial Services framework supplying vehicles to central and local government bodies as well as the NHS. TCH also offers a range of fleet management and tyre management products for customers who prefer to buy their vehicles but want to avail themselves of its buying power and system controls for service, maintenance, repair, motorclub and tyres on their vehicles. Accident management and risk management products are also available to complement these products for customers who require a more comprehensive service. In recent years, employers have begun to see the benefits to themselves and their employees of running salary sacrifice schemes for their vehicles. These can have significant benefits in terms of costs and reducing the CO2 impact of operating vehicles. TCH has there-
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LEASING: TCH LEASING
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TCH_feature 2 15/05/2014 12:28 Page 23
LEASING: TCH LEASING
fore developed an industry leading salary sacrifice product. This new product is indicative of the capabilities of TCH. Its longevity over the years has succeeded in part because of its ability to adapt to changing market conditions and appreciating the challenges facing clients. For example, managing escalating costs and reducing unnecessary supplementary charges with fewer staff has been a challenge for even the best operators. TCH works closely with its customers to add value through its extensive industry expertise, showing flexibility in product provision and issue resolution, and treating each customer on an individual basis to help them deal with issues in hard times. Importantly, this has allowed its customers to focus their time on issues that matter to them rather than fleet management.
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For example, TCH has worked with Kings Security Systems Ltd of Bradford over the last five years to help the company better control its out of contract costs on 180 vehicles. The identified reductions in cost have given Kings the confidence to use TCH exclusively for all its vehicle requirements on a performance and reward basis. Steve Evans, Sales Director of Kings says that, “keen pricing and excellent customer service is the philosophy that has enabled us to grow our business and we look for partners with a similar cultural connection.” Certainly, TCH’s flexibility has engendered long-term relationships with clients. Its basic approach is that, whatever car or LCV a customer requires, it will acquire it and lease or hire it to them at the best rate possible. However, its sales team adopts a consultative approach, pro-
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LEASING: TCH LEASING
“HOLDING TRUE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GROUP'S FOUNDER, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING FIRST CLASS QUALITY SERVICES, DESIGNED TO MEET, AND EXCEED, THE REAL NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF EACH AND EVERY CLIENT.” MARK HAMMOND MANAGING DIRECTOR,
Tel: 0845 408 9611 www.tchleasing.co.uk enquiries@tchleasing.co.uk
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viding advice in terms of total cost of ownership, fitness for purpose, CO2 ratings and any other assistance that customers require to fill any knowledge gaps. This ensures they make the best decision in selecting a vehicle. Its in-house maintenance authorisation team further highlights this service-led ethos. Mark Hammond, Managing Director, believes the company’s long-running success is due to enduring high standards of service and a commitment to working closely with clients to meet varying needs. “TCH Leasing is one of the country’s top 30 contract hire and fleet management companies and is one of the few remaining privately owned companies of its kind in the UK,” he says. “Holding true to the principles of the Group’s founder, we are committed to providing first class quality services, designed to meet, and exceed, the real needs and expectations of each and every
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client. As part of the T C Harrison Group we have traded under the same control and ownership throughout our 50-year history and our commitment for the future is to maintain this continuity for the benefit of our clients. “TCH Leasing has a simple philosophy – each customer is different and each situation is different from customer to customer. One size does not fit all and we try to apply a common sense attitude to each situation. “The continued success we have experienced over the last 50 years is principally down to the service levels we offer. We do not treat people as a number but always are prepared to go the extra mile and treat them as we would wish to be treated as customers. We are also flexible and have continually adjusted our product offering to meet the demands of our customers and the fleet market in general.”
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LEASING: TCH LEASING
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Gatwick_feature 2 14/05/2014 14:43 Page 26
AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE: LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT
GATWICK FOR GROWTH Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate talks about the growth of the airport and their future plans which is hoped will provide the connectivity and capacity that London as a whole needs and help the industry respond to change, and encourage competition, innovation and growth.
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AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE: LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT
rowth is set to continue at Gatwick Airport, with current passenger numbers of 35.5 million forecast to increase to 37.5 million in 2014-15. Capacity can be reached at peak times and the airport is pressing for a new runway, with expansion at Gatwick giving the UK the greatest economic boost, more quickly, and providing more flights to more destinations from London. The growth is partly driven by low-cost carriers – such as easyJet adding to its routes and increasing the number of aircraft based at Gatwick – while others, including long-haul carriers, are increasing activity. Following the change of ownership in 2009, £1.2 billion has been invested in the airport and a further £1 billion investment is scheduled from 2014. “In the South Terminal, we are replacing our oldest pier and creating our best pier at a cost of £180 million,” recounts CEO Stewart Wingate. “In the North Terminal, we’re putting an additional level on Pier Five to separate departing passengers from arriving passengers, making it easier for passengers and giving flexible use of the pier with multiple airlines operating varying sizes of aircraft at different times. That’s an £80 million project to be complete by the end of this year and we are about to embark on work in the North Terminal, upgrading the check-in area, security area, international departure lounge
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and retailing – similar to what we’ve achieved already in the South Terminal.” Those improvements help our already top service levels and drive passenger numbers that include a high proportion of business travellers. They’re attracted by direct connections to many destinations, fast check-in and baggage reclaim, competitive fares due to low airport charges, and fast turnaround times driven by efficient infrastructure. All that makes Gatwick the most efficient single runway airport in the world, but it is putting pressure on current capacity, which is why Gatwick needs a second runway.
SECOND RUNWAY An opportunity to rectify the situation was presented by the Airports Commission looking into airport capacity which has shortlisted only Gatwick and Heathrow for the next runway development. Gatwick is so confident in its case for a second runway it has launched its London Gatwick Obviously campaign to make the point. Stewart believes a third runway at Heathrow will make it too dominant and reduce competition, saying: “Having two runways at Gatwick and two at Heathrow will offer more choice because we have legacy carriers, charter traffic and Europe’s biggest low-cost aviation base, creating affordable fares to and from Europe.” Those carriers would enable Gatwick to utilise a new runway quicker than Heathrow with an
estimated additional 170 million passengers travelling to and from London through the airport by 2050. The speed of uptake is partly due to Gatwick being able to deliver a new runway faster than Heathrow. A projected opening date of 2025 is achievable because many resources are already in place.“We’d build the runway on currently safeguarded land and wouldn’t interfere with the rail system or the M23 motorway,” explains Stewart. “At Heathrow, they’d build across the M25, which will be very complex, costly, and cause massive disruption. Since 2003, there haven’t been many developments on our safeguarded land, which was set aside as where a future runway may be built. At Heathrow, they will have to make compulsory purchase orders for almost 3,000 houses whereas the comparable number for us is about 100.”
NOISE ISSUES Environmental considerations were among the reasons for the Airports Commission concluding only one new runway will be built in the Southeast. They reinforce Gatwick’s case since increased aircraft noise will affect fewer people. Gatwick currently only has 3,650 people living within the critical 57 decibel noise contour against almost 250,000 at Heathrow. Even then, Gatwick is already countering the issue with the most progressive noise insulation scheme of any European airport.
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AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE: LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT
Stewart says: “We’ve gone fifteen kilometres out from either end of the runway so all houses within the noise contours qualify to have double glazing and noise insulation with a contribution from the airport. And we’ve announced we will compensate those individuals who live within the 57 decibel noise contour and will be impacted by the noise of the aircraft.We’ve agreed to contribute at least £1,000 towards their council tax, making this commitment to 4,100 households.” Economics also comes firmly into play – the Gatwick option will cost £7.8 billion, all of it privately financed, as against £15.6 billion plus for the more complex Heathrow alternative. Gatwick’s airport charges are estimated to rise from £9 to £12-14 per passenger while Heathrow’s, already the world’s most expensive at £20, will probably increase to over £35. That difference will help drive Gatwick’s passenger numbers, especially in respect of low-cost airlines that are an increasing element of the business.
