Palletforce Networker | March 2025 by ev_cargo

RECORD ATTENDANCE AT SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED MGM

Another brilliant MGM

What a great day we all had at the 2025 Palletforce Members General Meeting. It was great to see so many old friends and colleagues who have helped make our network what it is over the years and to welcome our new members too. It is this combination of proven network experience and new talent that helps make Palletforce such an exciting proposition for our customers and clients. The MGM is our fagship business event of the year and is always the perfect place for us all to discuss challenges and opportunities in our sector and for all of us at Palletforce to explain the range of member support initiatives that we offer.

With a record attendance and a record amount raised – £25,000! – for two brilliant charities, it was a day where I couldn’t help but feel pride in Palletforce.

In our directors’ presentations, we were able to recap what we have been doing over the past year to improve our offering to members, including technological advances like ETA and Picture on POD, which we hope will have made a real difference to members’ businesses, and also outline the new offerings and initiatives we have in store for 2025 –innovation and operational advances that will help ensure we remain best-placed to deliver the quality and service our customers expect.

At this year’s MGM we put a particular focus on sustainability. With products like EV Scope we

have shown how investing in environmentally friendly tools and technology can have real business advantages.

fascinating and full of great ideas about how we can all do more around reducing emissions associated with transport and distribution – that is what our customers demand and what we, working with all of our members, are determined to provide

It is all part of our commitment to customer care and delivering the best possible customer experience, something which has been paying dividends for us recently, despite the diffcult economic climate.

As a network we believe in sustainable growth and, thanks to the strength of our membership, we offer the stability and security – and quality of service –that no one else can match.

It was brilliant to celebrate our successes and ensures we are on the right road to move forward together to even greater things.

MARK TAPPER Chief Executive Offcer

Record attendance and a record £25,000 charity donation as

BIGGER AND THAN EVER BETTER

Palletforce’s largest-ever Members General Meeting was hailed as a huge success by both directors and member hauliers as the event welcomed a string of new members to the network and focused on how sustainability makes business sense.

The event attracted a record number of member companies, with 280 delegates and member representatives attending. They heard how Palletforce’s

relentless drive for delivery and service excellence is helping it grow market share in a competitive and challenging environment.

A special sustainability panel discussion heard how members were at the forefront of efforts to decarbonise the sector and how engagement with partners and suppliers across Palletforce and EV Cargo were delivering positive results for member businesses, customers and the environment.

The highlight of the MGM is always getting to catchup with our members – and particularly when there were so many new faces to welcome this year.

The panel included Simon Chamberlain (Chamberlain Transport), Matthew Farrall (Farrall’s Group), Andrew Tucknott (Tomsetts Distribution), Harry Campey (Campeys of Selby), Sam Clarke

Palletforce celebrates its network of members in style at MGM

(GRIDSERVE), and EV Cargo’s Chief Sustainability Offcer Dr Virginia Alzina. The panel shared insights into a greener future and the changes they’ve made to help decarbonise their distribution operations.

The star speaker of the afternoon session was Colin MacLachlan, from SAS: Who Dares Wins and Secrets of the SAS, whose inspiring speech covered a range of motivational topics such as leadership, resilience and performance, taking examples from his time operating

in some of the world’s most dangerous confict zones.

Members also heard from Palletforce directors with presentations covering customer service, technology, network operations, sustainability, member relations and marketing.

Over the last 12 months Palletforce has added 16 new member companies to its network to drive capacity – the largest expansion of members in over two years – which is necessary to sustain its rate of growth and secure the best possible resource in every delivery postcode.

Mark Tapper, Palletforce CEO, said: “The sustainability panel was fascinating and full of great ideas about how we can all do more around reducing emissions associated with transport and distribution – that is what our customers demand and what we, working with all of our members, are determined to provide.

“We have been leading the distribution sector in terms of environmental innovation, through operational effciency and best-in-class technology, and we promise to continue with that approach.

“Away from the main hall, the

highlight of the MGM is always getting to catch-up with our members – and particularly when there were so many new faces to welcome this year.

“We continue to attract hauliers who are new to pallet networks thanks to the fact we prioritise onboarding, training and support and provide them with mentorship during their frst weeks and months. The great turnout was a real indicator of much they value our network and how they are determined, as we are, to see it continue to thrive.”

And it was a record-breaking evening too. The Chase star Paul Sinha was the after-dinner speaker and helped to conduct the charity auction, which raised £25,000 – the highest total ever – for two charities, the Midlands Air Ambulance and Kids’ Village.

Mark added: “I say this every year, but it is no less noteworthy – the generosity of our members is incredible. Palletforce has always prided itself on its social responsibility and it is a great pleasure to be able to support two such deserving charities.”

The MGM was held at the Hilton at St George’s Park, which is the base for all of the Football Association’s England teams.

Our Sustainability Champions explain why making sustainability

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The message of the Sustainability in the Transport Industry: Fit for the Future panel during the MGM was simple: Sustainability makes business sense.

The panel, chaired by Sam Clarke, the Commercial Lead at GRIDSERVE,

outlined the steps they were taking to reduce emissions in their businesses and how they were using green initiatives to attract new customers.

Harry Campey, Commercial Operations Director at Campeys of Selby, said the company’s trailblazing sustainability initiatives have helped attract more than £10m of turnover in the last four-and-

If you are cutting carbon I can promise you you are cutting costs as well. Just take a few steps, nothing costly, just get the ball rolling – it is amazing what opportunities come to you.

