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Month: April 2021

Traffic management measures in Kent stood down

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that traffic management measures in Kent will be removed this month (April 2021) as trade returns to normal levels.

The Kent Access Permit (KAP) and the M20 moveable barrier will be stood down from 20th April, as delays have been prevented thanks to hauliers arriving at the border prepared.

The DfT says this comes as freight volumes between the UK and the EU continue to operate at normal levels, with the latest data showing a 46% increase in exports in February. KAPs have been instrumental in avoiding delays at the border, by ensuring that HGV drivers have the correct paperwork before setting off and allowing them to move quickly through the UK’s ports.

Compliance with the KAP obligation from industry has been consistently high, tracking at more than 80% since the middle of January for non-GB hauliers, while the latest data shows the average compliance with the KAP obligation is at 86%.

The removal of the KAP on 20th April will mean less paperwork for hauliers, making it quicker and easier to cross the border, further supporting the already smooth flow of goods from the UK into Europe.

The Kent Resilience Forum has also announced plans to stand down the moveable barrier on 24th April. Specially designed to allow traffic on the M20 to continue in both directions, the barrier and its contraflow system have been critical in keeping roads open and traffic moving as hauliers adjusted to the new border requirements.

Hauliers will have continued access to support on border requirements at any one of 46 information and advice sites across the UK, with the busiest sites remaining in place until at least August. So far, sites have proven to be extremely popular, says the DfT, helping to prepare more than 200,000 hauliers adjust to new border requirements since first opening in November 2020.

Traffic management measures in Kent stood down

Posted on by David Priestman

The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that traffic management measures in Kent will be removed this month (April 2021) as trade returns to normal levels.

The Kent Access Permit (KAP) and the M20 moveable barrier will be stood down from 20th April, as delays have been prevented thanks to hauliers arriving at the border prepared.

The DfT says this comes as freight volumes between the UK and the EU continue to operate at normal levels, with the latest data showing a 46% increase in exports in February. KAPs have been instrumental in avoiding delays at the border, by ensuring that HGV drivers have the correct paperwork before setting off and allowing them to move quickly through the UK’s ports.

Compliance with the KAP obligation from industry has been consistently high, tracking at more than 80% since the middle of January for non-GB hauliers, while the latest data shows the average compliance with the KAP obligation is at 86%.

The removal of the KAP on 20th April will mean less paperwork for hauliers, making it quicker and easier to cross the border, further supporting the already smooth flow of goods from the UK into Europe.

The Kent Resilience Forum has also announced plans to stand down the moveable barrier on 24th April. Specially designed to allow traffic on the M20 to continue in both directions, the barrier and its contraflow system have been critical in keeping roads open and traffic moving as hauliers adjusted to the new border requirements.

Hauliers will have continued access to support on border requirements at any one of 46 information and advice sites across the UK, with the busiest sites remaining in place until at least August. So far, sites have proven to be extremely popular, says the DfT, helping to prepare more than 200,000 hauliers adjust to new border requirements since first opening in November 2020.

Hyster reachstacker cabin wins FLTA award

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The hinged elevating operator cabin for the Hyster RS46 ReachStacker has won the Safety award at the FLTA (Fork Lift Truck Association) Awards for Excellence 2020.

At the online awards presentation on 10th April 2021, the pioneering Hyster solution received the award for its unique design which helps terminals handle containers on the second rail, reducing damage and improving efficiency. The solution was also shortlisted in the Innovation category.

With the ‘hinged’ elevating cabin on the Hyster RS46, operators have direct visibility of the top corner pockets on second-rail containers even with a container on the first rail. Previously, cameras or staff had to direct operators, slowing operations and increasing operational costs, while potentially increasing risk for staff walking trackside.

The moveable cab is raised and lowered smoothly on a hinged arm and the speed can be adjusted. The Hyster RS46 ReachStacker has also been designed to offer an optimal ergonomic driver environment that reduces sideways movement, shock and vibration when the ReachStacker is in motion. An optional tilt of up to 10° can also be added to help make handling high stacks even more comfortable.

Also, unlike a mast, when the cab is lowered, it does not increase the truck height, offering benefits for road transport.

“We’re delighted to be taking home an ‘Archie’,” says Chris van de Werdt, Product Strategy Manager, EMEA Big Trucks for Hyster Europe, referring to the statuette of Archimedes presented to all of the award winners.

“The elevating cab option for Hyster ReachStackers helps to overcome the real-world challenges of tough terminal operations,” Chris continues. “It’s fantastic that the intelligent design, with both operators and businesses in mind, has been recognised by the FLTA Awards.”

