Category Archives: Logistics

Together For Safer Roads Partners With Visiontrack

VisionTrack, the leading AI video telematics and connected fleet data specialist, has entered into a membership agreement with global NGO, Together for Safer Roads (TSR). As part of the collaboration, the company will provide its leading vehicle camera technology to TSR’s Truck of the Future pilot program, which aims to eliminate collisions between HGVs and other road users through enhanced driver visibility.

 

“Our vision is to create a world where all road-users are kept safe from harm, whether HGV drivers, motorists, cyclists or pedestrians,” says Richard Kent, VP of Global Sales at VisionTrack. “We share a commitment with Together for Safer Roads to eliminate traffic fatalities, and by bringing our leading AI video telematic solutions to the Truck of the Future program, we believe we can further this collective goal.”

 

TSR acts as a bridge providing a path for local governments and public organisations to work with innovative technology providers from the private sector to make all modes of transport safer. The VisionTrack partnership is already underway with the implementation of advanced video-enabled solutions – underpinned by device-agnostic, multi-award-winning IoT platform, Autonomise.ai – across fleets who have joined TSR’s Truck of the Future.

The Truck of the Future program identifies and tests innovative and cost-effective solutions to eliminate collisions between large vehicle operators and other road users, especially the most vulnerable, with driver visibility a high priority. Utilising connected cameras and video telematics from VisionTrack, drivers can gain a 360-degree view around the vehicle, which will help save lives.

 

“In the US alone, there was more than 40,000 deaths in 2020 from traffic crashes on roadways, with truck incidents representing 12% of the total fatalities, while only making up 4% of the vehicles operating on the road,” says Noah Budnick, Executive Director, Together for Safer Roads. “The incorporation of new technologies, data and innovative approaches to road safety is imperative to eliminating fatalities and making roads safe for all. Partnering with VisionTrack enhances our ability to make Vision Zero a global reality.”

 

More information about TSR and Truck of the Future will be provided during TSR’s 2022 Annual Meeting taking place September 21-22 in New York City as well as virtually.

Delivery firm First 4 Logistics invests for the future, following the continued success of SMEs

First 4 Logistics, part of The APC delivery network – the largest independent parcel delivery network in the UK – has today announced significant investments in its business and workforce to support the continued growth of its business and local SME customers. In the last 24 months First 4 Logistics has seen 4% overall growth, spurred by the strength of the region’s SME community and the ongoing demand for parcel services across Brighton and East Sussex. 

Chris Aldridge, Director at First 4 Logistics, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we saw growing demand for parcel services, driven by a surge in consumer e-commerce activity. Across our business we worked tirelessly to support our local customers, recognising their changing needs and investing in our business to support this evolution. Two years on and the pandemic has fundamentally changed the shape of distribution and the whole dynamic of the industry; the way people are shopping, their delivery needs and their delivery expectations. But impressively, in response to these changes, we’ve seen so many of our SME customers quickly adapt, proving their entrepreneurialism, and thriving as a result. It’s the resilience of our customers – and our ability to provide them with a local team who will work hard in partnership with them – that has largely contributed to the success we’ve seen.

In order to support the growth of the business and its customers, First 4 Logistics has invested in the expansion of its sales, customer service and operations teams. As part of this, the business has created a new management structure, announcing a series of internal promotions, which includes three senior appointments that join the new management team;

  • Sean Hoeppener has been appointed Depot Manager, to lead the team through the next stage of business growth and to continue building and strengthening First 4 Logistics’ operations; with a focus on recruitment and health and safety across the business. 
  • Alex Sampson has been appointed Sales Manager – a role which will see him utilise years of experience in business development and customer relations management – to provide great service solutions and enable SMEs across the region to flourish.
  • Jason Bray has been appointed Customer Services Manager, ensuring that the business’ SME customers have a local day-to-day contact working in partnership with them to assist with any enquiries and support their continued growth.

These appointments form part of the ongoing investment from First 4 Logistics in its workforce and training and development opportunities. The business, which has grown its team by 45% in the last two years, today comprises 58 employees – made up entirely of local staff – helping to build on the business’ delivery service offerings to local businesses across all BN and TN2 postcodes. 