From left, Simon Chamberlain, Matthew Farrall, Andrew Tucknott, Harry Campey, Dr Virginia Alzina and Simon Clarke

a key part of your offering is a prerequisite for business success

a-half years. Campeys has been using bio CNG fuel in its trucks – cheaper per mile than diesel – and has also invested in electric vehicles.

Harry added: “It gives you a commercial advantage that, when you approach a potential customer, gets you halfway through or even all the way through the door immediately.

“I would say to everyone: Get on the journey as soon as possible. There are huge commercial advantages from having sustainability options.”

Andrew Tucknott, Managing Director of Tomsetts Distribution, agreed. His frm has formed a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Brighton, working on areas such as effciency, value mapping and sustainability and forming a net zero plan.

Andrew added: “What that has done is align us with businesses out there which have a similar ethos.

“Our sustainability work means not only are we saving money without any real capital expenditure, we are picking up business.

“If you are cutting carbon I can promise you you are cutting costs as well. Just take a few steps, nothing costly, just get the ball rolling – it is amazing what opportunities come to you.”

Farrall’s Group has invested in 1,500 solar panels on its warehouse roof, helping to power its electric vehicles.

Managing Director Matthew Farrall added: “I believe EV for pallet networks is the future. All the trucks can do it. It works.

“The more we can do collectively with a shared message to get customers to embrace it then they will come on board.”

Simon Chamberlain, Managing Director of Chamberlain Transport, said the big challenge they faced was to engage customers with sustainability initiatives.

They have focussed their efforts on HVO fuel, and have prioritised routes in towns and near schools and hospitals so that the huge reductions in carbon emissions make a real difference to people’s air quality.

Dr Virginia Alzina, EV Cargo’s Chief Sustainability Offcer, said it was leading global efforts to decarbonise supply chains and working with its partners was reaping big rewards both for the company and for the environment.

Sam added: “Ambitious is a good word to describe everyone on the panel and it is great to hear what everyone is doing. It just goes to show how many different ways you can do this and there are bits of different people’s experiences that you can put into your feet operations.”

Palletforce is frst and foremost about its members. Representatives services available to all members to facilitate growth in their frms

DRIVING GROWTH FORWARD

‘Strengthening depot-to-depot relations’

LEE MATTHEWS GENERAL MANAGER EUROPEAN SERVICES

The past year brought two signifcant changes to our European Network. The simplifcation of Alliance for EU consignments has greatly improved our processes, providing a simple and userfriendly experience. The change also allows export DRAs to be uploaded against each customer account and provides each depot with projected customs clearance billing fees at time of data entry.

‘Solidifying

The simplifcation greatly assisted the integration of Woodside Distribution into our network. As our new network member for Ireland and Northern Ireland they have expanded our capabilities, launching our new All-Ireland Product.

With a key focus on strengthening depot-todepot relations, Woodside is ensuring that Palletforce delivers a market-leading All-Ireland service for our network. The removal of

commodity restrictions for Northern Ireland marks a major milestone, and we are excited that similar changes for Ireland are planned for Quarter 1 of 2025 – watch this space!

Additionally, Woodside has enabled us to provide DDP INCO Terms for Ireland. By following the required process, depots are now sending DDP consignments through the Network to Ireland.

We are confdent that in 2025, we will continue to enhance our European Network. By supporting you, our members, we look forward to assisting your customers with their European consignments.

our member relationships’

CHRIS DENNIGAN MEMBER RELATIONS DIRECTOR

Team Palletforce performed exceptionally well in the last quarter of 2024 that saw us put a variety of innovative solutions together for some pretty challenging events. In addition, we worked hard to conclude negotiations with two new network members in readiness for the new year. It is worth noting that some of the challenges we faced in the last quarter would have

been a lot more diffcult to resolve if we hadn’t had the support of some of our fantastic members. My thanks go to the teams at Campeys of Selby, Fagan and Whalley, Simarco, Debach, Knowles Transport, HB Holt, Wyvern Cargo, Viamaster, Freightroute and SJ Bargh whose efforts and commitment at short notice helped to protect customers’ experiences.

As you can read about

elsewhere in The Networker, we enter 2025 as a growing network, with new members joining us.

Our new members are very welcome additions and add further strength to the network coverage and performance.

2025 does look to be full of opportunity. Although we may need to be more innovative with the solutions we look to deploy, we are excited about the year ahead. There will be some challenges and no doubt some bumps in the road but, as the last quarter of 2024 proved, working together we are simply unstoppable .

of our board explain the support initiatives and sector-leading and increase the overall strength and effciency of our network

‘Volumes up by 6%’ ‘Our key initiatives’

JO DUNCAN HUB OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Agreat team effort during 2024 helped us to achieve a consistent performance throughout. Volumes increased by 6% so we did well to achieve our overall target while the fnish time went to 04:14 from 04:05 in 2023 and the average turnaround time of 02:24, was only slight up on 2023’s 02:22. We are continuing to invest in people, with both additional refresher training to all and our performance has been driven by improvements within the operation, including:

• Pre-shift check process: Ensuring all checks are completed correctly by all operatives and any issues identifed before use, ensuring no further damage occurs and preventing additional costs.

• Stands for warehouse (56 stands in total): Dedicated lanes, increase health and safety, reduce risks and have cost benefts.

• Courier process: We reviewed and changed the

process due to the behaviour of couriers on site. This helped us to improve driving standards and ensure everyone wears the correct PPE.

• Layout and lighting improvements: Changes enabled better access for vehicles and increased visibility, improving safety and minimising damages.

• Hub visits: We have continued to encourage hub visits – they are up 10% –encouraging members and customers to see the hub operation and the excellent service levels we provided every night.

