Motor Transport 18 June 2018

Sharp ■ Informed ■ Challenging

BOOK N OW

18.6.18

UPTIME REDEFINED CEO and CFO departing and Pass my Parcel to shut following disappointing trading

Heads roll at Connect

MOTOR TRANSPORT AWARDS 2018

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NEWS INSIDE

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01/02/2018

Ninth network

Leonard and Burns take on Principle roles p3

Restricted licence

Consultation over financial standing limit opened p4

Looking good

Pollock (Scotrans) progress continues a pace p6

OPERATORS IN THIS ISSUE Caterite Food and Wineservice.............p22 Continental Cargo Carriers.....................p3 Delsol .................................................p16 Europa Worldwide Group .......................p3 Gnewt Cargo .......................................p20 Hermes...............................................p22 Howard Tenens....................................p22 McBurney Transport Group...................p26

Connect Group CEO Mark 12:03 Cashmore and chief financial officer (CFO) David Bauernfeind are leaving the business, and its Pass my Parcel network is closing, after a grim trading update last week laid bare significant challenges at Tuffnells.

The update said the group’s performance in the third quarter had been disappointing and Connect had consequentially “materially reduced” its pre-tax profit forecast for the full year.

A difficult peak period for express parcels carrier Tuffnells contributed to this, it added.

In May Connect Group told MT the division’s performance was expected to improve in its third quarter. However, last week’s update revealed that Tuffnells suffered a 12.3% drop in turnover in March, April and May to £43.5m (2017: £49.6m).

Tuffnells’ turnover for the year to date was down 3.9% at £136.2m, and it has contin-

Moran Logistics...................................p26 NFT Distribution ..................................p26 Panic Transport .....................................p8 Pollock (Scotrans).................................p6 Poundworld Retail.................................p8 Rexel UK .............................................p20 Royal Mail ...........................................p20 Whistl ..................................................p8

News

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By Emma Shone

Focus:

ued to face difficult trading conditions. Connect warned that it does not expect Tuffnells’ full-year performance to be better than its first half’s, which saw the once star performer slump into the red.

However, a Connect Group spokesman told MT the decision to shut Pass my Parcel would strengthen Tuffnells’ position as it will no longer have to trunk small parcels for the network and will refocus

on its core IDW operation. The closure of Pass my Parcel is the result of a six-week internal review, and the exit from the market will be “orderly and swift”.

Connect Group commercial director Stuart Godman said: “It’s disappointing when a new venture doesn’t succeed, but the level of losses is unsustainable and to continue would potentially compromise investment in our core Tuffnells and

Smiths News businesses.”

Connect Group will proceed with three key operational priorities: a turnaround of Tuffnells; a clean exit from the click and collect market with the Pass my Parcel closure; and maintaining a resilient performance at Smiths News.

An external hunt for Cashmore’s replacement is under way, but he will remain in the role temporarily to ensure a smooth transition.

However, Bauernfeind has left the business with immediate effect. Former Yodel CFO Tony Grace will replace him.

The Connect Group spokesman said Grace’s expertise in parcel freight will strengthen the executive team’s knowledge and experience in the sector.

“Importantly,” he added, “from an operational perspective there will be no compromise to delivering excellent service as we establish our turnaround plans.”

Everywoman awards celebrate women in logistics Leaders from operators including TNT and DHL Supply Chain were honoured at the FTA Everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards last week.

At a ceremony in the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, the dedicated freight awards were handed to DB Cargo UK head of planning Kate Turner for going the extra mile, with the Leader category given to Warehousing

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Diamond Distribution MD Keely Priestman.

In the Supply Chain category, the Above and Beyond award went to Asda senior manager operating model June Jones, and the victory in the Leader category was awarded to TNT national same day manager – storage fashion and solutions Faye Calland.

Everywoman co-founder Maxine Benson said: “The winners represent those

Profile:

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Livery

making a real difference to transport and logistics, whether it’s through the remarkable transformations they’ve made to the companies they work for or the innovative businesses they have built from the ground up.”

David Wells, chief executive, FTA, which sponsored the event, added: “In such economically challenging times, it is vital that the sector continues to attract the very best talent.” and

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Awards

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13/06/2018 14:57:54 05/02/2018 10:28

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Notts is top spot for HGV crime Thefts from lorries increased by 6.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018, with 454 reported incidents, according to a report from the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service and supply chain intelligence BSI Group.

T he report found Nottinghamshire was the country’s number one crime hotspot. There companies lost £1.1m-worth of goods after thefts in the county in the first quarter, equating to 16% of the total national thefts recorded during the first quarter.

Overall, £13m-worth of goods were stolen in the UK during the first three months of the year. The report said 80% of the 454 incidents were related to cargo theft, with the remaining 20% linked to fuel theft, vehicle parts and personal belongings.

Most crime occurs in the centre and eastern locations of the UK, with Northamptonshire, Kent, Leicestershire and Bedfordshire making up the top five counties for cargo theft.

The report added that Toddington rest area in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, saw the highest number of thefts during the first part of the year.

The M1 was identified as the top highway route for cargo thefts, with 66 incidents occurring along the route in the first quarter.

The most frequent type of theft was slash and grab, with 63% of all incidents involving cutting curtainsiders.

Redburn article On 28 May 2018 MT published an article entitled ‘Redburn fails to keep on rockin’’.

The article referred directly to Christopher Redburn and used his photograph in the context of discussing the recent liquidation of the company Redburn Transfer.

We wish to clarify that Mr Redburn was not involved with the liquidation of Redburn Transfer. Mr Redburn has not been part of the company since 2014 when it came under the sole ownership and control of Deben Transport Holdings Ltd with Mr Paul Dawson as MD. 18.6.18

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Former TPN boss Adam Leonard takes reins with Robbie Burns in supporting role

All change at Principle Pallets as founders go

By Chris Druce

The co-founders of Principle Pallets, the fledging network seeking to become the UK’s ninth, have left the business.

The shock departure comes after former The Pallet Network (TPN) boss Adam Leonard (inset left) joined the venture in March, supported by ex-Nightfreight boss Robbie Burns (inset right).

Former Fortec directors Marcus Fischer (main left) and Neil Hodgson (main right) revealed plans to return to the pallet sector in 2016 (MT 11 July 2016) in the roles of chief operating officer and chief executive respectively.

The directors set an operational start date of 2017 but after the launch window came and went many questioned if the network would see the light of day. However, earlier this year MT was told that Principle Pallets had secured the former Birds Transport & Logistics site at Parsonage Street, West Bromwich, as its operational hub.

Despite this, records filed at Companies House show that Hodgson stepped down as a director of Principle Pallets on 29 March, while Fischer followed suit on 15

May. They also stepped down as directors at the associated Principle Group at this time.

Neither could be reached for comment.

On the 1 June Piyush Shah and Burns were named as directors of Principle Pallets, although they have been associated with the related Principle Group since late last year.

Burns is the former boss of Excel Logistics, author of the Burns Report into freight taxa-

tion and competition, and was executive chairman at NightFreight from 2007 to 2010. He was a recipient of the Motor Transport Service to Industry Award in 2009.

Shah served as a director at TPN between 2001 and 2002 and is a director at several technology-led businesses that provide services to the road transport industry.

Leonard became a director at Principle Pallets and Principle Group at the end of

AN HONOUR: PD Ports director and former RHA chairman Jim French has been awarded an MBE for services to young people in the transport industry in the Queen’s birthday honours. French told MT it felt tremendous to have been awarded the honour and said he could not have achieved it without the support of people around him during his career of more than 40 years. He said: “I have always had a passion for developing people all the way through their careers, and the way you can make yourself a success is by developing the people you’ve got around you.” French works with Career Ready and Think Logistics and is involved with a logistics academy at Stockton Riverside College. RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “We’re delighted for Jim and this MBE is well deserved, given his commitment and energy in trying to attract the next generation into the road haulage industry.”

March, records show. He is the architect of modern TPN, having joined in 2000 as general manager of operations before leading a management buy-out as MD in 2007. He ended his role as a director at TPN in January 2016, according to Companies House.

No one at Principle Pallets was available to comment as MT went to press. According to Companies House, Fischer and Hodgson are still listed as shareholders.

Europa expands Europa Worldwide Group has made the first of a promised series of acquisitions with the purchase of Continental Cargo Carriers (CCC).

The cross-Channel ro-ro specialist is based in Ostend, Belgium, and has a presence in the Czech Republic and the UK. CCC operates a 13,000ft² warehouse in Ostend and 270 trailers, employing 100 people.

Europa MD Andrew Baxter said: “This acquisition is not about Europa expanding outside of the UK. It is about strengthening our offering to and from the UK.” MotorTransport 3

14/06/2018 16:59:30

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Book now for MT’s Leeds Clean Air Zone Roadshow MT is holding a half-day Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Roadshow for HGV operators in Leeds on 3 July.

This free-to-attend event will give operators the chance to engage with senior staff at Leeds City Council about the proposals for a charging CAZ within the outer ring road.

