Transport & Logstics Issue 137 by T & L Online

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ISSUE 137

TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS T H E

I N D U S T R Y

F O R WA R D

ISSUE 137

D R I V I N G

40 YEARS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION FROM OWENS ROAD SERVICES

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

PEEL PORTS

MORE THAN PORTS NUMBER ONE FOR FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS WAREHOUSE ONE

BRITISH MARINE FEDERATION CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

ARRIVING IN STYLE FROM JUMBOCRUISER

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THE STANDING START

DON’T IGNORE SAFETY

ny reputable haulier knows that safety on the road is a prerequisite to quality

service and customer satisfaction. While profits put food on the table, there’s no price on safety. Anyone ignoring safety regulations or even bending the rules slightly should be punished to the full extent of the law. There’s no hiding from it.

PUBLISHER: Noah Quirke

George Davidson found this out when he received a lifetime driving ban for

manipulating his tachograph data. The fifty-seven year-old haulier was involved in a

EDITOR: Daniel Stephens

fatal crash on the M6 motorway and was found to have falsified tachograph records.

FEATURE MANAGERS: Adam Foster Shane Kelly

disconnecting his tachograph device prior to a crash that left one man dead.

ART EDITOR: Steve Williams

Unbelievably, this is the second time it has happened. In 1996, he was fined £600 after Drivers may feel alive and awake, ready and willing to drive for many more miles but tachograph devices don’t lie (at least they shouldn’t do unless they’ve been illegally

DESIGNER: Kate Webber ` CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Senior Rob Samuels Matt Waring

tampered with). The pressure of meeting a deadline, or even arriving ahead of time to

PRODUCTION: Vicki Lindsay Lisa Pollinger

accidents are more likely to occur when drivers have exceeded acceptable workloads.

ADMINISTRAT0R: Charlotte Lewis

recorded entries. Davidson had failed to take legal breaks, breached drivers’ hours

ACCOUNTS: Nick Charalambous Transport & Logistics Magazine is published by: NQ Publishing, 3 Brook Street Huddersfield HD1 1EB Tel: +44 (0)1484 411 400 E-mail: noah.quirke@nqpublishing.com www.tandlonline.com

make a good impression, may fill drivers with enough adrenaline to feel wide awake. However, the regulations are there because we are all human. No matter what, the body and the brain needs rest, and ignoring the rules has proven, time and time again, that George Davidson’s tachograph records showed, in this instance, sixty-nine falsely regulations, and missed mandatory daily and weekly rest opportunities. Although he denied knowledge of a device fitted to the tachograph to interrupt its data recording, he did admit using a magnet to disrupt its records. He called himself a “good, courteous driver” but the judge wasn’t having any of it. Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken said Davidson was capable of “deceit and untruthfulness” and rejected his claims about driving standards. She said: “I find that he is a risk to road safety and that he is as likely to suffer fatigue as anyone else, all else being equal. That he has such a deluded opinion of himself makes him a risk. Given that a previous long disqualification did not cure him, the period of

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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disqualification has to be for life. He has lost his professional competence and repute.” Rightly ruthless in her ruling, Aitken added: “No way could he ever be trusted to be transport manager on any other licence so I will not detain myself in exploration of any rehabilitative measures which might bring him back into the fold. He is beyond the fold.” …let that be a lesson to us all. DANIEL STEPHENS EDITOR

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

INSIDE SECTIONS

NEWS CARBON EMISSIONS ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS ELECTRIC CARS REBRANDING FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY SHIPPING FLEET REVIEW AIRLINE INNOVATION WAREHOUSING LOOKING BACK AT...

4 8 18 24 26 28 36 48 52 54 56

FEATURES News The latest top stories

Palmer & Harvey The UK’s biggest delivered wholesaler

Wigan Council Looking to the future

Malcolm Group Reducing carbon footprint

Lays International The haulage suppliers for every event

Jumbocruiser Arriving in style

Land Speed Record Greased Lightening

eCourier Happiness delivered

Owens Road Services 40 years of customer satisfaction

Royal Institution of Naval Architects 36 “...Advancing the art and science of ship design Peel Ports More than ports

How to Load a Container Ship A giant game of tetris

British Marine Federation Celebrating 100 years

British Gas Looking after your world

RAC The driving people

787 Dreamliner Dream flight

Warehouse One Number one for flexible solutions

Looking Back At... Richard Trevithick

OWENS ROAD SERVICES

JUMBOCRUISER @TandLMagazine 2

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CONTENTS

FASTEST ELECTRIC CAR

PEEL PORTS

BRITISH MARINE FEDERATION

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PALMER & HARVEY

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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NEWS

5P FUEL DUTY CUT SHOULD APPLY ACROSS THE UK SAYS FTA Responding to the announcement by HM Treasury of plans to extend the island fuel rebate to remote inland areas, Freight Transport Association (FTA) has said that the 5p per litre fuel duty cut should apply across the whole of the UK. Petrol retailers and customers in 35 counties have been asked by the Treasury to provide details of prices they charge for petrol and diesel as the Government prepares to seek permission from the European Commission (EC) to extend the island fuel rebate scheme. The fuel duty discount pilot scheme for remote island communities was introduced in March 2012, and applied to the Inner and

Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, the islands in the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly. Whilst FTA has said it is pleased about the help the proposed fuel duty cut would make to the rural economy, it is calling on government to make the duty cut across the UK. The Association said that the reduction should not only be applied to rural drivers but must be implemented across the whole of the country. James Hookham, FTA Director of Policy and Communications commented: “Today’s announcement by the Treasury is clear recognition that the government accepts the need for a cut in fuel duty. The proposed ‘rural’ 5p per litre cut will obviously help the

UK’s rural economy, but FTA strongly believes that this should not be introduced purely in rural areas but insists it should be applied across the country. “FTA has long campaigned for a cut in fuel duty. We know from our members that spiralling fuel costs are bad for businesses, hauliers and road users, and can have a devastating impact on haulage businesses, their customers and ultimately everyone through the prices on the shelves.” FTA backs the FairFuelUK campaign which has been spurred forward by the logistics industry, and since it was formed in 2011 has helped to secure a better deal for Britain’s hauliers and motorists.

VOLVO MOT PASS RATES UP PRINCE’S TRUST TO DELIVER STATISTICS issued by VOSA reveal that Volvo Trucks’ UK dealer network achieved a first time national pass rate of 94.7% for annual MOT tests conducted in the five months to the end of May 2013. This is 14.4% higher than the UK national average of just 80.3% for the same period. The Volvo dealer network conducted 7,280 MOT tests during the period in question. According to Volvo Trucks UK Aftersales Director Tony Davis, Volvo’s record high national MOT

first time pass rate underpins the success of their Science of Compliance, which focuses on the wide range of services Volvo provide to operators in support of maximum VOSA OCRS scores and vehicle uptime. “We’re passionate about helping operators achieve full compliance when it comes to meeting their ‘O’ licence obligations regarding maintenance. A first time MOT pass rate of 94.7% demonstrates our commitment to compliance.”

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RESULTS IN LOGISTICS

THE PRINCE’S Trust has teamed up with some of the leading organisations within the logistics sector to help unemployed young people across the UK move into the industry. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), through Aspire its careers foundation, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the DHL UK Foundation – have all invested in The Prince’s

Trust Get into Logistics programme which will be run across the UK. The group are now appealing to other businesses within the sector to come forward and join the mission of supporting disadvantaged young people into work. This comes as more than one in five young people in the UK are currently struggling to find a job. Tel: 020 7543 7408 or busdev@princes-trust.org.uk

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NEWS

THALES PARTNERS WITH NETWORK RAIL NETWORK Rail’s Intelligent Infrastructure programme, which incorporates an Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM) system for remote conditioning monitoring from Thales UK, has been recognised as Project of the Year in the Real IT Awards. The project was also selected as winner in the Innovation in Technology category. The IIM system allows Network Rail to reduce delays caused by asset failure, improving the efficiency and reliability of the infrastructure. The system constantly monitors the performance of key rail assets such as points, track circuits and signalling power; it then raises alerts and alarms when those assets are trending towards

failure, enabling corrective action to be taken to avoid disruption. The cost-effective solution utilises commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. Network Rail selected Thales UK in 2009 to pilot an IIM system between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Following a successful pilot, the system has now been rolled out nationally, and today monitors over 22,000 assets. Remote monitoring has removed the need for 15,000 site visits. Summarising the award, the judges said, “This was a great project full of innovations in the use of technology and management processes, leading to significant savings for both Network Rail and their passengers.”

NEARLY 100,000 NEW JOBS ON THE CARDS BY 2020 NEW research by PwC shows that industries such as manufacturing could see a combined surge of nearly 100,000 new jobs by 2020 if the UK financial services sector is supported by sustainable and well regulated growth. PwC economists behind the new report, report, “Model Behaviour – the present and future of FS services in the UK”, depict

two scenarios which could impact on job creation for the country. The first is based on a GDP rise of 23%, which would create up to 218,000 jobs across all industries. The second is based on a weaker contribution of the FS sector and a rise of just 0.2% in GDP which would see only 12,000 jobs created, including and outside of, financial services.

WENDY BARNES JOINS BMT BMT Group Ltd, a leading international design, engineering and risk management consultancy, is pleased to announce that Wendy Barnes has joined the Board of Directors as a Non-executive Director. Wendy is presently a Non-executive Member of the main Board of OFWAT, the economic regulator of the water industry in England and Wales, a Non-executive Director of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Services and a Non-executive Director at the Met Office.