RAIL CONNECTIVITY The other major advantage Gatwick has is connectivity, with 35% of passengers getting to and from the airport by rail compared to 9% for Heathrow. By 2030, Gatwick’s rail capacity will be nearly tripled, with the frequency of trains doubled – there will be a train to Central London every 2.5 minutes – and the reach of the network extended to serve more than 1,000 stations with one or less changes. New, longer, and more frequent trains will serve the Gatwick Gateway, a brand new transport hub which will also incorporate more bus and coach services and better road connections. This will deliver seamless interchange between the airport and ground transport. Gatwick has recently completed a consultation with local communities and will incorporate feedback into the next submission to the Airports Commission. The final decision is due by mid-2015 and Stewart believes
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Gatwick’s advantages should result in a positive outcome for the airport: “It’s an incredibly important decision for the UK because it’s approaching seventy years since we built a full-size runway in the Southeast. It’s really important the Commission recommends a deliverable option and that’s where we think the Gatwick option is the best proposal. “It provides better connectivity, more affordable airport charges and air fares typically 30% cheaper than those that will be achieved at Heathrow. It spreads the economic benefits of aviation around the Southeast and maximises the economic benefits of the development. It also minimises environmental impacts, particularly noise and air quality, and we estimate it will create somewhere close to 17,000 jobs at the airport and for the region more like 60,000 jobs because of the catalytic effect. This could generate between 2030 and 2050 more than £55 billion worth of gross value.”
www.gatwickobviously.com Tel: 01293 505000
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newquay:feature 2 08/05/2014 17:04 Page 30
AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE: NEWQUAY CORNWALL AIRPORT t’s a critical time for the aviation industry and Newquay Cornwall Airport is committed to playing its part. Its ambitious goals to develop and implement better links between the region and the rest of the UK and Europe have been given a boost by the appointment of Tim Jeans as the new Chairman of Cornwall Airport Limited, the company which manages Newquay Cornwall Airport on behalf of Cornwall Council. One of the leading figures in the airline industry, Tim Jeans has over 20 years experience having held executive management positions with some of the UK’s leading airlines, including Ryanair, MyTravel & Monarch Airlines. His introduction at Cornwall Airport Limited (CAL), a private limited company which is wholly owned by the Council, is expected to help the airport push forward with its ambitious objectives. He will be responsible for overseeing all airport operations including CAA licensing, customer services, commercial development, route development and marketing. Cornwall Council’s Chief Executive Andrew Kerr said, “Tim's understanding of the industry and the significant role he has played in the development of Ryanair in the 2000s, including the introduction of Ryanair services to Cornwall, means he is extremely well placed to take Newquay Cornwall Airport on to the next stage of its development.” "I'm delighted to be taking up this appointment at a pivotal time for aviation in Cornwall,” said Tim. “Recent events have underscored the need for an airport to facilitate links between the region and the rest of the UK and
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PLAYING ITS PART With the technology of a large airport, combined with experienced staff, NQY offers passengers a convenient and professional service but on a smaller scale
Newquay Cornwall Airport St Mawgan, Newquay Cornwall TR8 4RQ www.newquaycornwallairport.com Tel: 01637 860600
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AIRPORTS OF THE FUTURE: NEWQUAY CORNWALL AIRPORT Europe. The airport is fortunate to enjoy the support of both regional and national government and I look forward to helping to realise the potential that undoubtedly exists for the airport to grow and develop to the benefit of the Cornish economy.”
WIDER OPPORTUNITY Newquay Cornwall Airport opens up its region to wider opportunity for both business and leisure passengers. The airport is particularly important in a peripheral sub-region like Cornwall, where transport infrastructure and distances from key markets can be a real business constraint, affecting growth, productivity and competitiveness. By offering year round, frequent flights to cities like Manchester and London, it means Cornwall can stay connected to major airport hubs making both European and long haul flight connections effortless. However, as part of its development, the airport diversified its business slightly in 2011 so that it didn’t rely upon passenger growth. The new strategy was developed “to attract, secure and grow business and investment on the aerodrome and adjacent land”. The airport is a vital ingredient in making Cornwall an attractive place to do business and attract inward investment with major companies identifying air links as a key component of the
decision making process for doing business. The links it supports to wider UK, European and international business centres and markets are vital for the wider business community in Cornwall. The airport was pleased to announce in March that the government will provide a financial guarantee for the full four-year duration of the Public Service Obligation for the Newquay to London air link. Over the past few months the Council has been working with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership and Cornwall’s six MPs to secure the long term future of the vital air link.
PUBLIC SERVICE OBLIGATION The Department for Transport announced in November that the Newquay-London air route was eligible for a Public Service Obligation and since then the Council has been working to develop tender documents inviting airlines to submit bids to operate the service in line with European procurement regulations. The financial guarantee was “very good news for Cornwall and Newquay Cornwall Airport” said Adam Paynter, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Partnerships. Chris Pomfret, Chairman of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, said, “Direct air links to a London hub airport are a critical part of our transport connectivity, the impor-
tance of which has been highlighted by the recent disruption to rail services. This commitment from Government that funding will be available for the full duration of a four-year PSO beyond the lifetime of the current Parliament is welcome news and something we have pressed for.”
MRO One of the latest developments at the airport has been the introduction of Apple Aviation Group’s maintenance facility headquarters. The UK based aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company will see its new facilities take shape within Aerohub, the airport’s Enterprise Zone, where a large, bespoke space for AA’s increased operations will be housed. This will include a MRO hangar facility, bespoke teardown/parts processing facility, aircraft parking area and management offices totalling 150,000 sq. ft which is part funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. Al Titterington, Managing Director at Newquay Cornwall Airport, commented: “Apple Aviation’s presence is a positive addition to the current Aerohub portfolio and we believe their services will assist in attracting other aviation businesses to the airport’s Enterprise Zone. Apple Aviation will bring exciting employment opportunities for skilled workers and will also provide extra revenue to businesses within the local economy.”
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DHpRice_feature 2 13/05/2014 15:48 Page 32
RECOVERY: DH PRICE MOTORS
FIRST CLASS
SERVICE DH Price, the Sandown-based car servicing and repairs business has enjoyed success over the last few years
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RECOVERY: DH PRICE MOTORS H Price Motors, the Sandownbased car servicing and repairs business, has enjoyed enduring success over the last few years. Customers have been quick to point out DH Price’s attentive service, expertise and reliability. Its comprehensive range of capabilities includes 24-hour breakdown recovery, an MOT testing centre, and servicing and repairs covering key areas such as tyres, batteries, exhausts and welding. The business, which operates a class 4, 5, and 7 MOT Centre, provides services to Isle of Wight, Cowes, Newport and Ryde. The company believes in making the process as simple as possible for road users. Whether customers need general servicing for air conditioning, brakes, exhausts, emission or brakes, the company is always happy to advise and conveniently conduct all required work. Customers can rely upon the business because of its years of experience, which has helped it stand out within the region, as well as expand in recent years.