The Leeds proposal will consider charging non-Euro-6 HGVs (above 3.5 tonnes) a daily fee – possibly £100 – to enter the city centre. Buses, coaches and taxis are also included in the plans.

The event will bring together vehicle manufacturers, technology experts and freight operators to discuss practical ways to get fleets ready for CAZs. Delegates will hear from Leeds City Council’s fleet manager about the trials they have undertaken with alternative fuels, as well as learn about funding and rental options.

■ To book your place and find our more, visit motortransport.co.uk/clean-air-zoneroadshow-leeds

SPREAD THE MESSAGE: Hawthorns Logistics has put the first of two trailers emblazoned with the logo of children’s charity Josie’s Dragonfly Trust on the road. The trust provides funds and special experiences for children and young people suffering from terminal cancer. Hawthorn Logistics co-founder Chris Kilsby said: “This is a great charity that does some wonderful work with children and young people and because it isn’t a high-profile charity we decided to offer them our services to help raise it.” The trailers, decorated by signwriter Ace Graphics, will transport goods across the UK from Scotland to London and back as part of Hawthorns’ fleet of 30 trucks and 30 trailers.

Kilsby said the campaign had garnered widespread interest with images of the first Josie’s Dragonfly Trust trailer shared more than 6,000 times on social media.

Financial standing rates for restricted O-licence holders have not been reviewed or increased since 2004

Rates to be reviewed by TCs

By David Harris

Traffic commissioners (TCs) have launched a consultation to look at whether or not the financial resources limit for restricted O-licence holders should be increased.

All O-licence holders must demonstrate a certain level of financial resources based on the type of licence they hold and the number of vehicles they are operating.

The level of financial resources available is checked when operators first apply for a licence but is a continuing requirement, and can be checked at any stage during

the life of the licence.

The test is designed to show that they have enough money to cover the cost of keeping HGVs safe while they are on public roads.

For restricted operators (those who just carry their own goods or run no more than two passenger transport vehicles), the financial levels are set by the TCs. The rates – £3,100 for the first vehicle and £1,700 for each additional vehicle – haven’t been reviewed since 2004.

The rates for standard O-licence holders (those who carry other people’s goods or

run passenger transport vehicles full time) are higher at £7,950 and £4,400 respectively.

Senior TC Richard Turfitt (pictured seated third from

left) said: “The cost of maintaining vehicles properly has increased since we last reviewed the rates for restricted operators.

“Although we’ve taken a conscious decision not to place any additional burdens on restricted operators, especially following the period of economic downturn in 2008, it is right to review the financial security test now and get the thoughts of industry and stakeholders on where the levels should be set.

“Restricted operators work in a number of diverse sectors so I encourage them all to engage with this consultation so we can understand the effect of any changes.”

The consultation is running on gov.uk until to 31 August.

FUTURE-PROOFING: Northern Ireland logistics firm Derry Refrigerated Transport has acquired Waterford- based Brennan Refrigerated Transport.

The acquisition is part of expansion plans that include a £9m investment in a new 10-acre hub in Portadown in County Armagh, with the creation of 50 jobs. Derry Refrigerated Transport, which has 200 employees, supplies to Ireland and the UK. MD Patrick Derry said that while the acquisition was not driven by Brexit, it would future-proof the company ahead of the UK’s departure from the EU. He told the Belfast Telegraph: “This investment is what is needed in our industry in the 21st century. However it will, of course, futureproof the company going forward regardless of the decision being made about a hard or soft border.

There is still so much uncertainty on a way forward.

However, this new facility will ensure my customer base will have tailor-made solutions to fit their plans going forward."

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2, 4, 6, 8 MOTORWAY. “We can’t afford to have our trucks off the road, so Scania work around us to ensure our uptime is maximised. The people in their nationwide network match the quality and performance of their products: they are excellent, they never let us down and the service they provide definitely saves us money.”

Mark Wilson, Transport Manager FPS Distribution

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13/06/2018 15:04:01

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LoCITY Pollock’s recovery lowdown continues at pace

Pre-tax profit up as firm bounces back from customer collapse

A monthly look at work to cut CV emissions. This time, Innovate UK’s Venn Chesterton discusses the scheme’s work

By Emma Shone

Pollock (Scotrans) saw its pre-tax profit rocket more than 300% in its latest financial year as the operator bounced back from a customer collapse that put it in the red two years ago.

Pollock suffered a £123,000 pre-tax loss in 2014/15 after long-standing customer Tullis Russell went under.

The operator was back in black with a £25,690 pre-tax profit in 2015/16, and its most recent published accounts for the year to 26 August 2017 show that momentum has continued, with a 346% leap year-on-year to £114,528.

Turnover rose by 3.5% to £26.5m (2015/16: £25.6m).

In its strategic report for the period, the Scottish operator said it had grown through a combination of new customers, maintaining and expanding existing business and a focus on financial KPIs to manage fuel efficiency and the use of agency drivers.

It also highlighted its commitment to new talent, in particular its intake of apprentices to its office and workshop teams.

Addressing the industrywide driver shortage, Pollock said: “We seek to ensure that our company remains attractive to existing and prospective drivers by offering them high-quality work, in a modern and well-maintained vehicle fleet.”

Pollock has also acquired Mercedes-Benz Actros1, which is in the care of driver Allan Holt.

The truck, number one of the 100 limited edition Actros1s, is fitted with trimmings Holt himself asked for,

and he sang the praises of his new vehicle’s power and comfort.

“In terms of comfort and practicality it’s pretty much perfect,” said Holt.

Pollock (Scotrans) MD Scott Pollock said: “Actros1 is a very special vehicle indeed, while Allan is a skilled and highly valued professional who looks after company assets as though they were his own. The result is a fantastic new flagship for our business.”

Pollock was unavailable for comment as MT went to press.

HGV Safety Permit scheme detailed TfL has published guidance about its HGV Safety Permit scheme, promising there will be no charge for the permits themselves.

The scheme, announced last year, is designed to recognise efforts made by hauliers in regards to fitting camera and sensor systems, which were excluded from the first draft of the Direct Vision Scheme (DVS).

DVS will rate HGVs depending on the level of a driver’s direct vision from a cab. HGVs will be given a rating between zero star (lowest) and five star (highest).

Zero-rated vehicles will be 6 MotorTransport MTR_180618_006.indd 6

banned from 2020, and three stars will be required to drive on London’s streets by 2024.

However, the permit as proposed would mitigate this, allowing HGVs over 12 tonnes to continue operating in London past 2020 if they have certain safety equipment fitted.

Under current proposals, all HGVs over 12 tonnes operating in greater London from 26 October 2020 will need to hold a permit. They will be issued from October 2019. If an HGV meets the DVS requirement, a permit will be granted automatically. If it doesn’t, action must be taken

to meet TfL’s Safe System.

The Safe System mandates that front and side blind spots are eliminated via a camera system, Class V and VI mirrors and a sensor system with driver alerts is fitted. Left turn audible and ‘prominent’ signage is also required.

Fresnel lenses are not considered an appropriate means of minimising vehicle blind spots, according to TfL. Under-run protection is mandatory. There are some exemptions from the Safe System requirements for emergency vehicles, and in specific cases, recovery vehicles.

In 2015, TfL developed a mechanism for talking to the industry about lowering emissions from trucks and vans across London. As a minimum it wanted to provide the framework to support the industry in preparing for the planned Ultra Low Emission Zone. It was also designed to help the industry go further and bring in low- and zeroemission vehicles as quickly as possible to improve air quality and decrease London’s CO2 emissions.

In January 2016, the five-year LoCITY programme was officially launched. Industry support was vital to the success of the scheme, so from the outset LoCITY encouraged operators to give feedback and share their aspirations and challenges towards adopting cleaner vehicles in their fleets.

More than 130 people attended the launch event. We presented numerous ideas about the options for shaping LoCITY. We listened to the feedback: some ideas were welcomed while others were denounced. One of the proposals was to have a bespoke LoCITY recognition scheme. Fortunately, the stakeholders changed our minds about this and TfL is now working LoCITY into the next FORS update, due later this year.

Since then LoCITY has worked with a variety of organisations, including Innovate UK, the LowCVP and the Greater London Authority, to produce independent research.

For example we’ve examined auxiliary temperature-reductions units and their potential to reduce emissions. We are testing emissions from alternatively fuelled refuse collection vehicles to develop a nationally recognised test process. We are also testing electric vans to assess what happens to their range when different factors are applied, such as payload, temperature, driver behaviour and ancillary devices. The results of these projects will be available at locity.org.uk in the autumn.

LoCITY members have contributed hugely to shaping the programme, so thank you and long may this continue.

LoCITY is a great example of what happens when people from across the sector invest in collaboration as shown by the case studies, tools and guidance available to support commercial vehicle operators.