Alongside the investment in its workforce, First 4 Logistics has today also announced significant investment to support its business operations; which includes the acquisition of two new depots. The depots, based in Southampton and the Isle of Wight, provide an additional 40,000 sq. ft. of premium warehouse space, allowing the business to expand its overnight, sameday and international parcel collection and delivery service offering, as well as its overnight and international pallet service, to local SME businesses across the South. Additionally, the increased space will allow the business to offer storage facilities, supporting growth of these local businesses and, through the nationwide coverage of The APC delivery network, enabling them to reach an ever expanding national customer base. 

Jonathan Smith, Chief Executive at APC Overnight, said: “Across The APC network we are still seeing the strength and determination of our SME customers as they respond to the evolving needs of consumers and plan for the future. First 4 Logistics continued success and investment, is testament to the brilliant depot team who have worked so hard over the last couple of years. It’s fantastic to see their ongoing efforts in the business and local community, both with the new management team, and their drive to continually meet the needs of their customers.” 

Fleet Management to grow globally to $ 239 Mn by 2032

The market for fleet management was valued at US$ 39.1 million in 2021, and by the end of 2022, it is expected to reach US$ 48 billion. The fleet management market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 17.4 percent from 2022 to 2032. A market valuation of US$ 239 Mn is expected by the conclusion of the previously specified projection period.

Fleet management solutions are expected to be in high demand, with a historical CAGR of 20.8 percent from 2015 to 2021. The demand for cloud deployment among the available components is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 23% during the assessment period, while operations management will show a CAGR of 16.8% through 2032.

Key Restraints/Challenges to Market Expansion:

Concerns Regarding Driver Productivity and Safety 

The safety of its drivers is crucial for every fleet management company to run efficient fleet management operations. To safeguard the safety of the drivers, their rigs, and their cargo, fleet managers need to educate themselves on safe driving initiatives, rules, and analytics.

Because of the growing use of GPS and cell phones, there are more incidents that may have been avoided. Here, driver education is relevant since it is important to acquire the necessary knowledge on how to utilise technology safely and correctly. Such mishaps can be avoided, which helps manage unforeseen expenses like repairs, downtime, and responsibility. Additionally, the cost of insurance is strongly related to the safety record of a fleet. Therefore, fewer accidents result in lower insurance prices.

Maximizing productivity from the drives is a significant challenge for fleet management. Through services like GPS and speak-to-call technology, technology can help with this. The most effective way to use these technological services is via drivers. When used in conjunction with other technological tools, such as geofencing and automated cellular tracking, these services can contribute to time savings because drivers are less likely to engage in tactical phone conversations and can instead focus entirely on the road

Competitive Landscape

Due to intense market consolidation by industry leaders and expanded R&D operations, which have led to advancements in telematics and analytics solutions, prominent providers are concentrating on providing a level of competitiveness. In order to increase their reach, top suppliers also rely on mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships with already established businesses. The following are some noteworthy developments:

  • In October 2021, Ctrack announced the launch of PC Secure which allows devices to be tracked and recovered in the same way that Ctrack has done for the past 30 years with stolen vehicles and other assets. Any laptop or desktop computer is made visible by Ctrack PC Secure, allowing Ctrack to use cutting-edge technologies to retrieve stolen laptops or desktops.
  • In June 2021, Dtac Business and Cartrack Technology announced their collaboration to offer fleet management solutions to Thailand’s small and medium-sized businesses. Business owners can easily monitor the advanced features of the Fleet Management solution, which is powered by dtac’s full suite of IoT connectivity solutions, via both a mobile app and a web portal. These features include fuel usage monitoring, intelligent transport planning solutions, and driver behaviour monitoring. Fleets may be modified to use less gasoline while also generating driving zones to improve productivity and lower operating expenses with Cartrack’s cutting-edge AI technology.

These insights are based on a report on Fleet Management Market by Fact.MR.

 

Geopolitical tensions intensify global supply chain disruption

Geopolitical and macroeconomic events, namely the Russia–Ukraine conflict, tensions between China and Taiwan, and impending economic slowdown, are negatively impacting supply chains across multiple sectors.