Hyster reachstacker cabin wins FLTA award

Posted on by David Priestman

The hinged elevating operator cabin for the Hyster RS46 ReachStacker has won the Safety award at the FLTA (Fork Lift Truck Association) Awards for Excellence 2020.

At the online awards presentation on 10th April 2021, the pioneering Hyster solution received the award for its unique design which helps terminals handle containers on the second rail, reducing damage and improving efficiency. The solution was also shortlisted in the Innovation category.

With the ‘hinged’ elevating cabin on the Hyster RS46, operators have direct visibility of the top corner pockets on second-rail containers even with a container on the first rail. Previously, cameras or staff had to direct operators, slowing operations and increasing operational costs, while potentially increasing risk for staff walking trackside.

The moveable cab is raised and lowered smoothly on a hinged arm and the speed can be adjusted. The Hyster RS46 ReachStacker has also been designed to offer an optimal ergonomic driver environment that reduces sideways movement, shock and vibration when the ReachStacker is in motion. An optional tilt of up to 10° can also be added to help make handling high stacks even more comfortable.

Also, unlike a mast, when the cab is lowered, it does not increase the truck height, offering benefits for road transport.

“We’re delighted to be taking home an ‘Archie’,” says Chris van de Werdt, Product Strategy Manager, EMEA Big Trucks for Hyster Europe, referring to the statuette of Archimedes presented to all of the award winners.

“The elevating cab option for Hyster ReachStackers helps to overcome the real-world challenges of tough terminal operations,” Chris continues. “It’s fantastic that the intelligent design, with both operators and businesses in mind, has been recognised by the FLTA Awards.”

Menzies makes carbon-neutral commitment

Posted on by David Priestman

Global aviation logistics specialist Menzies Aviation has committed to make 100% of its operations carbon neutral by the company’s 200-year anniversary in 2033. Menzies believes it is the first aviation services company to make this ground-breaking commitment to carbon neutrality.

Menzies Aviation will formalise the commitment by becoming a signatory to the UN Global Compact in 2021, which supports the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In order to reach carbon neutrality Menzies will focus on investing in electric ground support equipment (GSE), reducing emissions through identifying operational efficiencies and balancing remaining emissions with carbon offsetting initiatives.

The transition to electric and lower-emission GSE is particularly critical to reducing carbon footprint and supporting customers’ sustainability ambitions, and in 2020 Menzies made significant progress in upgrading equipment as part of new contracts.

At Gothenburg and Stockholm airports a new contract with Qatar Airways enabled Menzies to invest in three new electric baggage tractors and two new electric aircraft loaders, as well as an electric towbarless tractor in Stockholm.

In South Africa, a new contract with Mango Airlines saw the Group purchase 15 new electric belt loaders and 12 new electric baggage tractors across three airports in South Africa – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In North America, Menzies replaced and retired older, less efficient GSE across four locations and will continue to do so across the region.

Alongside investment in new equipment, Menzies will support teams with implementing processes to make zero fuel spills a daily target throughout the business as well as local initiatives to reduce energy use and lessen environmental impacts. Efforts to enhance the sustainability of operations will complement Menzies’ broader ESG programme which promotes responsible business, from legal and ethical compliance, to employee engagement and development and supporting the local communities in which Menzies operates.

Philipp Joeinig, CEO & Chairman of Menzies Aviation said: “Menzies is a business that has constantly adapted and what better way to mark our 200-year anniversary in 2033 than to celebrate our next era of environmental sustainability by achieving carbon neutrality.

“As flight volumes recover we see an opportunity to rebuild the aviation industry to be more sustainable, and we will be taking advantage of this to promote greener operations across our entire business. With our Sustainability Strategy and Programme now in place, we have clearly defined targets and supporting action plans to help realise them, however it is critical that we build relationships across the aviation ecosystem, from trade bodies to suppliers, to ensure that we can collectively remove barriers to green innovation and adoption.”

Menzies makes carbon-neutral commitment

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Global aviation logistics specialist Menzies Aviation has committed to make 100% of its operations carbon neutral by the company’s 200-year anniversary in 2033. Menzies believes it is the first aviation services company to make this ground-breaking commitment to carbon neutrality.

Menzies Aviation will formalise the commitment by becoming a signatory to the UN Global Compact in 2021, which supports the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In order to reach carbon neutrality Menzies will focus on investing in electric ground support equipment (GSE), reducing emissions through identifying operational efficiencies and balancing remaining emissions with carbon offsetting initiatives.