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Such is the reputation of DH Price Motors, the company has become an invaluable part of nearby businesses requiring reliable and flexible vehicle maintenance. For example, Seaview Services, a local coach tour company with its own fleet of vehicles, utilises the capabilities of DH Price. If one of their vehicles unexpectedly encounters a fault, Seaview provides relief coaches and drivers to help with customer excursions while the vehicle repairs are being undertaken. All its service and repair work is carried out by DH Price. Seaview says its service and maintenance provider offers very competitive prices and their work is 100% guaranteed. “We highly recommend their services here on the Isle of Wight. They are also a registered VOSA testing station for PCV and LGV Vehicles,” said the company. Other customers have been quick to point out the qualities in DH Price’s exceptional service. One said “courteous at all times and offered refreshments in very hot weather” while another said its engineers were “all very pleasant and efficient.” Another called the garage “first class”
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while a regular customer who uses DH Price on an annual basis singled out not only the great service but the advice on offer. Elsewhere, someone whose car broke down had to make use of DH Price’s recovery service. They were mightily impressed. The road user said: “I broke down one evening and called the breakdown service. DH Price's recovery vehicle arrived within a few minutes, towed my car in, and repaired it the next day. I was so impressed with the company’s friendly, efficient service that I then booked my vehicle in for a full service.” DH Price has managed a difficult feat. It has grown its business without compromising quality of service, attention to detail or value for money. These are the things customers remember and the very reason the company continues to go from strength to strength. DH Price Motors, Unit C5 Spithead Business Centre Sandown PO36 9PH www.dhpricemotors.com Tel: 01983 400247
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Baldoukie_feature 2 15/05/2014 12:35 Page 34
RECOVERY: BALDOUKIE MOTORS
THE ROAD TO
RECOVERY From a country garage in 2001, Baldoukie Motors is now a growing vehicle recovery business
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RECOVERY: BALDOUKIE MOTORS eing a retained fireman for 24 years was, in Neil Cownie’s view, good preparation for his current business that specialises in vehicle recovery. “It’s good schooling in how to deal with emergency incidents,” he says. “For each recovery job, I use the training from the fire service to structure how we go about it. I use that as a benchmark for how I want my operatives to behave, how we set up and control the job. It’s the same sort of principles and it works fine for us.” Having shown interest in repairing vehicles from a young age, Neil took over country garage business Baldoukie Motors in 2001 and decided to focus particularly on vehicle recovery. Starting with a basic recovery truck, that’s now grown to 22 specialist vehicles and a second depot in Perth set up specifically for a contract with the police vehicle recovery scheme. And that, as Neil
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recalls, was especially challenging: “About three years ago, the contractor operating out of Perth lost all his police recovery work. “We covered it on a temporary basis then they put it out to tender, all in a very short time. I was offered the opportunity to take on Perth and, from the time the tender was put in place, we had two weeks to be open. I had to find a depot, vehicles, staff and everything, which we achieved and Perth has started growing. It was one of these opportunities that come along but don’t occur again. “There were more pluses than minuses but the biggest problem was we couldn’t open a small depot because of the police recovery work; it had to meet their criteria. So it was more expensive than having small premises and growing from there. Everything had to be there from the beginning so it went from nothing to full blown in about four weeks.”
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REGULAR CONTRACTS The outcome is Baldoukie Motors now covers a wide area from its two depots, including the A9 and A90 corridors, down to Edinburgh and Glasgow, up beyond Inverness and a lot of work in Aberdeen. Besides the police recovery work, there are regular contracts with the AA and RAC, FMG, Stagecoach to look after ten depots and work for local councils. The police contract requires that Baldoukie can cope with anything, so the fleet includes six heavy recovery vehicles, a low loader and accident units, with the ability to transfer vehicles between depots for particular needs. The specialised nature of the vehicles coupled with their high cost and relatively low mileage means they’re kept for much longer than for most fleets. “I’ve got a 1970 AEC Militant 6x6 vehicle we take to classic vehicle shows but it is a working truck,” recounts Neil. “We also have a
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RECOVERY: BALDOUKIE MOTORS
1988 DAF 2800 and are busy building another 4x4 recovery vehicle, slightly lighter to go into places where the heavier one would sink.” Due to the areas where the company operates, vehicles have to go to some fairly inaccessible places, including farm tracks and forests.That, as Neil outlines, has resulted in some interesting jobs: “A mini-digger was completely sunk in a peat bog and we had to have a road made to get down to it. From receiving the job to finally getting it out and onto a vehicle took five days, so that was a long job.There was also a huge fiftyton tracked machine they use in forests for chewing up tree stumps that slipped off the forest road. It was sitting on the edge of a thirty-foot drop so we had access made to recover that and it took a couple of days to get to it. Recently, we had a shipping container that broke off the back of a truck and it landed on its side, fully loaded, which we had to recover.” In addition to the vehicle recovery business, Baldoukie Motors provides a full service and repair facility and so can, depending on the contract, repair any vehicle it recovers. The only problem is the workshop is always busy with regular work from a good
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customer base that includes the local farming community, and so can’t always fit everything in. The company’s position near the oil industry in Aberdeen has protected it from the worst of the recession although there has been a noticeable drop in the number of vehicles on the roads. The main challenge is to get the Perth depot running fully. “It is going to be another three years and a lot of hard work,” states Neil. “It all happened at such short notice and has been a huge challenge with many unforeseen issues to overcome.We haven’t developed the workshop side and are really just doing some repairs, so that’s probably the next thing to concentrate on.” Baldoukie Motors LTD Tannadice, Forfar, Angus DD8 3SN Tel: 01307 860261 Perthshire Recovery Services Kilda Way, North Muirton Industrial Estate Perth, Perthshire PH1 3XS Tel: 01738 580648
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RECOVERY: BALDOUKIE MOTORS
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Foyle_feature 2 12/05/2014 15:44 Page 38
FORS: FOLEY AND MILES
oley and Miles has enjoyed over 20 years in the industry with its experience and expertise helping it to achieve an enviable reputation for efficient, effective and reliable transport solutions. Known for its outstanding customer care, the company can provide solutions that include a single load up to multi-vehicle, longterm supply contracts alongside complementary services. Indeed, in addition to its extensive fleet of haulage vehicles Foley and Miles also offers hydraulic repairs and servicing, welding and auto electrics, driver training and warehouse solutions either from its head office workshop in Purfleet, Essex or at the client’s site with Foley and Miles’ fully-equipped service vehicles. The company has looked to diversify and grow over the years while remaining committed to service standards. For example, all its vehicles are now Crossrail compliant and each has been upgraded with new safety equipment to alert drivers to vulnerable road users. Foley and Miles is also accredited to the Achilles scheme, and undertakes deliveries, with the addition of Hiab vehicles, to the major rail infrastructure companies. Maintaining standards are high on the agenda and all environmental, health and safety policies and risk assessments are reviewed regularly to ensure the business remains fully compliant with current legislation. Emphasising this is the company’s ISO 9001 certification.
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SPECIALIST SOLUTIONS Established in 1993, Foley and Miles have a reputation for providing an efficient and reliable service with outstanding customer care
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FORS: FOLEY AND MILES
Historically, Foley and Miles’ specialist service has been providing brick and block haulage solutions within London and the Home Counties. From its main depot in Essex and another in Borough Green, Kent, the company operates over 60 vehicles ranging from Rigids, Drawbars and Artics. While much of its work is in the south it is also geared to service its customer requirements up and down the UK. Recently the business invested heavily in its fleet making it one of the top hauliers in the area with many specialised Hiab crane vehicles to ensure safe loading and unloading of various types of materials. The company can deliver 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and has the flexibility to offer day to day delivery requirements with the understanding that they can fluctuate on a daily basis and sometimes on an hourly basis. Its experience is put to use when there are access problems, difficult or awkward loads and the company always enjoys a challenge. Foley and Miles’ experience provides it with the ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently. The company is also proud that its fleet of modern vehicles are all London Emission Zone (LEZ) compliant, equipped with satellite navigation and modern communication systems to ensure maximum efficiency. And, in addition to the vehicles and drivers being Crossrail compliant, the company is a Bronze member of the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS).
