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Tag: courier

Packfleet and Who Gives A Crap ship over 9m rolls

Posted on by David Priestman

All-electric courier Packfleet and Who Gives A Crap have ended crappy deliveries for Londoners, with over nine million toilet rolls delivered across the capital. 

It’s not just customers that are benefitting, it’s the planet too, with the brand saving approximately 54,500kg of carbon emissions thanks to Packfleet’s ultra-efficient, all-electric fleet.

These figures will only continue to increase, with Packfleet on course to ship over 10 million rolls by the end of 2024.

From working with Packfleet alone, Who Gives A Crap is set to reduce the total carbon emitted by its UK-EU region by 0.6%.

To mark the new partnership, the Who Gives A Crap team recently became Packfleet delivery drivers for the day – bringing ‘random acts of crappiness’ directly to customers’ doorsteps.

Londoners were treated to free cupcakes alongside their toilet roll, with furry friends being offered branded dog biscuits.

As a result of the partnership, Who Gives A Crap has seen a 25% drop in customer queries on the whereabouts of their orders, thanks to the introduction of Packfleet’s transparent, user-friendly recipient experience.

Packfleet’s delivery failure rate is 10x less than traditional couriers, resulting in over 98% of Who Gives A Crap customers receiving their bog roll on time – an over 4% improvement on the UK industry average – cutting down on resource-intensive redeliveries.

The two B Corp certified brands teamed up in October 2023, and have been disrupting their respective sectors together ever since.

Tristan Thomas, CEO of Packfleet, said: “We’ve achieved a lot in the short time Packfleet has been working with Who Gives A Crap, with both customers and the environment seeing the upshot. 

“Our close relationship with the Who Gives A Crap team has allowed us to do some amazing work, including letting them experience what it’s like to be a Packfleet driver first hand. 

“Whilst we can’t promise to deliver toilet rolls directly to the bathroom door, we are confident we can maintain the high standard we’ve achieved and continue to put a stop to crappy deliveries.” 

Phillipa Taylor, Head of European Supply Chain at Who Gives A Crap, added: “We chose to work with Packfleet due to their carbon neutral deliveries, tech platform and customer focus.

“Deliver and Delight is one of our core values at Who Gives A Crap. Packfleet have consistently lived up to this, with reliable and excellent service, week in, week out – driving down our customer tickets. 

“The Packfleet team continually comes to the table with proactive ideas and opportunities on how we can further improve our customer experience. 

“Surprising our customers on delivery day was a real highlight for us. We couldn’t have done this without Packfleet’s trust and cooperation. They have been great to work with and have enabled us to get closer to our customer experience. Thank you, Packfleet.”

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UPS and FedEx Deliverability Rates Drop Significantly

Posted on by Will Priestman

Aggressive discounting by UPS and FedEx during Q3 2024 lowered ground delivery rates to their lowest since 2021, according to the TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index. While this benefits large shippers with reduced costs, it may have implications for service quality and deliverability. Logistics experts caution that as carriers continue to cut prices, maintaining operational efficiency and speed could become a challenge, potentially affecting delivery times, especially for smaller customers who receive fewer discounts and may face delays.

Larger Discounts for Big Shippers

The data revealed that the most significant discounts were granted to high-volume customers, indicating a strategic push by the two delivery giants to lock in large accounts during a period of intense competition. As e-commerce continues to grow and consumer expectations for fast, affordable delivery rise, companies like UPS and FedEx have been forced to find ways to meet demand while protecting their market share. By offering more substantial discounts to larger shippers, they aim to retain key business clients in a highly competitive environment.

Broader Market Implications

This trend has broader implications for the logistics industry. The price war between UPS and FedEx signals a potentially long-term shift in how carriers price their services, particularly as global supply chain pressures and inflationary forces continue to affect operations. Despite cost-saving measures, including automation and logistics infrastructure improvements, the significant rate reductions may challenge carrier profitability if such discounts continue.

The question now is how long these aggressive pricing strategies can persist. While large customers are benefiting, smaller businesses may need to explore alternative options as their savings remain limited. Carriers will need to strike a balance between offering competitive rates and maintaining financial sustainability as the shipping landscape evolves.

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New Nespresso Partner for All-Electric Deliveries in London

Posted on by David Priestman

Nespresso has partnered with logistics company HIVED to introduce fully electric deliveries in London. The collaboration is expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 76% per parcel, saving 10,000 kilograms of CO₂ monthly while handling 60,000 deliveries. Nespresso’s goal is to provide an “elevated, seamless, and sustainable” experience, with HIVED offering a 99% first-time delivery success rate.

