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Month: November 2023

Freight Forwarders Focus on Environment

Posted on by David Priestman

November will be seen in the British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) history as an auspicious month with the first meeting of its new Sustainable Logistics Policy Group, managed by Mike Jones, policy advisor for sustainability and environment.

For many years BIFA has been monitoring the legislation, tracking any new regulations, and delivering advice to its corporate members on various environmental issues such as plastic packaging and the problems surrounding its disposal, as well as the development of different fuel types and their respective merits and de-merits.

Environmental and sustainability issues are not new and, over time, the environmental agenda within freight and logistics has developed. Whilst the focus is often about carbon emissions, there are other wide-ranging generic issues.

With all of the above in mind, BIFA felt the need to establish a policy group to help identify and report to the Association and its Members on environmental-related issues which may in the future have an impact upon their businesses, or in fact are already doing so.

At the meeting, attendees discussed how the policy group could work to provide guidance to the association in order to deliver meaningful support on environmental and sustainability issues as they impact the UK and the international freight services industry. Future meetings will discuss how to agree and set the association’s policy on all matters concerning environmental matters.

The date of the meeting also marked ‘Use Less Stuff Day’, which seemed like an appropriate time for the first meeting of a policy group established to help BIFA assist all of its members, whatever their size, meet the ever-increasing challenges associated with environmental and sustainability issues within freight and logistics.

Sustainability expert and consultant to BIFA Kelly Hobson of Shape Tomorrow gave a presentation about the wider business case and requirements of any supply chain, whilst Lucinda Maxwell, founders’ associate, from Pledge delivered an interesting overview about calculating freight emissions and sustainability regulations.

At the meeting, Director General, Steve Parker emphasised the significance of this new policy group and urged members that were present to encourage other members to engage with the group and attend future meetings.

He said: “All BIFA members are at different stages of their journey in regards to the development of policy that addresses environmental and sustainability issues within the supply chains that they manage. By participating in this policy group, members will be able to help shape best practice guidance; and influence how BIFA can represent members’ interests on this subject in our interaction with Government and other stakeholders that are developing legislation on the matter.”

Freight Forwarders Focus on Environment

Posted on by David Priestman

November will be seen in the British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) history as an auspicious month with the first meeting of its new Sustainable Logistics Policy Group, managed by Mike Jones, policy advisor for sustainability and environment.

For many years BIFA has been monitoring the legislation, tracking any new regulations, and delivering advice to its corporate members on various environmental issues such as plastic packaging and the problems surrounding its disposal, as well as the development of different fuel types and their respective merits and de-merits.

Environmental and sustainability issues are not new and, over time, the environmental agenda within freight and logistics has developed. Whilst the focus is often about carbon emissions, there are other wide-ranging generic issues.

With all of the above in mind, BIFA felt the need to establish a policy group to help identify and report to the Association and its Members on environmental-related issues which may in the future have an impact upon their businesses, or in fact are already doing so.

At the meeting, attendees discussed how the policy group could work to provide guidance to the association in order to deliver meaningful support on environmental and sustainability issues as they impact the UK and the international freight services industry. Future meetings will discuss how to agree and set the association’s policy on all matters concerning environmental matters.

The date of the meeting also marked ‘Use Less Stuff Day’, which seemed like an appropriate time for the first meeting of a policy group established to help BIFA assist all of its members, whatever their size, meet the ever-increasing challenges associated with environmental and sustainability issues within freight and logistics.

Sustainability expert and consultant to BIFA Kelly Hobson of Shape Tomorrow gave a presentation about the wider business case and requirements of any supply chain, whilst Lucinda Maxwell, founders’ associate, from Pledge delivered an interesting overview about calculating freight emissions and sustainability regulations.

At the meeting, Director General, Steve Parker emphasised the significance of this new policy group and urged members that were present to encourage other members to engage with the group and attend future meetings.

He said: “All BIFA members are at different stages of their journey in regards to the development of policy that addresses environmental and sustainability issues within the supply chains that they manage. By participating in this policy group, members will be able to help shape best practice guidance; and influence how BIFA can represent members’ interests on this subject in our interaction with Government and other stakeholders that are developing legislation on the matter.”