TfL made a long-term commitment by funding the programme, which is reinforced by LoCITY’s position in the mayor’s Transport Strategy as the principal way in which the mayor and TfL will engage with the industry. “Through the LoCITY programme, TfL will continue to work with the freight industry to overcome the barriers to adopting cleaner vans and HGVs.” This will only work if you get involved: attend one of our quarterly working groups; sign up for the regular newsletter; attend a roadshow; and visit us at our annual conference in Kempton Park on 5 September.

I’m proud of what we have achieved and excited that many of the vehicles we have been calling for at LoCITY are now available or are soon to enter the market.

For more information on LoCITY events and how to reduce emissions in your fleet, got to locity.org.uk 18.6.18

14/06/2018 15:06:17

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13/06/2018 15:06:37

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No-go for mayor’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street Kinaxia secures London mayor Sadiq Khan’s election pledge to pedestrianise Oxford Street has been dismissed by Westminster Council.

The London council, which owns the capital’s famous shopping street, said it has listened to the views of local residents and businesses and ruled out full pedestrianisation as an option.

However, it added that doing nothing to improve the retail area was also not an option,

and urged a rethink of the strategy.

Westminster councillor Nickie Aiken said: “We are working on our proposals to improve the Oxford Street district and will share them with residents, businesses and visitors for discussion in early autumn.”

The mayor has slammed the council’s decision, which he said poses a threat to the future of Oxford Street and the shopping area.

Former TNT UK boss will help increase its presence in the parcel delivery sector

Cochrane joins Whistl

By Emma Shone

Whistl has brought in former TNT MD Alistair Cochrane (right) as it ramps up its presence in the parcel delivery sector. Cochrane spent 30 years at TNT UK, latterly as MD for four years before leaving in 2014. He more recently spent two years at Parcelforce as its operations director. He will return to his former sister company Whistl as chief development director on 2 July.

In its annual Companies House filing earlier this month (MT 4 June), Whistl said it intends to increase its focus on parcel delivery as the mail market dwindles – mail volumes declined 0.4% in 2017.

The operator said its ability to offer a range of services, from mail and parcels to fulfilment services, will protect it from stagnating letter volumes.

The director’s report for 2017 said Whistl was “well positioned to acquire new customers and continue to cross-sell within our existing customer base”. It said it had strong opportunities to increase its parcel market share because of the rise in e-commerce.

Cochrane will join the Whistl executive board in his new role, and the business said his experience in parcels will

TAKING A POUNDING: Poundworld Retail has appointed administrator Deloitte after talks with a potential buyer collapsed. The retailer, which has a fleet of 75 vehicles and 140 trailers delivering to 355 stores, has been struggling against the falling value of sterling, weak consumer confidence and rising competition in the discount retail sector. It was in talks with potential buyer R Capital but negotiations were unsuccessful. Deloitte said Poundworld will continue to trade while a buyer for all or part of the business is sought, with no redundancies or store closures planned. It declined to comment on the future of the firm’s transport division.

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bolster the management team.

Whistl CEO Nick Wells said: “We have known Alistair for many years and he brings to Whistl extensive experience in the parcels sector, an area where we have ambitious growth plans. Whistl is expanding, and we are pleased we can bring to the team the best talent to enable us to continue to provide customers with the best quality, efficient and low-cost services.”

Cochrane added: “I am delighted to join the Whistl team at this exciting time in its development with its ambitious organic and acquisitive growth plans.”

Whistl has expanded in the parcels market with the purchases of multi-carrier shipping and e-commerce customer service business Parcelhub and its sister

company Mail Workshop earlier this year for an undisclosed sum. Mail Workshop was launched in Nottingham in 2003, providing shipping and fulfilment for e-commerce parcels, as well as picking and packing. Parcelhub was launched in 2010.

Wells said: “We are delighted to welcome Parcelhub and Mail Workshop into the Whistl family. The business shares the same values as Whistl – providing excellent customer services cost effectively – and has identified a gap in the market providing solutions for clients that cannot access the services and discounts available to large volume mailers.

“Working together we will be able to optimise our parcels services to customers and build on our expertise and presence in the fulfilment market.”

eco-friendly DIRFT base

Kinaxia Logistics will move into a flagship warehouse at the Prologis-owned Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) later this summer.

Kinaxia, which rescued BC Bollington from administration last year, taking its collection of regional hauliers to nine since its formation in 2012, will have capacity for 24,000 pallets at the 116,000ft² facility.

The Northamptonshire facility, near Rugby, will also feature a Red Prairie Warehouse Management System.

Alongside the warehousing, dedicated transport services will be available to customers through Panic Transport (Contracts) or any of the haulage companies within the Kinaxia Group.

The building is designed to reduce utility costs through a combination of 15% roof lights and a rooftop solar installation, paired with three 15kWh Tesla Powerwall battery storage units.

Graham Norfolk, who co-founded Kinaxia with Peter Fields, said: “The acquisition of this logistics facility is a significant investment for the Kinaxia Group and part of a long-term plan to build a flexible and efficient, service-focused haulage and warehousing group covering the UK. “We are a business with growth in mind, and Prologis offered us the combination of the best building in the best location for our customers and network, with features that support a sustainable and costeffective operation.”

It came as Kinaxia-owned Panic Transport completed its switch from Palletline back to Pall-Ex, where it will cover the Coventry area.

Pall-Ex group MD Kevin Buchanan said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Panic Transport back to the network and have such a renowned Midlands name working in partnership with Pall-Ex.” Panic Transport was replaced by Reason Transport at Palletline.

18.6.18

14/06/2018 16:00:24

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The Institute of Government warns of inevitable disruption to supply chains if Brexit hits 2020 deadline

Brexit can come soon enough

By Carol Millett

If Brexit is delivered to a 2020 deadline it will be messy, disruptive and will require the government to have difficult conversations with businesses about its financial implications, a think tank warned last week.

In its report, ‘Preparing for Brexit’, the Institute for Government warned that ministers have a choice to either deliver Brexit as a work in progress by the 2020 deadline, creating inevitable disruption, or seek extra time.

The report said: “Ultimately the government must make a choice: continue to prioritise speed – accepting delivery will be incomplete and disruption is likely – or ask the EU for more time.” It estimated that the extended transition time could be years.

Time enough?

The report warned that Brexit will require significant preparation by businesses but within a shorter timeframe than, for example, the introduction of the Automatic Pension Enrolment Scheme, which was phased in over several years, and the digitalisation of the tax system where businesses were given six years to prepare.

It added: “UK business, from big firms to micro-businesses, could need to adapt to new regulations, new barriers, paperwork and requirements to trade with the EU, as well as changes to migration rules. All of which they may need to be ready for in two and a half years’ time, but without clarity until much later in the process on what they need to do.

“Getting those groups ready will require a huge, co-ordinated communications plan from the government.

It will require difficult conversations about what is possible for business within the time period and the financial effect on businesses. Brexit will not be complete until years after the planned transition.”

The report urged the government to consider a longer transition period, although it accepted this could be politically difficult.

Image: Shutterstock

FTA attacks

The report comes as concern increases in the haulage industry at the lack of progress on Brexit.

The FTA launched a scorching attack last week on the government’s “reckless” Brexit strategy, with the association accusing ministers of “playing chicken” with the future of the British economy and the haulage industry.

FTA deputy chief executive James Hookham said: “The industry’s frustra10 MotorTransport

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tion with the lack of progress is building daily. Logistics businesses simply cannot answer customers’ questions about how they will move goods after Brexit.

“Manufacturers and retailers are losing faith and fear post-Brexit Britain is at real risk of becoming nothing more than a series of roadblocks at ports and airports.”

Hookham accused some government ministers of taking a reckless attitude to negotiations. He said: “What is making our members angry is that these real, legitimate concerns are simply being dismissed by some members of the government on the basis that it will not be in the EU’s interests to impose them.

“This is a reckless attitude to take and is playing chicken with crucial parts of the British economy and the livelihoods of the seven million Britons in the industry,” he said, warning that EU member states are recruiting “hordes of border officials to enforce their rule book, regardless of the cost to businesses and consumers”.

Hookham added: “The reliance on the other side blinking first is hanging the logistics industry out to dry.”

The FTA also slammed the government for failing to reach agreements on key areas such as the transition period and customs arrangements from March next year.

Hookham said: “We keep getting

told that all food and agricultural exports to the continent and Ireland will be checked at EU ports – but there is nowhere to check them and the system to check them does not exist.

“We still don’t know if we will be able to employ the 43,000 truck drivers in the UK that are nationals from other member states – that’s 13% of our driver workforce. There is no clarification on whether UK drivers’ qualifications are to be recognised, so they could be barred from driving their vehicles on the continent.”

Permits and checks

The FTA also called on the government to prioritise a deal on haulage permits, claiming that with no trade agreement “there will only be 103 international haulage permits to cover the 300,000 journeys made by British trucks to the continent each year”.

Hookham said: “This is the trucking equivalent of the threat to the aviation sector because of the ending of Europewide agreements when the UK leaves the Single Market.”

