Operator news – Page 302
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MT Article
Aldi plans two more RDCs
Discount supermarket chain Aldi has laid out plans for two more regional DCs as it continues to increase its presence in the UK.It is seeking permission to develop both a 58,634m² RDC in Sawley, Leicestershire, and a 62,427m² site on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. This follows approval for a ...
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MT Article
Yodel boss: rethink the delivery model
Yodel executive chairman Dick Stead has stressed the need for retailers and carriers to rethink the way they handle unexpected additional volume during seasonal peaks.He told MT both parties needed to ensure that the capacity problems encountered before Christmas are not repeated. Stead said there was an increasing need for ...
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MT ArticleS&S Distribution saw turnover and profit growth climb last year
Profits at S&S Distribution rose almost 86% last year, as the Kent-based family firm placed emphasis on offering an “excellent service” to its customer base.Pre-tax profit for the year ending 31 July 2014 was £208,000 on a turnover of almost £8m. This increased from £112,000 in 2013, with sales during ...
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MT ArticleAir freight pioneer Roy Bowles dies aged 84
Roy Bowles OBE, founder and chairman of air cargo specialist Roy Bowles Transport, died suddenly last Thursday after a short illness at the age of 84.His son and joint managing director Stephen Bowles said Roy was being treated in hospital for a chest infection which developed into pneumonia. “He was ...
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MT ArticleFarrall's Transport appoints new MD
Farrall’s Transport has appointed Jim Perry (pictured) as its new MD, following a restructure of its senior management team.Former MD Mike Farrall will take on the role of company chairman.The Chester-based operator said the management shuffle follows a period of “exponential growth” in the business, including a £3.5m investment in ...
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MT ArticleAbbey unveils 'safest powder tank on the market'
MT Haulier of the Year 2014 Abbey Logistics Group has unveiled what it says is the safest powder tanker on the market. Built by Feldbinder to Abbey’s specifications, it features a full-scope reversing camera designed for low light usage; ultrasonic reversing sensors linked to an automatic braking system that kicks ...
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MT ArticleDHL Tradeteam appoints new MD
DHL Tradeteam has announced James Gill as its new MD with immediate effect.It follows the appointment of former MD Gavin Murdoch to president and representative director of DHL Supply Chain, Japan.In his new role as MD, Gill will oversee Tradeteam’s nationwide on-trade and off-trade drinks network, distributing leading brands for ...
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MT Article
Royal Mail peak parcel volumes up 4%
Peak parcel volumes at Royal Mail Group were up 4% year-on-year, with the post and parcel giant handling 120 million in December alone.Despite a 3% increase in parcel volumes, parcel revenue remained flat in the nine months to 28 December 2014, the operator said in a trading statement today.It attributed ...
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MT ArticlePentalver to open permanent container depot at World London Gateway
Pentalver will develop a permanent container depot at DP World London Gateway following the success of an operation it launched from a temporary premises opened in April 2014.The new depot will see the container specialist operating out of a purpose-built five acre site to begin with, with additional land available ...
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MT ArticleMeachers takes DIY approach to driver shortage
Shown here are the first two drivers to have gained C+E entitlement via an HGV driver upgrade scheme at Meachers Global Logistics. The Meachers HGV Licence Upgrade scheme, which involves giving drivers who already hold a C catergory licence, professional training to achieve their C+E, is run in partnership with ...
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MT Article
Strong 2014 for Walkers Transport
Leeds-based Palletways member Walkers Transport has said it expects to show an 8% year-on-year increase in combined group turnover to £17m for calendar year 2014.The haulier said its Leeds depot, which has acted as the northern hub for Palletways since 2012, is now processing 3,500 pallets a night. Previously those ...
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MT ArticleWolseley launches apprenticeship scheme for aspiring drivers
Plumbing and heating products supplier Wolseley is launching a year-long apprenticeship scheme for aspiring HGV drivers at two of its DCs.The scheme is being delivered in partnership with Telford College and offers a training package worth £7,000 comprising both classroom-based and on the road training, including technical training, maths and ...
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MT ArticleAcumen Distribution puts four more longer semi-trailers into operation
Acumen Distribution has put four more 15.65m longer semi-trailers on the road, taking the total number of trailers it operates under the DfT trial to 21. The SDC trailers are to be put into operation on three return routes from Sunderland to Wednesbury, Sunderland to Telford and Redditch to Middleton. ...
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MT Article
M&S set to close DHL-run Coventry DC
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has revealed plans to cease operations at its Coventry DC, which is owned and operated by partner DHL Supply Chain, from April. An M&S spokesman told Motortransport.co.uk that the proposal is part of its supply chain transformation programme, which was launched in 2009 and aims to ...
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MT ArticleEddie Stobart ends dispute with former Tesco drivers
Eddie Stobart has ended a long-running dispute with 184 HGV drivers that had been pursuing an unfair dismissal claim relating to the logistics giant taking over the running of a Tesco DC in Doncaster in 2012.At a meeting that took place prior to an employment tribunal hearing in Sheffield last ...
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MT Article
Suttons Group still strong despite Harvest Energy loss
The loss of customer Harvest Energy to Norbert Dentressangle in April 2014, after a competitive tender, has seen Suttons Group report £10.5m of discontinued activities in its UK road haulage business.In the year-ending 30 April 2014 Sutton and Son (St Helens) – which comprises its UK road tanker operations (Suttons ...
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MT Article
Paul Kavanagh appointed as R Swain & Sons MD
Paul Kavanagh has been named as MD at R Swain & Sons, replacing Bob Swain who stepped down last month.Kavanagh, formerly chief operating officer at Bibby Supply Chain Services, took up his new position at the Rochester, Kent-based operator on 1 January. Former MD Bob Swain has moved to a ...
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MT ArticleFormer APC chief Ziaullah acquires UK Shuttle
Former APC chief executive Syed Ziaullah has acquired Swindon-based parcels and pallet firm UK Shuttle for an undisclosed sum.The express delivery business is a member of The Pallet Network as well as parcel network APC Overnight, and operates a secure warehousing site with pick-and-pack options for customers.Ziaullah told MT the ...
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MT Article
City Link collapse hits operator pockets
An operator that worked as a subcontractor for City Link has claimed it has been left thousands of pounds out of pocket by the parcel carrier’s collapse last month.Speaking to Motortransport.co.uk Jim Timms, owner of Gloucester-based James Timms Transport, estimated that the firm is owed £113,000 by City Link for ...
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MT ArticlePrestons of Potto co-founder dies
Richard Preston, who co-founded haulage firm Prestons of Potto with his wife Anne, has died, aged 81.He started the business, now run by son and MD David, in 1957 as a successor to his father’s threshing contractor business, which was set up in 1936.Richard, who along with Anne remained chairman ...