“As HIVED continues to expand its operations across London and beyond, this partnership is a great example of how HIVED can support major brands like Nespresso through its fast, reliable, and uncomplicated delivery experience for customers,” said a representative from HIVED. Nespresso added, “We want to make sure every delivery is elevated, seamless, and as sustainable as possible, which is why HIVED is the perfect partner to help us achieve this ambition.”

Growing Trend in Sustainable Logistics

This collaboration highlights the growing industry shift toward eco-conscious logistics. Leading companies like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx are also embracing electric fleets to meet consumer demands for greener services. Nespresso and HIVED’s initiative aligns with these developments, helping reduce emissions while maintaining high service quality.

A Blueprint for the Future of Deliveries

HIVED’s operational success—coupled with its environmental commitment—demonstrates how logistics providers can drive positive change. As the logistics industry undergoes transformation, this partnership serves as a model for how brands can collaborate with innovative providers to cut carbon emissions while ensuring excellent service.

The future of logistics is clearly leaning towards more sustainable solutions, and this partnership represents one of many steps companies are taking to create greener supply chains. Through efforts like this, Nespresso, alongside other industry leaders, is shaping the future of sustainable delivery services globally.

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UPS Opens 3 new DCs in Puglia

Posted on by Keith McKinley

UPS has announced the opening of three new Italian logistics centres in the provinces of Bari, Taranto and Lecce, representing 10,000 m2 to support SMEs and Made in Italy exports in the south of the country.

UPS’s announcement is part of its strategy to strengthen its network to give local businesses greater access to the most profitable export markets, not only in Europe and the United States, but also in emerging economies in Asia. Exports from Puglia region saw an increase of 14.8% in 2022 compared to the previous year, in particular 21.9% towards non-EU countries, exceeding the value of 10 billion euros for the first time since 2000.

One year after the inauguration of the new gateway in Bergamo, with the opening of three new facilities in Puglia, UPS continues to strengthen its widespread presence throughout the peninsula to support the exports of SMEs, the backbone of the country’s economy. In particular it intends to facilitate the exports of local high-quality products so that they can take full advantage of business opportunities across the border – estimated by ICE at 4.8 billion Euros.

The centres of Bari, Taranto and Lecce are located in a strategic position and will allow UPS to offer reliable and timely service to these areas. Now fully operational, they are ready to manage the increase in shipments linked to the 2023 holiday period, also supporting e-commerce and digital exports, a growth lever for business internationalisation.

In parallel with the expansion of the network of operational structures, UPS continues to extend the UPS Access Point network with more than 34,000 collection locations in Europe, of which 4,700 in Italy and approximately 250 in Puglia alone. Deliveries to these points allow saving up to 33% of carbon emissions compared to traditional ones to satisfy the growing demand for greener deliveries from responsible online consumers.

Francisco Conejo, country manager, UPS Italy, said: “UPS has been working alongside Italian companies for over thirty years with logistics services capable of satisfying companies’ aspiration to be global. Strengthening our network and optimizing operations so that SMEs in the South can focus on their core business confirms our confidence in the prospects of the local economy.’’

Transport to and from Greece and Cyprus

Posted on by David Priestman

EURODIS, a network for the joint international transport of parcels and pallets, has gained the Greek express service Geniki Taxydromiki as a new partner. “This brings the number of countries served by our network to 38,” says Jens Reibold, Managing Director of EURODIS GmbH. “The family-run company serves not only Greece but also the Greek-speaking part of Cyprus for our customers.”

The new partner is headed by twin sisters Nadia and Eva Varzakakou, who have been in business for 20 years. They took over the company from their father Panagiotis Varzakakos, who founded it in 1994. “Geniki is active in our core business of combined freight, transporting parcel and pallet in one shipment, and meets all EURODIS processes and quality standards,” Reibold says. “In addition, Geniki takes on hazardous goods in limited quantities, delivers both B2B and B2C shipments, and also has a whole range of interesting specialties.”

E-commerce: Geniki operates online marketplace and logistics from a single source

The company’s central hub and headquarters are located in Athens on 30,000 square meters of space. There are regional hubs in Thessaloniki and five other locations. In total, Geniki operates 330 stations in Greece. This number is expected to increase by 15 by the end of the year. Some of the stations are local delivery and pick-up bases, while others are pure pick-up and drop-off stations (pudos) that Geniki uses for its online marketplace. Via its Internet platform ebloko.gr, Geniki sells a wide variety of products ranging from cosmetics and household goods to electronics. Customers can have the goods delivered to their homes via Geniki or pick them up and return them at the pudos.