In the same week, Port of Calais deputy chief executive Benoît Rochet warned ministers that all HGVs carrying meat, fish and other food perishables could be subject to strict checks at Calais, post-Brexit. Giving evidence to the Commons Treasury Committee on the UK’s economic relationship with the EU, Rochet said that sanitary

checks on fresh food, particularly meat and fish, would have to be introduced, which he said could result in severe tailbacks at both Dover and Calais.

He said: “We have very few customs checks now and no sanitary inspections. If the UK becomes a third party there will have to be controls on goods and French customs have told us that the most important is the sanitary controls because if there is no deal then there will be frequent controls involving all those lorries carrying meat and fish – so it is important we implement a system if there is no deal.”

Eurotunnel operator Getlink told the committee that the introduction of smart border technology will be essential to ensuring that frictionless trade can be maintained.

Complex and lengthy

In written evidence to the committee, Getlink said: “The introduction would be a complex and lengthy process and it is already too late to envisage it being in place in March 2019. The government needs to step up its delivery significantly to ensure the economy can continue to grow.”

Getlink said 220,000 jobs were supported by UK producers transporting goods through the Channel Tunnel.

It warned: “A proportion of these jobs could be put at risk if delays at the border resulted in a reduction in demand for UK exports.”

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Focus: Warehousing

motortransport.co.uk

Avonmouth bucks trend for demand in South West The South West has seen a surge in demand for warehousing in recent years and, despite a cooling off in activity in 2017, many believe it remains fundamentally strong.

According to Savills, take-up of buildings above 100,000ft2 came to 1.5 million ft2 in 2017, a drop of 65% compared with the boom year of 2016 and 13% below the long-term average.

This year, however, there are encouraging signs with B&Q taking a 375,000ft2 build-to-suit warehouse in Swindon from Gazeley – the deal meant that take-up in Q1 2018 was 43% above the same period last year, Savills said.

GVA director Paul Hobbs said there is still strong interest in the region from potential occupiers. “We are talking to a lot of people who could make up the next wave of demand. The past two years have put the region on the map,” he said.

Much of the activity has centred on the Avonmouth area, where Amazon is building a 1.2 million ft2 three-storey warehouse, due to open later this year.

This is located on Delta Properties’ Central Park development where The Range opened a 1.2 million ft2 ware-

house and Lidl a 600,000 ft2 unit in 2017. Central Park also saw Davies Turner open 150,000ft2 and DHL 160,000ft2 earlier this year.

Access to the Avonmouth area is set to improve with a new motorway junction on the M49, due to open in December 2019, which is expected to stimulate demand.

There is a large amount of development land to accommodate new buildings. Delta Properties still has 90 acres at Central Park and there is 296 acres available at the Westgate development

by Robert Hitchins and Harrow Estates. In addition, Mountpark

Logistics announced in May that it had bought 60 acres of land owned by Astra Zeneca to add to the 20 acres it owns in Avonmouth.

Some developers are pressing ahead with speculatively built warehousing.

For example, db symmetry has built a 221,000ft2 unit in Swindon and MSF Filton has completed a 115,000ft2 building at Horizon 38 in Bristol (above).

And Logicor has upgraded a 248,000ft2 building called WA248 in Avonmouth.

Hobbs said: “There is a massive amount of investment going into buying stock and creating a supply of new buildings.

Belvedere Wharf ready for occupants

GOOD START: Logistics services group Bis Henderson has created a product called Secure Start, aimed at removing the risk from opening a new warehouse. This will involve managing all aspects of the start-up process, including validating the client’s requirement, property procurement and designing the warehouse solution, through to implementation of the project. It will call on Bis Henderson’s resources such as logistics consultancy, recruitment, warehouse space brokerage and training. Bis Henderson Group CEO Andy Kaye said: “Each project will have a dedicated director responsible for delivering the programme.” The company has formed its first arrangement with a developer to promote Secure Start. Barwood Capital will offer the service at its speculative development in Wakefield.

12 MotorTransport MTR_180618_012.indd 12

Developer First Panattoni has completed an 86,700ft2 speculative warehouse at its Belvedere Wharf development in south-east London and appointed agents Glenny and Savills to market the unit.

Another 110,000ft2 of space is available on a build-to-suit basis and there are plans for approximately 130,000ft2 of speculative development over the next two years – Belvedere Wharf could eventually accommodate 450,000ft2.

The development, 13 miles from central London, forms part of Belvedere Industrial Park.

Glenny partner Richard Seton-

Clements said: “The area has attracted the likes of Amazon, Ocado, Tesco and Asda, demonstrating its strategic location in the region.”

First Panattoni, a joint venture between US-owned development giant Panattoni Europe and Savills Investment Management, has an ambitious speculative programme for 2018 that includes a 450,000ft2 warehouse in Wolverhampton scheduled for completion in October. In addition, in Nottingham two units of 89,000ft2 and 75,400ft2 will be ready by October, followed by a 550,000ft2 warehouse in Q1 next year.

Fresh perspective

By Peter Ward

Benchmarking report is compelling reading In today’s rapidly changing logistics landscape, benchmarking has become an increasingly vital tool for measuring best practice, facilitating continuous improvement and driving competitive advantage.

Benchmarking has been gaining in popularity as a means of gathering data on how well a company performs against others, as well as in identifying new ideas and ways of improving processes to meet changing customer expectations.

While most logistics companies will already be measuring KPIs with the aim of ensuring their operation is efficient, the challenge is always in evaluating the results. The best way to ensure your business is operating efficiently is to benchmark your KPIs against other similar operations, but the opportunity to do so on an industry-wide basis has not been available to UK warehousing.

To help companies compete more effectively, in January of this year, UKWA teamed up with US-based WERC (Warehousing Education & Research Council) to give members the chance to participate in a global benchmarking exercise and compare their operations against international industry standards and other key criteria.

The results have now been published and the full report is now available to purchase. It captures 34 key operational metrics that make compelling reading and provide a strong base and consistent approach to reporting performance.

The report is priced at £450, but is offered at only £175 for UKWA members – or free to those who took part in the survey. It provides valuable insights that the whole industry can benefit from.

Peter Ward is chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association.

Tel: 0207 636 8856. pward@ukwa.org.uk

18.6.18

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13/06/2018 15:13:03

Viewpoint

motortransport.co.uk

Why not use consolidation centres?

T

Peter Jacobs MD, logistics solutions Wilson James

here’s an easy way to dramatically improve air quality in London – better organisation of construction deliveries.

Instead of having thousands of HGVs making deliveries to numerous sites, why not consolidate those deliveries on the outskirts of the city and use fewer vehicles to deliver to multiple sites?

These facilities, together with the associated technology to run them, already exist. They are called construction consolidation centres (CCCs).

Yet they are only being used by a handful of projects.

Engineering cleaner air, a report by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), which was published in October 2017, placed the use of CCCs at the top of a list of 10 recommendations for improving London’s air quality. It cites the London CCC in South Bermondsey, a TfL trial project, which reduced construction traffic to the four major sites it served by between 60% and 70%.

The London CCC, operated by Wilson James, still exists, albeit in a different location, in Silvertown. There are others too. A 2016 TfL directory of CCCs lists 12 locations, although

some of these are less consolidation centre and more remote storage yard.

A CCC is run using a sophisticated blend of logistics and analytics, booking and tracking deliveries, measuring miles travelled between factory and site, and managing conflicts between different trades and projects. The most mature example of such a system is the Colnbrook Logistics Centre, which serves Heathrow Airport’s £50m-a-month construction activities.

The reason why CCCs are not more widely used is that the construction industry in general works with fragmented, and sometimes ad hoc, supply chains. This makes it hard to allocate the cost of such systems to those who benefit from it most.

The solution is simple, however – London’s planning and transport authorities must mandate CCCs. The City of London Corporation has already shown leadership, making the use of consolidation centres during construction a condition of planning for some developments.

The ICE has urged City Hall and TfL to follow the City’s lead. If cleaner air is a priority, this can’t happen too soon.

UPTIME REDEFINED

FTA’s Brexit criticism will fall on deaf ears T Christopher Walton Editor in chief Motor Transport

en years ago, when I started reporting on road transport, it was the height of the 2008 fuel strikes. The BBC reported: “On the second day of the walkout over pay, demand for fuel was up 25% and more than 100 [petrol] stations closed because of shortages.”

It came a year after the RHA had organised a rolling roadblock in Scotland over the high price of fuel. Tensions were high.

In the past decade the two associations have been a little more subdued in their lobbying efforts over major issues affecting the industry.

It’s not been to the detriment of success (freezing fuel duty for the past seven years is a big win) but they’ve stayed away from being so… dramatic.

Earlier this month the FTA shocked me. It really laid into the government over its approach to Brexit, and not before time too.

The indomitable deputy chief executive of the FTA James Hookham accused the government of wanting to “destroy the businesses” of international hauliers, adding that “logistics

14 MotorTransport MTR_180618_014.indd 14

businesses simply cannot answer their customers’ questions about how they will move goods after Brexit”.