The transition to electric and lower-emission GSE is particularly critical to reducing carbon footprint and supporting customers’ sustainability ambitions, and in 2020 Menzies made significant progress in upgrading equipment as part of new contracts.

At Gothenburg and Stockholm airports a new contract with Qatar Airways enabled Menzies to invest in three new electric baggage tractors and two new electric aircraft loaders, as well as an electric towbarless tractor in Stockholm.

In South Africa, a new contract with Mango Airlines saw the Group purchase 15 new electric belt loaders and 12 new electric baggage tractors across three airports in South Africa – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In North America, Menzies replaced and retired older, less efficient GSE across four locations and will continue to do so across the region.

Alongside investment in new equipment, Menzies will support teams with implementing processes to make zero fuel spills a daily target throughout the business as well as local initiatives to reduce energy use and lessen environmental impacts. Efforts to enhance the sustainability of operations will complement Menzies’ broader ESG programme which promotes responsible business, from legal and ethical compliance, to employee engagement and development and supporting the local communities in which Menzies operates.

Philipp Joeinig, CEO & Chairman of Menzies Aviation said: “Menzies is a business that has constantly adapted and what better way to mark our 200-year anniversary in 2033 than to celebrate our next era of environmental sustainability by achieving carbon neutrality.

“As flight volumes recover we see an opportunity to rebuild the aviation industry to be more sustainable, and we will be taking advantage of this to promote greener operations across our entire business. With our Sustainability Strategy and Programme now in place, we have clearly defined targets and supporting action plans to help realise them, however it is critical that we build relationships across the aviation ecosystem, from trade bodies to suppliers, to ensure that we can collectively remove barriers to green innovation and adoption.”

Logistics company expands into new facility

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Following a period of expansion, just three years after the opening of its dedicated warehousing facility at Burnley Bridge, long-established logistics company Fagan & Whalley has set into motion plans to expand into additional warehousing space.

Set within the new development at Frontier Park in Blackburn, the new depot comprises over 200,000 sq ft of warehousing and distribution facilities and has been acquired by Fagan & Whalley as part of a wider business plan to expand the services on offer and welcome new clients on board.

“When reviewing our performance for the past 12 months, it soon came to light that both our warehousing and cross-dock operations have been operating at capacity for some time,” explains Fagan & Whalley Business Strategy Director, Sam Fagan. “Following our recent company restructure, which has been put into place in order to facilitate further growth, it was decided that additional space would need to be integrated into our existing infrastructure in order to achieve our plans for future expansion.”

With new and existing clients already scheduled to move stock into the site, plans are underway to install VNA and wide aisle pallet racking, ensuring the depot remains as flexible as possible for changing customer requirements.

“Our Burnley Bridge warehouse was built specifically to our specifications and brought into the operation back in September 2017. It’s a point of pride for us to be able to look back over the last three years and see how much the warehousing side of the business has grown. This move to acquire additional warehousing space seems a part of what has, up until now, been a very stable and natural progression.

“The decision to take on the site at Burnley Bridge was absolutely vital for us to make. It came at a time when we had reached a real turning point as a business. Seeing demand for warehousing space increase amongst our clients, our development at Burnley Bridge made it possible for us to further develop the comprehensive end-to-end logistics package on offer, whilst also allowing us to expand our ‘added value’ services.

“The additional facilities at Frontier Park will take this one step further, and we’re really excited to be able to welcome on board new clients and watch our warehousing services continue to grow over the next few years.”

Logistics company expands into new facility

Posted on by David Priestman

Following a period of expansion, just three years after the opening of its dedicated warehousing facility at Burnley Bridge, long-established logistics company Fagan & Whalley has set into motion plans to expand into additional warehousing space.

Set within the new development at Frontier Park in Blackburn, the new depot comprises over 200,000 sq ft of warehousing and distribution facilities and has been acquired by Fagan & Whalley as part of a wider business plan to expand the services on offer and welcome new clients on board.

“When reviewing our performance for the past 12 months, it soon came to light that both our warehousing and cross-dock operations have been operating at capacity for some time,” explains Fagan & Whalley Business Strategy Director, Sam Fagan. “Following our recent company restructure, which has been put into place in order to facilitate further growth, it was decided that additional space would need to be integrated into our existing infrastructure in order to achieve our plans for future expansion.”

With new and existing clients already scheduled to move stock into the site, plans are underway to install VNA and wide aisle pallet racking, ensuring the depot remains as flexible as possible for changing customer requirements.

“Our Burnley Bridge warehouse was built specifically to our specifications and brought into the operation back in September 2017. It’s a point of pride for us to be able to look back over the last three years and see how much the warehousing side of the business has grown. This move to acquire additional warehousing space seems a part of what has, up until now, been a very stable and natural progression.