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THE COMPANY IS ALSO PROUD THAT ITS FLEET OF MODERN VEHICLES ARE ALL LONDON EMISSION ZONE (LEZ) COMPLIANT, EQUIPPED WITH SATELLITE NAVIGATION AND MODERN COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS TO ENSURE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY Additionally, its specialist expertise in crane off-load procedures has seen the company offer driver training packages in recent years. As members of the Drivers CPC4U Consortium the company offers LGV training packages in 3½ hour modules, which can be mixed and matched to produce a 7-hour course. Modules include Vulnerable Road User, Delivering the Goods, Loading and Unloading, Rules and Regulations, Health and Safety, SAFED and Forklift Training. ALLMI Lorry Loader training is also available with a two-day novice course, one-day experienced operator course and a one-day slinger/signaller course. All ALLMI courses qualify for training hours towards Driver CPC periodic training. ALLMI training courses, which are carried out by Foley and Miles using its own lorry loader fleet, are the only lorry loader training courses in the UK to be commended by the Health and Safety Executive.
732 London Road Grays, West Thurrock Essex RM20 3NL www.foleyandmiles.co.uk Tel: 01708 869986
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vapor recon_Layout 1 13/05/2014 14:50 Page 1
A Vapor Ricon Handicare Partnership Makes Wheelchair Transport Even Safer
V
apor Ricon – the leading manufacturer of transport and vehicle access lifts, has formed a new strategic alliance with Scandinavian company Handicare Auto to expand its range of innovative mobility products for wheelchair-users. Vapor Ricon and Handicare Auto Products have worked hard to create the "RiconSecure' – a restraint for fastening wheelchairs in a vehicle, and 'Ricon Handifloor / Handiplate' – a flexible flooring system to change the interior layout of a vehicle to allow a wheelchair to be accommodated. Vapor Ricon will have total exclusivity on marketing the two products across the UK and Ireland, with the ability to promote into other European countries. "Our partnership with Handicare means we are able to offer complementary products to users who required these items in addition to our market leading lift products, and we are delighted to be working with such a prestigious global manufacturer of transportation systems and restraints," said Paul Hemingway Business Unit Manager Vapor Ricon. "Furthermore, it gives convertors, who install our products, peace of mind knowing that all components are compatible and fully approved to UK and European standards. “This partnership provides the catalyst for our product and service expansion throughout Europe, with the aim of becoming the first choice provider in accessibility systems.” Vapor Ricon has formed a strategic alliance with Handicare to allow product sharing to take place and these are the first two products to be manufactured by Handicare with the Vapor Ricon brand. 'RiconSecure' is one of the strongest wheelchair and occupant restraint systems on the market, tested with a wheelchair load of
100kg. The system allows wheelchair users - who remain in their chair for vehicular transportation purposes - to be safe and secure within the vehicle. It secures the chair, and its passenger, to the vehicle floor giving maximum effectiveness both during journeys and when sudden braking or collisions occur. 'Ricon Handifloor & Handiplate' is designed with a high degree of flexibility that allows users to change the interior layout of their vehicle on the spot, meaning seats can be effortlessly moved down the base bonded rails (or even removed altogether) to enable easy access for a wheelchair. ʻRicon Handifloor & Handiplateʼ provides an aluminium base for the vehicle floor which attaches the 'RiconSecure' restraint system to the floor ensuring it remains in the correct position at all times for all wheelchair types and alleviates any operator error, delivering maximum safety each and every time. The system is especially suitable for MPVs, minibuses, ambulances, PTS vehicles and it also meets the new criteria laid down for bus operators. Both RiconSecure and Ricon Handifloor and Handiplate are fully approved for most vehicle types including the new Ford Custom and are suitable for use in both public service and private vehicles. “At Handicare we are very pleased about our partnership. We perceive Vapor Ricon as a strong partner and respect their position and innovation-generating ability within the Mobility Enhancement business. Our cooperation with Vapor Ricon gives us an opportunity to enter the markets in UK and Ireland which is a major advantage to our business,” commented Jan M. Jensen, Business Director of Hanidcare Auto.
YAS_feature 2 12/05/2014 17:04 Page 41
CARBON EMISSIONS: YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST
CUTTING EMISSIONS
Making an efficient lightweight, aerodynamic ambulance orkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) is the first ambulance service in the UK to participate in the Carbon Trust Carbon Management Programme. It is actively working to reduce spending on fuel and make a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2015. This will result in cost savings of ÂŁ3.39 million. YAS utilises over 110 locations, 4,500 staff and 1,500 vehicles to provide life-saving services to the people of Yorkshire. The Emergency Operations Centre receives 14,000 emergency calls each week and the vehicle fleet travels 40 million kilometres per year to provide emergency and non-emergency patient transport. The Trust developed a Carbon Management Plan which identified ways to reduce its carbon footprint. With two-thirds of its Scope 1 carbon footprint being from transport, work began to look at ways of decreasing carbon emissions and fuel consumption across its fleet. Since the gauntlet was laid down to the NHS to cut carbon emissions by 10% by 2015, YAS has been working hard to embrace innovative
Y
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technologies to make tangible carbon reduction gains. Its most recent of which has been the introduction of lightweight, aerodynamic ambulances to its fleet. The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded a Knowledge Transfer Secondment partnership project between YAS and the Schools of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds and they worked with four Yorkshire-based vehicle manufacturers. This enabled YAS to identify opportunities for major carbon reductions through the creation of a more efficient aerodynamic ambulance. The research project included a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, which looked at the aerodynamics of the box body ambulance and the aerodynamic drag forces for several different ambulance designs. The initial work showed that the aerodynamic drag forces on the common box body ambulance designs could be reduced by up to 20% by using aerodynamic styles common in other vehicle types, for example in Heavy Goods Vehicles.
It showed that the addition of light-bars on ambulance roofs leads to a 20% increase in the aerodynamic drag. Using a roof design concept, based on aerofoil shapes common in the aerospace industry, the University of Leeds was able to significantly reduce the impact of the light-bars so that they would only increase the aerodynamic drag by 3% compared to ambulances without light-bars. The work also highlighted the potential to reduce aerodynamic drag by up to 29% by buying van conversions rather than box body ambulances. The four-year project culminated in the development of a bespoke lightweight van conversion with an aerodynamic light bar, built by Manchester-based ambulance manufacturer Cartwright, working from an aerodynamic design by the University of Manchester with an initial design from University of Leeds.