Prices are continuing to mount across numerous industries, mainly due to shortages and restricted access to critical supply routes. According to The Smart Cube, goods that will be particularly impacted by these global events include the following:

Consumer packaged goods
Global wheat prices are expected to rise in in the second half of 2022 due to unfavourable weather conditions and rising geopolitical tensions globally. In the same time period, dairy prices are likely to witness an uptrend, driven by fluctuating weather conditions, surging animal feed prices, a lack of skilled labour, and continuously rising operational costs.

When it comes to oils, palm oil prices are likely to fall by more than 20 per cent month-on-month in Q3 2022 due to increased supplies from Indonesia and seasonal uptick in Malaysian palm oil production. Prices of both sunflower and soybean oils are likely to decline in the second half of 2022 due to a sharp fall in demand for both commodities. Finally, rapeseed oil prices are predicted to drop in Q3 2022 as a result of abundant global supply amid rise in rapeseed output in Europe.

Industrial sector
The supply of electronic components will likely be constrained throughout 2022 – particularly with the restricted critical Taiwan Strait route and escalating China–US tensions – thereby resulting in high prices and long lead times. The operations of wiring harness manufacturers in Ukraine are likely to remain muted throughout 2022, thereby resulting in limited production. Meanwhile, the Russia–Ukraine conflict has directly impacted prices and supply of rare gases, such as neon and helium. Neon is the most impacted gas and its prices have increased tenfold. Overall, a rise in input costs (such as pet coke and energy) will likely lead to a 5–10 per cent absolute increase in cement prices during January to December 2022.

Life Sciences
Due to inflationary pressures and global supply disruptions, pharma companies are expected to push higher drug prices. Although resin prices are currently declining, inflated prices in the first half of 2022 have increased the overall lab consumables and pharma packaging prices.

Rashi Singh, senior manager at The Smart Cube, comments on how businesses can navigate around the increased supply chain disruptions and price rises during these periods of increased geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic events:

“During these heightened geopolitical events, it is crucial that businesses adopt a multi-pronged strategy to mitigate supply chain disruptions as much as possible. As part of this, businesses must evaluate multiple suppliers and identify alternative sources for procuring essential products and services. They should also support essential suppliers financially through supply chain and working capital financing.

“Secondly, it’s vital that businesses conduct a comprehensive review of their exposure to Russian, Ukrainian, Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers on raw material procurement. By mapping suppliers on a tiered basis, they can get a clear picture of critical raw materials at risk. Businesses must also continuously monitor the events that could impact the supply chain and liaise with suppliers to identify alternative payment methods to ensure business continuity.

“It’s also important to carry out detailed assessments to evaluate the required levels of inventory and labour in the short to medium term and ensure that the required inventories are in place in case of disruptions in supply. Businesses need to allocate provisions for high prices of utilities and certain raw materials and anticipate higher borrowing costs amid interest rate hikes. As the situation evolves, they should eliminate or freeze all non-essential spending. Equally, they should review financial hedge positions in the light of the volatile currencies and macroeconomic environment.

“Finally, businesses should also identify and minimise vulnerabilities in cybersecurity to avoid furthering the disruption to their operations.”

 

How delivery drivers became the centerpiece of the heatwave crisis

Written by Andrew Tavener, Head of Marketing, Descartes

This year, the UK has become subject to heatwaves of record-breaking temperatures, widely attributed to  climate change. Over the next week, parts of the UK are expected to hit highs of 30 degrees once again, encouraging many of the general public to stay indoors, work from home and choose their day outs in moderation.

However, for some there is no choice but to endure the heat, despite official warnings and the last few weeks have not been kind to last mile logistics, with some reports of negligence amongst retailers and their lack of air conditioning in vehicles, down to reasons seemingly as illegitimate as weight issues. During last month’s heatwave, one last mile delivery driver actually collapsed after enduring unbearable conditions.

Heatwaves in the UK are here to stay, so it’s time we looked at how we can adapt fleet management practices, and take better care of our drivers.

A duty of care

Despite a reluctance to implement solutions such as air conditioning in home delivery vans, retailers still have a duty of care when it comes to their workers. From an HR and legal perspective, this becomes even more concerning when there’s a driver shortage. 