• RoSPA: We were delighted to receive our 15th RoSPA award, a remarkable testament to the dedication and professionalism of everyone throughout the hub.

KATE LOVATT IT DIRECTOR

Last year saw the implementation of some key initiatives within Alliance system. Improving visibility on deliveries we implemented our Picture on POD functionality, providing real-time delivery images to customers.

Another core customer initiative was the implementation of our ETA system, providing end customers with a threehour delivery window to further improve the delivery experience – 94% of consignments delivery were delivered before the end of the ETA window.

Supporting our European service, we helped improve the data entry requirement for booking EU consignments by simplifying the data requirements for imports and exports. Our development team (James, Simon and Mo) worked to ensure that members who chose to their own systems could

fully integrate with our developments, as well as supporting the onboarding of Woodside.

Our support team (Daniel, Tia, Jack and Aaron) are ready to support members and their customers with any Alliance requirements. Our team worked tirelessly to ensure that we retained our Cyber Essentials Plus Certifcation in 2024

With cyber attacks being prevalent in our sector we must remain vigilant in 2025 and create contingency plans for business continuity. Throughout 2025, we will shift our focus to using the data we capture on a daily basis to ensure compliance and provide a better overall customer experience.

‘A crucial driver of long-term growth’

DANIELLE

OWEN HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

With potential customers having better access to information than ever before, it is increasingly clear that investing in marketing is a

crucial driver of long-term business growth.

Customers now have a much keener eye on sustainability and ethical operations, and by tailoring your messaging, members can stand out from rivals. Alongside our key partners,

we can provide bespoke marketing packages to improve your business performance. And, as we’ve seen with the awards success of so many members recently, having a positive story to shout about is a real driver of growth.

‘Working together we are unstoppable’

SIMON GIBBARD NETWORK OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Last year it was great to see the volumes exceeding 2023 levels –a testament to the hard work of Palletforce teams across the network, upholding a consistent level of service for all our customers. The Network Operations Team had another busy year on our normal activities – depot visits, training, advising, supporting customers –and also on a signifcant number of new depots that implemented into the Palletforce club. This was especially so towards the end of the year – and indeed into the frst few weeks of 2025 too! Implementing new

‘Great

depots is one of the most important activities for the team. New depots bring additional capacity into the network and help to ensure services are maintained and growth is supported. The team have built up a strong bed of experience to ensure we guide the new depots into the operation as seamlessly as possible – we continue to develop this process with every new starter. This work at the start of their Palletforce journey helps ensure consistent service levels.

In 2025, while we continue to focus on new depots, we will of course continue to support and monitor the wider network. While a ‘day

in the life’ of a Palletforce depot does have a number of parts to it we are looking to focus all depots on the importance of:

• Planning

• Warehouse operations

• Communications and data

• Debriefs.

We will be working closely with our colleagues in the IT team to develop the best practice on these key areas of the operation –again designed to ensure the customer experience is consistent across the network.

We’re looking forward to this year – it should be a great one – and we look forward to seeing all depots across the next 12 months.

to see volumes exceeding 2023 levels’

SIMON BRADBURY COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

The last year has been one packed with highlights, as our commercial team continues to support members across the network and increase customer satisfaction.

We received SMETA approval, welcomed a number of new starters (Graham Taylor, Darren Wood, Beth Sessions, Adam Barosty, Tanya Ridgard), held the frst of what we believe will be many showcase events, were fnalists in the Nestle supplier awards – and retained the Nestle contract until March 2026.

This success with Nestle was mirrored with many other major customers: Ideal Standard was retained until January 2027, Trouw

Nutrition until the same date and we retained the core D900 customer base.

We are always looking to add to what we do and help our members increase the customer offerings too.

Our Commercial Development Workshops, in Leeds, Nottingham, Watford, Brighton and Hull, proved to be great success and I think everyone would agree that they are a valuable activity for us at Palletforce and our members.

The Commercial Development team deserve praise for helping to increase new business pallets from 96,000 to 118,000 in 2024, and it was a pleasure to celebrate our members in our new

business awards. The winners were: Wyvern Cargo (Q1), Willmotts (Q2) and Fagan and Whalley (Q3) and C&D South West (Q4). Palletforce prides itself in being a people business, whether that’s through forging relationships with members and customers or by ensuring staff are happy at work and progress to get the best out of their talents. That’s why it was lovely to

see people hit some longservice milestones (including me, with 10 years!). Kim Raffe and Jo Driver have both been valued parts of our team for 10 years, with Sue Wheatley has now been with us 12 years, Emma Thompson, 13, and Pennie Bailey, 18.

The key focus for 2025 is new business growth across both the corporate portfolio and the UK membership within the SME markets.

As always it will be important to ensure we retain our customer base through solidifying customer relationships using continuous improvement initiatives, providing exceptional delivery services alongside effective and effcient customer service solutions.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

Our employee-nominated champions improve colleagues’ working lives, recognise outstanding contributions and encourage excellence

KATE BROOKER

What inspired you to become an employee champion?

What inspired me is a new challenge, I can’t wait to see what results we can achieve as a team and how we can make our work environment even better.

What do you enjoy most about working at

TIA NEWBOLD

What inspired you to become an employee champion?

I was inspired by the opportunity to get to meet and speak to more people at Palletforce and within the community. I’m most excited about giving back to the community through helping and supporting local charities and fnding more ways for us to get involved.

Palletforce, and what do you hope to achieve as a champion?

I feel very comfortable working here. I know I can always share my thoughts and ideas with my colleagues. I want every single employee to be aware of their mental and physical wellbeing and how they can introduce a little bit more goodness in their lives.