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NEWS FAST & EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF FUELS & LUBRICANTS OVER 40 years of successful trading Linton Fuel Oils has amassed a wealth of practical knowledge in the supply of fuels and lubricants to a wide spectrum of industries. These range from goods and passenger transportation, construction and demolition, through to agriculture and the more traditional heating oil applications. In 2007 Linton were awarded the Royal Warrant, a distinction for which the company are extremely proud, not least as it perfectly illustrates their commitment to providing exemplary service on a continuous basis. Furthermore customers with fuel requirements across the UK find Linton’s nationwide service a real advantage. Using hand-picked,

independent distributors, Linton is able to provide the same high level of service within 48 hours to even the most inaccessible locations. Linton operates an expert field sales team, able to advise you of the ways in which to maximise the potential of your fleet. For example, the recent changes to the London Low Emission Zone have meant that a low SAPS engine oil is required for vehicles using diesel particulate filters (DPFs). That simple change helps to minimise the downtime for servicing and extends the life of DPFs. To discuss your own particular fuel and lubricant requirements, call 0845 600 6583, or visit www.lintonfueloils.com

NEW TYRE RANGE LAUNCHED Goodyear are to roll out a new generation of truck tyres. Two completely new truck tyre ranges will be launched on the European market in September: KMAX and FUELMAX, comprising steer, drive and trailer tyres. Their names are suitably associated with their capabilities: KMAX is Goodyear’s new ‘kilometre king’ built for optimised

mileage, and FUELMAX has been designed for maximum fuel efficiency. The new tyres take the emphasis off the type of operation, i.e. long haul or regional haul, and put it on the economic priority, be it mileage or fuel efficiency. KMAX and FUELMAX are about cost optimization and contribution to business success for the operators using these tyres.

MOORLAND PLASTICS TIES UP NEW CONTRACT A NOT-FOR-PROFIt plastics company, which employs people with disabilities, has secured a two-year contract to supply The Co-operative Food’s Logistics Service. Barnsley-based Moorland Plastics will supply more than 600,000 retention hooks and straps for roll cages to The Co-operative, as part of the undisclosed six-figure contract. The firm, which is funded by Barnsley Council and the Department for Work and

Pensions, employs around 33 people with various physical and learning disabilities, as well as working with Barnsley Council and local Job Centres to provide training and work experience to the long-term unemployed and young people not in education or training (NEETS). It specialises in injection moulding, vacuum forming and assembly, and manufactures a range of products, from plastic doors and windows to parts for hand tools.

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NEWS

GREEN LIGHT TO CUT CONGESTION ON KENT’S KEY ROUTES

DRIVERS will be relieved to hear that a Kent County Council scheme to reduce congestion on Kent’s busiest roads has been given the seal of approval by the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. Companies will be charged up to £2,000 per day for digging up the busiest roads on the network at peak times under the new Kent Lane Rental Scheme, starting from 28 May 2013. Kent is the first county council in the country to run the groundbreaking scheme, which aims to push utility contractors to work on the roads during the night and at off-peak times or to use techniques such as tunnelling more often to avoid closing the road altogether. The scheme covers over 465 roads in Kent in the areas most susceptible to major roadwork disruption. Revenue generated from

the scheme will be invested in further work to cut congestion in Kent. Norman Baker, Transport Minister, said: “Everyone who uses the roads knows how frustrating it is to find major routes being dug up in the middle of the rush hour. It is inconvenient and can be expensive, which is why we have taken action to ensure essential road works cause minimum disruptions on Kent’s most traffic sensitive streets. “Kent’s lane rental scheme puts road users and businesses at the heart of the county, encouraging utility companies and local authorities to complete their work as quickly as possible.” The scheme follows the introduction two years ago of the ground-breaking Kent Permit Scheme, which requires companies to apply for permission to dig up a road. This allows the county council to manage and co-ordinate

works – getting firms to work at the same time instead of digging holes separately – minimising jams and delays suffered by motorists and other road users. The permit scheme also requires conditions on how roadworks are carried out, such as increasing the number of gangs, lengthening the hours worked each day, completing work during holiday periods, and working a seven-day week all to make sure the job gets done in the shortest possible time with the least inconvenience. It has cut the duration of road works by one day in every 20, according to a report published after the scheme’s first year. The new Lane Rental Scheme will build on the success of the permit scheme and provide a clear financial incentive to avoid unnecessary disruption to our most important roads.

TIES IN SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATING 25 YEARS STRONG MIDLANDS PARTNERSHIP

LONDON based coach firm Anderson Travel is celebrating its 25th year in business. 2013 is an exciting year for the company that started with just one coach, back in 1988, which Mark Anderson drove himself. Fast forward 25 years and Anderson Travel is now one of the UK’s leading coach hire companies with over 25 vehicles. For a quarter of a century, Anderson Travel has been providing first class coach travel, airport

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transfers and a wide range of excursions and short breaks within the UK and across Europe to 85,000 plus passengers a year. Over the years it has built up an impressive list of customers, including many blue chip companies, schools, tour operators, private hire clients and sports clubs. It is one of only 40 companies nationally to have achieved the CoachMarque award, the only kite mark of quality currently available in the UK coach industry.

LICHFIELD-BASED distribution specialist Palletways Birmingham has announced a renewal of their contract with Simpson Strong-Tie, one of the world’s largest suppliers of structural building products, in a long-standing partnership that has greatly improved the efficiency of the supply chain for local businesses. Simpson Strong-Tie, who are based in Tamworth, have used Palletways Birmingham as their sole pallet delivery provider since

2007. Palletways Birmingham now handle 26,000 pallets for Simpson Strong-Tie each year Phil Park, Operations Director at Simpson Strong-Tie, said: “Palletways Birmingham are a great match for our business. Our continuous review of quality, cost, and delivery performance with Palletways has improved our efficiency, avoiding delays and damage to goods, meaning our customers have a more reliable and flexible service”

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CARBON EMISSIONS: PALMER & HARVEY

THE UK'S BIGGEST DELIVERED WHOLESALER Palmer and Harvey have nationwide distribution facilities operating in the independent and multiple Convenience, Forecourt and CTN retail arena, providing a range of turnkey solutions to meet your specific business needs

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

elivering to every postal area daily is a challenge for any organisation. In the case of Palmer & Harvey, the challenge is growing with the introduction of new products and services and an increased focus on an expanded distribution operation. Palmer & Harvey is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest wholesale distributor, supplying more than 14,000 product lines to 63,000 retailers that include convenience stores, petrol station forecourts and the larger supermarkets. It supplies over 70% of independent forecourts located across the UK. Product supply is through a structured distribution system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a central distribution centre in Coventry and thirteen distribution centres throughout

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CARBON EMISSIONS: PALMER & HARVEY ambient, frozen and chilled lines and despatches seventy vehicles daily. Supporting the network are 1,000 commercial vehicles, a mixture of ambient, chilled and frozen for the multi-point operation. Coventry is home to the artic fleet, with large, double-deck trailers for distribution to the regional centres, which have mainly eighteen tonne trucks to handle deliveries to stores. Inbound produce comes in on supplier vehicles, third party carriers and Palmer & Harvey’s own fleet as a backhaul activity. Outbound is internally resourced and based on predictive stock levels.

HANDLING PEAK DEMAND Fleet renewal focuses on a maximum seven year lifespan and generally means 100 new vehicles each year. But the renewal policy, as Rhys recounts, is governed by peak demand in summer when service stations are busier: “We bring our new vehicles into the fleet during March and April when our volumes kick off and leave the old fleet in place. We increase by roughly 60-80 vehicles through the summer and, in September, cut the fleet right back by disposing of old vehicles. At some branches, we can recruit new drivers fairly easily and we have a permanent agency arrangement.” The ordering process for individual stores is helped by a recently launched app allowing customers to place orders and to

check and compare prices. There’s also an online ordering system and a handheld scanner, launched in September 2011, to scan barcodes and upload orders via a computer’s USB port. Online orders have increased by 68% since the scanner was introduced, with online customers spending 28% more than those ordering by other methods. Other innovations have been introduced to improve overall efficiency. “Voice picking has improved picking times because operatives don’t have to walk about looking for stock,” comments Rhys. “The system tells the picker its location and the number of units needed. We’ve also introduced in our main branches an automated cigarette and tobacco picking operation that can pick for three branches together.” The introduction of the automated, high speed tobacco picking facility was the first of its kind in the UK, the machine having previously been used in the pharmaceutical and fashion sectors. It picks up to 100,000 cigarette packs an hour with a zero error rate and ensures security and accuracy for a high value product.

IMPROVING EFFICIENCY Changes to the fleet to improve fuel efficiency have included aerodynamics on vehicles and a move to automatic gear boxes. Stopstart technology has been introduced on some vehicles, as has telematics to track

“WE HAVE A CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN COVENTRY AND THIRTEEN DISTRIBUTION CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE UK AND NORTHERN IRELAND”

the UK and Northern Ireland,” remarks national transport manager Rhys Thomas. “To achieve economies of scale, rather than delivering individual pallets to each area, we’ll take a trailer load into Coventry, break it down and deliver to each distribution centre. They’re held in the warehouse, picked overnight, loaded and out the following day to the stores.” The distribution network expanded last September with the opening of the latest distribution centre at Hemel Hempstead to support the growth of the convenience market within the M25. The 168,000 square foot site, which has sixteen loading bays and a 40,000 square foot chiller, was fitted out at a cost of £6.5 million. It stocks 11,000

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CARBON EMISSIONS: PALMER & HARVEY

“WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS OF IMPROVING FLEET PERFORMANCE AND REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS”

106–112 Davigdor Road Hove, East Sussex BN3 1RE www.palmerharvey.co.uk Tel: 01273 222100

usage, allowing drivers’ performance to be monitored and training needs identified, with the overall aim of improving average miles per gallon across the fleet. Rhys says: “We have a selection process to make sure we get a better performing vehicle and are currently basing our fleet on mainly Euro 5 engines. Our first Euro 6 is having the body built at the moment so we can start trialling it and see the impact.We’ve taken on routing and scheduling packages and an online proof of delivery system where the driver has a handheld terminal to provide an electronic signature on screen. That’s downloaded to the centre so we know it’s been delivered and it allows us to manage delivery windows and forewarn customers if we’re running late.”

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P&H Direct, a new van sales company, aims to supply cafes, garden centres, sandwich shops and pubs, adding to the existing Snacksdirect and Sweetsdirect operations. The three brands will make over 50,000 customer calls fortnightly and there’s also an extension to the product range and increased emphasis on online sales. All that’s intended to cater for a convenience sector predicted to grow from £34 billion to £40 billion by 2017, with a £300 million banking facility recently arranged to develop and expand the business over the next five years. That, as Rhys admits, will put further pressure on the distribution operation: “We are constantly looking at ways of improving fleet performance and reducing carbon emissions. We’re always looking at ways to drive down cost, pollution and improve efficiency to our customers.”