“The decision to take on the site at Burnley Bridge was absolutely vital for us to make. It came at a time when we had reached a real turning point as a business. Seeing demand for warehousing space increase amongst our clients, our development at Burnley Bridge made it possible for us to further develop the comprehensive end-to-end logistics package on offer, whilst also allowing us to expand our ‘added value’ services.

“The additional facilities at Frontier Park will take this one step further, and we’re really excited to be able to welcome on board new clients and watch our warehousing services continue to grow over the next few years.”

U-Freight sees e-commerce logistics opportunities

Posted on by David Priestman

Commenting on a recent report that suggests the global e-commerce logistics market grew by 27.3% in 2020 and will hit EUR557 billion by 2025, Simon Wong, CEO of the U-Freight Group, says his company is ready to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing logistics services to this rapidly expanding sector of global trade.

Wong says: “Transport intelligence (Ti), a major provider of market research solutions to the global logistics industry, says e-commerce has been one of the key growth sectors for logistics over the course of the pandemic with the rise in demand creating opportunities for LSPs and last mile providers to grow rapidly, as long as they can help retailers react to the changes in consumer demands and manage wildly changing trading conditions.

“That mirrors the U-Freight Group’s experience over the last 12 months where changes in demand patterns associated with the ongoing emergence of e-commerce, is also driving development in merchandising, warehousing, and distribution patterns.

“It certainly helps to justify our company’s early entry and on-going investment to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing logistics services to this rapidly expanding sector of global trade.”

The CEO of the Hong Kong-based international freight forwarding and logistics group adds that at U-Freight, in its development of e-commerce logistics solutions, it is continually trying to address the key issues stemming from increasing volumes of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce shipments and the time sensitivity thereof.

Examples of those efforts include investment in several of the company’s warehouse facilities to enable them to act as e-commerce fulfilment centres.

“We are a logistics partner of choice for the growing number of online channels and platforms which entrepreneurs are using to sell their own designs and products, including  global e-commerce shipping platforms, and are heavily involved in the Fulfilled by Amazon programme in several countries.

“In 2019, we launched e+Solutions, a new product to assist small businesses with their e-commerce logistics needs.

“We have also been qualified by China Customs and CIQ (China Inspection and Quarantine) as a licensed Cross-border E-Commerce Enterprise and as a Cross-Border E-Commerce Logistics Service Provider.

“All of these initiatives are helping us boost efficiency and capture more value, in order to capitalise on the opportunities that e-commerce is presenting.”

U-Freight sees e-commerce logistics opportunities

Posted on by David Priestman

Commenting on a recent report that suggests the global e-commerce logistics market grew by 27.3% in 2020 and will hit EUR557 billion by 2025, Simon Wong, CEO of the U-Freight Group, says his company is ready to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing logistics services to this rapidly expanding sector of global trade.

Wong says: “Transport intelligence (Ti), a major provider of market research solutions to the global logistics industry, says e-commerce has been one of the key growth sectors for logistics over the course of the pandemic with the rise in demand creating opportunities for LSPs and last mile providers to grow rapidly, as long as they can help retailers react to the changes in consumer demands and manage wildly changing trading conditions.

“That mirrors the U-Freight Group’s experience over the last 12 months where changes in demand patterns associated with the ongoing emergence of e-commerce, is also driving development in merchandising, warehousing, and distribution patterns.

“It certainly helps to justify our company’s early entry and on-going investment to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing logistics services to this rapidly expanding sector of global trade.”

The CEO of the Hong Kong-based international freight forwarding and logistics group adds that at U-Freight, in its development of e-commerce logistics solutions, it is continually trying to address the key issues stemming from increasing volumes of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce shipments and the time sensitivity thereof.

Examples of those efforts include investment in several of the company’s warehouse facilities to enable them to act as e-commerce fulfilment centres.

“We are a logistics partner of choice for the growing number of online channels and platforms which entrepreneurs are using to sell their own designs and products, including  global e-commerce shipping platforms, and are heavily involved in the Fulfilled by Amazon programme in several countries.

“In 2019, we launched e+Solutions, a new product to assist small businesses with their e-commerce logistics needs.

“We have also been qualified by China Customs and CIQ (China Inspection and Quarantine) as a licensed Cross-border E-Commerce Enterprise and as a Cross-Border E-Commerce Logistics Service Provider.

“All of these initiatives are helping us boost efficiency and capture more value, in order to capitalise on the opportunities that e-commerce is presenting.”

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