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Month: October 2022

Packfleet steers away from gig economy

Posted on by David Priestman

All-electric delivery company Packfleet says it is revolutionising seasonal driver standards this Christmas by offering sector-topping benefits during the notoriously busy period.

At a time that is plagued with horror stories from drivers working for well-known courier companies, Packfleet is paying all its drivers above the London living wage, and provides private healthcare and pensions.

Workers will receive free lunch and snacks when they’re on the road, and £30 a month to spend at some of the 130+ merchants who ship with Packfleet – including meal kit service Dishpatch, and online cheesemonger Cheesegeek.

Packfleet will more than double its workforce during the seasonal spike, with a variety of part-time and full-time roles available. The business will be offering drivers permanent contracts once the Christmas period has finished, to help expand their operation across the country.

At a time where many cash-strapped Londoners are looking to supplement incomes, Packfleet’s seasonal staff are both paid 30% better than industry average and are set to be the best treated in Britain. Drivers from the likes of Yodel, DPD and Evri have already jumped ship, citing the better workplace culture as the main draw.

Packfleet says it isn’t just leading the way with driver standards, it says it is also protecting the planet. Its entire fleet is electric and charged by renewable energy, and it plants a tree for every parcel shipped.

Tristan Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Packfleet, says “We believe that every driver should be treated fairly all year round. You see office staff up and down the country receive all sorts of benefits during the festive season, so why shouldn’t it be the same for drivers?

“The logistics sector is rife with horror stories – especially during such a notoriously busy period – and we’re changing that. We don’t overwhelm our drivers with parcels, and our tech puts them on the quickest route possible, meaning they don’t have to speed around London to hit delivery targets.

“We’re bringing driver employment standards in line with the rest of the working world. The stories we hear from drivers at the major courier services are, quite frankly, unacceptable. It’s disgraceful that these have become the industry standard.”

Ayath Ullah, a delivery driver for Packfleet, says: “At Packfleet, we deliver on time, but I’m encouraged to speak with customers, and never feel overwhelmed with unrealistic delivery expectations. In my previous courier job, I constantly felt under pressure to deliver parcels quickly at all costs – but I’ve never felt that way at Packfleet.

“I’ve been here for over a year now, and my experience with them has been 10x better than at any other company. I love it here, and don’t understand why more businesses aren’t treating their drivers this well.”

Applications for the seasonal roles are open now, and prospective drivers can apply by following THIS LINK.

Packfleet steers away from gig economy

Posted on by David Priestman

All-electric delivery company Packfleet says it is revolutionising seasonal driver standards this Christmas by offering sector-topping benefits during the notoriously busy period.

At a time that is plagued with horror stories from drivers working for well-known courier companies, Packfleet is paying all its drivers above the London living wage, and provides private healthcare and pensions.

Workers will receive free lunch and snacks when they’re on the road, and £30 a month to spend at some of the 130+ merchants who ship with Packfleet – including meal kit service Dishpatch, and online cheesemonger Cheesegeek.

Packfleet will more than double its workforce during the seasonal spike, with a variety of part-time and full-time roles available. The business will be offering drivers permanent contracts once the Christmas period has finished, to help expand their operation across the country.

At a time where many cash-strapped Londoners are looking to supplement incomes, Packfleet’s seasonal staff are both paid 30% better than industry average and are set to be the best treated in Britain. Drivers from the likes of Yodel, DPD and Evri have already jumped ship, citing the better workplace culture as the main draw.

Packfleet says it isn’t just leading the way with driver standards, it says it is also protecting the planet. Its entire fleet is electric and charged by renewable energy, and it plants a tree for every parcel shipped.

Tristan Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Packfleet, says “We believe that every driver should be treated fairly all year round. You see office staff up and down the country receive all sorts of benefits during the festive season, so why shouldn’t it be the same for drivers?