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CARBON EMISSIONS: PALMER & HARVEY

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CARBON EMISSIONS: WIGAN COUNCIL s improvements to doorstep waste management services for residents continue, Wigan Council’s refuse fleet is enjoying a major overhaul — and it’s long overdue. Last year twenty-three new vehicles, courtesy of CPD Ltd of Chorley, hit the borough’s streets. Vehicles with years of solid service, but which were suffering more and more service-affecting breakdowns, were removed from service. The lorries have been purchased as part of a joint order with Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale councils that has saved the taxpayer well over half a million pounds. Cllr Kevin Anderson, Cabinet Member for the Environment, says: “This is a major investment in one of our most important frontline services. The older vehicles have served us well, but they are well past their sell-by date. “The new fleet will improve service reliability and reduce maintenance costs by over £160,000 a year. We’ll also be looking to cut our annual half a million pound fuel bill through improved training for drivers.” Top tips for fuel saving motoring which can be applied to any driver include using higher gears – moving to fifth gear can save up to twenty per cent of fuel. Half of all tyres are under-inflated; just 2psi below the recommended pressure may increase fuel consumption by one per cent. Never accelerate towards a red light; ease off in good time and if you know the area, and know the lights will be on red for a minute, then switch off – some modern cars do this anyway.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE As improvements to doorstep waste management services for residents continue, Wigan Council’s refuse fleet is enjoying a major overhaul

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CARBON EMISSIONS: WIGAN COUNCIL Cllr Anderson also paid tribute to Wigan borough’s army of avid recyclers, ahead of the introduction of food waste collections which were phased in between May and August. He adds: “Food waste currently counts for about a fifth of the average black bin contents, so we’re going to be doing everything we can to make it as easy as possible to compost it. “It’s much cheaper to recycle and compost waste than to send it to landfill. At a time when we have to make £66m of cuts over the next four years, this will help save £14m for essential frontline services.” He acknowledged that improving how residents’ waste is disposed of means a new way of thinking about bins. Cllr Anderson says: “We understand that some residents may be nervous about the prospect of a food waste collection. Householders will therefore have the option of putting their food waste into their black bin on the week that their green bin isn’t being emptied. This would mean their food waste could still be collected every week.” In other developments, Wigan Council has given a green light to a £3m new depot to be constructed on the former site of a disused Asda. The plans will bring together workers from three different sites and a range of council services to one new ‘hub’. Council bosses hope the new depot will improve services, reduce their carbon footprint and save an estimated £1m per year in maintenance, transport and running costs. Terry Dunn, Director for the Environment at Wigan Council said: “This is an example of how we can work

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innovatively to reduce costs and improve performance at the same time. “The current situation of having three separate sites that all require significant investment is untenable. “If we had chosen to retain the existing sites we would have had to have spent in excess of £1m per year in maintenance costs, just to keep them in their current condition.”

COUNCIL BOSSES HOPE THE NEW DEPOT WILL IMPROVE SERVICES, REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND SAVE AN ESTIMATED £1M PER YEAR Councillor Kevin Anderson, the council’s cabinet lead for the environment responsible for cleansing, waste and highways said: “This project means a disused depot facility can be brought back to life. It is a much better option than spending significant sums on a brand new site. As well as saving money, the new depot will also ensure that our teams have more suitable working conditions. “And as for the sites we would vacate, I am pleased that we are developing detailed plans for their future which will be to the advantage of the local economy.”

www.wigan.gov.uk Tel: 01942 244 991

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Malcolm Group:feature 2 03/08/2013 13:55 Page 14

CARBON EMISSIONS: MALCOLM GROUP

REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT David Balmer, Group Operations and Environmental Manager, explains the measures Malcolm Group are taking to reducing the company’s carbon footprint

he Malcolm Group has taken several measures to reduce its carbon footprint and make its processes and operations more environmentally efficient. In 2011 its efforts were recognised when it won the Scottish Environmental Haulier of the Year Award. David Balmer, Group Operations and Environmental Manager said, “It was an honour to have our policy, investments and procedures recognised by our peers.” The Group has its own Environmental Department to oversee the impact of its carbon footprint and

THE MALCOLM GROUP IS THE LEADING PROVIDER OF LOGISTICS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE UK 14

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formulate ways in which this can be improved within the organisation. This has proven decisive in the strategic planning of the Group’s environmental commitment. “We take our impacts very seriously and are constantly reviewing where we can make less of an impact through our operations such as fuel usage, training and waste management, whilst improving resource recovery and recycling, from offices to workshops, warehouses and customer facilities. We consider all opportunities to make a concerted effort and reduce our overall impact. “As with most logistical operators we have trialled many fuel efficiency measures to reduce our primary impact – that being CO2 emissions. Driver training, air deflectors, drag reduction measures and low rolling resistance tyres have all played a part – some more significantly than others.” The Malcolm Group is the leading provider of logistics, construction and maintenance services throughout the UK. It employs assets of over 2,000

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CARBON EMISSIONS: MALCOLM GROUP

people, upholding the personalised, hands-on approach of its family-owned background that promotes building successful long-term partnerships for the mutual gain of customers, suppliers and employees alike. The Logistics division of the Group offers fully integrated road, rail and warehousing services. This multimodal service provides end-to-end delivery of products using road and rail distribution. Malcolm Logistics has twenty-two locations nationwide, operating five million square feet of warehousing. Its core competence is in implementing effective supply chain solutions to meet the needs of its customers, providing a seamless door-to-door service. “Our logistics fleet consists of over 320 vehicles, the majority of these being tractor units and a small number of rigid vehicles,” says David. “The fleet consists of 220 Volvos which contain a mixture of FM Globetrotter's, FH Globetrotter’s and FH Globetrotter’s XL’s. The FM models are used solely on our trunk and local distribution fleet and the FH models are used mainly on our distance and European distance fleet. “We also have a brand new fleet of 64 MAN tractor units, these being a mix of TGS XL used for trunk and distribution, TGX XLX used again for trunk and distri-

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bution and TGX XXL used solely for the distance fleet. “In addition, there are 27 Scania tractor units consisting of a mix of R114, R124, and P94 models used within the trunk and distribution fleet.” The Environmental Manager says a big part of choosing which vehicles work best for Malcolm Group is how green they are. “The majority of these vehicles utilise Euro 4 and 5 engines using either SCR or EGR technology to control exhaust emissions. New vehicles are brought into the fleet only after evaluation of a demonstrator vehicle. One of the key elements in making a decision on new vehicles is fuel economy. Different makes and models are trialled and decisions made from results obtained from the evaluation.” “We also run a fleet of 1,100 trailers. These include a mixture of curtainsiders, skeletal trailers for containers and multimodal swap bodies, flat trailers and specialist trailers like ‘walking floor’ and Rollaload trailers. We replace around 100 trailers every year.” Malcolm Logistics has employed the use of vehicle tracking from manufacturers including Volvo’s Dynafleet and MAN’s Microlise. “These systems allow us to track the vehicles in real time and we also have software that allows us to monitor vehicle and driver performance.

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Malcolm Group:feature 2 03/08/2013 13:55 Page 16

CARBON EMISSIONS: MALCOLM GROUP “Corrective action against driving styles is taken through our in-house training department to improve the use of cruise control and reduce idle time thus improving overall fuel efficiency. Our greatest fuel efficiency gains have come from reducing engine idle time from fifteen per cent down to around eight per cent. We are hoping to bring this down to five per cent,” adds David.

Brookfield House 2 Burnbrae Drive Linwood PA3 3BU www.malcolmgroup.co.uk Tel: 01505 324321

DRIVER LEAGUE TABLE

cant savings in energy consumption. These include the use of hybrid drive forklifts and improved air compressor systems that reduce the amount of energy required with soft start low demand motors.” In addition, in-house waste management operatives consolidate all waste and ship to market as part of the Group’s logistical and waste management provisions. This minimises impact on the environment and maximises commercial returns.

A driver league table that highlights both the best and worst performing drivers has also been introduced. “Performance monitoring and driver evaluation is a continual process and benchmarks are reviewed and adjusted to encourage continual improvement,” he says. “Wherever practicable we employ all software that assists in route planning and management together with Telematic systems to monitor, record and improve our operations.We use a job booking system from Roadtech Computers called Roadrunner. Our business is largely pointed towards full load traffic verses part load traffic and we are not involved in complex routing profiles. We do make use of planning tools within Roadtech's Falcon mapping system allowing us to search for vehicles nearest to uplifts and also to ensure the vehicle has been planned to the right route either quickest or shortest. “Within company buildings, new low energy lighting with automated sensors have been fitted to ensure that areas not requiring lighting remain unlit. This reduces energy demand. In addition, a whole host of small measures have been taken that add up to signifi-

The Malcolm Group also welcomed a new livery design last year which has also added to its environmental credentials. Paints that were previously used to brand Malcolm vehicles were high VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints and applied in a three-layer system, according to brand guidelines. Since the introduction of a vinyl wrapping system the Group’s VOC emissions into the atmosphere have been reduced to almost zero. The multimodal service provided by Malcolm Group means it also gains environmental benefits from its rail activity. Rail produces eighty per cent less carbon dioxide, twenty per cent less carbon monoxide, five per cent less fine particulate and ten per cent less volatile organic compounds per tonne carried compared with road transport. Other advantages of using rail includes more efficient energy consumption and reduced road congestion. Malcolm Rail’s service goes a considerable way to allowing the Group to reduce its carbon footprint as well as that of its customer’s.

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NEW LIVERY DESIGN

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Malcolm Group:feature 2 15/08/2013 08:34 Page 17

CARBON EMISSIONS: MALCOLM GROUP

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lays:feature 2 29/07/2013 15:36 Page 18

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: LAYS INTERNATIONAL

THE HAULAGE SUPPLIERS FOR EVERY EVENT Established over 40 years ago to service the Film, TV and commercial Industries, Lays International also supply general haulage, courier and freight forwarding service throughout Europe

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lays:feature 2 29/07/2013 15:37 Page 19

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: LAYS INTERNATIONAL hilst the film industry seems a glamorous business, being a haulage supplier for it can be an uncertain existence. “The film game is very up and down,” says Paul Lay, Managing Director of Lays International. “It can be flat out one minute and absolutely nothing another time. That’s the difficulty of this business because you have massive overheads but sometimes have to wait for the work to come. We currently have around 100 vehicles in the yard but in September won’t have enough available so it’s feast or famine.” It’s a situation to which the company is accustomed; having operated since 1995 after succeeding a previous firm in the same business, and 99% of its

work is in the film industry. Lays handles the troughs by owning all its vehicles and premises outright so in these quite periods it has no financial commitments to third parties. Additionally, it is always looking for ways to fill this gap from general haulage to high volume short term work. But when the peaks come along, it’s a hectic time until the films are finished.