What do you enjoy most about working at Palletforce?

The people. Everyone I’ve met has been kind, supportive and genuine. By becoming a champion, I hope to make a positive impact by communicating with people to form ideas and initiatives to make Palletforce a more enjoyable place to work.

SHONA CALLOW

What inspired you to become an employee champion?

I am most excited about creating initiatives that promote physical and mental wellbeing, foster a collaborative and inclusive culture, and drive community and charity initiatives. What do you hope to achieve as a champion?

As a champion, I hope to enhance our collaborative spirit by implementing initiatives that promote wellbeing, creativity and teamwork.

KIM RAFFLE

What inspired you to become an employee champion at Palletforce?

LEE MATTHEWS

What inspired you to become an employee

Having supported employee champion schemes in previous companies, I’ve seen the benefts they can bring to both employees and the

company. It’s an excellent way to achieve inclusion and drive communication, bringing a great sense of pride when the team achieves. What do you hope to achieve in your role as a champion?

I hope to see us continue and build on the journey we’ve started; ensure our teams are supported and that the benefts can be shared not only internally but with our neighbours and communities.

I wanted to give my colleagues the opportunity to voice their opinion and ideas in the right forum. I’m excited to see the changes we make as a team. What do you hope to achieve in your role as a champion?

I enjoy working with our depots and my team, closing loops on investigations we receive every day. I hope everyone sees the positive impact the champions will bring and it encourages people to get more involved and speak up.

Pooling resources

Family frm increases network’s strength in Liverpool area

Aroad haulage business with a true family focus has joined Palletforce to create additional capacity and provide a robust service around the Liverpool area.

Based at Aintree and with strong experience in the palletised freight distribution sector, Jenkins Transport will cover postcodes to the north of Liverpool including those around Bootle, Formby and Ormskirk.

Established by Gary Jenkins in 1973 and now managed by his wife Victoria, the business has grown over the years thanks to its ethos of family values and a strong local reputation for providing a range of quality distribution services to businesses in the Liverpool area.

“Joining Palletforce was a logical decision for us and a good next step in our journey towards sustainable and controlled growth for the business,” explained Managing Director Victoria Jenkins.

“Over the years we’ve expanded our services to provide a complete logistics solution for local businesses, including collecting freight from Liverpool docks, warehousing, right through to doorstep delivery for business and residential customers.”

It really is a true family effort. Victoria’s son Jack is Operations Manager and her

daughters Taylor and Chloe are Apprentice Accounts Manager and Apprentice Offce Manager respectively.

“Pallet network freight is an important part of our business, as is the quality of the services we deliver.

“One of the factors that attracted us to Palletforce was its shared focus on quality, from low rates of damages to its investment

in technology and infrastructure at the hub.

“Using our local market knowledge and business connections, I’m confdent we can add value to the Palletforce operation in the areas we cover and ensure we offer service excellence on behalf of other Palletforce members and their customers.”

David Breeze, Palletforce Chief Operating Offcer, said: “We are pleased to welcome Jenkins Transport to the Palletforce network.

“The company embodies the family approach to

quality that our network is built upon and we are confdent they can add strength and member value in their Liverpool area.”

David Breeze

Say Harlow to our new member

Experienced logistics operator to cover postcodes in Essex

An experienced pallet network operator with a focus on sustainable business growth and service quality has joined Palletforce to cover postcodes around Harlow in Essex.

Established in 1972, Jonen Shipping operates 22 vehicles from two UK locations, a Midlands depot in Leicester and its HQ in Epping, Essex. The Essex depot, located close to the M11/M25 intersection is ideally placed to service London and the south east of England.

In addition to distribution, it also offers international freight forwarding thanks to its close proximity to international ports of Dover, Felixstowe, Harwich, London Gateway and Tilbury.

With nearly 20 years of experience in pallet network operations, Jonen will cover CM16-CM21 postcodes

around Harlow and Epping on behalf of Palletforce, an important industrial area which they know well and have unrivalled local market experience.

John Hodges, Director at Jonen Shipping said: “We originally entered the pallet network sector to service our international operations but it has now become an integral, standalone part of our organisation. We have always been, and continue

to be, impressed with the collaborative, ‘can do’ attitude of members that has made the sector the success it is today and are excited to join the Palletforce family.

“Palletforce has a successful history and a great reputation for quality. The pedigree of the membership and the Palletforce central staff is impressive. Members and key management have been in place for a long time and that implies a stable

and credible business that operates successfully. Our area has its challenges with extra regulation and additional compliance associated with London’s low emission zones and direct vision standards.

“However, we are keen to grow our pallet volumes and make the most of the commercial opportunities in our region to drive further expansion.”

Mark Tapper, Palletforce Chief Executive Offcer, said: “Jonen has an extensive experience in express pallet deliveries and have taken on a challenging area that requires the high degree of local market knowledge that the business possesses.

“I’m confdent they will ensure the highest service levels for Palletforce members and their customers.”

House rules

Firm has decades of distribution experience and joins a pallet network for the frst time

It may be new to pallet networks, but West House Transport is no stranger to the world of consumer goods distribution, having decades of experience delivering to trade and retail outlets across the Southwest.

Headquartered in Bristol and with operational depots in Swansea and Plymouth, it runs a distribution feet encompassing fve trunking vehicles and 23 collection and delivery trucks.

Formed in 1990, its primary business involves the distribution of premium consumer car tyres across Southwest England and South

Wales. Prior to 2017 it also operated parcel distribution on behalf of Avon cosmetics.