Fulfilment Capacity Doubled with Peoplevox WMS

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Descartes Systems Group, a leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that U.K.-based ecommerce brand AYBL, an online retailer of activewear, has transformed its warehouse and fulfilment capabilities by replacing paper-based picking and manual fulfilment practices with Descartes Peoplevox warehouse management system (WMS). Using the solution to improving picking efficiency and accuracy, AYBL has doubled its fulfilment capacity with existing staff and can seamlessly scale to fulfil over 70,000 orders a day during peak season.

“To become a leader in ecommerce within the U.K. you have to deliver on customer promises and build loyalty, which means you have to be able to rely on your warehouse and fulfilment capability: every order shipped on time, accurately, with visibility into the process, easy returns, all on demand and fast.,” said Paul Maynard, Head of Operations, AYBL. “With Descartes Peoplevox, we instantly improved picking accuracy and efficiency and we no longer needed to keep our warehouse layout in SKU order, which had previously prevented us from making the best use of available storage capacity. Additionally, the system scaled easily as we moved multiple times to larger warehouse facilities and, today, allows us to flex to 100+ people during peak periods and train new staff within hours, which beforehand would never have been possible.”

Part of Descartes’ ecommerce solution suite, Descartes Peoplevox WMS helps direct-to-consumer brands and ecommerce retailers drive significant efficiencies across order fulfilment processes to provide a remarkable customer experience. The solution helps ensure that retailers can ship on time, ship the right items, not oversell existing inventory, and have transparency into warehouse operations. Order information is automatically available to be executed via mobile-driven multi-order pick-and-pack strategies and then fed into Descartes and third-party parcel shipment systems. The solution is pre-integrated with major ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify Plus, Brightpearl by Sage, Netsuite and others, to accelerate implementation and time to value.

“We’re pleased to help AYBL scale its fulfilment operations to meet growing consumer demand for its products and maintain its customer commitment – even at the height of peak season,” said Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions for Ecommerce at Descartes. “Our ecommerce WMS Peoplevox is designed for ambitious ecommerce brands. It empowers them to grow efficiently and reduce fulfilment costs to achieve more profitable person-to-goods fulfilment operations.”

Fulfilment Capacity Doubled with Peoplevox WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that U.K.-based ecommerce brand AYBL, an online retailer of activewear, has transformed its warehouse and fulfilment capabilities by replacing paper-based picking and manual fulfilment practices with Descartes Peoplevox warehouse management system (WMS). Using the solution to improving picking efficiency and accuracy, AYBL has doubled its fulfilment capacity with existing staff and can seamlessly scale to fulfil over 70,000 orders a day during peak season.

“To become a leader in ecommerce within the U.K. you have to deliver on customer promises and build loyalty, which means you have to be able to rely on your warehouse and fulfilment capability: every order shipped on time, accurately, with visibility into the process, easy returns, all on demand and fast.,” said Paul Maynard, Head of Operations, AYBL. “With Descartes Peoplevox, we instantly improved picking accuracy and efficiency and we no longer needed to keep our warehouse layout in SKU order, which had previously prevented us from making the best use of available storage capacity. Additionally, the system scaled easily as we moved multiple times to larger warehouse facilities and, today, allows us to flex to 100+ people during peak periods and train new staff within hours, which beforehand would never have been possible.”

Part of Descartes’ ecommerce solution suite, Descartes Peoplevox WMS helps direct-to-consumer brands and ecommerce retailers drive significant efficiencies across order fulfilment processes to provide a remarkable customer experience. The solution helps ensure that retailers can ship on time, ship the right items, not oversell existing inventory, and have transparency into warehouse operations. Order information is automatically available to be executed via mobile-driven multi-order pick-and-pack strategies and then fed into Descartes and third-party parcel shipment systems. The solution is pre-integrated with major ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify Plus, Brightpearl by Sage, Netsuite and others, to accelerate implementation and time to value.