SPECIALISED FLEET With the big films, and Lays has been involved in every Harry Potter plus several Bond films, the work can last for months and involve most of the company’s fleet. That fleet includes regular flat beds, artics and vans for general transport plus specialised wardrobe trailers, light trucks and camera trucks with dark rooms. Paul says: “Some have tumble dryers, washing machines, generators and air conditioning. Half are racked as needed and the rest are empty trucks used for anything. All trucks have steps out the back and internal lighting because they work nights and even empty trucks sometimes need to have racks and steps installed. “We’ve gradually developed how to build them ourselves from drawings we have. I’ve

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got a few good people I use, metal workers and carpenters that have I have worked with numerous times in order to develop how we build these vehicle. They’re very good at it but we’re always trying to improve each one.” The vehicles are expensive, with camera trucks typically costing £20,000 to fit out and often kept for ten years. That’s possible because they’re relatively low mileage, with many vehicles often on location for weeks at a time and covering an average of 2,000 miles annually. Apart from the unevenness of the work, filming means much uncertainty and the need to react quickly. There’s little advance notice, no detailed contracts and films can be delayed or cancelled at the last minute. And, as Paul recounts, requirements are generally vague: “We’ll be told when a film is to start, the number and type of vehicles needed and for how long. There’ll be a rough list and we’ll agree a deal, then the film starts.” After that, the situation can change with lorries needed at short notice, a big emphasis on strict time keeping so filming schedules aren’t delayed and often high risk value items having to be packed, loaded, transported and unloaded. Lays handles this by hiring

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lays:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:28 Page 20

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: LAYS INTERNATIONAL

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lays:feature 2 29/07/2013 15:44 Page 21

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: LAYS INTERNATIONAL drivers who are adaptable and generally have a background in removals work, usually sending them out with experienced drivers to learn the business. It also adopts a flexible attitude because it works frequently for the same companies and each job depends on the successful completion of the previous one.

BIGGEST PROJECT That attitude is necessary because the company is required to work all over Europe and to tight timescales, which sometimes means putting two drivers on each vehicle. A recent example was Fast & Furious 6, the biggest project Lays has been involved in, where 70-80 vehicles were required for 3-4 months. Paul says: “They were filming in London on Tuesday and wanted to film in Tenerife on Wednesday. So they doubled up on

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every vehicle and parked some in London with equipment on and had another set of vehicles shipped out two weeks earlier with another set of equipment to be ready for them to start the next day. They actually shipped 500 vehicles, including cars and tanks, chartering a ferry from Southampton so we drove them on and then off in Tenerife.” For now, Lays is going through one of its quiet spells but is likely to enter its busiest ever period in September when several films are due to begin production. But there’s no certainty they’ll all start on time, if at all, so planning is difficult. “If we could plan it out, it would be so easy, but there’s no notification,” comments Paul. “It’s a funny business driven by supply and demand so we have to be on hand. Everything’s 100% urgent and we have to give a very good service.”

Delta Way Thorpe Industrial Estate Egham, Surrey TW20 8RX www.laysint.com Tel: 01784 432100

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Jumbo Cruiser:feature 2 05/08/2013 15:39 Page 22

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: JUMBOCRUISER

ARRIVING IN STYLE

Jumbocruiser offers luxurious sleeper coaches for band tours, crew, events, in the UK and Europe umbocruiser is one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading sleeper coach providers with seventeen luxury vehicles in its fleet. Operating throughout the UK and Europe, the company has developed a strong reputation within the entertainment industry, working with high profile musicians, theatrical acts and sports entertainers. Sticking to an ethos that calls for immaculately turned out coaches, maintained by an in-house workshop, and drivers who not only have the skill to do their primary job but the right attitude and approach to life on the road, has meant business has remained strong despite the tough economic climate. However, the company has made wide-reaching efficiency savings to ensure its longevity.

Jumbocruiser Ltd PO Box 30, Seaton, EX12 3WZ, jumbocruiser.com Tel: 01297 24717

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This has involved a number of measures including the way it invests in new coaches, how it buys diesel, a proactive approach to the renting of its premises, and an overhaul of its pricing to reflect the seasonal business peaks and troughs throughout the year. Principally, this has been facilitated by a new online system, developed in-house, that oversees and records the entire operation from generating the most costeffective price at any given time of the year to archiving where, when and what drivers are doing on each contract. Similar to the airline and hotel industry raising and lowering prices during the year based on demand, Jumbocruiser developed a pricing system that could work in much the same way. Historically, a one-price fits

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Jumbo Cruiser:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:39 Page 23

ENTERTAINMENT LOGISTICS: JUMBOCRUISER all approach was customary. However, particularly during the economic downturn, this was proving problematic. For the sleeper coach industry, the summer and early winter months are the busiest while January to March are very quiet. Based on a system developed from historical data, the demands for coaches tracked on a week-by-week basis, Jumbocruiser is able to offer a variable base-rate that adapts to the marketplace. This of course required the drivers themselves to buy into the change of pricing structure which impacted on their salaries. For instance, wages can vary by around 240 per cent between quiet and busy periods directly in line with charges to clients. Initially there was some resistance to it but quickly drivers bought into the method, realising the potential. Indeed, this has seen wages increase five to ten per cent per annum overall. It has also ensured Jumbocruiser remains competitive, allowing it to reinvest. In addition, the online system has brought with it a number of other benefits including the comprehensive tracking and archiving of all contracts, driver movements, calculation of wages, and specific client requirements. Drivers can use it for their day-to-day instructions, while clients can use it to check the status of their booking. It has therefore streamlined processes and brought significant cost efficiencies.

LOOKING TO IMPROVE Yet, it can go further and Jumbocruiser is always looking to improve. One issue was the ability to collect digital tachograph data from vehicles and drivers in a timely manner, especially when drivers fly home rather than come back to the yard.Therefore, Jumbocruiser is about to embark on a trial with remote polling equipment that will transmit the data via the existing internet routers on the coaches. The equipment will be supplied by Novadata in Braintree. While the company has also tried to reduce its carbon footprint – recycling its waste oil into heat – Stephen feels that technology needs to catch up. While cars are utilising Lithium-ion batteries to generate renewable power in support of low emission engines, the coach industry has no equivalent yet. Stephen feels that the additional cost of these vehicles would be significant (probably upwards of £100,000) but savings returned would make them a greener, cost-effective asset.

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electric car:feature 2 29/07/2013 15:50 Page 24

ELECTRIC CAR: LAND SPEED RECORD

rayson Racing Technologies has broken the world land speed record for a lightweight electric car. And it did it on British soil. Reaching a top speed of 204.2mph, the vehicle — Lola B12 69/EV — broke the previous record of 175mph set in the 1970s. Chief Executive Paul Drayson, who drove the vehicle at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, enthused that the record highlighted the potential of electronic technology. He’s so confident in the car he intends to enter it into next year’s Le Mans 24-hour race. He said, “The competition will act as a challenging test bed for technologies that would eventually find their way into road cars.” Drayson, who was the Science Minister from 2008 to 2010, performed two runs at the airfield within an hour for the record to stand. Afterwards the elated entrepreneur said,“I’m delighted we’ve beaten the record and can show the world EVs can be fast and reliable. “Drayson Racing is a laboratory for EV technology, testing it to the most extreme level, as we’ve seen today. “It is not the outright speed that is most impressive about this record, but the engineering challenge of accelerating a 1,000kg electric vehicle on a short runway over a measured mile. What it, I hope, shows to people is just what the future potential of electric cars is.”

GREASED

LIGHTENING Last month Paul Drayson, Chief Executive of Drayson Racing Technologies, set a new land speed record in the Lola B12 69/EV. A lightweight electric car.

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electric car:feature 2 29/07/2013 15:50 Page 25

ELECTRIC CAR: LAND SPEED RECORD

Drayson Racing was founded in 2007 by selfdeclared ‘car nut’ Paul Drayson, who is now better known as Lord Drayson.The company exists to address the challenges presented by climate change, air-borne pollution and the need for energy independence. Drayson and his team set out to bridge the gap between research lab and commercial application using the crucible of motorsport competition to promote and develop sustainable technologies that improve performance, enhance energy efficiency and reduce or eliminate carbon emissions. Drayson states that motorsport has always been the test bed for major automotive innovation. Nowhere else are components and new technologies tried, tested and proven under such extreme conditions as on the race track. The firm’s list of high profile developments is testament to its success in a short space of time. It led the Formula E revolution as scientific adviser to the series and was the first to commit to the new FIA competition, which is set to start in 2014. It also created the groundbreaking Drayson B12/69 EV, perhaps the most potent electric vehicle in the world today. And the team developed the Flex-Fuel LMP1 prototype, which raced at Le Mans, capable of running on E85 bioethanol or conventional petrol. It

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was the first bio-fuel car to win an international Le Mans race, which it achieved in 2010. In order to qualify for an attempt at the FIA world electric land speed record Drayson had to make the vehicle weigh less than 1,000kg (2,204lb) without the driver. To do this it adapted a Le Mans Series car it had

“IT’S A MESSAGE ABOUT HOW HERE IN THE UK WE’RE A WORLD LEADER WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY” previously designed which originally had a bio-ethanol fuel engine and replaced the part with a lightweight 20 kilowatt hour battery offering 850 horsepower. “Obviously this is a very special racing car, but by setting this new world record here in Britain we say two things. One, it is a pointer to the future – the technology that we developed for this car will filter down to the cars we use every day. Secondly, it’s a message about how here in the UK we’re a world leader with this technology. We’ve led motorsport engineering, now we’re also leading with electric motorsport engineering."

