Pallet deliveries to residential addresses have been rising significantly for a number of years, and UK network members saw B2C deliveries surge during the coronavirus pandemic, driving up the use of tail lift equipment to meet customer demand. The Tail Lift and Pallet Truck Guidance Document has been produced by a working group chaired by the RHA and including the Association of Pallet Networks, haulage and logistics companies, supported by the Health and Safety Executive. According to Paul Sanders, founder and chairman of the Association of Pallet Networks, the document opens important new doors for the pallet network sector. For the first time, we have guidance which explicitly discusses the role of the freight owner and the driver in determining the safety of tail-lift deliveries. Pallet network members and other hauliers can now have informed conversations with consignors, which emphasise the importance of their ensuring, at the point of sale, that the destination is suitable for tail-lift delivery.
This article was first published in the September 1st 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
Palletline has issued a new training module to support network members with the implementation of the Tail Lift and Pallet Truck Guidance Document. The Toolbox Talk from Palletline provides network members with a tailored training module that can be used within their own businesses to deliver refresher courses on the hazards of tail lift deliveries, effective use of Dynamic Risk Assessments and the implementation of the latest best practice guidance.
Well done to Pall-Ex Group, which is collaborating with technology companies The Barcode Warehouse and Honeywell to deliver the next phase of the pallet network’s growth plan. The Leicester-based business will be purchasing more than 500 scanners, mobile and vehicle-mounted computers including the popular CK65 and Thor VM3 from Honeywell via The Barcode Warehouse to support its NexusScan project, as part of the continued rollout of Pall-Ex Group’s Nexus Core Operational System.
Congratulations to UKI Express Transport Ltd, an internationally-accredited haulage business with expertise ranging from storing food to moving heavy industrial equipment, which has become the latest member of the Pallet-Track network. UKI was previously a major third-party inputter into all of the UK’s pallet networks and the move marks the 16-year-old business’s first foray into network membership. The rapidly-expanding business has grown its warehouse capacity from 45,000 to 300,000 sq. ft in just five years and has been operating at full capacity during the pandemic, also opening new facilities in Teesside in May.
Good to hear Fortec Distribution Network has launched its sector leading core operational system, Nexus. Rolling out the IT system to its entire UK network of shareholder members, comprised of over 50 independent haulage businesses, Fortec has delivered a sector leading solution. Launched in July, members have already seen the benefits of the system, having now gained greater control of their freight thanks to Nexus’ sector leading Freight Management System (FMS), tracking capability and integrated messaging system, allowing members to communicate better than ever before.
It is encouraging to see the pallet networks continuing to expand and introduce new innovation.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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