The company’s customer list includes well-known names as cosmetics brand Avon, German corporations Bayer, BMW and Bosch, sporting goods retailer Decathlon, DIY chain Praktiker, textile giant Inditex (Zara) and insurance group Ergo. In the last four years, Geniki has increased its sales from 66 to 96 million euros and its gross profit from 8 to 12.4 million.

Almost every second shipment is cash on delivery

Another special feature of the Greek express service Geniki Taxydromiki is the very high proportion of cash on delivery (COD) shipments (48 percent). With an average of 120,000 shipments delivered by Geniki every day, that’s more than 55,000 COD shipments per day.

The average shipment weight at Geniki is 1.4 kilos, which is due to a high number of relatively small shipments. Therefore, the company uses 550 motorcycles in addition to 70 trucks and 750 vans. In June, Geniki Taxydromiki purchased 20 all-electric delivery vehicles. 13 minivans and 2 electric scooters are being used at selected stations throughout Greece. Five vehicles went to a station in Athens, which is to be developed into the first completely ‘green delivery depot’.

 

London Light Freight Walking Trial

Posted on by David Priestman

Cross River Partnership (CRP), a non-profit and impartial partnership organisation, is excited to have launched the London Light Freight Walking Trial; UPS’s first walking freight trial on public land. This forms part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London project.

CRP has been working with The Fitzrovia Partnership, London Borough of Camden, UPS and Heal’s to bring this trial to life, which officially began on Friday 5th May. The trial serves last-mile deliveries and will support the reduction of emissions and congestion in Fitzrovia.

Walking freight is a mode of logistics where foot-based porters play a key role in deliveries and collections. Overall kilometres travelled by light goods vehicles (LGVs) could be reduced by up to 0.4% across Greater London (i.e. one in every 250 kilometres) if walking freight was expanded to its full potential in the CAZ (Central Activities Zone). (CRP’s Walking Freight Feasibility Study, May 2022).

The economic benefits of walking freight are estimated to be at least £37 million per year, due to decongestion, decarbonisation, improved air quality, minimise noise pollution and reduced road wear.

According to Defra’s Emission Factors Toolkit (EFT), we estimate that expanding walking freight could reduce London’s carbon emissions by 4.7 kilo-tonnes per year. UPS is conducting the e-walker trial in Fitzrovia daily, delivering packages to local residents and businesses on foot utilising an electric-assisted trolley developed by Fernhay. This trial runs until September 2024.

CRP is unlocking potential and transforming space across the logistics sector in London, to deliver solutions that make London fairer, greener and safer. The London Light Freight Walking Trial supports CRP’s vision to make London a better place to live, work and visit. CRP will be monitoring the impacts of the trial with UPS’s data from the pilot. We want to prove walking freight as a model and encourage more logistics operators to look into walking freight feasibility.

A Camden Council spokesperson said “This innovative trial with e-walker trolleys is a further example of how the council is embracing new technology and approaches to reduce motor vehicle traffic and the related air pollution, in line with its transport policies. The e-walkers allow for the prompt delivery of packages to the residents and businesses of Fitzrovia without the associated increase in traffic in this busy area of the borough.”

Mick Atkinson, Head of Environment and Place, The Fitzrovia Partnership, said “We’re delighted that Fitzrovia is being used as a trial for UPS’s first walking freight trial on public land. The demand for next-day deliveries is now a part of life and programmes that reduce the environmental impact of the cost of doing business are fully supported by The Fitzrovia Partnership and its’ business community. This exciting initiative changes the nature of deliveries to minimise their impact on the environment by reducing congestion and emissions on Fitzrovia’s streets.”

Artur Drenk, International Sustainability Director, UPS, said “We are continuing to expand our alternative fuel fleet as we work towards reducing emissions per package. We are excited to introduce the electric-assisted walkers, developed by Fernhay, to the streets of Fitzrovia as part of our efforts to serve our customers in urban areas in a more sustainable way.”

Fiona Coull, Senior Programme Manager, Cross River Partnership, said “Walking freight has real potential to reduce congestion and improve air quality, particularly in central, high density locations such as Fitzrovia. We look forward to understanding the impacts of the trial, as it’s really important to explore these innovative logistics solutions and share any learnings gained.”

DPD Launches new EcoLab

Posted on by David Priestman

DPD is looking for companies that specialise in sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emissions in transport, delivery, and buildings for their first EcoLab.