He said that “real, legitimate concerns” of operators were “simply being dismissed”. He also accused the government of having a “reckless attitude” and said it was “playing chicken with crucial parts of the British economy”.

Successful lobbying relies on reasoned debate between lawmakers and lobbyists, but it appears that since 23 June 2016 reasoned debate from lawmakers has disappeared out of the window as they wave the flag for the nationalist revolt that is Brexit.

It’s marvellous for road transport that the FTA has finally said these things. It’s disastrous that the government won’t pay the blindest bit of notice to them. n See page 10 for more on the Brexit issue.

The newspaper for transport operators

To contact us: Tel: 020 8912 +4 digits or email: name.surname@roadtransport.com Editor Steve Hobson 2161 Editor-in-chief Christopher Walton 2163 Group news editor Chris Druce 2158 Deputy news editor Emma Shone 2164 Group technical editor Colin Barnett 2141 Aftermarket editor Roger Brown 2168 Vans editor George Barrow 2156 Urban editor Hayley Pink 2165 Group production editor Clare Goldie 2174 Chief sub-editor Rufus Thompson 2143 Key account managers Andrew Smith 07771 885874 Miranda Hall-Morley 07825 409551 Display telesales Barnaby Goodman-Smith 2128 Event sales Richard Bennett 07889 823060 Tim George 0755 7677758 Classified and recruitment advertising Head of sales operations Julie McInally 2122 rtmclassified@roadtransport.com Sales director Vic Bunby 2121 Head of marketing Jane Casling 2133 Head of events/MT Awards Stephen Pobjoy 2135 Managing director Andy Salter 2171 Editorial office Road Transport Media, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1JB 020 8912 2170 Free copies MT is available free to specified licensed operators under the publisher’s terms of control. For details, email mtsccqueries@roadtransport.com, or call 01772 426705 Subscriptions Tel 0330 333 9544 Quadrant Subscription Services, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH Rates UK £135/year. Europe £163/ year. RoW £163/year. Cheques made payable to Motor Transport.

Apply online at mtssubs.com Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper Published by DVV Media International Ltd © 2018 DVV Media International Ltd ISSN 0027-206 X

Got something to say?

If you would like to contribute to MT’s Viewpoint, email steve.hobson@roadtransport.com 18.6.18

14/06/2018 13:15:49

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21/05/2018 11:55 13/06/2018 15:17:18

Profile: Delsol

Like many hauliers, north Wales and North West of England carrier Delivery Solutions is seeing faster and more profitable growth from warehousing than transport, as MD Dave Phillips tells Steve Hobson

D

elivery Solutions (Delsol) was established in 1999 as a small sameday courier business in Bethesda, north Wales by chairman Tony Parry and director Simon Walker, who still co-own the business. By 2003 it had outgrown its original premises and it relocated to a purpose-built DC and warehouse facility in Caernarfon in north Wales, and later opened a second depot in Sandycroft in Flintshire close to the Cheshire border, where our interview with MD Dave Phillips (above) takes place.

Phillips, who was appointed in 2017, started out in shipping and freight forwarding, but got into road transport with the School of Parcels, TNT. “I worked at TNT for about eight years when Alan Jones was in charge,” he says. “That was a great training ground for me, with its ethics and the way it was spearheading the parcels market at the time. From there I went to Parceline [later to become DPD] and then decided to start my own franchise with Amtrak.

I did that for 15 years and opened depots in Warrington and Bolton. Unfortunately the collapse of Amtrak took a few people with it.”

Phillips then decided to take a break from transport and ran a restaurant for five years, returning to logistics to work for Kammac in Skelmersdale.

“I worked for Kammac for eight years as general manager and I then joined Delsol in May last year,” he says. “The aim was to expand the business and develop additional services.”

16 MotorTransport MTR_180618_016-017.indd 16

Costa Delsol After its formation Delsol branched out by joining The Pallet Network (TPN) and parcels carrier APC; in 2016 it joined the Hazchem network. “It built its own depot just outside Caernarfon,” says Phillips. “Then about nine years ago it had the opportunity of buying a courier business on this site and it has been very successful.”

Strong growth

The owners have not rested on their laurels and brought Phillips in to keep the business on a strong growth trajectory. “In the past 11 months, we’ve introduced direct transport deliveries for various existing and new customers and opened a 100,000ft2 warehouse facility across the road from here,” he says. “That was predominantly for one customer originally but we now have five or six customers in there, so it’s become a multi-user warehouse.”

Delsol likes to buy its assets wherever possible and as well as its two depots, owns a small row of office units at Sandycroft. But it couldn’t buy the adjacent warehouse so had to take it on a three-year lease.

“Every year we’ve increased turnover and have always been a profitable company,” says Phillips. “The two owners always put the profit back into the company and it’s been very progressive – we are always looking to improve the company, the services we offer and the conditions for the drivers and other staff.

“It has gone from probably half a dozen employees to now where we employ about 135

across both depots. Last year we had a turnover of £8.8m and we will look to exceed £10m this year.”

Delsol enjoys a good spread of business, with no one customer accounting for more than 10% of turnover. It also manages to keep a good balance of input and output volumes into both APC and TPN to minimise empty trunks.

As a member of the Transport Exchange and Courier Exchange freight exchanges, Phillips says growth comes from “a bit of everything”, including direct deliveries, but there is no doubt that the warehouse has added an important extra string to the Delsol bow.

“The parcel market is very competitive,” he says. “Always has been, always will be, but with APC we offer more personalised service than the big boys. We are approachable and have

18.6.18

14/06/2018 15:24:30

motortransport.co.uk

top deck for quicker loading and unloading.

The company employs 80 drivers, topped with a handful of agency drivers at peak periods.

“We try to employ all our drivers, and we carry a couple of spare drivers as well because of the size of the operation,” says Phillips. “With holidays, sickness and everything else, we’ve always got a position for a spare driver to fill.”

Despite being far away from the traditional logistics hotspots in the Midlands, Delsol has to work harder to recruit and retain drivers.

“We will go out and approach people we know,” says Phillips. “We have to these days. Drivers very much have the pick of where they want to go to. Caernarfon is a little better, but here in Deeside with it being so close to Warrington, Liverpool and Manchester, there are a lot of big employers.

“If we find a good van driver we will encourage them and train them to a class 2 and then a class 1. We have retained drivers doing it that way. They’ve appreciated what we’ve done for them, and it eases our problem of trying to attract class 1 drivers.”

The warehouse has a full-time staff of 12, which is topped up with a couple of agency workers.

Staff shortages

retained our local personality and identity. That is especially important in parts of north Wales where we may have Welsh-speaking customers.

“We’ve seen growth in parcels, and the pallet network continues to grow all the time. That has allowed us to develop into direct transport, where somebody might have a half or full load that’s too big for the pallet network or it’s not competitive, so we will put our own vehicles on that. From doing one or two a week we’re now doing maybe six or eight of them a day, all over the country.

“Certainly the warehouse area is a good growth area for us that we never had before.”

Flexible packaging

The original warehousing customer was a flexible packaging manufacturer that wanted Delsol to store 2,000 pallets of finished product.

“We identified a warehouse of just over 40,000ft2 where we could hold the required number of pallets,” says Phillips. “That was last November and since then we’ve taken another 67,000ft2 – it is now warehousing its raw and finished product with us, and we are taking goods in from India, Turkey, Portugal, Spain and Poland for it.

“We’ve now got other products including ambient foodstuffs in there as well, coming from all over the world.”

Delsol is now installing racking to create a further 2,500 pallet spaces, taking capacity to close to 5,000 pallets.

Phillips sees demand for warehousing for imported goods only going one way as Brexit approaches. “Definitely with us coming out of the European Union, warehousing will become more prominent,” he says. “Whereas everything was just-in-time before, with eastern Europe just two or three days away, with the customs clearance no one knows what’s going to happen.

“Our existing customer we have in there is exploring new markets and, rather than buying 18.6.18

MTR_180618_016-017.indd 17

from the European markets, it has gone further afield now. It is buying from Turkey and Egypt and it has an eight-week lead time for that stock.

We are keeping eight weeks’ worth of product in that warehouse, which is being replenished all the time.”

Unlike trucks, which can be parked up or sold if a contract ends, warehousing is a more long-term and so higher-risk investment. But backing that with long-term customer contracts is still a challenge. “Our main customer has given us a two-year contract with a year-long possible extension,” says Phillips. “We’ve taken the warehouse on for three years with a possible extension so we’re exposed to 12 months.

But there is a lack of quality warehousing in this area, so if anything did happen we’d be quite hopeful of filling those spaces.

“When we first took on the first 40,000ft2 we said ‘how are we going to fill this?’ Two months later it was full and we took the second part, and now we’ve taken the third unit. We will be able to achieve 7,000 pallet spaces in there.