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CARBON EMISSIONS: YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST The new design was based on a Mercedes Sprinter 4.6 tonne super single van option and has incorporated a change from the rear axle from a twin-wheel rear axle to a single wheel, allowing for more space inside the ambulance. The curb weight of the new vehicles is 3.75 tonnes in comparison to the previous ambulance design at 4.3 tonnes. The new vehicle has an increased carrying capacity of 800kg through innovative storage, lighter materials and equipment. The new ambulance, built to strict European safety standards, has exceeded expectations by achieving fuel efficiencies of 26mpg (compared to 16-18mpg with box body ambulances). Richard Smith, YAS Fleet Engineering Manager, said: “We have been working hard to look at a solution to our rising fuel bills and carbon emissions. This vehicle re-design shows that with collaboration between academia, public and private industries, it is possible to dramatically reduce our emissions and costs. We are really pleased with the results and will continue to
make improvements to reduce our carbon emissions.” The new ambulances are yet another example of how YAS is reducing its carbon footprint in line with its 2015 target. Other ways YAS has tried to operate more efficiently include trials with tyre pressures and evaluation of alternative fuels. YAS has found that electric vehicles are ideal for patient transport services in urban areas where one charge covers the daily average mileage but not for rural areas where some vehicles can travel up to 1,000 miles a day. Hybrid
vehicles have therefore proved more applicable to the service’s activities in these areas. Ambulances are produced for a niche market, with only 10,000 built in the UK annually and only about 300-500 bought each year. Nationally, there’s a move to redevelop the way ambulances are built and reassess what is demanded of them, resulting in a wish list of features that include fuel efficiency, low CO2 emissions, stop-start technology, battery management, fuel cell technology and solar panels incorporated into the vehicles.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Springhill 2, Brindley Way Wakefield 41 Business Park Wakefield WF2 0XQ www.yas.nhs.uk Tel: 0845 1212129
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YAS_feature 2 15/05/2014 09:33 Page 43
CARBON EMISSIONS: YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST
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arla_feature 2 13/05/2014 12:02 Page 44
COMPANY PROFILE: ARLA FOODS
CLOSER TO
NATURE
Arla Foods believe that sustainability is central to corporate responsibility and their environment strategy recognises that the decisions taken today impact on their long-term future rla Foods’ has been recognised by McDonald’s for its sustainable endeavours with the announcement of the 2014 “Best of Sustainable Supply” award winners. The award exemplifies Arla Foods’ commitment to making a difference. McDonald’s recently announced its 2014 award winners in a report highlighting how suppliers achieved significant results by identifying opportunities and applying sustainable solutions in diverse places across the world. More than 600 entries were submitted, with Arla Foods earning a prestigious place alongside 50 other leading projects. McDonald’s leadership and external subject matter experts recognised Arla Foods for sustainability leadership in the Climate Change and Energy category for its combination trailer. Created as half milk tanker and half refrigerated container, the innovative
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design of Arla’s trailer significantly reduces fuel consumption and cuts carbon emissions. Arla Foods is a global dairy company and a cooperative owned by 13,500 European farmers, of which over 2,800 are British. With production facilities in 12 countries and sales offices in a further 30, Arla is the sixth largest dairy company in the world. Employing more than 18,000 staff worldwide, Arla’s product portfolio includes well known brands which are sold in more than 100 countries and the cooperative is also the world’s largest supplier of organic dairy products. As well as being the leading supplier of fresh milk to the UK’s major retailers, Arla UK is home to the Lurpak, Anchor, Cravendale and Castello brands and a major supplier to McDonald’s. The hybrid trailer was developed in partnership with external suppliers Crossland Tankers to produce the milk tank and Gray & Adams for
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the refrigerated trailer. Following Arla’s merger with Milk Link and consequent customer base increase requiring more miles travelled, the need to collect raw milk and deliver finished products as efficiently as possible has intensified. The trailer looks like any other double deck trailer from the outside but with its standing height of 4.4 metres, it is 30cm taller than a standard refrigerated trailer. It features a low profile running gear with a lowered step-frame section on the bottom deck to accommodate the milk tank.With its 12.2 metre-long by 2.6 metre wide body, at 44 tonnes the milk tank can accommodate 19,000 litres while the trailer can carry 85 milk cages or 22 pallets. “Arla’s logistics network is one of the largest in the UK, responsible for over 4,000 daily deliveries to stores and regional distribution centres nationwide. The new trailer is just one of many solutions we are delivering to ensure our car-
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COMPANY PROFILE: ARLA FOODS
ARLA’S LOGISTICS NETWORK IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UK, RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 4,000 DAILY DELIVERIES TO STORES AND REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRES NATIONWIDE
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arla_feature 2 13/05/2014 12:02 Page 46
COMPANY PROFILE: ARLA FOODS
www.arlafoods.co.uk Tel: 0113 382 7000
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bon output and costs are as low as possible,” said Paul Lloyd, Vice President of Logistics at Arla. The trailer has delivered significant benefits such as cutting the number of road miles travelled in both its collection and delivery activities. “There were occasions when we were sending out a vehicle full of finished product then later sending out an empty milk tanker to collect milk,” said Gordon Irvine, Arla's Group Fleet Director. “They could both travel the same route, but carry a load in the opposite direction. We aren't the only company faced with this dilemma but we are the first to deliver a solution and put one of the country's most innovative trailers on the road.” Both Gray & Adams and Crossland Tankers are long-established suppliers to Arla Foods, said Gordon: “We were keen during the development phase to maintain confidentiality and I knew that not only would
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they deliver a quality product, but we could also trust them to work with us in the strictest confidence.” Gray & Adams’ Managing Director, Lewis Gray, added: “It has been a privilege to work on such an exciting and innovative project. Arla Foods runs an exceptionally professional temperature-controlled distribution operation, and this ground-breaking trailer demonstrates once again the determination of the company to seize every opportunity to maximise efficiency.” Crossland Tankers, Managing Director, Sean McKeown, commented: “We are delighted to have been involved in developing this innovative product which not only helps the environment but improves operating efficiency and reduces running costs. Arla Foods already operate a modern fleet of tankers specifically designed for farm collection but this combination trailer offers a new dimension to its transport operations with the ability to back load milk collection vehicles with finished product.” Jose Armario, Executive Vice President, McDonald’s Global Supply Chain, Development & Franchising, said, “The submissions in the Best of Sustainable Supply report demonstrate that our suppliers go above and beyond to provide sustainable leadership, and that they take their commitment to preserving resources as seriously as we do. We are fortunate to work with such a diverse and dedicated group of suppliers to service our 35,000 global restaurants each day.” Commenting on the award and Arla Foods’ combination trailer being featured as a case study in McDonald’s 2014 Best of Sustainable Supply report, Ahmed Laher, Arla’s Business Manager for McDonald’s said: “We are extremely proud of our combination trailer which is unique in the industry and already the winner of seven other prestigious awards. It is fantastic to have this recognition from McDonald’s too.”
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Aggregate Industries_feature 2 09/05/2014 12:40 Page 48
COMPANY PROFILE: AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES
THE
COMPLETE SERVICE Aggregate Industries quarries, manufactures and supplies a wide range of heavy building materials to the construction industry
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COMPANY PROFILE: AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES
ince 2008, Aggregate Industries has been part of Holcim, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates, with other activities that include supplying ready mixed concrete and asphalt. Various companies in the group, such as Bradstone, Bardon Concrete and Garside Sands, mean that Aggregate Industries fits in perfectly with the main businesses but is also able to supply to various group companies as well as third party customers that include most main contractors. The majority of the Aggregate Industries operation is about supplying materials in bulk directly to end users although a subsidiary company supplies bagged products on pallets to builders’ merchants and similar outlets while other companies deal in different materials. National Logistics Manager Jeff Stobbart says: “We’re involved in quarrying, asphalt and ready mixed concrete — anything to do with construction. We’re UK based and we have various subsidiary companies as part of our business.” Jeff’s responsibilities extend to the UK delivery fleet, with the machines in the quarries being dealt with separately. Some transport is contracted out through a fourth party logistics arrangement and short-term peaks are handled by external hauliers but the majority of the work is through a franchise contract. That covers a fleet of around 1,200 vehicles that range from 18 to 32 tonne trucks and 44 tonne trailers. They all run in the Aggregate Industries livery and make deliveries to customers as well as transfers from quarries to concrete and asphalt plants.