“We’re pleased to help AYBL scale its fulfilment operations to meet growing consumer demand for its products and maintain its customer commitment – even at the height of peak season,” said Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions for Ecommerce at Descartes. “Our ecommerce WMS Peoplevox is designed for ambitious ecommerce brands. It empowers them to grow efficiently and reduce fulfilment costs to achieve more profitable person-to-goods fulfilment operations.”

Custom Solutions for Mobile Collaborative Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

The 2023 SPS trade fair in Nuremberg represented an important opportunity for Bonfiglioli to showcase its experience and expertise for industrial automation. Its innovative, cutting edge offer included mechatronic solutions specifically designed for packaging, intralogistics, robotics and IoT applications.

A corner of the booth was dedicated to Bonfiglioli’s technologies for cartesian, delta and articulated robots, the latter solution consisting of a custom designed, precision planetary gearbox and servomotor developed for ABB.

Remaining in the field of mobile robotics applications, the spotlight was on BlueRoll: the high-performance, wheel-mounted gearmotor platform for AGVs and AMRs, featuring an ultra-compact and energy-efficient design for a long operating cycle. The modular drive system is available in three configurations, Basic, Advanced and Compact, with a customisable single gearbox load ranging from 360 to 1020 kg and a maximum speed of 2m/s. In response to evolving market demands, Bonfiglioli is currently developing integrated solutions with the aim of providing customers with a complete AGV movement package, including complete drive and transmission control systems. This approach allows Bonfiglioli to deliver ready-to-assemble, turnkey solutions, thereby minimizing the need to purchase interface devices from the AGV/AMRs manufacturers.

The Group is also expanding its product folio by focusing on enhancing payload capacity, catering to the rigorous specifications demanded by robotic sector. The capacity to offer a diversified array of products ranging from standard precision gears and gearboxes to specially designed motors for axis movements and completely customised ones, as well as integrated solutions for AGV/AMRs drive controls, places Bonfiglioli among the leading players in this sector. The codesign with customers grant significant value in terms of performance optimisation, cost saving and accelerated time to market.

Solution-oriented approach to packaging and intralogistics

Flow pack packaging processes require automatic machines that are able to keep pace with high production rates, for which Bonfiglioli offers a wide range of compact, modular, dynamic, high-precision drive and control solutions for horizontal and vertical forming, filling and sealing machines. These include the package presented during SPS, which features a TQ in-line high precision planetary gearbox combined with a BMD permanent magnet synchronous servomotor and a highly versatile AxiaVert smart inverter. Alongside this process, we are also able to extend maximum handling speed to the finished products palletization, thanks to a solution incorporating our BMD synchronous servomotor, Series A right-angle gear unit and ANG Series servo inverter.

During the fair, we also presented two intralogistics solutions: the first solution, designed for use with post & parcel and airport baggage handling systems, consists of a compact, right-angle Series A gear unit, available in a wide range of torque ratings, the IE4-certified BSR synchronous reluctance motor – an ecological and high-performance product (thanks to the absence of magnets), and a DGM MPM decentralized inverter, featuring sensor-less vector operation for optimal dynamic control. The second solution, designed for use with roller conveyors, combines the EVOX CP helical in-line smooth surface gearbox that can be fitted on any machine thanks to its compatibility with market standards, the MXN asynchronous low-voltage e-motor (IE3) developed to be modular, reliable, energy efficient and compliant with international certification requirements, and a DGM MPM sensor-less inverter.

Visitors had the chance to get an up-close look at the two successful applications, which have been designed in partnership with Modula S.p.a. and I.DE S.r.l., for whom Bonfiglioli has developed complete, customised technical solutions.

Aptean Acquires 3T Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Today, Aptean, a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced its acquisition of 3T Logistics & Technology Group (3T), a provider of cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS) to shippers and carriers in the United Kingdom and broader Europe.

With the acquisition of 3T, Aptean adds new capabilities to its TMS offerings for shippers and carriers serving manufacturers and distributors in the food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, industrial machinery, automotive and building product verticals.