It became a Palletforce member in January and kicked off its operations in the BS1-3 postcode area covering Bristol city centre.

Kevin Young, Depot Principal, at West House Transport, said: “We are excited to be joining a pallet network for the frst time, it made sense for us to diversify our operations and stay viable

as a business.

“We have decades of experience in B2B distribution that we can draw upon having been involved with FMCG products and specifcally the express delivery of car tyres for many years. We’ve also invested in a dedicated feet for network operations to ensure the highest levels of customer service.

“Palletforce was the obvious choice for us. So far everyone has had a very professional

attitude and we’ve had a lot of support to help introduce us to the network and ensure we are well prepared to hit the ground running.”

David Breeze, Palletforce Chief Operating Offcer, said: “It’s always exciting for us to welcome new-tonetwork members and we’re looking forward to West House Transport using its vast experience in retail and B2B distribution to ensure Palletforce offers a best-inclass service for Bristol city centre.”

West House has its headquarters in Bristol and has operational depots in both Swansea and Plymouth. It is covering a Bristol city centre postcode

Depot Principal Kevin Young

Finding a winner with Pass the Parcel

Joining Palletforce to handle all the postcodes in the Halifax area is new member Pass The Parcel.

Part of the wider and well-established YDL group, Pass the Parcel will handle all Palletforce collections and deliveries across HX postcodes, promising to continue its reputation for the highest levels of customer service.

It operates a feet of 27 vehicles from its strategically located depot in Halifax, with a wide customer base spanning mainly SME businesses across a range of industry sectors. It also has a strong overnight parcel delivery service which offers national coverage.

Pass The Parcel believes joining Palletforce will allow it to target sustainable business growth and take advantage of local

Strengthening our network’s Halifax coverage

opportunities by offering a premium service to new and existing customers.

Lauren Drinkald, Director of Commercial at Pass

The Parcel, said: “Our area has a strong base of SME businesses and a premium express palletised freight service offering hasslefree UK distribution is very attractive to them.

“We see real opportunities with Palletforce to grow our palletised freight volumes, which can dovetail in nicely with our parcel business, providing customers with a full range of quality services.

“Joining Palletforce is a great opportunity for us.

The reputation for service performance, its SuperHub and the range of tech initiatives around imaging

Lauren Drinkald

and scanning really gives customers a high level of freight visibility, which enhances our customer experience.“

Establishing rapport with local businesses to enable us to understand their requirements and needs, as well as building trust, loyalty and facilitating mutual success is central to our

ethos at YDL. We’ve had a very strong start with both deliveries and onboarding new customers and we are excited to continue our growth with the Palletforce network. ”

Chris Dennigan, Member Relations Director, said: “Pass

The Parcel is another positive addition to the Palletforce network and, with its experience in servicing the needs of SME businesses, is a great solution to cover our Halifax postcodes.”

ONE IN A HUNDRED

With milestone achievements of 100 years of operations and 2.5m Palletforce pallets, it is a time to celebrate for Chambers & Cook

It’s a special year for Palletforce member Chambers & Cook, with 2025 seeing the Birmingham business celebrate its centenary, a milestone that they say was successfully reached thanks to their family values and ethos of delivering the highest levels of customer service.

The business was founded in 1925 by Harold Chambers and Mr Cook. Harold’s daughter Anne married Pat Blackburn, who joined the business and became Managing Director, with their children Paul, Julie-Anne, Chris and Marianne all joining the business.

Paul took over the reigns as Managing

Director in 1995, a position he still holds today, and was responsible for much of the business growth around UK and international haulage, freight forwarding and then network operations when Chambers & Cook became a founding Palletforce member in 2001.

Chris Blackburn was Operations

We have relationships with some customers that span over 40 years which is testament to the partnership approach we take and our ability to add value for our customers

Director until his retirement two years ago when Jamie Stephenson took over, after promotion from his role as Transport Manager.

“From the outset, the business has continually focused on providing reliable and consistently high levels of service to customers, and that ethos still runs across the company today,” explained Jamie.

“As our customers have grown their businesses, we’ve also benefted and been able to grow alongside them. We have relationships with some customers

that span over 40 years which is testament to the partnership approach we take and our ability to add value for our customers.

“We have always been a family-owned and operated business and our family values remain at the heart of everything we do. Our people are our most valuable

assets because, in a service-driven industry, the ability to respond quickly and effectively to our customers’ needs is crucial.”

Chambers & Cook employs 130 people and operates 65 vehicles from its main headquarters in Birmingham and across fve customer sites in Ashford, Cannock, Cornwall, Leeds and Scotland. Its key customers are in the industrial manufacturing, retail and hospitality sectors and around 30% of its work is European.

“Our Palletforce volumes have grown from 30-40 pallets a night initially to around 600 now, and we were proud to hit the milestone of 2.5 million network pallets, which we reached at the end of last year. But it’s not all about volume, it’s about ensuring the highest quality for our customers and other members’ customers.

“Our Palletforce offering is crucial for our own business and that of our customers. The service and the consistently high performance of our fellow members across the UK enables real confdence in the network for our customers.

“We defnitely consider Palletforce as the industry leader and are proud to be a member. From the opening of the SuperHub to new technology around Alliance, Pallet Selfes and AI, they are at the forefront of innovation. As Palletforce has grown, it is a testament to all the members that have maintained and improved service levels throughout this growth.

“The industry has its challenges and, aside from the factors you can’t control, the marketplace is as competitive as ever both from a commercial and service perspective. We cover about 70% of all Birmingham postcodes and that means having to deal with city centre congestion charges, clean air zones and disruption from ongoing city centre infrastructure works and HS2.

