PALLETFORCE

PALLETFORCE, the award-winning palletised freight network, has successfully completed a multi-million pound project – giving all of its members access to a highly-advanced ePOD (Electronic Proof of Delivery) facility used as part of the Palletforce-owned Alliance IT system.

In its biggest ever single technology investment, the network set aside £2million to ensure market-leading ePOD technology could be instantly on hand for all of its 85 member haulage companies.

This has resulted in the system being rolled out across the UK in 'record time' – within just six months – and now members and their customers are benefiting from the best technology available.

Dave Holland, Palletforce's Sales and Marketing Director, said: "We have invested in the very best quality technology and developed a progressive ePOD system that is so advanced that our members have found it utterly compelling.

"That's led to impressive and instant uptake across the entire network – propelling what we can offer end customers to an unrivalled level in our sector."

COLIN JONES, office manager at Palletforce founder member C&D South West, is skydiving 15,000 feet to raise funds for the charity Christian Aid.

Colin Jones, 41, will do the jump on April 1 and increased the jump to 15,000ft from 8,000ft to show his gratitude to his sponsors.

"I'm not really an adrenaline junkie and I'm sure I will be nervous when I'm up there, but I think this is something worth doing," said Colin, from Wiveliscombe.

"It is something I have always said I'd like to do 'one day' and then earlier this year my wife set the fundraising page up for me so I thought I'd better go ahead."

Colin chose to support Christian Aid because his wife Bex has visited Zambia, as a teacher at Kingsmead Community High School which has links with a school there, and seen first-hand the hardship faced by Zambians.

The newly-born, two-car Culina Palletforce Racing team is set to contest the 2013 MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) and today unveiled its exciting driver line-up for this season's assault on the UK's premier rally series.

MSA Team UK driver John MacCrone from the Isle of Mull will spearhead the attack and he's joined by experienced Welsh co-driver, and former British Rally Champion, Phil Pugh. The second car will be crewed by Carlisle ace, and former Pirelli Star Driver finalist, Peter Taylor with co-driver Andrew Roughead from Newcastle calling the pacenotes.

Both crews will drive identical Citroen DS3 R3 rally cars prepared by Carlisle-based CA1 Sport and will contest both the BRC series and the competitive one-make Citroen Racing Trophy UK. In addition, Culina Palletforce Racing will challenge for overall honours in the BRC Teams Cup.

Twenty-three-year-old MacCrone will come to the championship after a series of stunning performances in the World Rally Championship Academy in 2012. This experience, and the guidance from new co-driver Pugh, will set MacCrone as one of the favourites for success in the BRC this season. However, the opening rally will be his first taste of competition in the Citroen DS3 and the young Scot expects it to take a little while before he's fully up to speed.

Team-mate Taylor has only completed two small rallies in a DS3 but has tackled events in the BRC series for the last few seasons. This experience, and the long-standing working relationship with co-driver Roughead, will ensure he's also challenging for overall victories.

Culina Palletforce Racing is a partnership between two major road transport and distribution companies: Culina Logistics and Palletforce. While the BRC team may be new, Palletforce has been a supporter of MacCrone for the last few years. The team will contest all seven rounds of this year's British championship kicking off with Rally North Wales on 6-7 April.