Founded in 2000 and based in Leicester, England, 3T delivers solutions that drive cost reductions and service improvements by helping shippers and carriers automate processes, optimize logistics scenarios and attain real-time visibility into every facet of shipping operations. 3T’s modular, app-based ‘EVENT’ platform can be customized to meet the unique business needs of its customers. 3T’s customers also benefit from its logistics and transport management services, based on decades of expertise in the industry.

“Aptean is pleased to expand its TMS offerings in Europe with the addition of 3T’s cloud-based EVENT platform,” said Duane George, GM of EMEA and APAC at Aptean. “In today’s challenging business environment, 3T helps organizations deliver their products with greater speed and efficiency, enabling them to compete a global level.”

“Aptean shares our commitment to innovation and our solutions are highly complementary to Aptean’s existing ERP and SCM offerings for manufacturers and distributors,” said Steve Twydell, Founder and CEO at 3T. “As part of Aptean we will be able to provide our customers with more solutions to enhance efficiencies and improve outcomes across their operations.”

3T is an award-winning UK head-quartered SaaS transport management technology business. The company has evolved to become a globally recognized TMS technology provider. The company’s vision and mission remain the same since its inception, to improve service, reduce cost to shippers and carriers and remove empty running through collaboration and the smart use of technology.

Aptean is one of the world’s leading providers of purpose-built, industry-specific software that helps manufacturers and distributors effectively run and grow their businesses. With both cloud and on-premise deployment options, Aptean is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Robots Help Solve Japan’s Problem

Posted on by David Priestman

Japan faces a labour shortage impact in 2024 as new overtime regulations for truck drivers come into force. This is being called the ‘2024 problem’ – its potential disruptions need technological help. The world´s number one robot manufacturing country is developing automation strategies that will not only target logistical issues but also a wide range of industry challenges the new working time legislation will cause.

“The government´s overtime cap is an important step to improve working conditions for employees,” says Takayuki Ito, Vice President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Industrial and service robots deliver great solutions to automate. Robots relieve workers of dirty, dull and dangerous work and help to close productivity gaps.”

Robots load and unload cargo

In Japan, the average annual working hours for a heavy truck driver were 2,568, which is 444 hours longer than the national average for all jobs – labour ministry data from 2022 reveal. Placing cargo in and out of trucks and warehouses is one of the most time- consuming tasks of truck drivers. Mobile robot solutions in transportation and logistics can help. To free up truck drivers from loading and unloading cargo saves them up to 25% of working time during a day´s shift. Robots also help reduce errors in order fulfilment by automating repetitive tasks such as picking and packing.

Robots speed up warehousing

Warehouse robots in use today range from compact autonomous mobile robots to large-scale automated storage and retrieval systems. Their use reduces the amount of time required to move goods and they can handle heavy loads and dangerous materials without putting human workers at risk.

Professional service robots are booming

The benefits of robots for transportation and logistics are documented by latest statistics: on a global scale, more professional service robots were built for the transportation of goods or cargo than for any other function. Sales grew by 44% with more than 86,000 units sold in 2022 worldwide, IFR reports.

Workplaces of the future

“Regulations of overtime work and the demographic change will require the adoption of automation technology in many branches of the Japanese economy,” says Takayuki Ito. “The challenges of the trucking industry are good examples to show how robotics and automation deliver adequate solutions for our workplaces of the future.”

The International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad as one of the largest robot exhibitions in the world:

Robots Help Solve Japan’s Problem

Posted on by David Priestman

Japan faces a labour shortage impact in 2024 as new overtime regulations for truck drivers come into force. This is being called the ‘2024 problem’ – its potential disruptions need technological help. The world´s number one robot manufacturing country is developing automation strategies that will not only target logistical issues but also a wide range of industry challenges the new working time legislation will cause.

“The government´s overtime cap is an important step to improve working conditions for employees,” says Takayuki Ito, Vice President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Industrial and service robots deliver great solutions to automate. Robots relieve workers of dirty, dull and dangerous work and help to close productivity gaps.”