“For us, despite these challenges we face, adaptability and resilience are key. Our commitment is that we continue to deliver exceptional service and respond to our customers’ needs with the agility required to succeed.

“Our customers are our lifeblood and we need to be there to support them, that’s why we view our business as an

extension of theirs. Part of our longevity and success as a business is that we focus on service levels rather than chasing freight rates, which just feels like a race to the bottom.

“We have to thank our people for their contribution to the business’ success over the years and we’ve got a number of events throughout the year to celebrate our 100th anniversary. The main event is between Christmas and New Year, so we can involve as many people as possible, and we will also have

a summer event for employees and their families.”

Looking to the future and Chambers & Cook is committed to sustainability and on a determined journey to become carbon neutral.

“We recognise the importance of reducing our environmental impact and are taking proactive steps to minimise our carbon footprint.

“However, the nature of our industry presents unique challenges, there isn’t one fx that will solve the decarbonisation problem, more like lots of smaller solutions to reach the bigger target.”

Mark Tapper, Palletforce Chief Executive Offcer, said: “Chambers & Cook is a reliable and trusted Palletforce founding member and we offer them congratulations on their continued business success as they celebrate their 100 year anniversary.

“The company’s focus on service excellence, customer experience and focusing on quality over chasing volumes has underpinned their longevity and growth and is completely aligned to our values at Palletforce.”

Jamie Stephenson, Operations Director, Wayne Adkins, Sales Manager, Hollie Baker, Palletforce Manager, and Tom Weaver, Transport Manager

SPECIAL DEALS FOR APPRENTICES

Continuing its commitment to excellence, quality and skills, express freight distribution network Palletforce has launched an offcial apprenticeship programme to help its members access high-quality training, develop workforce skills and reduce training costs.

With the launch coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week, the Palletforce Apprenticeships offering includes apprenticeships in Transport Operations Supervisor, Warehouse Operations Supervisor, Driving Goods Vehicles and Team Leader to employees of all ages.

The Transport Operations Supervisor apprenticeship includes the Transport Manager CPC qualifcation, allowing Palletforce members to beneft fnancially by covering the costs of the qualifcation through the apprenticeship levy. For those who don’t pay into the levy, the training is still signifcantly discounted compared to undertaking the qualifcation directly, with members only required to contribute fve per cent of the apprenticeship cost.

The apprenticeship framework allows training to be delivered over 12 weeks through engaging online modules with the support of a dedicated mentor, making the intense Transport Manager CPC course much more manageable and generally resulting in higher pass rates.

The Warehouse Operations Supervisor apprenticeship also includes a CILT Practitioners Certifcate in Logistics, Supply Chain and Operations Management.

Training will be delivered by SP Training, an award-winning logistics training specialist with over 25 years’ experience.

They will help Palletforce members access funded training across a range of

training frameworks, ensuring they have expert advice, access to mentors and the support required to drive skills in key operational areas.

David Breeze, Palletforce Chief Operating Offcer, said: “The continued success of the Palletforce network is underpinned by its people, and the launch of Palletforce Apprenticeships goes a step further by making it easy for our members to access high-quality, funded training that will help them develop workforce skills while saving money.

“We are opening up a pathway for our members to gain a competitive advantage by accessing key industry apprenticeships, backed up by the

expert advice, support and knowledge provided by SP Training.”

Robin Brown, SP Training Chairman, said: “The launch of Palletforce Apprenticeships will not only provide members with high-quality training via a funded framework, but their employees will also have support of our expert mentors, guiding them through the coursework.

“Apprenticeships are for everyone and, in addition to the recognised qualifcations, their framework results in a well-rounded individual with effcient organisational and personal skills, and the knowledge to work independently and add value to their employer’s operations.”

Robin Brown, SP Training Chairman, with David Breeze, Palletforce Chief Operating Offcer

EASIER EXPORTING

With Transvenlo, there has never been a better time for members to access Benelux markets

With an expert customs team, full member support and a robust network covering Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Palletforce member Transvenlo says it’s never been

easier to export freight to Benelux in a post-Brexit world.

Celebrating their 12th year as a Palletforce member in 2025, Transvenlo has an impressive logistics network, covering Benelux from fve key depots across the three countries, offering daily departures from across the area.

All UK freight transiting the Palletforce SuperHub arrives and departs from its Dutch HQ in Venlo, close to the border with Germany, where the dedicated customs team handles all the clearances for Palletforce freight.

“From 2025 we will be offering an

improved service across Benelux, with dedicated and direct daily line hauls to and from the Palletforce SuperHub,” explained Transvenlo Operations Director Jeffrey van der Lee.

“This will result in shorter lead times and daily departures from Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Our doorto-door delivery times are 48 hours for Benelux to UK and 72 hours for UK freight exported into Benelux.

“Most importantly is the support from our team. We have the expertise to seamlessly take care of all the customs formalities, making the import and export process extremely straightforward for Palletforce members and their customers.

“We are always on-hand to offer support, guidance and answer any questions. And of course with our Palletforce branded vehicles operating

across the Benelux market, your customers can be confdent of their freight handled the entire journey by Palletforce experts.”

Lee Matthews, Palletforce’s General Manager European Services, said: By partnering with Transvenlo and utilising their extensive experience and expertise, our new marketleading Benelux service offers our members a seamless, simple solution for importing and exporting freight to and from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.”