“The logistics sector is rife with horror stories – especially during such a notoriously busy period – and we’re changing that. We don’t overwhelm our drivers with parcels, and our tech puts them on the quickest route possible, meaning they don’t have to speed around London to hit delivery targets.

“We’re bringing driver employment standards in line with the rest of the working world. The stories we hear from drivers at the major courier services are, quite frankly, unacceptable. It’s disgraceful that these have become the industry standard.”

Ayath Ullah, a delivery driver for Packfleet, says: “At Packfleet, we deliver on time, but I’m encouraged to speak with customers, and never feel overwhelmed with unrealistic delivery expectations. In my previous courier job, I constantly felt under pressure to deliver parcels quickly at all costs – but I’ve never felt that way at Packfleet.

“I’ve been here for over a year now, and my experience with them has been 10x better than at any other company. I love it here, and don’t understand why more businesses aren’t treating their drivers this well.”

Applications for the seasonal roles are open now, and prospective drivers can apply by following THIS LINK.

Cargo First strengthens Bournemouth Airport operations

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cargo First, Bournemouth Airport’s dedicated cargo handling service, has strengthened its fast-track ‘One Team’ operation by bringing its on-site customs bonded warehouse facilities fully in-house. The move further streamlines Cargo First’s ground handling operation which is geared to providing a faster alternative to the congested London airport system for freight customers.

It comes as global e-commerce demand continues to grow. IATA (International Air Transport Association) suggested in a recent industry briefing that global e-commerce parcel volumes could double to 260 billion by 2025, with 80% of sales estimated to be cross-border.

And FedEx Express recently published research saying e-commerce would continue to take a growing proportion of total consumer spend. But the number one customer complaint (53%) is that deliveries take too long, with an expectation of receiving goods within three days to one week of ordering.

Bob Matharoo, Head of Cargo Development at Cargo First, said: “We’re fine tuning our system to make the cargo ownership chain as short and responsive as it can be, with no third parties. Our focus is speed to market and being a cost-effective alternative to the hub airports.

“E-commerce continues to grow, and with it customer expectations around speed of delivery. Capacity at the big London hub airports is severely constrained but we’re not. We think that’s a real opportunity for Bournemouth Airport and Cargo First, especially bearing in mind our location just 90 minutes from the capital.”

Cargo First was initially working jointly with a global logistics partner to handle customs processing through the bonded facilities on the airport site. It now has full control over the whole cargo process, from offloading aircraft through to processing, onward loading and delivery.

The company spent 18 months benchmarking freight deliveries via Bournemouth to London warehouses and found it could halve the time of delivery to the same end destinations compared with using a London hub airport.

Cargo First and Bournemouth Airport are part of the UK’s privately-owned Regional and City Airports (RCA) group, which also owns Coventry Airport, Exeter Airport and Norwich Airport. RCA also operates the XLR Executive Jet Centre FBO facilities at Birmingham, Bournemouth, Exeter and Liverpool airports.

 

Cargo First strengthens Bournemouth Airport operations

Posted on by David Priestman

Cargo First, Bournemouth Airport’s dedicated cargo handling service, has strengthened its fast-track ‘One Team’ operation by bringing its on-site customs bonded warehouse facilities fully in-house. The move further streamlines Cargo First’s ground handling operation which is geared to providing a faster alternative to the congested London airport system for freight customers.

It comes as global e-commerce demand continues to grow. IATA (International Air Transport Association) suggested in a recent industry briefing that global e-commerce parcel volumes could double to 260 billion by 2025, with 80% of sales estimated to be cross-border.

And FedEx Express recently published research saying e-commerce would continue to take a growing proportion of total consumer spend. But the number one customer complaint (53%) is that deliveries take too long, with an expectation of receiving goods within three days to one week of ordering.

Bob Matharoo, Head of Cargo Development at Cargo First, said: “We’re fine tuning our system to make the cargo ownership chain as short and responsive as it can be, with no third parties. Our focus is speed to market and being a cost-effective alternative to the hub airports.