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With locations around the UK, extending from Stornoway to Lands End, the fleet is well spread. Depending on their agreement, individual drivers either have designated parking places at the company’s properties or are based at their own yards. Jeff’s aim is to ensure they all conform to contractual and legal obligations, with all arrangements properly aligned. All terms and conditions are set out in the franchise contract but the general principle is that Aggregate Industries determines what’s needed and the franchisees provide the necessary service. “We deal with all procurement, specification of the trucks and the contracts they work under, which is mainly for the asphalt, aggregates and ready mix parts of the business,” explains Jeff. “We provide all training in respect of a standard induction and individual site inductions, the EPIC skills card needed to operate within the industry and CPC training is offered as part of the scheme. They’re on our database as approved drivers or hauliers and work for us on a self-billed arrangement so they get paid by the ticket.” The franchisees are a mixture of sole traders with a single vehicle and multi-franchisees that operate several vehicles as part of their overall haulage business or that work exclusively for Aggregate Industries. In each case, the arrangement and treatment are the same, with the operators required to obtain vehicles that conform to the company’s specification, have the correct insurance cover and run them under their own operating licence. Where necessary, assistance with finance is available through an
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wilcox_Layout 1 15/05/2014 11:44 Page 1
GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
E
M Wilcox Ltd was formed in 1947 by
In the recession whilst many of its competi-
Mrs Wilcox and her two sons, Ray and
tors struggled, Wilcox became stronger
Geoff and operated from a factory in
growing its market share in the walking floor
Acland Street, Peterborough, now demolished
market, developing an aggregates and asphalt
and replaced by the Queensgate shopping
model for safer non tipping discharge. We
centre. During the late 80ʼs the company
also became a one stop shop for blower cus-
moved to itʼs current site at Market Deeping.
tomers installing all of the pneumatic and
After going into receivership, in December
hydraulic discharge equipment. Wilcox has
of 2000 Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd was
always prided itself on its ability to offer its cus-
formed by MBO by Vito Ronzano and Chris
tomers the very best products and services in
Bartlett, who purchased the Wilcox name and
the industry. To this end a new factory is
assets at the Market Deeping site.
currently under construction on its Market
The duo were confident in the companyʼs
Deeping site that will continue the trend of de-
reputation for quality and had faith that this could
veloping and building high quality products and
be used as a basis for growth and success.
services.
Many customers also had faith in the pairʼs man-
The new factory when complete will give an
agement skills and so the company embarked
additional 40% capacity and have an in house
on a new era, where steady growth has been
painting facility and a VOSA test lane to enable
achieved while offering customers bespoke
VOSA IVA inspections to be carried out on site
products to allow the efficient transportation of
reducing turn round times for nonstandard ve-
bulk products, all built to the highest standards.
hicle type approvals.
“We offer our customers engineered solutions to efficiently transport bulk products, built to the highest industry standard and compliance with European whole vehicle type approval.”
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COMPANY PROFILE: AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES introducer, as are repair and maintenance contracts at beneficial rates, so there is help for anyone wanting to start their own business. But the franchisee is expected to maintain a reliable vehicle, renew it at set intervals (currently a maximum of seven years) and provide the agreed service in return for set rates. Failure to do so can result in notice of termination of the contract but that happens rarely, with several franchisees relying on Aggregate Industries for all their work and many having worked for the company for a lot of years. Although the franchising arrangement means Aggregate Industries pays a fixed price per load, it’s not fully protected against cost fluctuations. It operates a fuel escalator that changes the rate paid to hauliers as the cost of fuel alters within set bands.Additionally, it is committed to its hauliers and has a target for carbon reduction that’s set by the group. The target is mainly intended for processing plants that burn a lot of carbon and is difficult to apply to haulage given the varied nature of sourcing. Despite this, it is considered seriously when reviewing the fleet, the exercise being undertaken in conjunction with some contractors and suppliers. Jeff says: “The company’s very serious in going down the route to obtain an increased carrying capacity, lowering our haulage cost and improving the safety element of vehicle operation. We specify our trucks with CO2 requirements in mind, ensuring we get the right engine size and the optimum Euro engine. We’re also trying to get them as light as possible to increase pay load, which will lower CO2 per given load. During the current review, we’re increasing our vehicle size and introducing non-tipping, walking floor trailers. Bigger loads result in increased overall efficiency and a reduction in unit costs. Although this is to the benefit of the haulier rather than us, in the long term it means we will pay lower haulage rates but they’ll still make a good deal from the contract. We can give them benefit by driving down their costs, being able to maximise their pay load, reduce their empty running and anything else we can do.”
“THE COMPANY’S VERY SERIOUS IN GOING DOWN THE ROUTE TO OBTAIN AN INCREASED CARRYING CAPACITY, LOWERING OUR HAULAGE COST AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY ELEMENT OF VEHICLE OPERATION.”
www.aggregate.com Tel: 01530 510066
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AD Boyes_feature 2 13/05/2014 15:53 Page 52
HAULAGE: AD BOYES LOGISTICS
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HAULAGE: AD BOYES LOGISTICS
DRIVING YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD... Formed in 2007, A D Boyes Logistics (UK) Ltd is firmly rooted in a family business extending over three generations in the haulage industry eliability often works in two ways. For AD Boyes, it’s typified by the service the company provides to its customers and the trust it has in them to keep their half of the bargain. The biggest of those customers is DHL where four vehicles are on regular charter. Others include Kuehne + Nagel, Kerry Foods and local company Bray Solutions from whom Boyes obtains warehouse space through a partnership agreement. Established Business It’s a family business that originated in the mid1950s. The 1960s and 70s caravan boom on the East coast saw the family business prosper, delivering caravans for local manufacturers across the country until the untimely death of Boyes senior. Forming again in 2007 under a second and third generation of the family, the business is now firmly established and that, according to Managing Director Adrian Boyes, is due to the reliability of its service: “We have grown over the last seven years to where we are today by the service we have always supplied.
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“We have very good employees who are interested in the company and we are solely reliant on our drivers because they represent us. Our drivers are keen and look after their equipment so we try to look after them the best we possibly can. We have fitted the vehicles with microwaves, TVs and other equipment so they have all the home comforts they require while out on the road.” The fleet has grown to nine vehicles that include two for bulk consignments, two refrigerated and the rest being curtain-siders. The policy has been to renew after four years but that’s stretched a little with the downturn in the economy.
RELIABLE AND COMMITTED The company has become sufficiently established to receive frequent enquiries for work. “Customers know we have done a good job for them, have been reliable and committed, and have made deliveries on time,” remarks Adrian. “When you do that, they’re more likely to use you every time. I have always believed in being absolutely straight and honest with
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AD Boyes_feature 2 13/05/2014 15:53 Page 54
HAULAGE: AD BOYES LOGISTICS
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HAULAGE: AD BOYES LOGISTICS
our customers. We’re always totally up front with them and benefit from that.” Whilst the economy has been a problem, with a downturn in demand and pressure on rates, that’s now improving. Finding good drivers for increased work is likely to be the next challenge, especially as companies belatedly address the issue of CPC qualification. Boyes Logistics is looking to increase its reliability further through the use of technology, Adrian saying: “We are trialling a tracking system that works in conjunction with DHL and are looking at smart phones. Once drivers have made a delivery, they can send a picture of the POD to us and we can get that straight to the customer so they can invoice their customer. That is the way we want to go within the next six months.”
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Registered Office: D Boyes Logistics (UK) Ltd 42 Grange Road Peterborough PE3 9DU Depot & Parking: Kings Cliffe Industrial Estate, Kings Cliffe Road, Kings Cliffe, Peterborough PE8 6PB www.adboyes.co.uk Tel: 01780 782194
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prolog_feature 2 14/05/2014 12:04 Page 56
THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: PROLOG lexibility is a word that features frequently when describing Prolog’s services and the way they provide them. “We build solutions to meet individual client’s requirements,” states Guy Smith, Joint Managing Director at Prolog. “We recognise every company has different cultures, service propositions and processes, and as such all of our services are tailored to client needs; we don’t dictate or enforce ‘a Prolog way’ mentality here. We are very flexible and that has distinct advantages for our clients.” Those clients range from high volume businesses such as Mothercare, Early Learning Centre and Cotton Traders through to niche brands like Tamara Mellon and Belstaff, operating at the luxury end of the retail market. Guy comments: “The fact that we can provide dedicated facilities and operations for both large and niche businesses demonstrates just some of the flexibility we have in our infrastructure — and it gives us a key advantage in the market.”