From 2025 we will be offering an improved service across Benelux, with dedicated and direct daily line hauls to and from the Palletforce SuperHub

Transvenlo Operations Director Jeffrey van der Lee

There has never been a better time to celebrate and shout about our successes

OUR TEAM WINNING

Palletforce’s network of highquality members continues to make news, picking up prestigious industry awards, highlighting to potential customers the strength and variety of our offerings.

Palletforce has always prided itself on attracting and retaining the best members – and awards committees across the logistics sector certainly seem to agree.

In the past year, members such as Campeys of Selby, Fagan & Whalley, Farrall’s Group and Elddis Transport have been recognised and have used their successes to promote their business and services.

Danielle Owen, Palletforce’s Head of Marketing and Communications, said: “It comes as no surprise to us to see our members winning awards. We see every day how good they are. It is brilliant that they are being recognised by awards judges too. Winning such accolades can

provide a real business boost, both in the members’ local marketplace and nationally. Potential customers really do take notice and having so many award winners among our membership really solidifes Palletforce’s reputation as the best network around.

“We will give members all the support they need if they are considering entering events such as the Motor Transport Awards and work with Really Clever PR, who are logistics marketing specialists and have compiled awardwinning submissions for EV Cargo and Campeys this year and Palletforce and QDS among others in previous years. All this expertise is on hand for members whenever they want to take advantage of it.”

Campeys of Selby was named Haulier of the Year at the 2024 Motor Transport Awards. The awards judges praised Campeys as a “forward-looking haulier that sees challenges as opportunities”. The judges’ decision, announced at the

glittering Park Lane awards ceremony in early September, is recognition of one of the UK road haulage sector’s outstanding success stories.

Campeys’ focus on intelligent leadership, environmental awareness, innovation and customer service has combined to bring growth and success.

The judges said: “Campeys is a forward-looking haulier that sees the challenges as opportunities. Its progress on decarbonisation of the feet is commendable and of scale in relation to its overall feet, which shows its commitment to invest for the long term. This is a family business that is displaying all of those values, has a focus on the drivers and uses the latest in-cab technology.”

Managing Director Paul Campey said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. It is a tribute to everyone who works with us every day to ensure we provide the best, most effcient, most environmentally aware service

Campeys of Selby celebrate at the Motor Transport Awards

to our customers.”

Commercial & Operations Director Harry Campey added: “We conducted a review after the Covid pandemic to ensure we were in the right position to overcome any future challenges.

“The way everyone in the team responded to that – from our increased focus on customer service to the changes we are making to be as environmentally responsible as possible – has been brilliant and the secret of our success.”

Campeys was also named the North’s Top Road Safety Haulier by Transport News.

Farrall’s Group won the Excellence in Sustainability Award at the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce 2024 Awards.

Managing Director Matthew Farrall said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win the Excellence in Sustainability Award 2024 at West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce annual awards.

“Farrall’s Group has invested heavily

into its journey to net zero, converting all MHE to electric, installing over 1500 solar panelscacross our warehouses and introducing our frst Electric HGV.”

Fagan & Whalley also had a very successful 2024. The Burnley Business Awards provided the perfect showcase of their services when they were named both Employer of the Year and Large Business of the Year.

Managing Director Sam Fagan said: “Winning these awards is a true testament to the hard work, dedication and passion of every member of the Fagan & Whalley family. People truly are at the heart of what we do.

“The nature of the logistics industry means that uniting a team can be challenging when our drivers are out on the roads, scattered all over the country, and often without the close day-to-day contact that many other businesses enjoy.

“Because of that, we’ve always strived to create an environment where our

employees feel valued and empowered, and to have this recognised through the Employer of the Year Award is very encouraging.

“Being named Large Business of the Year is equally humbling, especially given the incredibly strong competition. We couldn’t be prouder of our team and our journey.”

They were also among the winners at the Transport News Northern Rewards breakfast, where they were named Northern Fleet of the Year.

Elddis Transport’s investments to reduce its carbon footprint were recognised with a shortlisting in the Excellence in Sustainability category of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association annual awards. The move enabled the north-east based haulier to highlight its work with its customers to reduce their environmental impact.

Some Really Clever awards submissions

Campeys’ winning Motor Transport Awards submission was written and produced by Really Clever PR, marking another notable success for the specialist logistics PR and marketing company.

The Campeys submission impressed judges by clearly focussing on the most important and relevant aspects of the business for the Haulier of the Year

Clever PR has years of experience in writing entries for transport and

logistics awards and has produced winning MTA submissions for Palletforce and EV Cargo in recent years.

The company has exclusively provided PR support to Palletforce for nearly 10 years and offers discounted packages to Palletforce members.

• For more information email Glenn Patterson at glenn@reallycleverpr.com.

Farrall’s Group

Fagan & Whalley

QUARTER 1

QUARTER 2

QUARTER 3

QUARTER 4

As good as new

Celebrating the winners of our 2024 New

At Palletforce we love nothing better than celebrating success and hard work.

And that is particularly true when it comes to our New Business Awards, highlighting how our members are continuing to innovate and

grow and make our network ever stronger.

In 2024, the Quarter 1 winner was Willmotts, while Wyvern Cargo came out on top in Quarter 2.

Fagan & Whalley picked up the Quarter 3 honour – and C&D South West collected

Business Awards

the last award of the year, for Quarter 4.

Simon Bradbury, Palletforce Sales Director:, said: “The quarterly New Business Sales Awards are a vital part of driving growth across our network. They not only recognise and reward the

hard work of our members but also highlight the critical role new pallet volumes play in strengthening the entire Palletforce community. The awards celebrate the dedication and the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps our network thriving.”

