REDUCING transport costs is one way retailers can ensure they survive during tougher trading conditions. Cutting unnecessary vehicle movements and transporting smaller consignments can both help to drastically reduce business costs. As part of this, some retailers are looking at the benefits of using a palletised transport network against the costs of running their own fleets.
Palletforce, which has the UK’s biggest pallet distribution warehouse, has seen an increase in the number of retailers looking at this flexible palletised method of transport.
Dave Holland, Palletforce’s Sales and Marketing Director, explained: “We are currently talking to retailers who are driving up efficiency and therefore do not want to hold a lot of stock – opting instead for much smaller consignments.
“In these cases Palletforce is an ideal option as, by using a distribution network, retailers can reduce the number of unnecessary vehicle movements, therefore reducing emissions and reducing vehicle miles.”
Palletforce is a network of 100 depots with around 90 member transport companies who work for a wide variety of high street shops and well-known companies.
In early 2009, Palletforce moved to a new £30million distribution hub which places it firmly in the premier league of palletised transport networks. The sheer size and power of the network can offer retailers huge benefits by harnessing economies of scale.
The new ‘Palletforce Hub’, overlooking the A38 at Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, acts as a nerve centre for the overnight delivery of palletised goods across the UK and Europe.
The 380,000sq ft custom-designed distribution hub operates 24 hours a day and has been carefully planned to ensure ‘smart technologies’ are used to give faster delivery turnaround.
Its single hub concept has been designed to deliver a bespoke environment offering faster throughputs and a higher quality of operation.
Customers can choose from a wide range of services, including UK and Europe, next day and economy, timed services for both standard and palletised traffic and oversize consignments.
One of the benefits of such an established member base is that the network can also offer tailor-made solutions from part load, full load, container handling, storage and order picking services through to dedicated fleets.
Michael Conroy, CEO of Palletforce, concluded: “The new Hub will give our customers the very best express freight delivery services out there – in terms of quality, flexibility, cost and efficiency – all of which will be crucial to them in 2009.”
For more information contact Palletforce on 08450 944441, or visit www.palletforce.com.
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