Pressure on margins is now driving a rapidly increasing number of companies to seek more cost-effective methods of distributing their goods. In doing so, many are turning to pallet networks to maintain a highly efficient supply chain, but at a much lower cost than conventional haulage. The UK’s No. 1 pallet network, Pall-Ex, is ideally placed to help them maximise on these opportunities.
With daily services throughout the UK and Europe, Pall-Ex has expanded freight distribution facilities for customers, to offer bespoke order fulfilment that includes secure warehousing, deep sea and air freight services, thus taking the Pall-Ex operation to a global audience.
Pall-Ex core services include: guaranteed next day and 2–3 day deliveries: quarter, half and full pallets throughout the UK. However, the services portfolio at Pall-Ex is ever growing, with innovative service options such as Pall-Ex Night Time, which offers deliveries between 6.00pm and midnight within the busy M25 area and Pall-Ex Multi-Pall which provides competitive prices for multiple consignments of four or more pallets.
The service attracts business from all sectors and proudly builds strong relationships with major 3PLs where smaller pallet consignments can often be costly and time consuming to manage. Pall-Ex’s corporate logistics arm provides full service logistics for corporate customers: Retail Plus + was born out of its relationship and experience with the Body Shop retail chain. It introduced a system whereby it trunks bulk product in to the Pall -Ex hub, and then distributes the required quantities to each shop. This saves obvious time and effort throughout the distribution chain and reduces stockholding requirements at each store. The fact that Pall-Ex has vehicles on every high street on a daily basis, means the network delivers a far greener solution as a result.
More retailers are now looking at this service, as an attractive element of Retail Plus is that stock can be decanted into store rooms, thus keeping front of house staff, front of house. There is also the Eco drive element, where the packaging is removed and recycled, ending the need for expensive skips and another vehicle for collection.
Leading the way through technology
Pall-Ex continues to demonstrate that it is definitely not resting on its laurels; a number of imaginative and very timely initiatives have been launched that propel Pall-Ex forward. Recently Pall-Ex has introduced Solitaire, its new free web-based shipping system for customers.
Sean Sherwin-Smith, Pall-Ex director of IT, explains: “Solitaire has been designed with the user experience in mind. We have purposely targeted minimising the time it takes a customer to learn how to use the system and make the inputting of shipments as lean as possible.
“Solitaire’s simplicity allows customers’ necessary shipping documentation (labels, delivery notes and manifests) to be created in as few as five clicks of the mouse.”
Solitaire not only handles all shipping requirements but also includes the ability for customers to use their own delivery notes rather than Pall-Ex’s. Solitaire carries a range of labelling options, including A4 paper labels for small volume shippers through to thermal label production for larger volume shippers.
Management standards achieved
This year Pall-Ex has been certified with an integrated management system (IMS) across its business operation.
The system integrates three specific management standards: IS09001:2008 for quality management, ISO14001:2004 for environmental management and OHSAS18001:2007 for health and safety management.
Managing director Adrian Russell confirms that the new management system has been achieved in response to the company’s objective of meeting future environmental and health and safety challenges as efficiently as possible. “Pall -Ex has successfully maintained its ISO9001:2000 quality management system since February 2003, and this has provided the business with a structured framework which has allowed us to work seamlessly together in line with company procedures and approved practices,” he says.
Pall-Ex has continued to demonstrate its commitment to improving health and safety and environmental performance.
Key initiatives developed in recent years include working with the Health & Safety Executive to reduce pedestrian movements within its Hub environment; continuing to operate a cleaner, greener, compressed natural gas fleet of trucks; and endorsing the design of an efficient trailer to its membership of hauliers to reduce fuel costs and environmental impact.
Cleaner, greener distribution
The benefits to the environment of using Pall-Ex are huge. On average, vehicle fill is around 20% higher than that of traditional hauliers. Indeed, running empty vehicles for return journeys accounted for 26.5% of traditional haulier journeys, according to a Department for Transport report, published in 2003.
From other Department for Transport statistics, Pall-Ex has been able to estimate that its network is instrumental in removing some 142 LGVs from the UK’s roads every single day of the year. Studies have shown that simply removing one 18 tonne vehicle from the road can save up to £748 running costs and cuts CO2 emissions by 2.47 tonnes a year (Department for Transport, 2005).
The ever entrepreneurial founder, CEO and Chairman of Pall-Ex, Hilary Devey, spearheaded the development of eco trailers, with a leading manufacturer. These trailers are proved to offer significant savings in fuel of up to 12%, as a result of their aerodynamic shape, with subsequent reductions in emissions (source: Pall-Ex membership).
Furthermore, Pall-Ex’s fleet of fork lift trucks operates on gas, which is much cleaner and greener than diesel, offering significantly improved health and safety for staff, and a virtually pollutant free atmosphere for customers’ goods.
Recycling of pallets, printer cartridges and paper is high on Pall-Ex’s impressive agenda. So much so, that the company has twice been commended in recent environmental award ceremonies
Multi award-winning services you can rely on
The Pall-Ex blue chip customer portfolio stands as an impressive testament to the tailored solutions and exceptional service that Pall-Ex provides. But you don’t have to take Pall-Ex’s word for it – it has won more prestigious awards than any other pallet network.
To find out more about Pall-Ex services, call: 0808 144 2808, E-mail: info@pallex.co.uk or visit: www.pallex.com
This article was brought to you by Freight Industry Times