If they think they’re being driven hard in extreme conditions, workers may be forced to leave their current company and seek employment elsewhere. These businesses therefore should look to retain their employees in any way possible and prevent them from adding detriment to their health when it could be easily avoided. 

On top of this, vehicles are more susceptible to issues in extreme weather; drivers have been warned of fires or exploding tyres, so vehicle safety checks need to be up to scratch. This includes checking the vehicle fluids and ensuring they are getting service checks regularly or if the driver suspects that something is wrong.

Embracing the night shift

Even during the peak of summer in the UK, most delivery drivers are expected to work during daylight hours – just as they would during any other month of the year. By comparison, in Spain it’s common for people to work after 4pm because of the temperatures. Perhaps one fleet management solution could be a complete reshuffle of what’s expected in the UK when we’re encroaching on a heatwave; if delivery drivers were enabled to work during the cooler hours of the day and into the evening, the domino-effect would include an easier, cooler environment alongside less congested roads and improved environmental impact. 

Since the pandemic, working habits have changed substantially, with many people still working from home or having access to flexible timetables or working hours. On the road, we live in an increasingly congested environment, where the working days could do with a complete overhaul. Not only does this make things easier for delivery drivers, but for each and everybody on the road. Less traffic means less pollution and accidents; and happier workers.

The intervention of innovations in crisis

Some retailers are still behind when it comes to extreme temperatures. If air conditioning isn’t a viable solution in a delivery van then perhaps there are other ways to reduce the struggle for delivery drivers working in these recent hot temperatures. 

Alongside factoring in the setbacks caused by such heat, including less productivity and the risks to health, these major players in retail need to be able to understand such complexities before they know how to address them. For example, self-scheduling technologies have been used to improve parts of the process like route density and delivery productivity. 

With access to more transport intelligence such as inventory, information, and assets that enable driver efficiency, companies will be able to respond to rapidly changing environmental factors as well as changing market and regulatory conditions, in turn adequately supporting their employees and better serve customers.

Applied Driving Techniques Appoints Head Of Training And Education

Applied Driving Techniques (ADT), the global provider of driver and fleet safety management, has appointed Orlando Collesso as Head of Training and Education. In his new role, he will be responsible for the company’s training proposition, developing blended learning solutions that take advantage of the latest advances in driver behaviour monitoring, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Collesso will also be tasked with coordinating and growing ADT’s network of fleet driver trainers.

“This is an exciting opportunity, which will enable me to build on ADT’s success within the fleet marketplace and deliver industry-leading driver engagement and learning,” explains Orlando Collesso. “I will use my training experience, combined with a passion for road safety, to create managed solutions across all online, workshop and behind the wheel requirements.”

Collesso possesses almost 20 years of driver training experience and has been an independent fleet safety and efficiency consultant since 2005. He has provided support to some of the largest fleets in the UK on behalf of multiple national and international driver safety organisations. He has also spent the past eight years as Lead Trainer for ADT in Scotland, producing and presenting virtual-and classroom-based workshops.

Andy Phillips, Global Managing Partner at Applied Driving Techniques (Global Solutions) Ltd commented: “We are rapidly expanding our blended learning proposition, both in the UK and internationally, so Orlando has a huge role to play in our growth strategy moving forward. We will be tapping into his extensive expertise to ensure we are best-placed to meet the changing needs of our fleet customers and deliver best-practice driver education.”

The APC celebrates first female HGV driver

The APC delivery network – the largest independent parcel delivery network in the UK – is today celebrating its first female driver to successfully pass her HGV driving exam. Ann Male, who joined the business in January 2020 as a Warehouse Operative, has successfully passed her Class 1 HGV test and this month will transfer to The APC’s transport department, where she will become The APC’s first employed female HGV driver. 

Since joining the business, Ann, with the support of The APC, has worked hard to progress through the company; being offered the role of warehouse trainee supervisor just nine months after she joined the business, before being promoted to warehouse supervisor in March 2022. When the business advertised its ‘warehouse to wheels’ scheme in August 2021, Ann applied for the course – and through her determination, gained the necessary practical, technical and legal knowledge needed to successfully pass within six months of starting on the course. 