When everything is up and running and the racking is in place we’re confident of filling them. Nobody wants warehousing do they? If you are a retailer you don’t want a warehouse, you want shops. If you are a manufacturer, you want factories.”

As well as its property, Delsol prefers to own and maintain its 80-strong fleet, which includes panel vans for parcel deliveries, a couple of 7.5-tonners, 18-tonne rigids and 40 6x2 artics.

Phillips doesn’t buy just one marque, though judging from the yard, Scania R440s are a popular choice of tractor unit.

Double-deckers

Eight of Delsol’s 24 trailers are 44-pallet capacity double-deckers, which are used for pallet trunking at night and other work during the day. The trailers are supplied by Allports in Lichfield and the latest units feature a moving

Staff shortages means wages are starting to increase, and Euro-6 trucks are more expensive than their predecessors. While fuel surcharges are widely accepted, getting rate increases from customers to help pay for these rising costs remains difficult.

“The cost of vehicles is going up and driver wages are increasing,” says Phillips. “We have got some rate increases from our clients, albeit very small because they feel they can’t pass them on. So we’ve improved the way we operate and constantly look at where we can gain some economies in what we do.

“We’ve managed to retain a certain percentage profit, which we’re very proud of, but it is becoming more difficult.”

Looking to the future, Phillips wants Delsol to keep expanding without losing its local identity. “There will always be the big players – DHL, Fedex and XPO – and they want to take over the world,” he says. “But there will always be a marketplace for the smaller niche carrier. That’s where our customer service ethos and our locality will come into it. While we want to expand and develop the business, we enjoy our unique local identity. If we opened another depot, it would be very local too.”

Some pallet networks have had to buy out members to avoid losing coverage in key areas, but this is not a model Phillips sees working in the long term. “They’re buying up their members because they have got into difficulty and they’re trying to retain the network,” he says. “In future they’ll look to sell them on again because it is a conflict of interest.”

Equally, Phillips is not a fan of dual running and has turned down approaches from other networks, including the mooted new kid on the block Principal Pallets.

“Principal has approached us,” he confirms.

“We’ve decided not to go down that route. We are loyal to the [TPN] brand and it’s difficult to serve two masters. I’m not saying that if we did open another depot we might look at a different route to give us more flexibility and stability, but certainly within the existing depots, it isn’t something that we have considered.” ■ MotorTransport 17

12/06/2018 12:17:49

Livery

It’s a wrap Livery wraps offer a nice finish and bodywork protection.

Louise Cole asks what the new technologies have to offer

V

ehicle wraps are the latest fashion in truck livery. Although 3M is probably the best-known brand of wrap, there are several film manufacturers including Avery Dennison, Oracle and Hexis, among others.

Each has different characteristics and different price points, so your first choice when looking for a livery supplier is to find out whether they use a range of products, or are an exclusive supplier of one film manufacturer, which can limit choice or affect price.

Alex Conroy, design director at The Vehicle Wrapping Centre, says: “There are different types of films that work best for different applications, different graphics types or different ways of applying them – for instance, some you can slide about in situ while applying. For car colour changing, we use 3M, but we don’t believe they are necessarily the best for all applications. And of course, different manufacturers have slightly different colours, so you may want to choose based on the best colour match for your needs.”

Personal favourite

Conroy’s personal favourite to work with is Avery Dennison. “I think it’s the easiest to fit and has a great finish. For us it is also about the speed and reliability of the fitting – we can’t afford to do work twice. We’ve never had any comeback when using Avery Dennison film.

It’s a little more expensive but it’s worth it.”

RGVA describes itself as a complete vehicle branding service. As an accredited gold standard 3M graphic specialist, it uses 3M film and laminating materials and its fitters are all qualified by a series of exams involving practical tests, problem-solving and a written paper.

18 MotorTransport MTR_180618_livery.indd 18

MD Kieran McCabe argues that all of these things are important, because they each represent a point at which your livery application can fail. “Fleets should always enquire after a livery company’s credentials and portfolio. You should make sure you get the materials used in writing to support your warranty and also to avoid any graphics companies ‘pitching and switching’ materials. Make sure the fitters are qualified and the environment is suitable for installation. And it helps to choose somewhere with in-house graphic design,” says McCabe.

Vinyl wrapping is especially popular with operators leasing, rather than buying, vehicles, as the life of a wrap often coincides with a threeto five-year contract hire or lease deal. A white truck is also much easier to sell than a vehicle in someone else’s corporate colours.

“Painting the vehicles is an option and if the right painter is used, it can be done fairly costeffectively,” says McCabe. “But it’s when the vehicle is returned that it becomes more expensive. The cost to remove a wrap is around £200 to £300, whereas to respray a tractor unit would be £2,500 to £3,000. The paintwork beneath the wrap will be as new when the wrap is removed, making the vehicle more attractive than an unwrapped vehicle that’s seen three to five years of wear and tear.”

This could add as much as 10% to the resale value of a freshly unwrapped vehicle.

Film manufacturers talk about the “technology” of their films – often referring to air-trap technologies and adhesives and so on. Unless you happen to have a chemistry degree or are extremely interested in advanced wallpapering techniques, the best option is to chat to a couple of customers who have used a particular wrap on a similar application to yours.

All livery wraps are essentially self-adhesive vinyl, but McCabe says the differentiating “technology” is in the adhesive and the backing papers. McCabe says that 3M, and other quality products, have channels created in the backing paper, so that when the product is applied, air can escape through these grooves instead of leaving blisters in the artwork.

Vehicle livery design is more complex than people may realise. It takes a different skillset and aesthetic sense to designing for two dimensional surfaces. McCabe says: “We get sent lots of great Photoshop designs, but we have to tell the customer they will not work on a vehicle because shadows and distortion will occur where it curves or bends.” There is also the matter of scale – designs that work on small objects often don’t do so well over 13.6m.

Not too busy

He says it is important for the design not to be too busy, because typically vehicles will be seen in transit, so have to communicate their message quickly and simply. 3M has also designed software, which RGVA sometimes uses, to work out the areas of the livery to which the viewer’s eyes will be drawn.

Warranties are not valid unless the product has been fitted in accordance with the instructions of the film manufacturer. Installation usually requires a dust-free, enclosed space with a controlled temperature typically between 12C and 22C. “You can have the best material, printers and fitters, but if you don’t have the right environment for installation, the whole project can fail,” says McCabe. “We regularly carry out flat surface work at a customer’s premises when they are able to get the vehicle inside, but wrapping installations have very little tolerance in terms of environment.”

RGVA keeps a log of materials, inks, printers and the conditions of installation, including temperature checks, all to support the customer’s warranty.

Many fleets choose to have their vehicles liveried when they come in for service, minimising downtime. It takes two people two days to 18.6.18

01/06/2018 12:03:33

motortransport.co.uk

wrap a tractor unit, as the many cut outs and irregular shapes take time and skill. McCabe says many customers do not appreciate what a lengthy and skilful process it is. “It can take an hour and a half to cut around the handles and hinges on a rear door,” he says. Flat surfaces such as trailer sides are much quicker. “One of my guys can do a trailer in around seven hours.”

The environmental problem with vehicle wraps – as with many things – comes on disposal. You are basically left with a big ball of plastic that will still be haunting the land or seas when your grandchildren are old. 3M has addressed this issue with its PVC-free Envision range. “Even the adhesive is made from an acrylic, rather than solvent, making them the most environmentally friendly materials available today. The Envision range is exactly what the industry needs at a time where businesses are all now really taking their corporate responsibility to the environment seriously,” says McCabe. Not only are these new materials greener, he says, but they are also higher-quality. “They’re easier to fit, easier to remove, they last longer and when purchased through a 3M select partner like RGVA, they’re still offered with the best warranties in the industry.”

New opportunities

Trailer livery is all about brand announcement – most usually the brand of the logistics operator or its key client. But operators still fail to appreciate the power and versatility of their trucks as mobile marketing assets, says Lawrence Craig, chief executive of Roadvert.

His system, Spedian, which uses a non-invasive fitting system on any rigid trailer wall or door, can be fitted with durable and interchangeable ads. The system relies on a 25mm adhesive strip around the trailer wall perimeter and the panel is placed against it. An ‘exhaust system’ sucks the air out of the gap and presses the message against the side of the vehicle.

Although costs vary depending on the location and number of trailers to be fitted, Craig says creation of the product for a 13.6m trailer and initial fitting would be around £1,200. It 18.6.18

MTR_180618_livery.indd 19

takes two Roadvert fitters four hours for initial fitting per trailer. Subsequent panels would cost £900. The panels can be removed, rolled and sleeved for storage, and Craig says in one timed demo, two of his team removed a trailer panel, secured it for storage and replaced it in 18 minutes.

The company uses government traffic data to estimate audience size and thus advertising impact. Lawrence says the system, which is well established in the local authority sector but is only just being launched for commercial logistics, should be of great interest to manufacturers and retailers. He says those carrying goods for these companies can add value to their contracts by being able to run seasonal campaigns for their clients on the trucks.

