22 March, 2022

Meachers shows the way for delivering digital logistics

Posted on 22 March, 2022 by David Priestman

Meachers Global Logistics welcomed industrial researchers from Cambridge University to its Southampton headquarters for a workshop, in conjunction with UKWA, to find out how best to deliver digital logistics on a shoestring.

UKWA has been working in partnership with the University of Cambridge to investigate opportunities for small and medium businesses (SMEs) to apply digitalisation to their supply chains without the challenges of huge investment cost or complex installation.

Meachers Global Logistics Commercial Director and UKWA Board Director Gary Whittle, and a team of colleagues hosted the event with Industrial Associate Elizabeth Salter, Doctoral Researcher Jaime Macias and Research Associate Anandarup Mukherjee, all from the University of Cambridge.

It included a tour of the operations at their Nursling site, giving an overview of how containers are both loaded and unloaded, and insight into how Meachers carries out these processes. Whittle said: “Meachers is delighted to be working in collaboration with UKWA and the University of Cambridge in developing the research team’s Digital Logistics on a Shoestring project.

“By giving them an insight into the processes we use in global logistics and providing guidance on how SMEs can modernise their processes through digitalisation, we hope this will lead to greater improvements in accuracy and efficiency for the logistics industry.

“We look forward to working together on this innovative programme in the future and welcome potential opportunities to develop the project further in support of small and medium sized firms nationally and internationally.”

Elizabeth Salter said: “Our workshop at Meachers was extremely informative in giving the research team a first-hand account of how a successful logistics company operates.

“SMEs often see digitalisation as inaccessible due to cost and perceived complexity, so UKWA is supporting us in developing and testing digital solutions using low cost off-the-shelf technologies and open source software to solve real industry problems.

“Our project will identify low cost and easily adoptable solutions – providing new tools to drive efficiency, improve accuracy and compete effectively.”

Digital Logistics on a Shoestring is affiliated to the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project, which is led by the Institute of Manufacturing (part of the University of Cambridge’s Engineering Department), initially funded through an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant, and delivered with the support of key partner, the University of Nottingham.

IMAGE: Meachers’ Commercial Director Gary Whittle (right) leads the Digital Logistics on a Shoestring workshop with researchers from the University of Cambridge

Meachers shows the way for delivering digital logistics

Posted on 22 March, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Elizabeth Salter said: “Our workshop at Meachers was extremely informative in giving the research team a first-hand account of how a successful logistics company operates.

“Our project will identify low cost and easily adoptable solutions – providing new tools to drive efficiency, improve accuracy and compete effectively.”

IMAGE: Meachers’ Commercial Director Gary Whittle (right) leads the Digital Logistics on a Shoestring workshop with researchers from the University of Cambridge

Clark expands sales network in southern Germany

Posted on 22 March, 2022 by David Priestman

With Habeko GmbH & Co. KG, forklift manufacturer Clark Europe has brought a new sales partner on board for Baden-Württemberg. The experienced materials handling vehicles specialist, based in Weissach im Tal in the Rems-Murr district, is taking over the sales and service of Clark materials handling vehicles in the greater Stuttgart area.

“We are delighted to have found in Habeko a partner with sound know-how in the materials handling vehicles business who will provide competent and comprehensive support to our customers in the Stuttgart region,” says Rolf Eiten, President & CEO, Clark Europe. “With this strategic partnership, we have expanded our sales network in the south of Germany even further.”

Habeko can look back on almost 40 years of company history. In 1983, Peter Hail and his wife Marlies founded Etex GmbH. The company’s core business was the trade in automotive and commercial vehicle spare parts and their export to the Near and Middle East. Due to increasingly difficult political and economic conditions in these regions, the two company founders sought new business fields in Germany. This entrepreneurial reorganisation resulted in Habeko GmbH in 1987.

Initially, the focus of the new company was on the trade in wheels and castors for industrial trucks as well as for vehicles used for internal transport. In the course of time, the areas of storage and operating equipment, transport equipment, pulling aids, mini-lifts and materials handling vehicles were added as new business areas. In 2008, Dipl. Ing. (FH) Dirk Hail, son of the company founders, took over the management of the 100% owner-managed family business as managing partner. Today, Habeko employs a total of 10 people in administration, sales, service and spare parts.

“We are also looking forward to working with Clark, a manufacturer whose name stands for robustness and solid technology in the materials handling vehicles sector,” says Dipl. Ing. (FH) Dirk Hail about the partnership with Clark Europe. “Clark products are an ideal fit for Habeko and our customer base. We see ourselves excellently positioned for the future, so we are approaching the new task and challenge with great enthusiasm.”

Clark expands sales network in southern Germany

Posted on 22 March, 202225 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Kite launches 100% translucent paper bags

Posted on 22 March, 2022 by David Priestman

Kite Packaging has launched a range of 100% paper glassine bags. Clear bags have long reflected professional presentation when used as internal packaging, particularly in the fashion or textile industries. Traditionally, a high-clarity transparent bag would have to be made from plastic, though glassine paper can now offer a sustainable alternative thanks to its glossy, translucent finish.

Manufactured from wood pulp, glassine is a recyclable and biodegradable paper that can be put out for kerbside collection in the same way as any other paper or card products. This makes it a highly unique eco-friendly packaging innovation by marrying plastic-free sustainability with a see-through texture.

Kite now supplies these bags in five different sizes all with 40gsm. Therefore, they are suitable for separating individual clothing or accessory items within a larger mailer or granting an extra layer of protection to specific parts of a package.