Jonathan Smith, Chief Executive at The APC, said: “Ann is a fantastic example of how hard work and dedication can put someone on a wonderful career path. Employees like Ann are the future of our business and I really hope her journey will inspire others to build a rewarding career in logistics. In the past year we have responded to industry-wide issues of recruiting HGV drivers, implementing our ‘warehouse to wheels’ scheme, to attract and train a new generation of drivers. Since launching the scheme we’ve been encouraged by the unprecedented levels of interest seen within the business, with 30% under the age of 30, and 12% female, indicating that the scheme is developing a more diverse pool of HGV drivers.”

With reports showing that just 1% of the UK’s HGV drivers are women, and with women still only accounting for 20% of the workforce across the UK logistics industry, The APC remains committed to investing in career opportunities for women.  

Across the business The APC has continued to review its processes and practices to ensure flexible working is well supported and promoted, whilst investing heavily in learning and talent initiatives to support career development across its workforce.

Latest data from the business shows that the representation of women in its workforce has increased four years running – from 23% in 2018, 24% in 2019, 26% in 2020 and 27% in 2021 – with many teams and management roles seeing a sharp increase in female employees. Within the executive team, The APC has a 50% female representation, whilst in the Day Operations team 55% of positions are held by women. 19% of women within the business also hold a supervisory role or management position, with 32% of female workers also proudly accomplishing over five years’ service in the business, and 7% achieving over 10 years’ service.

Corina Forman, HR Director at The APC, said: “At The APC we look to provide long-term career prospects for people, providing training and upskilling opportunities to not only ensure staff continue to feel recognised for all their efforts and maintain a sense of job security, but also to help grow the next generation of leaders. We’ve been delighted by the sheer determination and aptitude to learn that so many of our female colleagues have shown in the last couple of years – 40% of colleagues completing an apprenticeship qualification are female, and 13 female colleagues have, or are completing, a professional qualification, supported by the business.”

 

Jonathan Smith, continued: “Now more than ever, we need ambitious people across the country to answer the call to join the evolving logistics sector, taking advantage of the fantastic training and lifelong career opportunities the industry can offer. The world is still changing and our business is building for the times. With that comes so much opportunity for people to forge a successful and rewarding career in logistics.”

Ainscough Crane Hire further expands fleet with S-Series Scania trucks

Ainscough Crane Hire has recently invested in its industry-leading fleet with the addition of 18 new single-fuel-tank Scania trucks

The Scania 660 SXT trucks have arrived as part of Ainscough’s ongoing investment programme. Lighter in weight than previous trucks, the aerodynamically designed models enable improved levels of fuel consumption in line with Ainscough’s goals of becoming carbon neutral.

The new trucks will also enable the company’s operatives to take advantage of the HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) fuel bunkers present at all depots following the company’s recent switch to HVO.

The vehicles feature electric plugs which can be utilised while idle at depots and certain customer sites, further increasing Ainscough’s fuel efficiency. The team also worked with Scania to relocate toolbox positions, allowing for easy roadside access to the trucks, reducing need for manual handling and associated risks.

As the trucks run on single fuel tanks, Scania were able to add additional storage space where the second fuel tank would previously sit. The space allows drivers to stow away PPE and safety gear as opposed to carrying it with them in the cab.

Drivers of the new trucks will have access to a tyre pressure monitoring system which allows the observing of both axles, along with tyre temperature, brake temperature and the security of the wheel nuts. This system means any issues with the truck can be rectified before leaving a site or depot.

The interior of the truck has a flat floor, giving the driver maximum freedom of movement as they transition from driving to resting to sleeping – for which there is a reclining seat and extendable 1,000mm bed. Going that extra step to provide home comforts for the team, the new vehicles all include an integrated fridge freezer along with other basic essentials.

Chris Britton, General Manager for Heavy Cranes and Transport at Ainscough Crane Hire, said: “The main difference we have with this model is that we have a single fuel tank, because we can now take advantage of the HVO bunkers at all of our depots across the United Kingdom.

“In conjunction with Scania we have made certain adaptations to this model. We’ve changed the layout of our toolboxes so that we can access equipment and kit from the roadside, reducing manual handling and working at height risks.