“E-commerce continues to grow, and with it customer expectations around speed of delivery. Capacity at the big London hub airports is severely constrained but we’re not. We think that’s a real opportunity for Bournemouth Airport and Cargo First, especially bearing in mind our location just 90 minutes from the capital.”

Cargo First was initially working jointly with a global logistics partner to handle customs processing through the bonded facilities on the airport site. It now has full control over the whole cargo process, from offloading aircraft through to processing, onward loading and delivery.

The company spent 18 months benchmarking freight deliveries via Bournemouth to London warehouses and found it could halve the time of delivery to the same end destinations compared with using a London hub airport.

Cargo First and Bournemouth Airport are part of the UK’s privately-owned Regional and City Airports (RCA) group, which also owns Coventry Airport, Exeter Airport and Norwich Airport. RCA also operates the XLR Executive Jet Centre FBO facilities at Birmingham, Bournemouth, Exeter and Liverpool airports.

 

Revealed: the worst industries for cyber security risk

Posted on by David Priestman

New research carried out by cyber crime expert FoxTech has revealed that the five UK industries with the weakest cyber security – and therefore most at risk of a cyber security breach – are mechanical and industrial engineering (with a CyberRisk score of 59.1), environmental services (57.8), furniture manufacturing and installation (56.8), logistics and supply chain (56.5), and construction (56.2).

The research is based on analysis of 9,500 companies in the UK, and used a CyberRisk score, a diagnostic tool which calculates risk using publicly available information and an analysis of a wide range of cyber security indicators. Companies with scores of 25 or less are considered to be at a low risk of attack, while scores of over 50 demonstrate a high risk. FoxTech’s report found that other industries with scores over 50 included higher education (56.0), accounting (55.2) and hospitals and healthcare (53.4). Scores higher than 75 indicate an extreme risk of attack.

Anthony Green, CTO and cyber crime expert at FoxTech, explains more: “We audited thousands of UK companies across a wide range of sectors and found that while industries such as financial services, aviation and government administration had a lower risk of falling victim to a cyber crime, many other industries were not doing enough to protect their systems from attack.

“It is encouraging that no sector averaged at an extreme risk of attack, with a score more than 75. This is reflective of many businesses’ increased investment in cyber security in the past year. However, a score of over 50 still demonstrates a high vulnerability to cyber crime, so it is concerning that many of the UK’s key industries fell into this bracket.”

What common security issues did FoxTech’s report identify? Green explains: “It’s not that organisations don’t care about having good cyber security, but that they are unaware that their IT infrastructure contains weaknesses that make them a potential easy target for hackers.

“Companies often don’t realise that their anti-virus or endpoint protection software is incorrectly configured, or simply not robust enough to stave off an attack. Another common misconception is the belief that you are safe from attack if you use cloud-based services, rather than an internal server. This is not the case – in fact, 46.3% of the companies we surveyed were using a public cloud provider, but many were still at a high risk of attack.

“Inadvertently leaving assets exposed to the internet is another big issue. Some businesses we surveyed had databases visible to the internet, and over 40 companies had a camera accessible from the internet!

“Sometimes, an organisation can be exposed by something as simple as poorly managed user accounts or using out-of-date software and obsolete or end-of-life technology – as was the case with 4.7% of businesses we surveyed. Email filtering is also a vital aspect of any good cyber security strategy. Only 55.4% of companies we surveyed has email filtering in place, and just 13.7% had DMARC correctly configured to prevent email spoofing attacks.”

Green highlights that hacking is a gradual process, and not something that happens overnight. On average, hackers will spend 207 days between breaching a company’s IT security and exploiting it.

“The fact that hackers are going undetected for so long shows that businesses usually have plenty of time to detect intruders and prevent a cyber attack from occurring – if they know where to look.”