“You get perhaps 2.3 seconds ‘dwell time’ [the gaze of passengers or drivers of other vehicles] on the side of a trailer so it is great for reinforcing brand awareness. But there is even more power in the rear of the vehicle – we estimate 20 seconds of dwell time as road users approach or sit behind the vehicle. That’s as long as a TV advert,” says Lawrence.

The rear door panels can be switched by depot staff, he says, and cost £100, making it the most cost-effective form of advertising.

The panels leave no ‘ghosting’ on the sides of the trailer as vinyl can, are quick to decommission at disposal and leave the sides of the trailer as new. Lawrence says that many leasing companies charge a premium to remove decals and vinyl at end of first life.

The company has also developed a beacon system, which he feels will be of increasing interest to advertisers. The beacon is embedded within the trailer panel and identifies any passing smartphone that has the advertiser’s app.

It then triggers a broadcast message to the user as soon as their vehicle stops.

Truckskinz is taking the concept of removable advertising artwork a stage further. It, too, has a proprietary system for bonding removable panels to the solid sides of vehicles, but it has also developed a sister product for curtainsiders, which was launched at the CV Show

this year. The removable ad curtain zips on to the existing curtain like a second skin and then performs just as a standard curtain does.

Minimal downtime

MD Danny Shiers says the products cost the same to create as standard livery, but are much faster to remove and replace. Panels for a standard 13.6m trailer would cost approximately £2,400, depending on how far the fitters had to travel (multi-vehicle discounts are available).

His team can fit 100 solid-sided vehicles in a weekend, so downtime is minimal. He claims the solid-sided boards take five minutes to remove and 30 minutes to replace.

Truckskinz is interesting for two other reasons; firstly it partners with AST Transport Branding, which is a platinum 3M fitter for all standard, non-removable graphics and wraps.

This means that cabs, doors etc can all be liveried at the same time as the removable artwork is created and fitted. AST currently does liveries for Eddie Stobart and other major fleets.

The second reason is that Truckskinz has created a national advertising network for hauliers, TruckAdz, which allows any company with clean, available trucks to register its fleet for advertising opportunities. Truckskinz will then sell the ad space, fit out vehicles as appropriate and enable the haulier to earn money from its fleet as mobile billboards.

Truckskinz works with various household names such as the Co-operative Group, AO.com and Sofology to run seasonal campaigns on their vehicles. The Co-op’s Christmas ‘mince pies and oranges’ campaign involved replacing the side panels on 25 vehicles overnight so there was no service disruption. ■

TOP TIPS ■ Do check livery longevity with another customer.

■ Use a wrapping centre with its own designers – at the

least they can check your graphics.

■ Once the vehicle is wrapped, go easy with the pressure washer or the edges will lift.

MotorTransport 19

01/06/2018 12:04:12

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Fleet Van Operator of the Year Sponsored by

MT profiles the shortlists for this year’s awards

Gateshead Council

Gateshead Council has committed to improving all aspects of its fleet of 600 commercial vehicles, the majority of which are vans, with demonstrable KPIs to prove the success of its ongoing efforts, even in the face of tight council budgets. A combination of route optimisation, on-board weighing and use of driver tracking and driving systems has delivered Gateshead a 30% reduction in its fuel consumption. The council recently redesigned its fleet review processes, which it said extended the life of many of its vehicles. With a 100% MoT pass rate over the past 18 months, Gateshead continually meets its internal fleet availability target of 95%. Gateshead has also committed itself to reducing its carbon footprint, and has been a member of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership since its inception. The council now runs 10 electric Transit vans and 10 hybrid vehicles, as well as 12 electric Nissan vans.

Judges applauded Gateshead’s commitment to improving its environmental performance despite its budget restrictions. One said: “Driving down cost while driving up safety is a difficult thing to do, but Gateshead Council are achieving this. Their obvious excellent customer satisfaction and adoption of electric vehicles demonstrates their commitment to the local community.”

Gnewt Cargo

Gnewt Cargo has embraced the mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s drive to reduce air pollution in the city. It is working in conjunction with TfL’s LoCity incentive and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to test a fleet of the latest electric vans on the market, while helping the rest of the industry by making the data from its trial available online. Specialising in last-mile deliveries, the two-year trial Gnewt Cargo has undertaken with Nissan Voltias and BD Auto e-Ducatos, in addition to its existing fleet of electric vehicles, is aimed at building a picture of the demands on the grid that a wider uptake of electric powered vehicles would make. The Voltias and Ducatos being trialled at present are larger than the average electric van, which in theory will reduce congestion as well as emissions, because fewer vehicles will be needed for the same number of deliveries.

Judges praised Gnewt Cargo for its innovative thinking and active approach to trying new technology. One said: “Gnewt have certainly proved to be highly effective as leading the way in clean energy transportation.”

20 MotorTransport MTR_180618_034FLEET VAN OP.indd 20

Royal Mail

Royal Mail runs the UK’s largest light van fleet in the UK, and the judges applauded it for recognising the social responsibility that goes hand in hand with this. With a vision of building a ‘zero-harm’ health and safety culture, drivers are subjected to on-road training and risk assessments before they are allowed to drive a Royal Mail van. In 2016/17, the operator provided more than 13,500 training courses to its van drivers. A focus on areas with high collision rates coupled with bespoke training courses for these locations led to a 49% reduction in collisions in start/stop operations. Royal Mail has also proven its commitment to social responsibility with the recent purchase of 100 Peugeot Partner vans, and its participation in a trial of nine brand new electric vans built by Arrival.

One judge remarked on Royal Mail’s handle on accident reduction regardless of its vast fleet size. Another added: “Royal Mail has shown that even for a large and unionised multi-site fleet, improvements can be instilled and made to work well to benefit all stakeholders. Safety and continuous training seem to be the cornerstones of this operator. This is how to do transport properly!”

Rexel UK

Rexel UK made the shortlist of this year’s Fleet Van Operator of the Year award because of the improvements it has made to its fleet performance with a strong focus on driver training. The electricity provider runs 519 vehicles across a network of 17 hubs and 250 other locations and employs approximately 600 drivers.

The business had not provided its drivers with formal transport training prior to 2012, but has since rolled out a two-year driver training programme delivered from an in-house team and FORS. In the past 18 months, Rexel has seen a 6.4% improvement in fuel economy across its fleet, and halved its speeding fines in the past year. It also saw a 47% year-on-year reduction in parking fines, and made CO2 savings of more than 600,000kg.

One judge said: “Rexel has shown that for limited cost on training and compliance, significant savings can be realised.” Another added: “This is clearly a business that is committed to continuous improvement in all it does.

The focus on health and safety and driver training is clearly paying off with big reductions in fuel spend, driving incidents, insurance claims and driving convictions.”

18.6.18

01/06/2018 09:42:31

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13/06/2018 15:18:35

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Livery of the Year

Caterite Food and Wineservice

This Lake District-based delivery wholesaler runs a fleet of 50 temperaturecontrolled vans, which had featured the same livery for a number of years. The business wanted to make a change to set it apart from its competition while demonstrating how forward-thinking it is as a company. It chose to move away from a traditional, corporate design to the colourful variable design it ended up with. Caterite said the use of different images on different parts of the van gives it flexibility to adapt different parts of the livery for different vehicles while maintaining a uniformity that makes them recognisable as Caterite vehicles.

Judges commended Caterite for the investment and pride in the new design, especially given the smaller size of the business compared with its fellow finalists. One said Caterite had shown a strong strategic approach to the redesign and produced “a great and striking update”, while another described the livery as “a creative expression of the company’s services executed well in the design”.

Hermes UK

Hermes is going to great lengths to evolve into a technology-driven B2C parcel carrier – a conscious departure from the B2B focus it has presented to date. Its new livery is a reflection of this shift and is designed to showcase its new B2C strapline: the parcel people. The illustrated person featured on the livery was designed to be personal and recognisable, and Hermes said another advantage is that the character can be animated for use in short videos and graphics on its social media. It also has the capacity to adapt the illustration for specific customers or seasons.

Hermes executed a rapid roll-out of the new livery, putting it on 164 trailers over two weeks at a variety of depots, with 128 remaining.

Judges enjoyed the simplicity and clarity of the new livery and agreed it was a quick and effective way to communicate Hermes’ new direction.

“I like the cleanliness of it,” said one judge. “It clearly promotes the service and looks professional and without fuss.”

Howard Tenens

Howard Tenens has focused on reducing its carbon footprint since 2008, and in October 2017 it bought two CNG-powered Scania rigids. The operator wanted to celebrate its investment and designed a livery that would make a “powerful statement” about its environmental commitment.

The simple Cleaner Planet design, partly inspired by BBC’s Blue Planet, was created to be modern and eye-catching. It said it wanted to present the planet as precious cargo that it is doing its bit to look after. This, it hopes, will have a

22 MotorTransport MTR_180618_LIVERY AWARD.indd 22

Sponsored by

positive effect on the general public’s perception of the transport industry.

