DHL has signed a deal with sporting event company Threshold Sports to be the official freight transportation for Deloitte’s Ride Across Britain, a 969 mile cycling race from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
In addition to transporting luggage, tents and equipment across the UK for the race’s 800 participants, DHL will be giving safety talks to the cyclists, addressing the safety issues surrounding driving near HGV vehicles and how to minimise these risks.
DHL have invested heavily in safety equipment for their fleet in the past five years, and now have over 40,000 front-facing cameras installed across their fleet.
The learning programme DHL will deliver to the Race Across Britain participants has been adapted from their Truck and Child Safety Programme, which has been delivered to over 14,000 students across the UK in the past year.
Jon Wood, vice-president of DHL Supply Chain, said: “Our partnership with Deloitte Ride Across Britain presents a fantastic opportunity to address the issue of cyclist and vehicle safety. Over the past five years we’ve made significant improvements to our fleet and driver training, and we are looking forward to sharing our knowledge with all the cyclists as they embark on this tough challenge.”
Nick Tuppen, commercial director at Threshold Sports, said: “Having the DHL team on the Ride is a great way for the cyclists to better understand the point of view of freight drivers and vice versa. It’s all part of us looking to foster a culture of understanding and respect between road users.”
The event is currently underway.
This is the second sponsorship deal between a road transport operator and a professional cycling event to be announced today after Yodel signed up with the Tour of Britain.