DPD is partnering with L Marks to launch an EcoLab to discover additional sustainable solutions for their business. This initiative will be centered around carbon reduction in transport, delivery, and buildings, with the goal of minimising DPD’s environmental impact. The EcoLab will bring together experts in sustainability, technology, and innovation to develop and test new ideas that can help DPD further reduce its carbon footprint. This partnership is a key step towards DPD’s goal of reaching net zero by 2040.

Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability DPDgroup UK commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with L Marks to launch this EcoLab. The project will play a key part in shaping our sustainability strategy and helping achieve our stated aim of being the most sustainable parcel delivery company in the UK. Investing in and developing new sustainable technologies and innovations is crucial in the next few years to ensure we can reach net zero, and partnering with experts in this way can accelerate that progress.”

L Marks will scout and identify businesses to apply for a unique opportunity to take their innovative ideas to the next level. The EcoLab will be a ten-week immersive programme where participants will have the opportunity to validate their solutions, access to DPD’s network and resources, and mentorship from industry experts.

Applications open on the 12th of June 2023 seeking to solutions in the following areas:

Carbon Emission Reduction in Transport: Fleet Decarbonisation
DPD has over 1,000 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) operating on the roads across the UK every day. DPD has greatly improved their HGVs’ environmental impact but wants to reduce their fleet’s carbon footprint further. The company is looking for solutions around alternative fuel sources, electric batteries and alternative delivery methods.

Carbon Emission Reduction in Collection & Delivery
In order to be the UK’s most sustainable delivery company, DPD is investing heavily in their all-electric delivery fleet, which currently consists of 3,000 electric vehicles in their operation’s Collection and Delivery area. DPD is looking for solutions to make driving electric vehicles easier for drivers. Solutions may include EV charging stations and alternative electric vehicles.

Carbon Emission Reduction in Buildings: ‘Hub of the Future’
DPD operates across a network of more than 100 buildings, including depots, hubs, and offices. As this number is constantly growing, reducing the carbon footprint of these buildings and the operations that take place within them is essential. DPD wants to find the leading solutions and innovations that can be retrofitted into their current depots and/or installed in their future depots.

Looking further out, DPD is also looking to design and build depots in the ‘greenest’ way possible moving forward.

“We are excited to be working with DPD on this important initiative,” said Daniel Saunders, CEO of L Marks. “The EcoLab is a testament to DPD’s commitment to sustainability and their willingness to embrace new ideas and technologies to achieve their goals. As the world becomes more conscious of the impact of carbon emissions, companies like DPD are leading the way in finding innovative solutions that safeguard the planet for future generations”.
Applications will close on 16/07/23.

DPD UK announces acquisition of CitySprint

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DPD UK, part of DPDgroup, one of Europe’s largest parcel delivery networks and CitySprint, a UK same day delivery company, today announce that CitySprint will become part of DPDgroup, subject to regulatory clearance.

This follows a period of growth for CitySprint, which has seen continued demand for its services as businesses require more urgent and time critical same day deliveries. Once completed, DPD UK’s customers will be able to access CitySprint’s same day and specialist delivery services in the UK, while CitySprint will be able to offer its customers access to DPD UK’s domestic next day and international expertise.

The existing CitySprint leadership team will remain in place. Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, commented:

“Same day delivery is one of the fastest growing segments of the logistics market and so we are delighted to announce the intention to offer this new and exciting service to our customer offering. Even before the pandemic, demand for both next day and same day deliveries was soaring, and this trend has only escalated, something which we see continuing. DPD UK is already a market-leader, and once this acquisition completes, our position in the market will be strengthened further.”

Gary West, CEO of CitySprint, commented:

“We are pleased to be joining DPDgroup and excited about the new opportunities for growth this will bring. Our two businesses are experts in their respective fields, with very complementary offers. This move is testament to both the continued strong demand for same day delivery and our successful growth strategy. We look forward to working with DPDgroup to explore new opportunities for our same day expertise and services.”

CitySprint supports businesses across the UK with a range of delivery solutions, including same day, bespoke logistics design and specialist services for key sectors such as retail and healthcare. Its unique national same day delivery network comprises 30+ service centres across the UK with geographical reach to over 88% of the mainland population within 60 minutes.

This transaction is subject to approval by the Competition and Markets Authority and is expected to complete later this year. No further financials will be disclosed at this juncture.

Crown Couriers rebrands

Posted on by David Priestman

National logistics provider, Crown Couriers, has rebranded to Crown SDS (Service Delivery Solutions).

