News release;  Thursday, June 24th 2010 

IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Members headed to the capital to play their part in a celebration to recognise the winners and achievements from the 87 member depots. The event, which took the theme of ‘South African Dream’ in a nod to the world cup, recognised the ethos of team work and success.

Over 300 people from member depots across the UK attended the event at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, London, on Saturday, June 19.

Networkers of the Year

Sales & Marketing Award - Evans Transport

Members Service Committe Award - Alan Firmin Ltd

New Member Award - Stones Distribution

Special Recognition Award - Leonard Bassett, RG Bassett & Sons

Members Depot of the Year - Joint winers, Chambers & Cook Freight & Online Roadways

Palletforce Depot of the Year, The Robert Bedford Award - Joint Winners, Baynes & Son Haulage & Edwin C Farrall Transport

Press Release:  Friday, June 11th, 2010 

ONE of Hereford’s most respected transport companies has announced a partnership with the highly successful Palletforce network. Mike Brookes Transport became a shareholder member of the award-winning network on June 1 in what is a major step forward for the family-run company.

The partnership means that Mike Brookes Transport becomes a member of the UK’s leading palletised distribution network – which has the biggest and most modern facilities available, including a £30million Distribution Hub recently opened by HRH The Princess Royal.

Allison Brookes, office manager for Mike Brookes Transport, said: “This is great news for our company and customers as we can offer a much wider range of services – while still holding true to delivering a quality service. “This announcement has also allowed us to create additional jobs, which are important for the area and help us contribute to the local economy.”

Only the country’s best transport companies are invited to join the Palletforce network and the move underlines Mike Brookes Transport’s reputation as a quality player in goods delivery.

The company, based at Thorn Business Park in Hereford, already offers a comprehensive distribution service, with a fleet of 28 trucks including specialist crane lorries suitable for transporting large, bulky items such as storage containers.

Becoming a member of Palletforce also allows the company to give a high quality service on flexible smaller loads transported by pallet.

The Palletforce pallet network is simple: a number of highly-respected transport companies work together – in a sort of delivery ‘swap shop’. By working together using a central Hub, each freight company member can deliver their goods ‘half way’ to the Hub – and then pick up goods from other hauliers for returning back to base. Working smarter in this way cuts down on the number of trucks returning to their bases with ‘empty loads’. It also reduces unnecessary journey times and fuel costs, and is a greener, more efficient way of working.

Allison Brookes added: “By joining Palletforce, we are combining forces with nearly 100 of the UK’s top transport firms – and this allows us to take our service to an even higher level. “We can now attract even more customers with more complex transport needs, including delivery across the UK, Ireland and Europe.”

Michael Conroy, CEO of Palletforce, said: “We are looking forward to working with Mike Brookes Transport as a valued Palletforce member. “Our ethos is to ‘work with the best’ and Mike Brookes Transport is a perfect fit within our network. They bring many years of experience.”

News release: Tuesday 18th May, 2010

PD Ports, the operator of North East port, Teesport, has been crowned as the ‘Most Outstanding Service Carrier of the Year’ in 2009 by leading UK retailer, ASDA, at its annual National Carrier of the Year awards ceremony.

The award was won by PD Ports for its Logical Link service - a coastal feeder container shipping service offering a next day connection between Felixstowe in the south of England and Teesport in the north, which runs three days per week.

ASDA has used the Logical Link service since it launched in January 2009, to ship goods destined for its northern markets into Teesport, where the retailer operates a 360,000ft distribution centre.    

In its first year of operation, the Logical Link service reached its goal of reducing operational costs for customers and minimising the adverse impact that road transport has on the environment.

ASDA, which opened the first portcentric import centre at Teesport in 2006, has now considerably reduced the volume of company trucks on the already over-burdened UK road network. This has led to a saving of over 1,265,459 road miles.  That’s enough to make almost three trips to the moon and back. 

Alex Linton, ASDA’s supply chain operations manager, commented: “PD Ports’ innovation in the development of the Logical Link concept and the subsequent efficiency in the management of the service were key factors in winning this award.

“The continued improvement and solid performance in PD Ports’ transport business,   PD Logistics, provided a further rationale for judging the company to merit this award.”

Jerry Hopkinson, PD Ports’ md, bulks, ports & logistics, said: “We are delighted to have been named as ASDA’s outstanding service carrier of the year as a result of the success we have seen with the Logical Link service. 

“There is without doubt, a continued and vital need to reduce the amount of freight transported by road from southern UK ports but which is destined for the north of the UK.  This award further cements the benefits our customers can achieve through the Logical Link service.”

Press release: Tuesday 27th April, 2010 
                                         
Palletforce, one of the UK palletised distribution network, has been honoured with a prestigious Gold Award from RoSPA – the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

 The network has been given the award for its dedication to health & safety in the workplace. “This award is a massive achievement for Palletforce and our network, and reflects the huge importance placed on good practices within our organisation,” said Palletforce’s health, safety, quality and facilities manager, John Rothery. Michael Conroy, chief executive of Palletforce, added: “Health and safety is of paramount importance to us – whether within our fantastic new distribution Hub, or while vehicles are on the roads. This award underlines our commitment to being the best in all aspects of our operation and I would like to congratulate everyone at Palletforce who has contributed to this outstanding achievement.”                              

To qualify Palletforce had to prove it is committed to excellence in health & safety and that it has a good management system in place. The award is based on individual occupational health & safety performance and required evidence of good practices which were assessed by NEBOSH judging criteria - The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety & Health, which is the leading health & safety professional examining body. The awards are graded at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels to mark achievement.

John Rothery - Health, Safety, Quality & Facilities Manager

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “Palletforce has shown a commitment to protecting the health and well-being of its employees and others. Organisations which do this deserve to have such dedication recognised and that’s where the RoSPA Awards come in. As well as there being clear ethical reasons and legal requirements for good health & safety management, there is also a strong business case. RoSPA is delighted to publicly honour organisations which have demonstrated their work to improve performance in this sphere.”

The Palletforce award will be presented at a ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, at the National Exhibition Centre, in May. The ceremony will take place alongside Safety and Health Expo 2010, Europe’s leading annual health & safety exhibition.

Over the past year some of Palletforce’s developments have included the opening a state-of-the-art distribution Hub in Burton-upon-Trent, helping to develop a new safety trailer and using cutting-edge technology to scan and weigh goods.

News; Tuesday 20th April, 2010  

PALLETFORCE has been busy promoting its award-winning brand at a major transport show at the NEC in Birmingham.

The Commercial Vehicle Operator Show proved a fantastic opportunity to put Palletforce in front of thousands of leading industry specialists over the three days.

Our staff were pleased to meet with many of our current members as well as several prospective new members, who came to visit us on our eye-catching stand, which included our new state of the art safety trailer and Palletforce branded rally car – as driven by rally star John McCrone.

We where also featured on Road TRansports webcast from the show - Click here  

The CV Show marks the start of a busy time for the network who will also be exhibiting at the Mail and Express delivery show, in London.