Welcome to the January issue of Logistics Insight magazine, a quarterly in-depth look at the logistics industry. The logistics sector is a hugely important industry, contributing £127 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy according to Logistics UK, and there are 205,380 logistics enterprises.

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Crucial to the logistics sector are commercial vehicles. The van sector completed a real turnaround in 2021, as total registrations for the year rose 21.4%. 355,235 new vans joined the market last year – almost as many as we saw in pre-pandemic 2019. Electric vehicles are beginning to have an impact. Although numbers are still low compared to the ICE market, the rate of change is enormous, with sales rising 142.3% during the year.

Tesco is launching the UK’s first commercially used fully electric heavy freight articulated trucks. Two new 37 tonne DAF electric vehicles will transport food and other products from Wentloog rail terminal outside Cardiff to Tesco’s distribution centre in Magor, Wales, in partnership with logistics and international freight forwarding company FSEW. These first two lorries will replace around 65,000 diesel-fuelled road miles with clean green energy, removing 87.4 tonnes of CO2e per year.

Commercial vehicle hire company, Falcon Vehicle Solutions, has taken delivery of 15 new Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 MT (multi-temperature) refrigeration units, in a move to deliver improved sustainability and reduced costs for its rental customers. Aligned with Carrier’s 2030 ESG goals to reduce customers’ carbon footprint by more than one gigaton, these fuel efficient units will reduce the emissions of Falcon Vehicle Solutions’ rental fleet. Mounted to new 13.6-metre Chereau trailers, this is the first time Falcon Vehicle Solutions has specified Carrier Transicold’s flagship Vector HE 19 unit, previously opting for the legacy Vector 1950 MT system for its 250-strong fleet of temperature-controlled trailers and vehicles, which is now 97% Carrier-cooled.

The Big Logistics Diversity Challenge (BLDC) is the perfect platform to showcase companies’ commitment to supporting the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agenda. BLDC brings together logistics and warehousing professionals to look at how to tackle diversity collaboratively and collectively through fun physical and mental team challenges. Over 300 industry personnel are expected to attend this year’s BLDC with companies including DHL Supply Chain, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Yusen Logistics and Microlise Limited having already secured their teams.

We salute the logistics industry, which has risen to the challenge of supplying the country, whatever the circumstances. Enjoy reading the magazine.

James Surridge

Publishing Editor

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