Mercedes-Benz Adaptive ESP Mercedes-Benz continues to set new standards in its segment. With a powerful engine range, extra wheelbase and roof height options, and Adaptive ESP®, a breakthrough driving safety system that dynamically monitors your load status, Mercedes-Benz vans are equipped to deal with whatever comes your way. Read More...

Courier and Parcel Logistics Expo Courier and Parcel Logistics Expo is the world's leading exhibition dedicated to the technology and services for the global express and parcel delivery services sector. The event offers visitors, conference delegates and exhibitors an unrivalled networking opportunity within the international express logistics industry. Read More...

Palletways In Action Palletways, a pan-European logistics firm, launched the world’s biggest hot-air balloon of its kind - a giant dragon - at Tower Bridge. Celebrity chef, Antony Worrall Thompson, joined in the launch by cooking breakfast on a hot air balloon burner - a first in his career. The balloon is taller than an eight-storey building, twice as high as The Globe Theatre on London's South Bank and taller than five elephants standing on each other's shoulders. Read More...

Leading independent logistics consultancy OPS has launched a new recruitment and interim management solution that promises to make the process of recruiting simpler.

The new service will be led by Richard Tucker, a highly experienced and successful headhunter and interim manager. He and the team at OPS will use their comprehensive sector understanding to tap into the company’s extensive network of consultants to identify and attract good candidates.

In addition OPS will be offering a unique added value solution aimed at bridging the gap for employers whose staff leave suddenly or with short notice periods.

“Getting the right person is extremely important and quite often employers feels rushed into making a decision when they are not convinced that the candidate is ideal. To overcome this we are offering them the option to have an interim manager step in to ensure continuity in the workplace until a permanent appointment is made. These interims are all existing OPS consultants and available to start immediately,” explains Richard Tucker.

The decision to launch a new recruitment solution follows OPS ongoing expansion into the logistics consultancy market according to Managing Director Dan Derry: “Our already successful logistics consultancy has maximised clients’ efficiency to improve operational productivity and reduce costs. Our clients are now asking us to help identify the right candidates to fill available vacancies without disrupting their work output.”

CitySprint, the UK’s largest privately owned SameDay Distribution company with a major ServiceCentre in Cardiff, has received the thumbs up from Welsh media production company Avanti for providing a ‘second to none’ service.



Avanti, based in Porth Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, is responsible for delivering a wide range of TV programmes from music, entertainment and documentaries to children’s TV. They have been using CitySprint’s courier services to deliver promotional tapes to various locations across the UK on an ad hoc basis for over a year and have been incredibly satisfied with the professional and responsive service that they have received.




Louise Scott, Office Manager at Avanti explains “The team at CitySprint’s Cardiff ServiceCentre are wonderful! The service we receive is second to none, which is crucial to our business due to the deadlines we are set. Due to the nature of our business deadlines are often changed and things amended at the last minute, despite this CitySprint is always happy to help with this and nothing is ever too much trouble. I don’t know what we would do without them!’



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Alliance Healthcare, the leading international provider of pharmaceutical wholesale and member of Alliance Boots, has selected imail to send more than 6,000 letters each month to business and residential addresses across the UK. The company is using UK Mail’s innovative hybrid mail solution to streamline the mail operation within two of its UK businesses, Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd and Central Homecare, to lower overheads, reduce administrative requirements and enhance the service provided to customers.

Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd is using imail to send up to three thousand credit notes each month to independent pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Meanwhile, online pharmacy service Central Home Care is sending between three and four thousand items each month that are made up of statements, invoices and other forms of customer correspondence.

Both companies have previously used traditional postal services, with all items printed, enveloped and mailed manually using internal resources or specially-employed temporary staff. By automating the mail process using imail, it has been possible to remove internal administrative requirements, which had proved to be uneconomical in terms of time and financial costs. It has also been possible to further reduce mail overheads by no longer needing to procure stationery, ink, printers and franking machines to support in-house mail needs.

In addition, an Application Programming Interface (API) has enabled the imail system to be integrated with back-office systems. This has meant that the submission of mail items has been fully automated with a cut-off time of 6pm for same-day printing, so that all customer communications arrive two days after posting. This has not only improved cash flow, but also improved client perception by ensuring all letters are mailed in a timely fashion.

Head of Finance at Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd. commented: “Using imail our mailings can now go out quicker, cheaper and without the manual labour required to print, envelope and prepare letters ready for collection. We have already making substantial savings when compared to our previous processes, whilst creating a mail solution with high levels of added flexibility, simplicity and responsiveness.”

Andy Barber at UK Mail said: “imail offers an effective means of streamlining a company’s mail operation by providing a wide range of benefits. imail has established itself as the leading hybrid mail solution in the marketplace by achieving real savings and boosting operational performance for a growing number of corporate and SME businesses.”
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ABOUT IMAIL
imail was launched in 2008 by UK Mail as the only alternative to the first class postal service, which enables users to send letters and postcards with just a click of the mouse from as late as 3pm for next-day or 6pm for two-day delivery. The mail documents are sent electronically to the UK Mail sort centre closest to the destination where they are printed, enveloped and sorted for onward delivery.

imail is ideal for all sizes of business from SMEs to corporate companies, offering a dynamic desktop to delivery service at a keystroke that provides a range of cost, time and environmental benefits.

National express delivery network Nightfreight (GB) Ltd has chosen NX Framework, from DA Systems, to provide the logistics technology for its specialist 2-man home delivery (Deliver2home) service.

NX Framework has been rolled out to all 80 dedicated vehicle crews and is being used throughout Nightfreight’s 27 Deliver2home depots to ensure that accurate and timely delivery confirmation, including real-time, electronic Proof of Delivery (POD) is fed back to customers. The solution also fully automates collection and delivery processes by the scanning of consignment barcode information, using handheld mobile-data devices, carried by each driver.

The new web-based solution replaces a paper-based, manual system and as part of Nightfreight’s in-built culture of personal customer care, the new system means an improved customer service response as a result of precise, up-to-date information being made available. Through a web-portal, Nightfreight can now view every stage of the collection and delivery process, all in relation to the daily bookings, updated via each driver’s rugged Intermec CN50, in-cab device.

NX Framework, from DA Systems, was chosen following a competitive trial in which DA Systems was found to be more responsive, the software better designed and importantly, more user friendly.

David Upton, managing director, DA Systems said “NX Framework has been designed to deliver to the core expertise of a customer’s business. The fully managed service offers a bespoke, mobile-data solution specifically designed to cater for the evolving requirements of today’s multi-contract, multi-customer, vertical markets and it precisely matches Nightfreight’s needs. With over 10 years experience in providing transport software solutions, we are keen to assist Nightfreight in adding value to their services and to provide a platform from which future additional services may be offered.”

Paul Tyson, director, Neightfreight’s Deliver2home said “The solution helps us to maintain our position, ahead of the field, in 2-man delivery. Because we can monitor the status of every job, accurately, in real-time, this will enable us to offer 3-hour delivery windows. Measurable financial savings are expected, not only through instant POD capture, but also via the automatic collection and delivery barcode verification. NX Framework provides us with the real-time operational data that we need to achieve our customer promises and the management data that we need to devise and roll-out clearly differentiated services.”

The software solution makes full use of the device capabilities. Full photo capture from the Intermec CN50 is used as evidence of successful collection, unsuccessful delivery or package rejection. Additionally, separate devices are not required for phone calls or for GPS positioning, so device consolidation adds to the financial savings.