TPN launches next development phase with brand new look

The Pallet Network (TPN) has revealed a brand new look and shared details of its 2020 achievements and plans for the future.

The company said the "fresh and modern" branding restates the network’s core activity and market placement as 'THE Pallet Network' while emphasising its unique partnership culture.

“Our network has always had a collaborative ethos and we have strengthened and developed these commercial and operational links, not just between our partners and the hub but between the regional depots themselves,” explained MD Mark Duggan.

“This opens a whole new vista of collaborative logistics in which partner companies can have a standards-based framework for developing new commercial opportunities.”

The TPN network is currently processing 103,000 pallets a week and volumes continue to grow, the company said.

“Quality of service is always our most important benchmark and while this year’s volumes have been challenging we have maintained a sector-leading performance level," continued Duggan.

“This has been helped by the addition of 60,000sq ft of extra space to our Minworth hub which allows us to raise simultaneous loading from 40 to 57 trailers.

“We have now decided to design and build our own bespoke 'megahub', in order to future-proof operations."

TPN also revealed it has postponed rate increases: “This is a delicate decision because costs are rising for our partners and we need to ensure that their pricing is always sustainable and allows them to invest appropriately,” Duggan said. “However, we do feel that UK plc needs all the help it can get.”

In addition, TPN has completed an 18-month project to roll out its Connect software platform across the entire Irish network.

Customers sending pallets to or from Ireland will now benefit from complete visibility across both networks, with track and trace, ePOD and notifications available in a single dashboard.

TPN Ireland’s 24 Partner companies also have access to the routing, transport management, real time visibility of bookings and a host of commercial tools which have long been available to TPN’s UK partners.

“In technology terms the two networks are now totally integrated and aligned. This project went live in late summer and has been very successful,” Duggan said.

“This is a win-win for our sister network, TPN and all of our customers. Given the uncertainty of the future protocols for freight passing over the Irish borders, it can only be an advantage for both networks to be operating on one aligned platform to deal with any future customs clearance requirements.”