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Courier Systems/Ecourier:feature 2 15/08/2013 08:18 Page 26

REBRANDING: ECOURIER

HAPPINESS DELIVERED

Mixing the dynamism of a technology start up with the stability of a mature enterprise. eCourier has grown from four couriers to over 40 office employees and in excess of 150 eCouriers ize is often an advantage but, when you’re running a same day courier company, it can be a challenge. “Typically, a radio controller will allocate work for forty couriers,” explains CEO Ian Oliver. “When you have hundreds of vehicles, you end up with several cells – a pushbike controller, one for motorbikes, distance motorbike controller, small van, big van – and they’re all too busy to talk to each other and discuss jobs. “You end up with three people going down the M4 instead of one or sending someone to Chelmsford when someone’s driving past the door. The bigger you get, these things become more of a problem and you have to work hard to retain your economies of scale. That situation led to his company, Courier Systems, acquiring eCourier and combining the two under the

MEET LARRY Larry is eCourier’s super-duper computer, built to make their customers relaxed and happy. Larry sits at the heart of everything they do, organising their fleet with his enormous brain. He's so clever he knows the location of every courier (with ten second accuracy), the weather conditions all over London and the UK, and traffic hot spots. All this means that he can allocate the best courier for every job with super-sonic efficiency

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fresh eCourier brand. The reason was mainly because of technology central to its operation, principally the computerised auto-allocation system known as Larry. Ian says: “The only way to make large sameday courier companies scaleable is to have a computer system linked to GPS tracking otherwise you effectively have a big organisation operating like a multitude of small courier companies. “When a new job appears, the system assesses the whole fleet, their current location, what jobs they have allocated and where they are going, what effect the new job would have on the driver’s route, the current traffic, the weather, the timeframe for that job and many more parameters…It scores every driver for a new job and chooses the best one.” Despite its efficiency, Larry isn’t used as a total solution because it’s impossible to program every eventuality. Additionally, some larger jobs and vehicles are better dealt with by conversations with clients, enabling the automated system to concentrate on simpler jobs with fixed destinations and times. The system is raising the efficiency of the combined business that typically handles 4,000 movements daily with 400 vehicles of varying types. It also provides a better service to customers. “We encourage customers to book online and the vast majority do. Our website is very straight forward

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Courier Systems/Ecourier:feature 2 15/08/2013 08:18 Page 27

REBRANDING: ECOURIER

Watch your courier in real time, as soon as your booking has been made

Larry will give you estimated collection and delivery times, which are live and interactive

and intuitive to use with plenty of information provided and online chat for any queries. One of the most exciting aspects is that the client can both track their delivery at street level in live time and receive constant ETA updates based on the courier’s current location and traffic conditions.” Orders are automatically allocated and customers can always see where their package is using any device with internet access, with estimated arrival time constantly updated for traffic conditions.”

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS All vehicles have GPS-enabled mobile devices that provide positional data and full communications. They also have POD capture and provide up-to-date information to every customer. A by-product is environmental bene-

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fit through lower mileage, reducing the amount of offsetting needed to make the company carbon-neutral. Although the system is developed and used specifically by eCourier, the same principle can apply to a large haulage fleet operating anywhere where urgent deliveries are needed. It’s simply a question of connecting different maps and vehicles then making the same calculations, so the company is looking to licence the system to a variety of logistics companies. Potential applications range from ambulance fleets, to the RAC to Eddie Stobart. For now, Ian believes the immediate priorities are elsewhere: “Our focus is to continue with integrating the two businesses. There’s the branding, talking to customers and staff, the control functions and general integration. From a fleet, client and staff perspective, it’s time-consuming so that’s where our focus is.”

Cityside House 40 Adler Street London E1 1EE www.ecourier.co.uk Tel: 0845 1451000 For further information about Larry info@LarryVision.net or Call Kevin Turner 07843351138

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owens:feature 2 07/08/2013 12:44 Page 28

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES

f o s r a e y 0 4CUSTOMER

SATISFACTION For more than four successful decades Owens Road Services has experienced consistent growth built on solid family values and has been committed to customer satisfaction.

any companies start small with a single vehicle and then expand their fleet and activities as the business becomes established. In the case of Owens Road Services, that growth has been relentless since the company started forty years ago and has created a company that is barely recognisable from the one in 1973. The original business started moving furniture using a Bedford TK van. After a period of steady growth, the big change came in the 1980s when the company gained customers in the automotive and steel industries that over the years have required it to ensure a continuous flow to the supply chain to satisfy just in time manufacturing processes. More recently, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become heavily involved in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, where products have a short shelf life and need to be replenished frequently.

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FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES

The overall outcome is that Owens Road Services is firmly in the big league, having moved from small jobs and clients to regular contracts for blue chip companies such as Nestlé, Kimberley Clark and the major supermarket chains. But the operation remains based on family values and an emphasis on providing a quality service with reliable delivery at competitive rates. “We have a steel division that is about a third of the company and the other two thirds are fast moving consumer goods and the pallet networks,” explains Managing Director Huw Owen. “We are the biggest haulier in Wales for the steel industry and we have been since the 1980s. We take the steel out of the steel mills up into the Midlands, the Northwest,Yorkshire and the Northeast. That’s mainly automotive industry linked.” In fact, it’s pretty much an even split in the business nowadays, comprising the well-established steel division, the newer FMCG business that largely covers food,

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“WE ARE THE BIGGEST HAULIER IN WALES FOR THE STEEL INDUSTRY AND WE HAVE BEEN SINCE THE 1980S” HUW OWEN MANAGING DIRECTOR drink and toiletries, plus membership of the Palletforce network.The latter is an important element in the operation because the overall aim is to deliver full loads within a triangle that stretches from South Wales across to London, up to Manchester and back down. Huw says: “Outside that triangle, if we have an odd pallet for Cornwall, the Northeast or Scotland, that’s where the overnight pallet network is brilliant. We deliver all the full loads ourselves and all the bits and pieces that are left, we brush them all up and put them into the pallet network, which works very well. If we have an odd pallet to go down to Exeter or Brighton, we use that.”

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FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES

“It’s more than just that,” adds brother Eurof Owen, who is the Commercial Director. “We actually do a full pallet network for the postcodes we’re on, which are CF and SA. It’s not just the work we can’t get onto our own trucks. We have a dedicated fleet on Palletforce to do local collections and deliveries daily and we have a trunker going overnight to the hub.”

“WE LEASE ABOUT HALF THE FLEET OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD AND WE PURCHASE THE OTHER HALF OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD” EUROF OWEN COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

DEDICATED VEHICLES The Palletforce trucks are part of an overall fleet that comprises 240 vehicles that include rigids and tractor units plus around 500 trailers.The diverse nature of the work means the fleet has vehicles dedicated to the different activities, with specialist ones to carry steel, artics for the Palletforce trunking and smaller trucks for delivery and collection, plus vehicles for the FMCG work that often cover longer distances. There has been a conscious effort to upgrade the fleet and keep it modern. That saw 100 new vehicles, mainly Renaults, MANs and Mercedes, taken on in 2011-12 with the outcome being that around 60% of the fleet is less than one year old. About 200 new Montracon trailers were also acquired in 2012-13, amounting to some 40% of the entire trailer fleet. Eurof says: “We lease about half the fleet over a two year period and we purchase the other half, normally over a three year period. We try to renew every three years but on some contracts there are local deliveries and so we may keep them on for five years because they do less mileage.” The policy of frequent renewal helps fuel efficiency with a lot of the older trucks having been replaced by

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owens:feature 2 07/08/2013 12:44 Page 32

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES Euro 5 versions. The aim over the last three years has been to obtain vehicles that offer the best fuel consumption and that’s been helped by a combination of driver incentives and training. “At the minute, we have fuel escalators in place and they apply to the majority of the contracts we have with blue chip companies,” remarks Eurof. “It’s brought pressures on pricing but increases in fuel mean this is now a significant proportion of our operating cost.”

OWN WORKSHOPS Overall fuel efficiency and reliability are also greatly helped by proper maintenance and Owens Road Services has the advantage of operating its own workshops in Llanelli and Newport, manned 24/7 by fully

trained technicians. “We look after our own fleet first and foremost, then we do some outside work as well,” comments Huw. As part of the Llanelli workshop, there’s a fully accredited tachograph centre that opened in 2006. Here, the company handles both analogue and digital tachographs, offering vehicle specific calibration, equipment servicing, report production and reminders of due services. The latest service at Llanelli is a state of the art Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) that was opened in April 2013 after a £250,000 investment. The work involved the refurbishment of the site, upgrading of the building infrastructure, groundworks and tarmac surfacing plus the installation of equipment that includes a pit and pit jack, rolling road, shaker plates, headlight tester and brake tester. The new facility, which replaces a recently closed test station nearby, will be operated by VOSA staff. It will be open daily for the testing of public service and heavy goods vehicles, although around one third of its capacity will be taken up by Owens’ vehicles.

STORAGE FACILITIES Transport and distribution of a variety of goods remain the main services, however. As well as the diverse fleet, those services are backed up by extensive storage facilities that were increased in 2010 through the acquisition of the former Panasonic site in Baglan. That’s a 140,000 square feet modern warehouse facility with modern offices, five dock levellers, 2,000 racked spaces and other facilities. Huw says: “We have somewhere in the region of half a million square feet of warehousing altogether and we store a lot of the products and deliver on a just in time basis for the regional distribution centres.” The operation of the fleet is made more efficient through an investment in technology that includes route planning software, in cab communications and satellite tracking systems fitted to all vehicles with CAN bus infor-

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FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES

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owens:feature 2 07/08/2013 12:44 Page 35

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OWENS ROAD SERVICES

mation to analyse performance and enable performance improvements. All proof of delivery notes are scanned and made available to customers via a secure area of the website so they’re aware of completed consignments. The quality and extent of the services provided have resulted in a number of high profile contracts, including a significant agreement with Kimberley Clark starting in May 2013 for transport from multiple sites to the South West and South Wales. There has also been a breakthrough contract with Amazon, signed in February this year, making Owens Road Services the primary haulier for goods from the fulfilment centre in Swansea to all parts of the UK except Scotland. Those contracts simply add to the many, as Huw stresses, that provide regular work for the company’s fleet: “We have them signed up for as long as we can, although not more than two to three years. But some of them have been customers for forty years, which is quite an achievement in itself. They know we’ve been around for a long time and the sort of service we provide. If they call, we’re available.” The intention is to continue to be around and maintain that same level of service although, given the con-

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THE CONSISTENT GROWTH ACHIEVED SO FAR HAS BEEN BASED ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT HAVE INCLUDED FAMILY VALUES, A QUALITY SERVICE AT REASONABLE COST AND INVESTMENT IN THE BUSINESS. tinuing problems with the economy, there are no immediate plans for major expansion. Instead, the aim is to continue to provide a first class service for the blue chip and other customers on the books. The consistent growth achieved so far has been based on a number of factors that have included family values, a quality service at reasonable cost and investment in the business. Huw, however, believes it’s also due to the way the business has developed to the extent that it now operates from six locations. He says: “I think the location of our depots is a big part of it. We cover the M4 corridor in South Wales, from Llanelli all the way up as far as the Severn Bridge. Then we have a depot in Droitwich and one in Wrexham, providing a focused local service. All those places are manned 24/7 so we feel we can offer a better and more complete service than many of our competitors because they tend to be more like a five day operation. It’s something our customers require and we always aim to meet that.”