Howard Tenens intends to apply the livery or a variation of it to any alternatively fuelled vehicles it buys in the future.

Judges described the design as sleek and stunning. “This is an exceptional design and execution of an important message regarding sustainability, environmental responsibility and the company’s commitment to this objective,” one judge said.

Palletline

Palletline’s Modern Lines livery was designed to play on the second half of its company name and celebrate the regions its network covers with recognisable skylines. The livery design has multiple variations deployed in the regions they relate to. This, the network said, encourages the public to look at the vehicles and feel proud of their areas and landmarks while enabling them to have stronger customer engagement. The network hopes 30% of its fleet will carry the new livery by the beginning of 2019, with roll-out well under way.

Judges described the livery as striking and evocative of a strong sense of community. One judge said: “This is a clever design that incorporates its brand objectives with a fantastic use of regional targeted marketing.”

Vision Express

The RHA and Vision Express designed the Vision Van as an ‘eye’-catching mobile eye clinic that would travel the country offering eye tests and promoting good eye care. While the large eye design and branding acts as an advert for the van and its work, it is also intended to remind all road users to have their eyes tested regularly.

Judges were particularly impressed with the reflective film used on the Vision Van’s eye feature, which makes for a striking, stand-out image when the vehicle is driving in the dark. One judge said: “It was an excellent idea of the RHA to pair with Vision Express to promote eye health. Its work is good for the transport industry but the livery makes it relevant to all road users who see it. Extremely eye-catching, this is one of the best liveries I’ve seen for a long time."

18.6.18

01/06/2018 09:47:31

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13/06/2018 15:20:19

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Apprenticeship of the Year

Ford & Slater

Over recent years, Ford & Slater had seen a decline in the standard of apprentices, and busy service managers were unable to spend sufficient time sourcing and selecting candidates. In response to this, Lee Sursham was appointed to the full-time role of apprentice co-ordinator in 2016. There have been several benefits: stronger relationships with local schools and colleges; a single point of contact for apprentices; a dedicated point of contact to join up the relationship between DAF, training provider Bristol College and the dealer; one-to-one sessions for apprentices in need of extra support; and stronger relationships with families of apprentices.

Judges praised the firm’s decision to invest in an apprentice co-ordinator, its apprenticeship panel as well as the scheme’s impressive retention rate. They said Ford & Slater has demonstrated good engagement with young people with the use of social media. Judges also liked the positive comments about the scheme from the apprentices and the fact that a large proportion of the managers at the dealership started out as apprentices.

Royal Mail Fleet

Royal Mail Fleet uses its apprenticeship programme to identify and nurture high-quality talent, including vehicle technicians. Students are enrolled into a four-year programme that combines theory and practical activities and has been tailored to its business needs.

The programme is based around several block-release sessions delivered by its training partner Babcock International Group at its technical academy in Milton Keynes. The programme also includes functional skills, training covering literacy, numeracy and IT. The company provides students with accommodation – as it sees this experience as an important preparation for adult life – and also undertakes activities to develop their social and life skills.

The business believes its approach is industry-leading and gives apprentices the best environment to develop their skills and a long-term career.

Judges praised the investment the company had made in its apprentices, the fact it was using the scheme as a long-term strategy for the business, and engaging with more women. They added that progression within the business is excellent.

24 MotorTransport MTR_180618_APPRENTICESHIP.indd 24

Sponsored by

Ryder

A culture of life-long learning, support and development is at the heart of Ryder’s apprenticeship programme. The recruitment process is vigorous with more than 200 applicants a year for 10 to 12 apprentice vacancies across Ryder’s UK network of 23 service locations. There is a choice of a highly structured technical or a more academic-based career development route.

Technician apprentices are presented with a toolbox during their first six months, and a future savings pot of £20,000 after 10 years with the company.

There is also a welcome event for parents where they meet Ryder management.

Visits are organised to Stephenson College in Leicestershire, where block-release learning is delivered, and to their term-time living accommodation. The company also provides support with financial management and on key life changes. Each apprentice is assigned a one-to-one mentor for the three-year programme and the company has high retention rates for its apprentice technicians.

Judges said Ryder had demonstrated “good pastoral care” and liked the fact it had given apprentices tool boxes and produced good retention rates.

Palletforce

Palletforce has embraced apprenticeships as a key way to expand its workforce and introduced a structured programme of skills development. The Palletforce apprenticeship academy is run in conjunction with Burton and South Derbyshire College and the course provides an introduction to all aspects of operational activity at its Burton upon Trent super hub under the supervision of a full-time assessor from the college.

During the first three months, apprentices receive hands-on experience in various departments before moving on to specific instruction on forklift truck and general operations. This is delivered in-house by an independent training standards scheme and registered forklift truck instructor. To fulfil the requirements of the NVQ level 2, apprentices complete coursework and attend college one day a week to study maths and English. They also spend 20% of their time on off-the-job training. Full-time employment is guaranteed to all apprentices that complete the programme.

Judges liked the fact that Palletforce trains and employs its own staff to work during peak periods of activity.

18.6.18

01/06/2018 09:55:22

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13/06/2018 15:22:59

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Temperature Controlled Operator of the Year Sponsored by

McBurney Transport Group

In 1965 current MD Norman McBurney OBE set up McBurney Transport with one lorry. Since then it has remained a familyowned and managed business and the McBurney Transport Group has a solid record in providing a first-class service to all its temperature-controlled customers throughout the UK and Ireland.

With three depots in Northern Ireland, one in the Republic, one in Scotland and three in England, the McBurney Transport Group consistently achieves high KPIs exceeding customers’ expectations. Its enviable customer base includes blue-chip names from retail and food manufacture – some of which have been customers for 40 years.

The group prides itself on its value-added services and its ability to expand and adapt with its customers’ requirements and challenges. It has an annual turnover of approximately £100m, 900 staff and a strong capital base, which has secured its position as a leading player in the industry.

The judges praised the group as a “good, commercially strong, business that invests in its people today and tomorrow by developing the next generation”.

They were impressed with an entry containing multiple customer testimonials affirming its ability to get the job done well, especially during times of inclement weather, ferry disruption or seasonal peaks. “Clearly from the comments it is a respected partner in a difficult and diverse market,” said one judge.

Moran Logistics

From its headquarters in Castle Donington, Moran Logistics operates 285 tractors and 379 trailers across three UK DCs. Its network of chilled and ambient transport consists of 44ft artic trailers, urban trailers and single deck/ double-deck curtain-sided trailers. Over the past seven years, profit and assets have increased year-on-year, which has been achieved through a combination of cold chain management; effective hygiene control and a focus on pushing operational standards even higher.

Moran reviews its fleet assets every two years, as it looks to remain at the leading edge when it comes to energy efficiency, performance and environmental impact.

Moran also has a keen focus on the environment and works closely with all business partners to develop

26 MotorTransport MTR_180618_TEMPCONT.indd 26

more sustainable solutions. It has a target of a 30% reduction in carbon footprint emissions by 2020 and its warehouse waste recycling programme is targeted to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2016. Moran also uses telematics systems to increase fuel efficiency and reduce engine idling. It uses Microlise to monitor and develop its driving team to reduce carbon emissions, reduce fuel use and provide an economical and environmentally viable solution to customers’ commercial requirements. Its Tachomaster systems allow quick analysis and easy-to-read information to curtail infringements and produce a well-managed and legal driving team.

The judges said that Moran displayed strong cold-chain management and hygiene control and was “clearly good at what it does”.

NFT Distribution

NFT Distribution was acquired by investor EmergeVest in 2014, and in 2016 it acquired Welsh temperature-controlled specialist NR Evans. Since then it has looked to stay ahead of the game with an agile approach and flexible resources.

In 2018 it enhanced its NFX service by rolling out a mobile app across its 400-strong partner network to enable real-time order tracking. At a time when volumes can vary significantly, this ability to meet sudden demand has seen it win significant contracts to distribute fresh meat and produce. Over the past year, NFT has pioneered a national distribution service for food wholesalers, convenience store groups and online retailers. Operating on a day-one-forday-three basis, this dedicated transport network offers on-time reliability to more than 400 locations. An added benefit is that it gives customers easier access to new markets. Also, with convenience packaging in demand, the NFT team developed a range of reworking options in its warehouse facilities, which gives customers the option to create new, smaller or mixed pack variants so they can support new product launches while capturing consumer demand.

In January 2018, NFT entered an international partnership to distribute pineapples from Costa Rica to all major retailers via its Port of Tilbury facility.

Moving the shipping line from Dover to Tilbury cut inbound logistics costs.

The judges said that its long-standing agreement with two major supermarkets “demonstrates the quality that NFT must adhere to to exceed customer expectations”. They praised its “good use of technology and collaboration” that allows it to provide a flexible, year-round service that supports its customers’ peaks in business.

18.6.18

01/06/2018 09:59:55

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