“All of these upgrades that we’ve had to this Scania 660 SXT model, in conjunction with the upgrades to the living and working area both inside and outside of the truck, means an enhanced working environment for our staff and an improved service for Ainscough customers, as well as helping us achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.”

Earlier this year Ainscough Crane Hire become the first national crane company in the world to commit to using HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) in its fleet, representing a key milestone in the construction industry’s journey to net zero.

The move covers Ainscough’s 400+ cranes and 30+ transport and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Ainscough anticipates that the adoption of HVO will result in a further CO2 reduction of up to 90%, saving in excess of 14,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. An additional 5% reduction has been achieved through wider energy saving initiatives with the residual circa 5% met via the use of UK based residual carbon offsetting.

Ainscough previously invested in ten Scania trucks, Model 5580/650A6X4NZ Premium Highline XT spec in 2021. The new vehicles were sourced according to Ainscough’s Safety, Environmental and Comfort (SEC) principles and Make the Safe Choice policy.

Ctrack Becomes Inseego As Part Of Expansion Plans For The Telematics Business

Ctrack, the leading provider of fleet telematics, asset tracking and vehicle camera systems, has rebranded as Inseego. The name change is part of the relaunch of the business in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and represents an important part of the ongoing strategy of parent company, Inseego Corp, to focus on target markets closely aligned with its 5G and enterprise initiatives. This will include an expansion of the telematics offering with the introduction of advanced fleet solutions that combine artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G to deliver business intelligence at the edge.

“As we continue to focus on the global growth of our 5G business, the evolution of this business unit is core to our strategy, particularly for enterprise initiatives. It sets the stage for the introduction of innovative solutions, to be powered by our new 5G Intelligent Edge SaaS platform, which is slated to launch later this year,” said John Weldon, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Intelligent Edge Solutions.

The current intelligent edge portfolio includes telematics solutions spanning fleet visibility, asset management, driver monitoring and management, as well as video AI and dashcams. These connected smart solutions allow businesses to streamline operations by increasing efficiency, safety, and savings. With the capability to support thousands of vehicles, assets and personnel, they cover all types of vehicles and equipment across a range of industries including fleet, construction, road transport and logistics, government, and natural resources.

The forthcoming 5G Intelligent Edge SaaS offering will leverage the power of 5G with video, AI, and Inseego’s established telematics business to provide actionable insights at the edge. This will help transform how enterprises across the globe improve operating outcomes to create sustained value for themselves and their customers.

Having originally joined Inseego in 2016, and being most recently known as Ctrack by Inseego, the business has over 35 years of telematics experience. With Inseego Corp’s existing strength in 5G, this latest development will not only help differentiate the business within the telematics marketplace but also deliver new opportunities to existing customers and extend its capacity to service new ones.

33million Trucks: Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight Celebrates Cargo Milestone

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight announces a milestone as its 33 millionth truck crossed the Channel aboard its Shuttle on Monday 12 July 2022.

The 33 millionth truck belongs to NORDFROST, the biggest German frozen and chilled food transporter to the UK and an historical customer, using the service since the opening. The driver, Rene Schwarze, has been driving for over 13 years and in that time has used the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight service over 2,500 times, supplying fresh food to leading UK retailers.

Since 1994, more than 700million tonnes of goods have been transported via the tunnel aboard one of the 15 Truck Shuttles, – 800m long, carrying up to 32 trucks and travelling at a speed of 140km/h for a 35-minute journey.

As a true vital link in many supply chains, Le Shuttle Freight carries 25% of the goods entering the UK thanks to the speed, ease and flexibility of the service with up to 6 departures per hour.

Christian Dufermont, Freight Commercial Director at Eurotunnel said: “Since 1994, we have seen a growing appetite for our service and are always looking at ways we continually improve efficiency and speed. It is incredible we have already hit a 33 million milestone and we are looking forward to celebrating our next.”

Rene Schwarze, driver for Nordfrost said: “I cross the Channel several times a week.  It’s such a quick service and I’m thrilled to have been named number 33million.

 

[1] According to the Carbon 4 study, a lorry on a Shuttle emits 12 times less than on a ferry