Dafen Ind Estate Dafen, Llanelli South Wales SA14 8QE www.owens-logistics.com Tel: 01554 754465

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RINA:feature 2 04/08/2013 13:50 Page 36

SHIPPING: ROYAL INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS

“...ADVANCING THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SHIP DESIGN”

The Royal Institution of Naval Architects is an internationally renowned professional institution whose members are involved at all levels in the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures.

lthough its aims haven’t really changed since it formed in 1860, the makeup of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects certainly has. Its intention remains to ‘promote and facilitate the exchange and discussion of technical and scientific information, thereby to improve ship design’ but membership has altered in line with global shipbuilding. That was initially based on London but gradually shifted to Europe, then Japan and Korea, and now increasingly to China so membership is 80% outside the UK. “The Institution has 10,000 members in more than ninety countries,” comments CEO Trevor Blakeley. “Members are involved in the design, construction,

RINA 8-9 Northumberland Street London WC2N 5DA www.rina.org.uk Tel: 020 72354622

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development and maintenance of marine vessels and structures.We have student members at university, relatively young graduates as Associate Members and senior members as Members or Fellows. “Principally, members are individuals although we have 120-140 company members. Whilst individuals have to demonstrate high standards of professional competence, organisations that demonstrate commitment to helping their engineers achieve high standards can become company members.” The criteria for individual membership is to have achieved or be working towards the achievement of defined high standards of professional competence. The achievement of those standards provides an

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RINA:feature 2 04/08/2013 13:50 Page 37

SHIPPING: ROYAL INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS

internationally recognised professional qualification. However, members must maintain those standards in an evolving industry. To do that, they require access to information on technical developments in all aspects of the maritime industry, which RINA provides through its international publications and conferences. Trevor says: “We publish seven titles covering the maritime industry and we organise sixteen international conferences each year, available both to members and others in the maritime industry.” A crucial role of the Institution is to make the collective expertise of its members available to forums such as the International Maritime Organisation, a UN agency that sets international regulations on safety at sea and the protection of the maritime environment. That expertise is also made available to other organisations, such as the International Standards Organisation and universities, where RINA helps set up graduate training programmes and accredits academic programmes as a mark of quality. “The challenges facing the institution are those facing the maritime industry,” comments Trevor. “How

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do we make ships that cost less to design, build and operate, which are more sensitive to the environment, that make more sustainable use of resources? We cover these aspects in our technical journals and conferences. The Institution must identify and respond to the changes members will face.” In that respect, RINA can’t protect its members from financial pressures nor help them directly in terms of commercial growth. Instead, its role is to ensure the industry has the engineers it needs with the right skills. Companies can therefore choose its members in the knowledge they’re professionally trained and adhere to quality standards and the Institution’s Code of Professional Conduct. Despite the downturn in global maritime activity, RINA membership is increasing and the Institution has more local branches than ever. Trevor says: “Membership is at its highest level since 1860 and we want to expand that and our activities. Essentially, the Institution will continue to identify and respond to the professional needs of members and of the industry, fulfilling the role it has had since 1860.”

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:13 Page 38

SHIPPING: PEEL PORTS

PEEL PORTS

MORE THAN PORTS Peel Ports is a unique network of strategically situated ports, terminals, hubs, shipping lines and state-of-the-art services. One that connects the UK and Ireland, to Europe and the rest of the world

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Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:13 Page 39

SHIPPING: PEEL PORTS

ome logistics operators focus on multimodal transport, generally combining road and rail. For Peel Ports, the emphasis is on trimodal as it adds waterways transport to the mix. Peel Ports is the second largest port group in the UK, 70% of its revenue coming through the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal. These function as a North West logistics hub that, according to Managing Director Gary Hodgson, give a unique advantage: “No competitors have the capability to move freight from a deep sea terminal over forty miles into the heart of a major conurbation without touching a single mile of road. From carbon, congestion and cost perspectives, it ticks lots of boxes in how we see UK logistics changing over the next five to ten years.” Liverpool 2 is the planned deep sea container terminal being developed partly in response to the situation where

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around 90% of containers come into the South and half are transported to the Midlands and North. Combined with a port-centric model, where warehousing and logistics hubs are close to the port of origin, that optimises the primary transport leg into distribution centres but can, in many cases, sub-optimise the secondary leg. Liverpool 2 seeks to address that situation. “Here we have an optimised primary leg, whether that's into Liverpool or facilities up the Manchester Ship Canal,” comments Gary. “But our location close to large population masses makes the secondary distribution leg very efficient and we have a unique opportunity to develop a new logistics model for the UK. We have the M53 towards Port Salford and direct connections to the M6 and M62. So we

CONTINUED ON PAGE 424

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Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:13 Page 40

Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:14 Page 41

Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:14 Page 42

SHIPPING: PEEL PORTS start to dissipate the traffic by taking consignments up the Manchester Ship Canal where we have six or seven sites perfectly positioned for multimodal logistics. And by using water instead of road, you get the benefit of additional weight into containers.” A dredging campaign is underway and will be followed by the placing of 15,000 metres of steel piles to create 850 metres of quay wall and 44 acres of new land for the development. The outcome, as Gary explains, will be a modern terminal: “Rail mounted gantry cranes will be automated, ship to shore cranes will be state-ofthe-art with 24 wide reach and there’ll be a new gate complex to make the driver experience more automated and avoid hold-ups. We are striving to use the best technology and create a leading edge terminal.”

ON TARGET Funding for the £300 million scheme has come though a refinancing of the business and a loan from the European Investment Bank. Necessary licences and permissions are in place, the principal contractor is appointed and contracts for equipment are out to tender, so the project is on target to hit the 2015 opening date. The date is tied to the widening of the Panama Canal, due for completion then. That’s because the port doesn’t see itself attracting mega carriers from

Asia and Europe due to its location. Instead, it’s perfectly positioned for the larger ‘post-Panamax’ vessels that will come across the Atlantic, so that’s where the marketing effort will be concentrated. Despite completion being only two years away, marketing of Liverpool 2 hasn’t started in earnest because shipping lines don’t commit early. “It's pointless beating the drum hard now because we’ll only get one chance at selling this capability,” explains Gary.“We'll start pushing hard by early 2014 but, before that, we’ll demonstrate the logistics benefit of using a port of entry closer to where the customer needs the goods. In addition, we are working hard in developing an integrated offer for our customers to feed the ‘Island of Ireland’, again something which will be unique to peel Ports.” Leading up to the main marketing effort, a second feeder service from Rotterdam has been introduced and is starting to attract more carriers. Gary says: “By getting customers used to the facilities and capabilities of Liverpool, once we have that size capability, they may bring other services in. Another example is India, much Indian cargo goes through the North of England and ships out of India are too big to fit into Liverpool, so that's another target area for us.” Liverpool 2 will lead to the development of more warehousing as part of the port-centric model. It’s

Over 300 industry guests gathered at the Port of Liverpool on June 6th to toast the launch of Peel Ports’ landmark deep water container terminal Liverpool2. The footballing legends Sir Bobby Charlton and ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish pushed the button on the start of dredging and launched a dazzling display of fireworks over the site of the new terminal in the Mersey.

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Liverpool 2 :feature 2 07/08/2013 15:14 Page 43

SHIPPING: PEEL PORTS

“FINANCE IS IN PLACE FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT, WE’RE ON TRACK AND WE HAVE A GOOD PROJECT TEAM. I'M CONFIDENT WE CAN DELIVER AS PER OUR ASPIRATIONS BY THE MIDDLE OF 2015.”

something Peel Ports approaches in a flexible manner, with a mixture of warehouses it owns and operates, some it owns but are operated by others, and those separately owned and operated.There’s also a multi-user warehouse where companies hire pallet spaces on flexible terms, a concept likely to be expanded due to its popularity. Although there’s capacity for new warehousing, Gary insists the trimodal approach opens up various possibilities: “We have capacity in Liverpool and more down the ship canal. But to take advantage of Liverpool 2, you can have warehouses elsewhere. The port-centric concept works if you’re 10-20 miles away from port because the primary leg into the warehouse is still relatively efficient” In addition to Liverpool 2, there’s been the recent completion of probably the most advanced steel handling warehouse in the UK whilst another £8 million is going into extending the port’s animal feed storage, already the largest in the UK, by a further 60%. But the main emphasis over the next two years will be

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Liverpool 2 that will, when full, restore Liverpool and Manchester’s market share to something approaching the 17% it enjoyed previously.

DIVERSE CARGOES Container freight will still represent less that 30% of overall business, which is a situation Peel Ports is happy with. Gary says: “Over the last five years, we've outperformed the market and some of that is due to our diverse range of cargoes. We'll continue to invest in other sectors and look for new opportunities such as renewable energy. It’s an exciting future as we bring these projects through to fruition.” Liverpool 2 remains the centre of attention and, despite the challenges of a marine project involving piling into the seabed and numerous environmental issues, Gary is confident about progress: “Finance is in place for the whole project, we’re on track and we have a good project team. I'm confident we can deliver as per our aspirations by the middle of 2015.”