The rebrand marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey as it approaches its fourth decade in the logistics sector. The change of name and look follows a review of its services and better reflects the last-mile delivery, supply chain solutions and bespoke services the organisation provides to the 3PL sector.

Established in 1990, Crown SDS says it has been leading the way in bespoke same day solutions for over 30 years. In that time, the organisation has diversified its logistical services to ensure it is able to meet head-on the changing needs of the 3PL sector and is committed to investing in technologies at the forefront of the industry.

Steve Rushton, Director and General Manager of Crown SDS, said: “The rebrand to Crown SDS represents the next step in the company’s evolution and demonstrates our active adaption to meet the needs of our clients.

“The requirements of a modern-day logistics operator advances far beyond the standard A to B journey, and our bespoke supply chain solutions have allowed us to continually support our customers.

“With the intensified demand for rapid and reliable delivery services across the UK triggered by the pandemic, Crown has been proud to support businesses to help them pandemic-proof their supply chain solutions. We look towards a promising future.”

Making the evolution from courier to service delivery solutions, the brand has modernised its look with a brand-new logo and website to signify the spectrum of bespoke services that Crown SDS can offer to customers.

Since operations first began, the company has greatly expanded and now supports a grey fleet of over 2,000 nationwide drivers.

Its partnerships within the logistics and distribution sector have been developed through 30 years of industry experience and the ability to create flexible and bespoke solutions across the supply chain, including warehousing, 3PL, distribution and pick and pack.

For intricate solutions within the logistics service, Crown SDS offers an extensive network of vans and a national transportation and warehousing service. Support for 3PL services ranges from ad hoc support, supplying additional vehicles during busy periods and full same-day delivery solutions.

Coupled with a passion for innovation, Crown SDS has successfully developed a service that can be adapted to meet the unique requirements of each customer, and completes over 9,000 jobs a week.

Accumulating a total of £32million in annual sales across 2020, Crown is home to over 90 staff and works with over 2000 drivers, investing in people and technology to ensure a seamless delivery service for its range of clients.

Courier Moves into new Birmingham Warehouse

Posted on by David Priestman

CitySprint, which has been operational in Birmingham for over a decade, has today announced the relocation of their local business to a new site — located at Unit 59-61 Melchett Road, Kings Norton Business Park, B30 3HP. The new site boasts 14,000 sq/ft of warehousing space — a 300% increase in storage capacity compared to their old Birmingham location. The warehouse is enabled with CitySprint’s cutting edge warehouse management software to support businesses with their local and national growth requirements.

The relocation also means that CitySprint — whose business includes a healthcare logistics arm, CitySprint Health — is now located closer to major Birmingham hospitals and healthcare facilities. This will enable them to better help their existing healthcare clients, create new healthcare opportunities and support the growing demand for healthcare logistics and supply chain needs across the Midlands.

The wide range of vehicles – including small and large vans, transits and lutons – available at the Birmingham location also means CitySprint is in a prime position to support local businesses, no matter their needs. Not only this; understanding the importance of low-emissions vehicles, CitySprint’s fleet also includes an electric van, which has travelled 4,907 green miles since December 2020, whilst completing work across almost all sectors. The new site has been fitted with e-charging facilities to support the growing demand for zero-emission delivery solutions as the region moves closer to the launch of the Birmingham Clean Air Zone in June 2021.

Alongside the launch of the new site, CitySprint are also investing in local talent and are looking to recruit across courier and sales roles. In fact, in the first six weeks of 2021, CitySprint has seen Birmingham website traffic up by approximately 40%, with courier applications increasing 300% compared with the same period in 2020, showing great demand for positions in the area.

Mark Philipson, CitySprint’s Regional Manager for the Midlands commented: “For over 10 years we have been working in the Birmingham area — always looking to provide the best possible delivery experience to our customers from start to finish. Our new warehouse location, combined with our local knowledge, experience and expertise, will help us deliver a fast, flexible and convenient service to our clients in the Midlands which, in turn, will enable them to better meet the needs of their customers. It will also mean we’re in the best position possible to help our traditional customer base as they unwind from lockdown and requirements increase from manufacturers shipping parts and priority documents for city centre professional services companies.”

In recent months CitySprint has seen increased demand from local businesses like fresh produce providers and high-end restaurants, alongside IT relocation services where colleagues are moving between home and office. And as businesses continue to pivot and work in new ways in response to the global pandemic, this expanded local offering will give them the logistics support they need.

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