DCS Group has ramped up its transport capacity after extending its long-standing relationship with XPO Logistics, signing off a major expansion of the dedicated fleet supporting its UK distribution operation.
Under the latest agreement, XPO has added additional tractor units and trailers to the account, including newly branded equipment, to handle rising delivery volumes from DCS Group’s flagship distribution centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The enlarged fleet is now completing hundreds of store and wholesale drops each week.
The move is aimed at giving DCS greater resilience and flexibility as the business continues to grow its presence across multiple retail channels and product categories. The company distributes and manufactures a wide range of household, health and beauty and grocery brands.
DCS said securing additional dedicated capacity was critical to protecting service levels while managing increasing complexity across its network.
The operation is supported by XPO’s in-house transport management system, which provides real-time visibility, performance tracking and improved planning capability. Both companies said the technology has helped drive efficiencies across the transport operation while supporting longer-term sustainability objectives.
Carl Palmer, chief operations officer at DCS Group, said the partnership had developed into a strategic relationship aligned with the distributor’s growth plans.
“DCS is continuing to expand into new markets, channels and services, and our logistics operation has to keep pace,” he said. “XPO has consistently adapted alongside us, investing in fleet capacity and innovation to ensure we can maintain the high service standards our customers rely on.
“Their ability to simplify complex logistics while improving performance has been a key factor in our success.”
XPO said the contract exemplified its approach to dedicated transport, where fleet, systems and operational expertise are tailored to a customer’s long-term requirements rather than short-term volume fluctuations.
Dan Myers, MD for UK and Ireland at XPO Logistics, said: “This is a genuine partnership built on trust, shared objectives and a clear focus on the end customer.
“We’re not just providing vehicles and drivers; we’re working closely with DCS to create a transport operation that can evolve as their business grows and changes.”
Sustainability also forms part of the collaboration, with XPO working alongside DCS to improve vehicle utilisation and reduce the environmental impact of its transport activities.
XPO Logistics operates across Europe, providing services including full and part-load transport, pallet distribution, dedicated fleets, last-mile delivery, freight forwarding and warehousing.
DCS Group said the expanded dedicated fleet would play a central role in supporting its long-term growth strategy while ensuring consistent and reliable deliveries to retail and wholesale customers.