Maritime Centre Port of Liverpool L21 1LA www.peelports.co.uk Tel: 0151 9496000

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container:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:16 Page 44

SHIPPING: HOW TO LOAD A CONTAINER SHIP

A GIANT GAME OF

TETRIS Staring up at a container ship it’s difficult to believe that it could ever float let alone be safe but a lot of skill and expertise goes into the loading. It can take up to five hours to plan it out and once agreed the giant game of tetris begins and can take several days.

There are often empty containers aboard, particularly on journeys from Europe to Asia. They’re placed right at the top of the stacks.

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Below deck, the containers are held in place by guide rails; above deck they’re connected at the corners by hefty metal ‘twistlocks’.

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container:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:16 Page 45

SHIPPING: HOW TO LOAD A CONTAINER SHIP

Containers with dangerous cargo are placed far away from the crew and machine rooms. They’re usually stored above so that in an emergency – a fire or the leakage of a toxic substance – they can be quickly dumped overboard

To better distribute the weight and greatly reduce the risk of capsize, the heaviest containers are held deep in the vessel’s underbelly

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Some containers require special connections so that the temperature inside can remain constant. These are mostly kept up on deck

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BMF:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:06 Page 46

SHIPPING: BRITISH MARINE FEDERATION

CELEBRATING

100 YEARS The British Marine Federation (BMF) is the trade association for the leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry. iversity can be an advantage but also a challenge. For the British Marine Federation, diversity means representing members with wide interests. “We are the national trade association for the leisure marine industry,” explains CEO Howard Pridding. “That incorporates everything from canoes to super yachts and small commercial craft. We have 1,500 member companies with a diverse range of interests. Some build boats and manufacture marine equipment while others run marinas and hire fleets on inland waterways. They all have different issues and we have to look after them all.” The BMF represents and supports these members by having group associations for each sector who

D Marine House Thorpe Lea Road Egham, Surrey TW20 8BF www.britishmarine.co.uk Tel: 01784 473377

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work closely with BMF executive staff. There’s a group involved in boat brokerage and sales, another dealing with the marine electronics sector and a technical team helping boat builders. These teams ensure members meet the code of practice for their sector and provide continual support to them. Members are allocated to the appropriate group association and, as Howard emphasises, to the relevant regional association: “Applications are referred to associations that know the companies in the area since they police those that aren’t complying with codes. It’s self-regulatory because we’re all making sure the industry has a good image. If people aren’t up to standard, we help them be more professional and, if they fail to do that, take disciplinary measures.”

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BMF:feature 2 06/08/2013 11:06 Page 47

SHIPPING: BRITISH MARINE FEDERATION

“WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO SATISFY OUR CUSTOMERS SO WE’VE PUT A MAJOR EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ENSURING WE ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS” Members exhibiting at the BMF’s shows get a discount while other membership benefits include legal support, assistance with recruitment, the development of qualifications, networking through the associations and promotion of the industry. Representation to government is complicated by the diversity of membership because it involves talking to some nine departments and agencies. The BMF supports the environment through a code of practice and its Green Blue programme it runs in conjunction with the Royal Yachting Association that represents boat users. Howard says: “The industry

plays its part in safeguarding the marine environment. The RYA gets the message out to boat users while we make sure the industry is compliant with environmental legislation.” Despite recreational boating being discretionary spending, the industry has remained resilient through the recession, partly due to its diversity.That inspires confidence for the future as the BMF celebrates its centenary. Howard says: “We have to work harder to satisfy our customers so we’ve put a major emphasis on customer service and ensuring we engage with members. We are talking to all members and making sure they’re getting value for money.”

Ensuring a good image is essential for an industry that employs 31,000 people and has a £2.855 billion turnover with 40% exported. “British built boats and marine equipment in them have a worldwide reputation for good design, quality and innovation,” comments Howard. “Exports have helped sustain manufacturers through the recession.” Of great importance, therefore, are the London Boat Show and the PSP Southampton Boat Show, which are run by the BMF. They not only provide a showcase for British products but generate money for investment in other activities. Overseas shows are important for exports and the BMF has a five-person team also taking the industry to shows abroad,

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British Gas :feature 2 03/08/2013 12:03 Page 48

FLEET REVIEW: BRITISH GAS ritish Gas is the current leader in providing safe, reliable electric vehicle charging solutions for Britain’s businesses. The company offers a tailored solution for all types of business, whether for a sole trader or for a fleet of vehicles, and provides the complete end to end solution from recommending grant funding sources to installation of the charging point. It recently commissioned a study by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory that revealed companies could significantly reduce their running costs. Indeed, fleet costs could be reduced by an average of £350,000 with carbon reduction savings in excess of five per cent by replacing one tenth of a current fleet with electric models. Certain sectors could make further savings when switching just ten per cent to electric vehicles such as heavy industry and the emergency services. According to the study, which looked at the combination of percentage cost and carbon reduction savings, the sector which could gain the most benefit is the financial services industry. Colin Marriott, Fleet General Manager at British Gas, said: “This report shows that businesses, under pressure to reduce both costs and carbon emissions, cannot afford to ignore the benefits of electric vehicles. Electric vehicles offer us so many benefits as a business that we’re introducing them into our own fleet and aim to have 1,400 by 2015 as part of our drive to reduce fleet carbon emissions by 25 per cent.”

B LOOKING AFTER YOUR WORLD British Gas is the current leader in providing safe, reliable electric vehicle charging solutions for Britain’s businesses

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British Gas :feature 2 03/08/2013 12:03 Page 49

FLEET REVIEW: BRITISH GAS Financially, unsurprisingly, it is the transport and distribution sector that stands to make the most out of electric vehicles. The report noted the possibility of a £486,000 annual saving when converting ten per cent of the fleet to electric, or a £2.43m gain if fifty per cent of the fleet was electric. This obviously requires suitable conditions for the vehicle and the service required.The most suitable conditions for purely electric vehicles would include low urban mileage, minimal or reducing load profile, and a frequent return to base or other charging facilities for an extended stop. The characteristics of the fleet are also important given that electric vehicles save money in a variety of ways. For example, on running costs, electric vehicles are cheaper on a per-mile basis than petrol while pure electric vehicles require less servicing because of their fewer moveable parts.The recent report advised fleet managers to take into consideration annual mileage, vehicle duty cycle, types of vehicles used and the price of fuel and electricity. In addition, another benefit is that companies can take advantage of reduced taxes. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids pay less road tax, pay lower Vehicle Excise Duty and no London congestion charge. The government is also looking at more ways it can provide more incentives to companies for the use of electric vehicles which will almost certainly bring further gains in future. Currently,

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the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Carbon Reduction Commitment provide ample reason to “go green”. British Gas is a key provider of charging points and has therefore an important role to play. Currently it is the preferred supplier of electric vehicle charging solutions for Toyota, Vauxhall, Mitsubishi Motors, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, Renault and Nissan.

planning and it capped a particularly challenging 12 months for the fleet, which faced some tough CO2 targets and a growing focus on safety. Currently, the company has a fleet of 13,000 vans and 2,500 cars which ranks as the third biggest in the country. Given the fact any change in funding method would have major implications when dealing with a fleet this size, Colin says the decision wasn’t taken lightly.

CURRENTLY, THE COMPANY HAS A FLEET OF 13,000 VANS AND 2,500 CARS WHICH RANKS AS THE THIRD BIGGEST IN THE COUNTRY For these clients British Gas provides a range of services. It works with a range of charging point suppliers including Pod Point, Chargemaster and Elektromotive to install a variety of charging equipment, and installed hundreds of charge points for commercial and public sector organisations last year alone. It provides a range of fixed and variable energy tariffs for businesses, and can provide green energy at price parity for larger companies. In its own fleet, British Gas switched from an operating lease to outright purchase in 2012. Colin Marriott says it was five months in the

“Assessing what is the right financial approach in a big business like ours is a huge decision,” he says. “As it is today, outright purchase is the best thing for us.” He expects to make a sizeable annual saving as a direct result of changing the funding method. It will also give British Gas greater flexibility over operating cycles and more control when setting residual values.

Tel: 0800 048 0202 www.britishgas.co.uk

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RAC:feature 2 03/08/2013 12:38 Page 50

FLEET REVIEW: RAC he RAC has recently announced a major new five-year contract to provide repair management services for the British Gas operational fleet across the UK. The RAC won the bid to take care of the 15,000-strong fleet of British Gas following a competitive tender in March 2013. This is the first major win for the RAC’s redeveloped Accident Management offer, which includes a £2m investment in a state-of-the-art IT platform and the hiring of some of the UK’s leading experts in the field. Rob Morton, British Gas Managing Director Procurement and Supply Chain, said: “Following an open market tender, British Gas has awarded preferred supplier status to the RAC for the provision of our fleet repair management services “British Gas looks forward to a successful partnership with the RAC during the next five years.” One of the key aspects to the new RAC Accident Management is that the Approved Bodyshop Network has invested in technology that enables it to deal with a significant proportion of work using the well-established RAC Rapid Repair. This solution means that an increasing proportion of repairs are able to be fast-tracked to reduce overall time – guaranteeing effective cost control and a faster-than- average repair duration, without compromising vehicle safety. Jim Monteith, head of Accident Management at the RAC, said: “We are delighted to be working with British Gas to support their impressive fleet and operational arm.

THE DRIVING PEOPLE Formed in 1897 the RAC has been at the forefront of motoring assistance to both private and commercial customers

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RAC:feature 2 03/08/2013 12:38 Page 51

FLEET REVIEW: RAC “The main focus for fleet operations remains effective risk management and cost control – something that is at the heart of our new service. “The £2m investment in a state-of-the-art IT system called ICE Claims, coupled with the recruitment of experts from within the industry, has resulted in a number of key benefits aimed at facilitating an efficient and cost-effective solution for the RAC and its customers.” Another significant development this year was the launch of RAC Cars which promises to give consumers a new level of trust, transparency and confidence in the purchase of their next used vehicle.