The answer? Green says: “The best thing to do for any company is to arrange a cybersecurity audit of their IT systems, processes and procedures. This won’t necessarily be through their IT provider, but via an independent cyber security company that is set up to focus fully on cyber security and can protect businesses and their customers on a much higher level. A good audit will involve vulnerability scanning – also known as ethical hacking, where a cyber security expert tries to enter your system, just as a malicious hacker would, but with the intention of helping you find and fix your security weaknesses before they are exploited by a cyber criminal.

Companies interested in finding out their own CyberRisk score to get an immediate indicator of how high or low their security risk is are invited to order this for free from FoxTech.

 

 

Revealed: the worst industries for cyber security risk

Posted on by Keith McKinley

New research carried out by cyber crime expert FoxTech has revealed that the five UK industries with the weakest cyber security – and therefore most at risk of a cyber security breach – are mechanical and industrial engineering (with a CyberRisk score of 59.1), environmental services (57.8), furniture manufacturing and installation (56.8), logistics and supply chain (56.5), and construction (56.2).

The research is based on analysis of 9,500 companies in the UK, and used a CyberRisk score, a diagnostic tool which calculates risk using publicly available information and an analysis of a wide range of cyber security indicators. Companies with scores of 25 or less are considered to be at a low risk of attack, while scores of over 50 demonstrate a high risk. FoxTech’s report found that other industries with scores over 50 included higher education (56.0), accounting (55.2) and hospitals and healthcare (53.4). Scores higher than 75 indicate an extreme risk of attack.

Anthony Green, CTO and cyber crime expert at FoxTech, explains more: “We audited thousands of UK companies across a wide range of sectors and found that while industries such as financial services, aviation and government administration had a lower risk of falling victim to a cyber crime, many other industries were not doing enough to protect their systems from attack.

“It is encouraging that no sector averaged at an extreme risk of attack, with a score more than 75. This is reflective of many businesses’ increased investment in cyber security in the past year. However, a score of over 50 still demonstrates a high vulnerability to cyber crime, so it is concerning that many of the UK’s key industries fell into this bracket.”

What common security issues did FoxTech’s report identify? Green explains: “It’s not that organisations don’t care about having good cyber security, but that they are unaware that their IT infrastructure contains weaknesses that make them a potential easy target for hackers.

“Companies often don’t realise that their anti-virus or endpoint protection software is incorrectly configured, or simply not robust enough to stave off an attack. Another common misconception is the belief that you are safe from attack if you use cloud-based services, rather than an internal server. This is not the case – in fact, 46.3% of the companies we surveyed were using a public cloud provider, but many were still at a high risk of attack.

“Inadvertently leaving assets exposed to the internet is another big issue. Some businesses we surveyed had databases visible to the internet, and over 40 companies had a camera accessible from the internet!

“Sometimes, an organisation can be exposed by something as simple as poorly managed user accounts or using out-of-date software and obsolete or end-of-life technology – as was the case with 4.7% of businesses we surveyed. Email filtering is also a vital aspect of any good cyber security strategy. Only 55.4% of companies we surveyed has email filtering in place, and just 13.7% had DMARC correctly configured to prevent email spoofing attacks.”

Green highlights that hacking is a gradual process, and not something that happens overnight. On average, hackers will spend 207 days between breaching a company’s IT security and exploiting it.

“The fact that hackers are going undetected for so long shows that businesses usually have plenty of time to detect intruders and prevent a cyber attack from occurring – if they know where to look.”

The answer? Green says: “The best thing to do for any company is to arrange a cybersecurity audit of their IT systems, processes and procedures. This won’t necessarily be through their IT provider, but via an independent cyber security company that is set up to focus fully on cyber security and can protect businesses and their customers on a much higher level. A good audit will involve vulnerability scanning – also known as ethical hacking, where a cyber security expert tries to enter your system, just as a malicious hacker would, but with the intention of helping you find and fix your security weaknesses before they are exploited by a cyber criminal.

Companies interested in finding out their own CyberRisk score to get an immediate indicator of how high or low their security risk is are invited to order this for free from FoxTech.