Robots load and unload cargo

In Japan, the average annual working hours for a heavy truck driver were 2,568, which is 444 hours longer than the national average for all jobs – labour ministry data from 2022 reveal. Placing cargo in and out of trucks and warehouses is one of the most time- consuming tasks of truck drivers. Mobile robot solutions in transportation and logistics can help. To free up truck drivers from loading and unloading cargo saves them up to 25% of working time during a day´s shift. Robots also help reduce errors in order fulfilment by automating repetitive tasks such as picking and packing.

Robots speed up warehousing

Warehouse robots in use today range from compact autonomous mobile robots to large-scale automated storage and retrieval systems. Their use reduces the amount of time required to move goods and they can handle heavy loads and dangerous materials without putting human workers at risk.

Professional service robots are booming

The benefits of robots for transportation and logistics are documented by latest statistics: on a global scale, more professional service robots were built for the transportation of goods or cargo than for any other function. Sales grew by 44% with more than 86,000 units sold in 2022 worldwide, IFR reports.

Workplaces of the future

“Regulations of overtime work and the demographic change will require the adoption of automation technology in many branches of the Japanese economy,” says Takayuki Ito. “The challenges of the trucking industry are good examples to show how robotics and automation deliver adequate solutions for our workplaces of the future.”

The International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad as one of the largest robot exhibitions in the world:

52 Rigids and 3 Double Deck Trailers

Posted on by David Priestman

Johnsons Hotel Linen, one of the UK’s largest hotel laundry hire and service providers, has begun introducing to its fleet fifty-two rigids and three fixed double decks manufactured by Tiger Trailers, with an emphasis on durability to meet its demanding operations.

Following a visit to Cheshire-based Tiger Trailers’ purpose-built facility in 2022 by Leigh Anscombe, Johnsons’ National Transport Manager, the order for the trailers was placed initially, with the first delivered in October 2023, during which time the first twenty 18-tonne rigids were also manufactured.

Anscombe comments: “From our first introduction to Ignacio and Tiger Trailers we were impressed with the setup of the business and the attention we received as a potential customer. This has continued since placing numerous large orders through Tiger Trailers, with communication from Ignacio being fantastic and constantly keeping us aware of the situation and any changes. Issues that were encountered along the way and could have potentially arisen were communicated, headed off and dealt with before becoming a problem because of this.”

“The first batch of vehicles have been on our fleet for close to six months now during our busiest period and show no signs of wear and tear. This is what we would expect from a company such as Tiger and feel it is reflected in the overall finish and build quality of the product and service we have received”, he adds.

Due to the intense operation, strength was a primary requirement when identifying a supplier for the new fleet additions, and Johnsons’ Tiger-built rigids and trailers have been tailored with this in mind, each featuring Anchorfix steel plates impregnated within their GRP-faced sidewalls to provide enhanced protection for the load securing tracks, mitigating damage from frequent cage loading.
The initial twenty rigids are based on DAF LF 4×2 chassis and their specification includes a bespoke aerodynamic kit and a rear-sloping roofline for improved air flow, a full-closure Dhollandia 1,500kg cantilever tail-lift, and ventilators in the roof to combat damp laundry loads. Three different full-print liveries were applied across these vehicles, which have entered service throughout Johnsons’ nationwide fleet.

Tiger’s double deck solution comes in tri-axle box van step-frame guise, with these trailers providing support to the laundry specialist’s rigid fleet and regional hubs by transporting up to 74 cages during times of peak demand. The neck of the trailer offers additional storage space for loose laundry items, aided by an internal tail-lift. The fixed full-length upper deck is rated at 10,000kg and is constructed of steel overlaid with phenolic floor, with a steel durbar crash plate at the rear. The reversing spot lamps on each side have been fitted at a 45-degree offset behind the rear axle to elevate safety and visibility during low-speed manoeuvring around yards and hotel car parks. Completing the trailers’ specification is a gated Dhollandia 2500kg twin-tier column tail-lift.

Iggy Torres-Manzi, Tiger Trailers’ Technical Sales Manager, comments: “Tiger and myself are proud to have both brought on a new customer, and manufactured Johnsons’ latest fleet additions – it’s always exciting to develop two different products for a customer. The durability enhancements we have incorporated are sure to result in these new rigids and trailers becoming invaluable assets in their network, and they look fantastic in the company’s iconic blue, complemented by the different full-print wraps. It’s been a pleasure to work with Leigh, and we look forward to supporting the customer going forward, through the delivery of their future orders and beyond.”

