PALLET NETWORKS\\\


Pallet-Track has opened a new distribution hub north of London to reduce pressure on its Midlands distribution centre - and cut half a million miles per year from its members’ journeys.


has


Pallet-Track, which now 80 member


companies,


has developed the 100,000sq ſt hub at a former Weetabix factory


in Welwyn International


specialists reaps network benefits


Garden City, Hertfordshire close to the


A1/M1 corridor. Operated by shareholder member PW Gates, it will ship consignments directly into the Capital and surrounding boroughs rather than via the 267,000 sq ſt distribution hub in Wolverhampton. It is already handling an


average of 550 pallets per night. Pallet-Track plans to reduce the capacity in Wolverhampton which recently reported a record


Issue 1 2015 - Freight Business Journal New London hub boosts Pallet-Track capacity


10,000 pallets in a single evening, compared to the 852 that passed through the site on its first night of operation in 2004. Managing director Nigel Parkes,


said: “It allows for increased capacity back in the Midlands at a time that the whole network is growing at a dramatic rate. For example, we have recently signed a deal with Hellmann Global Logistics for European movement


which has started in terms of UK in-bound business, and will commence its full continental movement in 2015. “Pallet-Track has grown up


in the Midlands, and we are now ready for the next step in our development of having a southern hub that complements our existing offering and allows faster delivery from the coast to the London and South East


27


markets. This has been more than 18 months of planning. This presents a great opportunity for us because London takes a large percentage of our traffic and the new hub provides an added bonus to the business.”


Temperature controlled specialist and freight forwarder Kingbrook has joined the Fortec Distribution Network. Kingbrook will collect and deliver within a 40-mile radius of its base on the outskirts of Dover and, at the same time, European hauliers and customers can pick up goods and consolidate them in Kingbrook’s warehouse, less than five miles from the port. Kingbrook general manager,


Mathew King, said: “It’s a completely new venture for us, working solely in the UK with these vehicles and it allows us to offer something a bit different from everyone else in the market. Fortec gives us the ability to deliver to or pick up from the whole country, and at the same time it gives our forwarding partners more options.” Mr King sees joining a UK pallet


network as “complementary to our existing international air, sea and road freight business. For example, we had some pallets a couple of weeks ago that went to Serbia; they were picked up by us through Fortec and went abroad on one of our other trucks.” Kingbrook’s road network


stretches well beyond western Europe to Eastern Europe, Russia and even parts of the Middle East like Iran and Iraq. It also has a sister company, Heritage International Transport, which specialises in refrigerated transport road operations. Kingbrook also has three satellite offices – in Wakefield; Ploiesti, Romania and


Tarbes in the South of France. Fortec is owned by French


forwarder Geodis, whose Calberson arm has an extensive French network, King points out. “This would certainly be of interest to us. France is not always an easy country to serve, but Calberson has got a good network covering the whole country.” Kingbrook’s strengths include


its network of partners in Eastern Europe and the Middle East; it regularly handles traffic for places like Iran and Iraq. It is also has done a lot of business to and from Russia and while there is still uncertainty in this market, King is confident that it will return eventually. Midlands logistics firm


Masterfreight has also joined the Fortec Distribution Network, adding palletised collections and deliveries to its range of services. The family-run firm, which has


a 110,000 square foot warehouse in Oldbury, specialises in freight forwarding, export packing, UK, Ireland and European road transport, receiving imported goods from all parts of the world and exporting goods abroad. It also works closely with two


other companies owned by the same family and based at the same site: haulage firm Alpha Transport Services and shipping container storage company Central Container Services. Masterfreight has six purpose built dock level loading bays and overhead cranes able to handle up to 10 tonnes.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32