 

 

NL ranks first for courier innovation

Posted on by David Priestman

According to a new study, the The Netherlands ranks first with UK fifth in Europe for capacity for innovation, technological progress and sustainability in the delivery and courier industry. The UK leads the way for the continent in legislation for automated cars, with only Germany having more in place.

The research found the UK performs well across a range of factors that signal potential to innovate in road delivery services. The UK ranks just above Sweden, Spain and Belgium, with a score over double that of Poland.

Yet, in terms of road quality and electric light commercial vehicle usage, the UK lags behind the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Investment in these areas is needed if the UK wants to keep pace with other European nations.

The European Delivery Innovator Index, research conducted by return loads platform Courier Exchange, analysed data on various metrics connecting the courier industry with innovation and technological advancement. Factors taken into consideration include transport infrastructure, electric vehicle charging point availability and the general capacity for innovation.

Leading the way with autonomous vehicle laws

One area where the UK excels is paving the way for automated vehicles (AVs) with government legislation. Apart from Germany, every other European country either has no legislation in development or only has approval in place for testing AVs.

Autonomous vehicle adoption and other emerging technology such as drones is set to energise the last-mile delivery market, influenced by rapid growth in the e-commerce industry. The UK’s progressive legislation in this area indicates its openness to embracing new technology to expand road delivery services.

This summer, it was announced that the UK will become home to the world’s largest automated drone superhighway within the next two years. Alongside tech companies, the government unveiled plans to integrate drone deliveries into our daily lives.

Luke Davies, Commercial Director at Courier Exchange, says: “Demand for delivery services is showing no signs of slowing down, so to keep up, the sector will need to find efficiencies where it can. Innovation will play a huge role in achieving this and innovation will come in many guises, from AI to drones.

“It’s vital that the delivery sector embraces technology and adapts, particularly when customers have become so used to convenience and speedy delivery. Customers are also demanding that the goods they buy are sustainable, at every stage of the supply chain, so we’ll soon see more electric delivery vehicles on the road.

“What’s encouraging is that so many European nations are well-positioned when it comes to innovation. Just how ready they are varies from territory to territory, but the overall picture is promising and once innovative practices become the norm – and are seen to be successful – other countries will introduce them.”

CLICK HERE to read the full study, methodology details and sources.

NL ranks first for courier innovation

Posted on by David Priestman

According to a new study, the The Netherlands ranks first with UK fifth in Europe for capacity for innovation, technological progress and sustainability in the delivery and courier industry. The UK leads the way for the continent in legislation for automated cars, with only Germany having more in place.

The research found the UK performs well across a range of factors that signal potential to innovate in road delivery services. The UK ranks just above Sweden, Spain and Belgium, with a score over double that of Poland.

Yet, in terms of road quality and electric light commercial vehicle usage, the UK lags behind the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Investment in these areas is needed if the UK wants to keep pace with other European nations.

The European Delivery Innovator Index, research conducted by return loads platform Courier Exchange, analysed data on various metrics connecting the courier industry with innovation and technological advancement. Factors taken into consideration include transport infrastructure, electric vehicle charging point availability and the general capacity for innovation.

Leading the way with autonomous vehicle laws

One area where the UK excels is paving the way for automated vehicles (AVs) with government legislation. Apart from Germany, every other European country either has no legislation in development or only has approval in place for testing AVs.

Autonomous vehicle adoption and other emerging technology such as drones is set to energise the last-mile delivery market, influenced by rapid growth in the e-commerce industry. The UK’s progressive legislation in this area indicates its openness to embracing new technology to expand road delivery services.

This summer, it was announced that the UK will become home to the world’s largest automated drone superhighway within the next two years. Alongside tech companies, the government unveiled plans to integrate drone deliveries into our daily lives.

Luke Davies, Commercial Director at Courier Exchange, says: “Demand for delivery services is showing no signs of slowing down, so to keep up, the sector will need to find efficiencies where it can. Innovation will play a huge role in achieving this and innovation will come in many guises, from AI to drones.

