Eddie Stobart boss gives thumbs-up to collaborative transportation programme

The boss of Eddie Stobart Logistics has endorsed Chep’s collaborative transportation programme, which, according to the pallet manufacturer, saved participants more than 900,000 road miles last year.

Typically, a Chep customer delivers products to a retailer on Chep pallets, then returns with an empty truck.  However, under the collaborative transportation programme, after a delivery the truck – managed by a 3PL – collects empty pallets from a Chep partner, or collects pallets from the nearest Chep plant, for delivery to another customer. This process eliminates empty truck movements and reduces transportation costs.

In the UK & Ireland, where 13 manufacturers, 11 retailers and 9 logistics service providers are participating in the programme,  a total of 932,056 road miles were saved across the supply chain from July 2013 to June 2014, reducing CO2 emissions by 1,572 metric tons and delivering cost-savings for the partners involved.

William Stobart, CEO of Eddie Stobart Logistics, said: “Every organisation’s supply chain is different and unique, and each initiative varies in terms of size and scale, but ultimately the goal is to reduce transportation distances and empty road miles across their network, which benefits everyone involved, as well as the environment.

“We’re delighted to be one of the partners involved in the programme and look forward to building on the excellent results achieved thus far.”