Johnsons Hotel Linen’s additional thirty-two Tiger rigids will be introduced to the operator’s fleet in Spring 2024, comprised of sixteen DAF and sixteen Mercedes-Benz Trucks chassis. Tiger is also manufacturing a brace of 7.5-tonne rigids for the laundry specialist’s Northern Ireland operation.

 

52 Rigids and 3 Double Deck Trailers

Posted on by David Priestman

Johnsons Hotel Linen, one of the UK’s largest hotel laundry hire and service providers, has begun introducing to its fleet fifty-two rigids and three fixed double decks manufactured by Tiger Trailers, with an emphasis on durability to meet its demanding operations.

Following a visit to Cheshire-based Tiger Trailers’ purpose-built facility in 2022 by Leigh Anscombe, Johnsons’ National Transport Manager, the order for the trailers was placed initially, with the first delivered in October 2023, during which time the first twenty 18-tonne rigids were also manufactured.

Anscombe comments: “From our first introduction to Ignacio and Tiger Trailers we were impressed with the setup of the business and the attention we received as a potential customer. This has continued since placing numerous large orders through Tiger Trailers, with communication from Ignacio being fantastic and constantly keeping us aware of the situation and any changes. Issues that were encountered along the way and could have potentially arisen were communicated, headed off and dealt with before becoming a problem because of this.”

“The first batch of vehicles have been on our fleet for close to six months now during our busiest period and show no signs of wear and tear. This is what we would expect from a company such as Tiger and feel it is reflected in the overall finish and build quality of the product and service we have received”, he adds.

Due to the intense operation, strength was a primary requirement when identifying a supplier for the new fleet additions, and Johnsons’ Tiger-built rigids and trailers have been tailored with this in mind, each featuring Anchorfix steel plates impregnated within their GRP-faced sidewalls to provide enhanced protection for the load securing tracks, mitigating damage from frequent cage loading.
The initial twenty rigids are based on DAF LF 4×2 chassis and their specification includes a bespoke aerodynamic kit and a rear-sloping roofline for improved air flow, a full-closure Dhollandia 1,500kg cantilever tail-lift, and ventilators in the roof to combat damp laundry loads. Three different full-print liveries were applied across these vehicles, which have entered service throughout Johnsons’ nationwide fleet.

Tiger’s double deck solution comes in tri-axle box van step-frame guise, with these trailers providing support to the laundry specialist’s rigid fleet and regional hubs by transporting up to 74 cages during times of peak demand. The neck of the trailer offers additional storage space for loose laundry items, aided by an internal tail-lift. The fixed full-length upper deck is rated at 10,000kg and is constructed of steel overlaid with phenolic floor, with a steel durbar crash plate at the rear. The reversing spot lamps on each side have been fitted at a 45-degree offset behind the rear axle to elevate safety and visibility during low-speed manoeuvring around yards and hotel car parks. Completing the trailers’ specification is a gated Dhollandia 2500kg twin-tier column tail-lift.

Iggy Torres-Manzi, Tiger Trailers’ Technical Sales Manager, comments: “Tiger and myself are proud to have both brought on a new customer, and manufactured Johnsons’ latest fleet additions – it’s always exciting to develop two different products for a customer. The durability enhancements we have incorporated are sure to result in these new rigids and trailers becoming invaluable assets in their network, and they look fantastic in the company’s iconic blue, complemented by the different full-print wraps. It’s been a pleasure to work with Leigh, and we look forward to supporting the customer going forward, through the delivery of their future orders and beyond.”

Johnsons Hotel Linen’s additional thirty-two Tiger rigids will be introduced to the operator’s fleet in Spring 2024, comprised of sixteen DAF and sixteen Mercedes-Benz Trucks chassis. Tiger is also manufacturing a brace of 7.5-tonne rigids for the laundry specialist’s Northern Ireland operation.

 

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