The glassine bags are grease-, moisture- and dirt-resistant, serving to maintain the pristine condition of the contents. By selecting a bag that will closely fit the contents, clothes can keep their neatly folded configuration to create an aesthetically pleasing unboxing experience. Furthermore, they offer increased reassurance that external elements of wind and rain, for example, cannot damage your products.

With a range of competitive wholesale prices, Kite’s new range can equip both large and small businesses wishing to elevate the professionalism of the packaging without compromising their environmental standpoint. Eco-friendly plastic-free packaging materials act as a strong marketing tool in the current ecommerce climate. The translucent pouches are an eco-friendly alternative to polythene bags by being both recyclable and biodegradable, while maintaining the see-through quality previously only achieved with plastic products.

These bags are professional forms of internal packaging boasting moisture and grease resistance to protect clothing and textile items without harming our planet.

Kite launches 100% translucent paper bags

Posted on 22 March, 2022 by Keith McKinley

These bags are professional forms of internal packaging boasting moisture and grease resistance to protect clothing and textile items without harming our planet.

London van drivers lose a week p.a. looking for parking

Posted on 22 March, 20227 August, 2025 by Keith McKinley

AppyParking+ has unveiled research showing the potential impact that limited parking, lack of parking information and confusing signage – alongside the increase in fuel costs – can have on small businesses and tradespeople across London.

Basing the research on the fact that London has 221,000 registered van drivers, the AppyParking team calculated that these van owners and tradespeople are losing up to two working days per year as a result of the time spent looking for places to park when attending jobs. The average London driver spends up to 12 minutes per trip looking for on-street parking spaces, and as a result drives an extra two miles on average per trip looking for parking – an extra 211 miles annually.

AppyParking+ sought to highlight how using its parking app, as well as employing other methods of planning journeys, van drivers and tradespeople could find on and off-street parking faster and also be able to better understand parking restrictions.

London’s van drivers also receive over 838,000 PCN fines per year, costing tradespeople £54,470,000. By better planning of journeys, AppyParking+ can help van drivers avoid this additional cost by providing an easy way to research what the parking looks like around their destination before they head off.

Dan Hubert, CEO and founder of AppyWay, parent company to AppyParking+, commented: “As van owners continue to move from job to job, parking can sometimes be a real concern, where it is not readily available or located in busy areas. The outcome of this time spent not only empties fuel tanks, but it empties pockets as well.

“Although just a small part of the bigger picture for businesses, spending one minute searching for parking instead of five minutes can make all the difference. AppyParking+ helps businesses and individuals save time and money by taking you straight to your space, where you know exactly the cost and the time it will take to reach your destination, removing the rush and panic to find a space in unfamiliar or busy areas.”

Since the start of 2022, fuel prices are also on the up which is only adding to the issue. Rising by 21p per litre in the first three months of the year alone, there is also a risk that trade rates are going to increase, deferring the cost to the pocket of London’s citizens.

By providing van drivers with a way of avoiding additional costs incurred through searching for parking or parking fines, AppyParking+ can help to bring down unnecessary costs during a time where every penny counts for many.

How it was calculated

Using data that shows the average London driver spends 12 minutes per day searching for parking, and based on a Ford Custom Transit van – the UK’s most-sold van – driving at an average speed of 10mph in London at 40mpg, this is two miles extra per trip, and 211 miles per year.

The average day rate for a tradesperson in London ranges from £150 to £275 per day, meaning that most are losing up to £1,400 whilst looking for somewhere to park by spending 48 hours searching for parking spaces each year.

For some the total could be as high as £2,000 – bringing a whopping £300m bill to the doorstep of the 221,000 London trade community.

Volumes plummet at Port of Shenzhen

Posted on 22 March, 202224 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

China’s zero-Covid policy is putting severe strain on supply chains across the country with factories and warehouses being frequently shut down for short periods and trucks sometimes being stopped from travelling.

At Shenzhen, normally the country’s second busiest port, figures released by supply chain visibility expert FourKites reveal a trend of sharply declining volumes, not just in the last week as the city went into full lock-down, but over the last three weeks as authorities there have taken measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the latest outbreak.

FourKites predicts that some suppliers and carriers will move to other ports and take the hit of significantly longer over-land routes to get there. However, the situation is volatile and it’s impossible to predict whether — and where — there may be other Covid-19 restrictions.

With delays in other parts of the world, notably the US ports that Shenzhen serves, Covid-19 restrictions at the Chinese port may not represent the worst bottle neck. It may not be worth rerouting, if goods must sit on ships for two weeks anyway before they are able to depart for the US. Chinese lock-downs tend to be short lived and so waiting it out may also be an option for users of Shenzhen.

The fact that dwell times have not shot up as volumes have gone down suggests that shippers are becoming more agile in their reactions to supply chain issues. They are not simply changing routes, sometimes they are changing the factories they source from, to keep supplies moving.

Constant change is a given these days and, for transport professionals, volatility and increasing costs are just part of the job. They will have to keep a close eye on the situation, and particularly how long Shenzhen restrictions may last, and be ready to adapt.

FourKites has seen impacts to ocean freight volume following the recent lockdown of the City of Shenzhen due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
In Guangdong Province (where the City of Shenzhen is located), 7-day average ocean load volume for both imports and exports is down 43% since 1 March. On 17 March, the 7-day average load volume was down 39% week-over-week.
Dwell times at the Port of Shenzhen remain stable, hovering around 8.3 days for exports and 5.1 days for imports, though dwell times will likely increase over the coming days as throughput decreases.

How it was calculated

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