All-electric switch for HB Volt Holt

New electric truck is part of zero tailpipe emission deliveries plan

East Yorkshire family haulier and founding Palletforce member HB Holt & Sons is focusing on zero tailpipe emission deliveries with the introduction of its frst allelectric truck.

With a suitable range to handle the company’s Palletforce network collections and deliveries, it’s an important step towards offering emission free deliveries for its own customers, and those of Palletforce members.

“Many customers want to see their logistics partners making commitments to environmental improvement

and long-term sustainability, so we’ve introduced a new fully-electric collection and delivery vehicle which fts in well with our Palletforce operations,” said Managing

Director Stuart Holt.

“It works really well for our local area and it’s important for us to be able to offer lower carbon deliveries.

“Our customers are pleased to see it’s introduction and it’s also good that we can offer this to other Palletforce members and their customers who require deliveries across our area.”

THE LORRY & THE IVY

Members celebrate Christmas and help out some good causes

Palletforce members celebrated Christmas is style. with festive jumpers, charity collections and foodbank deliveries.

And Katem Logistics even had the chance to get their own sledge out during the snow.

Staff at Mitchell Storage & Distribution and Elddis Transport wrapped up warm on their Christmas Jumper Days, with Elddis raising money for Save the Children.

Farrall’s Group held their annual warehouse drive through, with the team driving through the warehouse to collect their Christmas hampers—a token of appreciation for their

hard work and dedication throughout the year.

Farrall’s also delivered their 2024 Christmas Toy & Food Bank Appeal donations to SHARE

Farrall’s said: “Every year we are blown away by the generosity and support from#TeamFG for this appeal, and this year has been no exception!

“A special shoutout to Sophie, the granddaughter of employee Paul, for her incredible efforts. Each year, Sophie fundraises at her school and uses the donations to buy selection boxes for the appeal. The

impressive pile at the left is all thanks to her hard work!”

At Woodside Distribution everyone helped out to ensure Cash for Kids Northern Ireland has a huge, perfectly wrapped bundle of presents to give out to deserving youngsters, while BM Stafford & Sons gave generously to Hetton foodbank.

HBC Logistics were on a different kind of trunk road to usual to help out the Sue Ryder charity, collecting more than 40 Christmas trees for recycling.

HBC said: “Their Treecycling Collection

service is a wonderful cause that recycles unwanted trees whilst supporting those who are ill or grieving, and we are overjoyed to be able to help with our services.”

FIVE STAR ARRIVALS

Elddis Transport and Knowles Logistics have welcomed the arrival of fve new DAF XF 480 tranctor units.

The cabs are ftted with defectors, fenders and side skirts to improve aerodynamic performance, reduce drag and maximise fuel economy.

Alex Knowles, MD at Knowles Logistics, said: “We are delighted to have taken delivery of our XG tractor units, which have been

OUR SUPER STORE

Owens Group is celebrating getting the keys to Magor Gateway 156.

Its new 156,000 sq. ft. facility is designed for toptier storage, distribution, and logistics solutions.

Owens said: “With the addition of our brand-new 156,000 sq ft facility at Magor Gateway 156, we’re redefning warehousing to provide seamless, end-toend solutions for modern

purchased to cater to the company’s growth in recent years. Our drivers can enjoy a safer, more comfortable driving experience, while we beneft from their performance and fuel savings.”

All fve Elddis vehicles operate out of its Gamston depot and are all threestar rated for London Direct Vision Standard and therefore fully compatible with the recently introduced new standards.

businesses. It is designed for top-tier storage, distribution, and logistics solutions. Strategically located off the M4, this site is perfect for businesses ready to streamline operations across South Wales and beyond.”

ARMS AND LEGS

Ben Armstrong, Operations Director at Wm Armstrong is preparing to run the London Landmarks half marathon alongside his wife Kirsty, in support of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Their son Jamie has little to no vision and struggles with everyday tasks but the help and support from the RNIB over the years has made a signifcant difference

in Jamie’s life, teaching him techniques and life skills to support him into adulthood.

Ben said: “Running is not something that comes naturally to me but I wanted to challenge myself this year, both physically and mentally, while raising funds for a cause that really means a lot to us.”

To donate, go the https:// tinyurl.com/4xs5v332.

DRIVING HIGH STANDARDS

Drivers are often the frst point of contact businesses and the public have with members of the Palletforce network, so it is particularly pleasing to see so many receiving praise for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Mark Tapper, Palletforce CEO, said: “One of the great pleasures of Palletforce is getting to hear about all brilliant stories about drivers from every member of our network.

“The Palletforce performance awards are our way of saying thank you to them for all that they do.

“It is all great to hear from members’ customers and members of the public when they have been particularly impressed by the kindness and professionalism drivers show every day.”

EXCELLENCE IN ACTION

Our frst Excellence in Action awards produced some magnifcent winners, all of whom are showing Palletforce’s core values in their work.

The winners were:

Tia Newbold (teamwork): For supporting Simon Bradbury and Mark Steele, of Cutomer 1st Logistics, on a new customer set up. Mark highlighted that she was a fantastic support during the process and a credit to Palletforce.

Adam Conway (teamwork): For excellent support to IT during Crowdstrike issues.

David Bailey, John Hughes, John Wright and Rita Kapitanova (teamwork): For event support – fast response, kindness, extremely helpful ‘One team’ approach and fostering a positive working environment.

Aaron Moulden (agility): For outstanding work on Scottish trailers, excellent job knowledge and commitment to fxing bags.

Gordon Parkes and Jo Driver (teamwork): For, during two weeks of staff sickness, when the team were four and sometimes fve down, keeping going, doing overtime and making sure customers noticed no difference to our