“It’s vital that the delivery sector embraces technology and adapts, particularly when customers have become so used to convenience and speedy delivery. Customers are also demanding that the goods they buy are sustainable, at every stage of the supply chain, so we’ll soon see more electric delivery vehicles on the road.

“What’s encouraging is that so many European nations are well-positioned when it comes to innovation. Just how ready they are varies from territory to territory, but the overall picture is promising and once innovative practices become the norm – and are seen to be successful – other countries will introduce them.”

CLICK HERE to read the full study, methodology details and sources.

iFollow mobile robots increase capacity to 1,500kg

Posted on by David Priestman

iFollow has expanded its iLogistics Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) range to include a unit with a 1,500kg capacity. Made at iFollow’s state-of-the-art facilities outside Paris in France, the iL – 1500 tops the range that includes units with capacities of 300kg, 600kg and 1,000kg. And with a unit height of just 17cm, it is the thinnest mobile robot in the world that can carry 1.5t. This gives the new unit the ability to handle a broader range of duties. The unit, which weighs 230kg and has dimensions of 1340 x 760 x 171 (mm), can attain a speed of 1.7m/s. Its 54.6V battery gives 10 hours operation between charges.

Constructed to be sturdy and reliable, iFollow’s iLogistics robotic solution offers many other benefits including the ability to be deployed in cold rooms with temperatures down to -25°C. The temperatures of the key electronic components are regulated by a servo system completely developed by iFollow. This ensures the absence of condensation, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space.

The iL – 1500 navigates without any infrastructure while accustoming to its environment. Because the AMRs adapt to the constraints of existing facilities, there is no need to modify premises.

The lifting platform for the iL – 1500 can be changed, allowing a single unit to fulfil a variety of requirements. Platforms available include a slat conveyor, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, tray roller conveyor, tank support and an on-demand platform. The AMR has the flexibility to transport different storage units such as pallets, trolleys and roll cages – it can carry two roll cages simultaneously – and a robust build means it will happily withstand travel on rough floors.

Working collaboratively with warehouse staff including order pickers, the iL – 1500 provides a productive solution in many sectors and, as a manufacturer and producer of software, iFollow can customise the units to meet the particular needs of the application.

 

iFollow mobile robots increase capacity to 1,500kg

Posted on by David Priestman

iFollow has expanded its iLogistics Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) range to include a unit with a 1,500kg capacity. Made at iFollow’s state-of-the-art facilities outside Paris in France, the iL – 1500 tops the range that includes units with capacities of 300kg, 600kg and 1,000kg. And with a unit height of just 17cm, it is the thinnest mobile robot in the world that can carry 1.5t. This gives the new unit the ability to handle a broader range of duties. The unit, which weighs 230kg and has dimensions of 1340 x 760 x 171 (mm), can attain a speed of 1.7m/s. Its 54.6V battery gives 10 hours operation between charges.

Constructed to be sturdy and reliable, iFollow’s iLogistics robotic solution offers many other benefits including the ability to be deployed in cold rooms with temperatures down to -25°C. The temperatures of the key electronic components are regulated by a servo system completely developed by iFollow. This ensures the absence of condensation, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space.

The iL – 1500 navigates without any infrastructure while accustoming to its environment. Because the AMRs adapt to the constraints of existing facilities, there is no need to modify premises.

The lifting platform for the iL – 1500 can be changed, allowing a single unit to fulfil a variety of requirements. Platforms available include a slat conveyor, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, tray roller conveyor, tank support and an on-demand platform. The AMR has the flexibility to transport different storage units such as pallets, trolleys and roll cages – it can carry two roll cages simultaneously – and a robust build means it will happily withstand travel on rough floors.

Working collaboratively with warehouse staff including order pickers, the iL – 1500 provides a productive solution in many sectors and, as a manufacturer and producer of software, iFollow can customise the units to meet the particular needs of the application.

 

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