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Prolog operates as a process outsourcing business, specialising in ecommerce and retail warehousing and fulfilment, management and distribution of point of sale and promotional material and multichannel contact centres. Guy explains: “At Prolog, clients can build their own solution from our suite of services. We often find that businesses we work with significantly reduce their outsourcing budgets by having a group of services under one roof; it provides a seamless experience for their own customers too. It’s rare to find an organisation of our ilk that can provide a complete customer journey proposition like we can.” Often, clients commence with a single service requirement only to extend their outsourcing with Prolog as they witness the benefits of an end-to-end process outsourced to a third party. Prolog manages customer orders, pick, pack and deliver direct to consumer or to stores and added to that are various options to make the service truly complete. An example of this is re-packing. “We do a fair amount of repacking, a good example
THE UK'S LEADING OUTSOURCING PARTNER
With an exceptional team of people, cutting-edge technology, global distribution capabilities and substantial infrastructure, Prolog are committed to achieving excellence in all that they do
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: PROLOG being around Christmas when gift packs are made up,” remarks Guy. “In addition, we provide a range of peripheral services that are essential to consumer support but often don’t fit anywhere else within the client’s supply chain — dedicated spares and repairs units for example. It all depends on clients’ specific requirements.” The effectiveness of the operation is helped by having three strategically placed locations — Suffolk for the South, Haydock on Merseyside and Sherwood Park just north of Nottingham; this is the main operational centre boasting one million square feet of space across six warehouses. It’s strategic location central to carrier hubs and suppliers made this a natural choice for Prolog when it expanded 18 years ago. Guy says: “Each building is designated to a particular type of activity, such as retail distribution, POS, general fulfilment and ecommerce, with a recent significant investment in mechanisation using the first solution of its type in Europe. This gives us huge capacity and tremendous flexibility; we move labour around the campus as required. Our reliance on casual or agency labour is
therefore minimal because we are able to flex our full-time employee base.” Prolog has a fleet of twenty vehicles ranging from transits to artics, the fleet supplementing its carrier contracts when non-standard options are required. “We handle a great deal of promotional materials, much of this being for time sensitive promotional events and often requiring reverse logistics delivery,” recounts Guy. “To manage such contracts, much time is invested in planning and organisation. The Prolog Account Management teams thrive off these challenges and we have to be very quick to respond to client demand right across the business. Probably 50% of our clients have a degree of seasonality; we demand plan very carefully to ensure peaks are easily accommodated within the Prolog facilities.” Meeting demanding schedules as well as the speed and reliability required by the ecommerce sector is enabled through a reliance, on the whole, on full-time employees. Much investment has been allocated to ensure all Prolog staff are well trained and understand the needs of the business and its clients. As previously mentioned, there’s also significant and on-going investment in the operation, with a drive to increase productivity and reduce costs for clients. It has been known for Prolog to contractually commit to reducing prices through efficiency programmes during the life of a contract. A recent £4 million investment into two ecommerce facilities has introduced semiautomation and efficiency through dynamic picking. This has produced warehouses that are completely RF-enabled using cutting-edge technology. Intelligent pick routes, dynamic storage and bulk picking provide best in class performance in terms of speed and accuracy. There’s a similar investment in IT, where the company has a team of almost thirty to deliver bespoke solutions for individual clients. All WMS development is undertaken by in-house developers, not external contractors who simply program to specification; the Prolog IT teams understand how these programs work in a warehouse
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: PROLOG environment. This is especially important for a company that prides itself on treating clients as individuals; systems are developed to accommodate each client’s profile and service level requirements. Primary systems are provided via Prolog Fusion Core software, a modular system that has been developed to meet specific client needs and sits at the heart of the business. It supports RF wireless technology, voice oper-
“OVER THE YEARS, PROLOG HAS BECOME A FULFILMENT OUTSOURCING SPECIALIST FOR A DIVERSE RANGE OF CLIENTS”
www.prolog.co.uk Tel: 01623 724000
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ated picking and, as Guy explains, a host of features to help clients: “The orders come into Prolog Fusion from clients in every way imaginable. The systems are pre-programmed to process orders automatically without intervention but with a full range of systemic checks such as point of receipt checking for address errors or duplications. Sometimes orders go straight to pick whilst other clients need us to process payment first; it comes down to client choice yet again.” Prolog clients have access to information and reporting at every step of the process using Prolog Cortex.This
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is a market leading tool provided to clients online and goes way beyond downloading flat reports in either Excel or CSV. Prolog Cortex allows them to drill down and undertake complex analysis of high volume data at astounding speed. Guy explains: “The client is in control, receiving only relevant information with key data updated in real-time. It’s all about adding value and making the experience for our clients as close to an in-house operation as we possibly can, often better.”
REAL TIME SNAPSHOTS Web portals and mobile apps are also available, giving real time snapshots on performance; each client can set up dashboards that present selected data in a required format and can interrogate that data in a variety of ways. It’s all designed to make information as accessible as possible for every client and investment in this area is always on-going. “We use technology to smooth the process flow, we invest in mechanisation to speed the process and we use resource planning to handle higher volume during peak periods,” states Guy. “Over the years, Prolog has become a fulfilment outsourcing specialist for a diverse range of clients. We continuously focus on the areas where our expertise lies and where we are able to really drive forward, add value and establish an increasingly strong position in the market. Those areas typically are POS, storage, distribution and ecommerce, the latter being a massive market with a huge amount of opportunity where we have taken great steps forward to ensure we are very well positioned to capitalise on those opportunities.”
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: PROLOG
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: BRING CARGO
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: BRING CARGO
FINDING NEW WAYS Our aim is to be a leading provider of logistics and transport solutions, finding new ways to provide more efficient logistics solutions that have the least possible environmental impact
s a specialist transport and logistics supplier providing comprehensive cargo and warehousing services, Bring has established an enviable reputation in the UK. Part of the Bring group of companies that originally started as a liner agent for a shipping route going to and from Norway in 1976, the business has grown over the years and now boasts a worldwide presence. From its corporate headquarters in Norway, Bring Cargo has operations across Scandinavia and central Europe as well as the UK, USA and Canada, and through its network of agency partners, the rest of the world. Boosted by enduring success and a welldeveloped profile, the company moved away from its liner agency services to concentrate on freight forwarding in 2003. Today, comprehensive solutions are avail-
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able to customers worldwide using Bring’s own trailers as well as those of its partners. Services include logistics management, freight forwarding, consolidation and warehousing to 3,500 customers in the UK and Ireland. Working closely with its customers, Bring can offer the complete logistics solution with a wide network and range of services that provide flexibility and operational effectiveness. As a specialist in warehousing, groupage and part load, the company is adept at optimising a client’s goods flow while enhancing its competitiveness. This is accomplished through a unique product offering that can accomplish simple and effective standard solutions as well as bespoke services for the most demanding integrated logistics. Bring customers also benefit from its experienced, solutions-oriented people with a deep expertise in their
specialist areas and market, both locally, nationally, and internationally. Steve Gorrod, Operations Manager, believes Bring has key advantages over competitors because of the scale of its services and international network. Crucially, however, it can provide a personalised, attentive and adaptable solution to a client’s needs alongside the benefits of working with an international supplier. “We believe we are big enough to offer solutions to most freight consignments,” he says, “but we are still small enough to offer that personal touch to our customers. Our aim is to be a leading provider of logistics and transport solutions, finding new ways to provide more efficient logistics solutions that have the least possible environmental impact. “We shall not win this position by copying competitors. Our transport, whether by ship or road, is adapted to meet the various
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: BRING CARGO needs of the market. We find new ways – better ways – to develop flexible, customised solutions that improve clients’ logistics, incorporating the best, most user-friendly Information and Communications Technology.” Through rigorous internal quality control systems, service standards are monitored and maintained. The work of subcontractors is also very closely monitored. Modern technology has aided in this endeavour, helping to increase operational efficiency, both in reducing overall costs as well as carbon emissions. The company certainly takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. It does so without compromising speed, quality, or a good logistics set-up. Recycling practices at each of its locations and the use of the most modern transportation methods and fuelefficient vehicles are just two of the ways Bring has reduced its environmental impact. However, it has gone much further in recent years, measuring and reporting on its performance to be as transparent as possible. This has included the implementation of measures to reduce energy consumption, updating the fleet to the most fuel efficient vehicles, alongside designing the entire logistics set-up to minimise its environmental ‘footprint’. Bring’s commitment to lowering its carbon emissions can be seen across the group, meaning its overall gains are witnessed on the international stage. With turnover exceeding one billion euros, the Bring Group employs more than 2,000 staff and utilis-
es a fleet of over 660 distribution vehicles and 1,000 trailers with its international warehouse capacity surpassing 240,000 m2. It’s clear to see not only its successful growth but why it remains a leader within the field. Steve admits it hasn’t been an easy few years for its UK operation largely because of the uncertainty within the economy but the business has been buoyed by
“WE ARE STRIVING TO PROVIDE A GOOD QUALITY SERVICE AT COMPETITIVE PRICES AND WE ARE STRIVING TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS DURING 2014” another good year financially and is seeking further development in 2014. “It has been a difficult few years but things are now picking up and we have started adding additional vehicles to our fleet in the U.K., which reduces our reliance on sub-contractors. “We are striving to provide a good quality service at competitive prices and we are striving to attract more business during 2014. We had an internal restriction at the end of 2013 which we believe will put us in a better position to achieve these aims in 2014.”