3-2-1 GO! Created following the acquisition of Netcars.com, RAC Cars offers the motoring public access to quality cars from quality suppliers packaged with its unique 3-2-1 Go! reassurance plan, all of which is included in the price to customers. Every one of the 60,000 and growing number of vehicles on the site come with a minimum of 3 months’ warranty, 2 months’ RAC Rescue and 1 five-day drive-away insurance plan. This will allow buyers to enjoy driving their new vehicle with confidence as soon as they purchase. The RAC Cars proposition was developed in response to extensive research with RAC members and motoring consumers around

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their concerns when buying a used vehicle. The research revealed that nearly three-quarters (73%) of men and women fear buying a “lemon” and a similar number (74%) want a warranty in case something goes wrong. As a result the site will not include any private sales, traders or independent dealers that do not adhere to 3-2-1 Go!

EXCELLENT SERVICE HISTORY As every car on sale comes from franchised or RAC approved dealers, the traditional used car worries around mechanical soundness are significantly reduced because vehicles are prepared to a consistently high standard. In addition, the majority of the stock will be between six months and five years old, and will have been well-maintained with an excellent service history. A growing number of the cars on the site will be supplied through RAC approved dealers who comply with the 80-point RAC BuySure preparation standard. Going beyond 3-2-1 Go!, RAC BuySure includes a minimum of three months’ RAC warranty, three months’ RAC breakdown cover and use of the RAC Accident Care service. RAC Cars chairman Rupert Keane says: “The used car consumer finds the acquisition process fraught with anxiety and mistrust so the RAC’s decision to bring its name and skills to improve this experience is excellent news

for anyone looking for reassurance when buying their next used car. That’s why we are positioning RAC Cars as ‘the safer way to buy a used car’ on our website. “Our members listed quality, peace of mind and outstanding value for money as their top criteria and we aim to offer this. In order to achieve that goal we have to ensure the suppliers on RAC Cars are of the highest standard possible, their cars are the best available (we won’t stock every vehicle they have) and that there is a reassuring ‘safety blanket’ wrapped around each car. We call it 3-2-1 Go!”

EXTEND PRODUCTS RAC Cars will grow to provide a choice of more than 120,000 vehicles and extend the range of products and services offered for the benefit of both motoring consumers and participating dealers. Keane adds: “Used car buyers have been in desperate need of a trusted service like RAC Cars for years. We are the only search engine with seven million driving members that focuses on providing such peace of mind to those acquiring their next vehicle. It’s what you expect from the RAC. It’s the RAC brand promise.” www.rac.co.uk Tel: 0844 891 3111

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dreamliner:feature 2 08/08/2013 09:39 Page 52

AIRLINE INNOVATION: 787 DREAMLINER

DREAM FLIGHT Boeingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand new 787 Dreamliner is their most fuel efficient aircraft and the next step in airline innovation.

oeingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand new 787 Dreamliner is their most fuel efficient aircraft and the next step in airline innovation. The Dreamliner was originally developed following the shelving of a project Boeing was working on before the September 11th terror attacks in New York. Using some of the technology behind a concept titled Sonic Cruiser (which would have seen the production of faster planes), Boeing set about building a long-range mid-sized aircraft that would increase comfort while cutting running costs. Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing launched the 787 Dreamliner in 2004. The 787 Dreamliner can carry between 200 and 290 passengers depending on the model and travel 7,650 to 8,500 nautical miles. The 787-10, the biggest Dreamliner available, can carry up to 330 passengers. In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 provides airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. For example, the airplane uses twenty per cent less fuel than

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dreamliner:feature 2 08/08/2013 09:39 Page 53

AIRLINE INNOVATION: 787 DREAMLINER

today's similarly sized airplanes. The 787 also travels at a similar speed as today's fastest twinaisle airplanes, Mach 0.85. The aircraft can also pack more into its body with cargo revenue capacity providing a twenty to fortyfive per cent advantage over todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s similarly sized aircraft. Comfort for passengers is also a key consideration with the interior environment containing higher humidity alongside increased convenience. The key to the exceptional performance of the 787 Dreamliner is its suite of new technologies and its revolutionary design. Composite materials make up fifty per cent of the primary structure of the 787, including the fuselage and wing. At the heart of the 787 design is a modern systems architecture that is simpler, more functional and more efficient. For example, onboard health-monitoring systems allow the airplane to self-monitor and report systems maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems. Advances in engine technology are the biggest contributor to overall fuel efficiency improvements on the Dreamliner. The 787 features new engines

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from General Electric and Rolls-Royce that represent nearly a two-generation jump in technology. The design and build process of the 787 has added further efficiency improvements. Boeing and its supplier partners have developed new technologies and processes to achieve efficiency gains. For example, manufacturing the 787 fuselage as one-piece

THE KEY TO THE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE 787 DREAMLINER IS ITS SUITE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND ITS REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN sections has eliminated 1,500 aluminium sheets and 40,000 to 50,000 fasteners per section. The first commercial flight took place ahead of schedule in 2011 and currently twelve operators including Japan Airlines, United Airlines, Qatar Airways and Thomson Airways use the aircraft.

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Warehouse One:feature 2 07/08/2013 14:57 Page 54

WAREHOUSING: WAREHOUSE ONE

NUMBER W ONE FOR FLEXIBLE STORAGE Warehouse One works alongside its customers to tailor a range of flexible solutions and value added services to meet their specific needs

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hilst many companies provide warehousing and logistics services, Warehouse One focuses on providing complete and tailored services to customers, increasingly into niche markets to offer the benefits of specialisation. “Our customers can focus on sales and growing their business while we handle the supply chains,” confirms Director Liam Lee. “We do all their supply chain administration, the booking in of containers and arranging of deliveries. Consignments go on our trucks or we’ll outsource small parcels through a courier service.” Customers range from large manufacturers and importers to small sellers through eBay and Amazon. An emphasis on ‘last mile logistics’ allows manufacturers across the world with no UK logistics support to take advantage of Warehouse One’s services. And with quality of service being the key, most customers don’t even have a fixed contract, the company relying on its ability to exceed service level agreements to retain work. Services are provided through a fleet of 45 trucks although, as Liam points out, many aren’t recognisable as the company’s own: “About 90% of our trucks are under contract and have customers’ livery and drivers’

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Warehouse One:feature 2 07/08/2013 14:57 Page 55

WAREHOUSING: WAREHOUSE ONE

uniforms. We provide total outsource solutions and put transport managers in various customer sites to act as liaison.” Part of the fleet is based at Manchester Airport for airfreight consignments so drivers need level D training for aviation security. Added to that is ADR training for dangerous goods, particularly chemicals, and Disclosure Barring Service checks to ensure driver compliance. Storage, as Liam outlines, is provided through an extensive warehouse set-up: “We work mainly out of three sites; Manchester airport, another location in Manchester and Winsford where all warehousing is. We have four warehouses there – one is for pharmaceuticals, another for bulk items and one is racked storage for pick and pack.”

FULL INTEGRATION The warehousing operation is supported by a warehouse management system that integrates with customer systems for notification of goods coming in. Required despatches are advised similarly and are consolidated into vehicle runs. The emphasis is on an efficient operation and keeping customers informed, which

“WE’RE CONCENTRATING ON NICHE MARKETS AND AIMING TO BE SPECIALISED SO WE CAN GIVE MORE ADDED SERVICE.” includes regular reporting, declaration of completed rework and full customer access to PODs, delivery status and a comprehensive audit trail covering every stage for a consignment. That’s enabled by full vehicle tracking and the service is being further enhanced by voice picking that’s expected to improve warehouse productivity by around 20%. This will help handle an increasing workload being added to by a new contract for a substantial customer that will be fully operational by September and create a further fifteen jobs. “For the next few years, we're really going to push hard into pharmaceutical warehousing,” says Liam. “We’re concentrating on niche markets and aiming to be specialised so we can give more added service.”

Smokehall Lane Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3BE www.warehouseone.co.uk Tel: 01606 869696

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lookingback:feature 2 06/08/2013 10:26 Page 56

Looking back at...

RICHARD TREVITHICK In our regular column we take a brief look at some of the great pioneers, innovators and technology that has helped shaped Britain’s transport system ichard Trevithick was the man behind the first steam locomotive, paving the way forward for the age of rail. The man who launched a world first in 1804 had a reputation for attempting the impossible. Born in Cornwall in 1771, he entered adulthood with the strength to throw a sledgehammer over an engine house. When he created the high pressure steam engine in Merthyr Tydfil he put the town on the map and became a household name. During the 19th century, inventors were often feared. Things that people didn’t understand were often considered works of the devil. Therefore, it wasn’t easy to break from tradition and you had to be courageous to do so. When Trevithick began developing his locomotive, horse-drawn railways were used to carry coal and iron from the mines from industrial centres. Trevithick realised that a steam engine on wheels would be more effective and Samuel Homfray, master of Penydarren ironworks, invested in Trevithick’s work to produce a usable locomotive. Some thought it impossible but Homfray was so sure Trevithick’s idea would work he bet a small fortune that the engine would successfully pull a ten-tonne load of iron along a stretch of road measuring nine-and-a-half miles. On the

“I have been branded with folly and madness for attempting what the world calls impossibilities, and even from the great engineer, the late Mr. James Watt, who said to an eminent scientific character still living, that I deserved hanging for bringing into use the high-pressure engine. This so far has been my reward from the public; but should this be all, I shall be satisfied by the great secret pleasure and laudable pride that I feel in my own breast from having been the instrument of bringing forward and maturing new principles and new arrangements of boundless value to my country. However much I may be straitened in pecunary circumstances, the great honour of being a useful subject can never be taken from me, which to me far exceeds riches.”

21st of February 1804 Trevithick made history. His locomotive – the Penydarren – completed the journey from Penydarren to Abercynon in four hours and five minutes. Even more miraculous was the fact the load was far heavier. When the engine, the wagons and around seventy pas-

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sengers were taken into consideration, the locomotive pulled nearly twenty-five tonnes. Trevithick wasn’t interested in fame and fortune therefore his name isn’t associated with rail’s most famous pioneers like George Stevenson but his work is no less important.

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ISSUE 137

TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS T H E

I N D U S T R Y

F O R WA R D

ISSUE 137

D R I V I N G

40 YEARS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION FROM OWENS ROAD SERVICES

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

PEEL PORTS

MORE THAN PORTS NUMBER ONE FOR FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS WAREHOUSE ONE

BRITISH MARINE FEDERATION CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

ARRIVING IN STYLE FROM JUMBOCRUISER