www.bring.co.uk Tel: 01469 575 700
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: RIF LOGISTICS
DELIVERING EXCELLENCE WORLDWIDE RIF Logistics provide their clients with the advantage that ensures they stay one step ahead of the competition.
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: RIF LOGISTICS ccommodating growth hasn’t been a problem for many logistics companies over the last few years. It has, however, for RIF Logistics after it formed in 2008 at the beginning of the downturn. That’s because sales have been good from the outset due to the company’s association with global logistics provider RIF Worldwide, which not only has an active sales force but also provides imports that RIF Logistics can then distribute as part of its business in addition to products from other sources. “When we started, we rented 1,000 square feet of warehousing space at a haulage company in Milton Keynes,” recalls Managing Director Dominic bacon. “We took on more space and then moved to another site in Milton Keynes, later opening a further site there. At one point, we had about four sites in Milton Keynes and we made the decision to consolidate the operation and moved into this large site in Dunstable, where we have been for two years in May.”
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The company was set up as a third party logistics provider, mainly servicing the SME market for customers who have a turnover up to £10 million and generally sell consumer products. It specialises in multi-channel fulfilment where consignments can be anything that’s not hazardous, perishable or require temperature control. They range from an item in an envelope going to a customer address through to a full trailer load destined for a national distribution centre. RIF stores products from manufacturers or importers, receiving and processing client orders for onward distribution to their customers. Added value services include technical work such as electrical testing and changing plugs, allowing customers to buy generic products that are then adapted to sell into individual markets. There’s also a lot of work for promotional marketing companies that source products from all
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over the world, which RIF receives, consolidates and sends out to numerous destinations. The distribution centre has customs warehouse authorisation, allowing goods to be stored under bond. This provides customers with the option of deferring duty and VAT payment on imports until they are ready to sell the goods, thus providing a tremendous cash flow benefit. Dominic says: “The main things we offer are customer service and flexibility. There’s nothing we won’t do, unlike some larger third party logistics companies that tend to dictate how things operate. I go in with a view of finding out what the customer wants and telling them what we will do to meet that. We make sure we have a process to handle every sort of eventuality and we can be flexible with cut off times etc if a customer really needs it. We keep a strong and committed administration team who act in a
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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: RIF LOGISTICS
“THE MAIN THINGS WE OFFER ARE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FLEXIBILITY. THERE’S NOTHING WE WON’T DO, UNLIKE SOME LARGER THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS COMPANIES THAT TEND TO DICTATE HOW THINGS OPERATE.” dual customer service role as well. We have a good continuity of staff and a lot of my key people have worked with me for many years.”
PEAKS OF ACTIVITY
www.rifworldwide.co.uk/ rif_logistics/rif_logistics_home.html Tel 01582 475611
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Current storage amounts to a 60,000 square feet high bay distribution centre with all deliveries handled by regular partners that include parcel carriers, pallet carriers and local hauliers to handle the different demands throughout the UK and worldwide. Partners also provide extra storage space when the distribution centre is full, which can occur during peaks of activity. “A lot of our customers sometimes do big promotions or one-off projects where we will need a lot more space or people,” explains Dominic. “It creates spikes in activity and storage requirements but our approach means we have never had to turn work away.” The availability of IT helps handle the varying demand levels with the use of the BoxTop freight for-
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warding system and OpenWMS, specialist warehouse management software for middle tier operators. They provide integration with customer and carrier systems, with electronic transfer of data and full visibility of orders throughout. It’s playing a part in sustaining a business that’s been growing at 20% annually, with the stage being reached shortly where additional facilities will be required. A major element of the expansion is e-fulfilment, which is expected to continue to grow and be a major activity for the company. The continual pressure on storage capacity is a feature of the third party logistics business where stock tends to be held longer than for normal freight operations due to the more complex processes that are involved. It is, as Dominic confirms, something RIF Logistics is seeking to address: “We’re continuing to grow and at the same time trying to change the mix of the business to move to less storage and more activity, strengthening the asset and improving the yield. We want to get things in that move quickly because, when we are full, we can’t really do anything else in this business so we need to be full of items that are moving. We’re analysing the mix of the business and trying to change it so the vast majority of our space is taken up by relatively quick moving products.” RIF Logistics would like to thank Peter Lole & Co. Ltd. and Advanced Business Solutions for supporting this feature.
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Looking back at...
THE FORTH BRIDGE In our regular column we take a brief look at some of the great pioneers, innovators and technology that has helped shape the world’s transport system
he Forth Bridge was the first major structure of its kind in Britain. Even today, it is considered an engineering marvel. The cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in Scotland spans 1.6 miles with the double track elevated at 151 feet above the water level at high tide. It took seven years to build from steel with the mammoth task of constructing a bridge weighing in excess of 51,000 tonnes resulting in the deaths, by some estimates, of 98 workers. The bridge was opened in 1890 and sees passage from the Lothians at Dalmeny to Fife at North Queensferry, connecting the north-east and south-east of the country. The bridge was only made possible because of other technological advancements in the 1800s such as the availability of steel after the invention of the Bessemer process in 1855. During the peak of construction, 4,600 workers were employed on site. Although the numbers of deaths resulting from the bridge’s construction differ, one logbook found by historians has 26,000 entries detailing injuries and sickness. Other research has found that at least eight men were saved from drowning by boats positioned in the river under the working areas. Now owned by Network Rail, the Forth Bridge until 1917 had the longest single can-
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“... Like painting the Forth Bridge” is a term often said to mean ‘a never-ending task’, in the belief that the bridge is so big that once maintenance crews have finished painting it, it's time to start again. The truth is that the bridge was never painted in that way. Different parts of the bridge suffer different levels of exposure to the elements; the maintenance schedules reflected that. But it's all academic anyway as the bridge is having its famous red paint replaced with an epoxy resin expected to last for 20-30 years.
tilever bridge span in the world. It still has the world's second-longest single span. While the bridge has appeared in popular culture several times, it is most recognised for its brief scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1935 film The 39 Steps. In the 1959 remake, the bridge featured even more prominently. The Forth Bridge, a milestone in the development of railway civil engineering, is quite rightly, a celebrated Scottish landmark. Not only was it the first major structure in Britain made of steel but it resulted in a continuous East Coast railway route from Aberdeen to London.
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