Delivering You The Latest Industry Headlines and Articles
Read the latest transport industry news from around the UK with specific focus on couriers and related services, with articles for all levels of professional delivery providers. From newcomers to the seasoned veterans – we believe everyone can improve by keeping up to date with the latest developments in the transport industry.
We make it our business to find out what’s happening with the 22,000+ courier services operating in Britain, whilst also sharing up to date articles about services and products that can shape the future of express logistics.
It’s a new year, but when you’re a self-employed delivery driver or running a small business we face the same old problems. Where are we going to get work from? How can we make more efficient use of our vehicle/s? Should we buy, lease or rent a new van? How much is our insurance going to be this year? Well that’s what Couriers TV is here for. We spend our
You know the score by now. Every business and their dog will do an end of year ‘wrap’ to recap what happened and have a look ahead to the new year. And we’re no different. So here’s our pick of what went on in ’24, along with some of our statistics.
• The delivery firm has opened a new modern, purpose-built 21,000 sq. ft. site at Deeside Industrial Park to expand its overnight parcel operations.
• The business has invested in increasing its sustainability commitments with the new solar powered site.
First off, let’s face facts. The Courier Exchange (CX) is still the leading delivery work platform, but it’s also more expensive than ever before to become a member. On the other hand, there’s probably more value in it than ever before.
● £37 million multi-year investment in the site
● £2M invested in an automated shipment processing system to bolster improved efficiency and capacity for collections and deliveries across Sussex, Surrey and Kent
● The new site is powered by 100% renewable energy
Independent parcel carrier, Yodel, has partnered with InPost, the biggest Out of Home parcel locker network in the UK, to provide final mile delivery services. Yodel will be handling hundreds of thousands of parcels through the InPost ‘Locker-to-Door’ service.
Speedy Freight has committed £2 million to introduce its latest venture, Speedy Fulfil, a service focused on efficient fulfilment solutions.
Speaking in response to today’s (30 October 2024) Budget announcement, David Wells OBE, Chief Executive of business group Logistics UK said:
Shift, the company that acquired Tuffnells after its administration last year, has itself been sold in a pre-pack deal due to financial troubles, securing 55 jobs in the process.
Without stating the obvious too much here, if you want to start a courier business you’re going to first need a vehicle.
When starting a courier business, there’s going to be some things you need to sort out before starting the business.
Most decorated brand in the history of the awards with 45 Motor Transport Awards to date
• DHL to invest £25M over the next 15 years in the brand new site near Cambridge
• £2M automation system will bolster improved efficiency and capacity of deliveries in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and parts of Suffolk
• The new site is powered by 100% renewable energy
An entrepreneur who built a multi-million-pound business after receiving a loan from The Prince’s Trust is now an official mentor for the youth charity.
The Thetford-based firm who demonstrated outstanding contributions to the network and positive sales growth were recognised in The APC’s 2024 business awards and crowned ‘Depot of the Year’ for a fifth time.
• The delivery firm has opened a new, larger site in Orpington following continued growth for the business and its local SME customers.
• The new site allows A to Z to better serve burgeoning London businesses and provide them with improved service options to help them flourish in the years ahead.
Depots and individuals who demonstrated outstanding contributions and professional successes were celebrated in The APC’s 2024 business awards.
On Thursday 30th May 2024 the UK passed a grim and shaming milestone: 500,000 people will have died on the roads in Great Britain since records began in 1926*.
• The delivery firm has been awarded the prestigious award in recognition of its exceptional health and safety standards.
• The Gold RoSPA recognition comes after four consecutive years of The APC achieving a Silver RoSPA award.
Looking after your physical health is the best start to keeping your mental health on course too. So with that in mind, here’s some top tips we wanted to share.
RHA Board Member, Bill Hockin today presented international development organisation, Transaid with a cheque for more than £26,000 representing funds raised by RHA members over the past twelve months. Transaid is an organisation that improves the quality of life in the developing world by making transport more readily available, affordable and sustainable. The presentation was made to the Chief Executive of Transaid, Caroline Barber on the second day of the
The RHA truck training simulator proved a hit with students and a YouTube celebrity in Manchester today (19 April).
11th March 2024 RHA welcomes A66 Trans-Pennine improvement scheme The RHA welcomes the Planning Inspectorate announcement that the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine improvement scheme can go ahead. This scheme will see an investment of £1.3bn to ensure 50 miles of carriageway is duelled in its entirety. The A66 is the key strategic road link between the M6 and the A1 for businesses in Cumbria and North Yorkshire. We therefore welcome that
New freight data shows average prices fell throughout February, while haulage increased against previous trends.
We (The RHA) are pleased to see the Chancellor has listened to our calls to help haulage, coach and van businesses in his Spring Budget. Continuing the freeze on fuel duty and maintaining the 5p-cut for a further 12 months will help firms deal with economic challenges. The decision to extend full expensing to leased vehicles and assets should prove a significant support to hauliers and coach operators, particularly those
In response to the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt MP’s announcement on fuel duty in today’s (6 March 2024) Budget, Kevin Green, Logistics UK’s Director of Policy, said:
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt MP must retain the current 5p per litre cut in fuel duty to prevent additional inflationary pressures, according to business group Logistics UK.
The Welsh Government has announced their Final Budget ahead of the Budget Debate next week (6 March).
Latest data on road freight reports a significant drop in haulage and courier prices, and look to drop further in February.
A Birmingham haulier which has been setting the standard in logistics for more than 30 years has become the first operator in the city to add a fully-electric HGV to its fleet.
On the fourth anniversary of Britain’s departure from the European Union (31st January), road freight operator Europa Road has successfully returned to offering guaranteed pre-Brexit delivery times across Europe. Europa Road, the European road freight division of pioneering independent operator Europa Worldwide Group, recently welcomed MP Gareth Johnson to its multimillion pound European groupage hub and headquarters in his constituency of Dartford, to hear about Europa’s proactive work for British
Welcome to Couriers TV’s latest digital newsletter It’s February and a lot of you are probably happy to finally get January over and done with, right? It’s not a lot of people’s favourite month, but we all have to go through it. But now it’s the month of love. And we want to know if last month showed you any affection. Did you get enough work? What were the rates
Haulage and courier rates surge as peak season ends, but prices remain lower than the levels observed in previous two December periods.
There’s something different in the air this year already. We think this is going to be an important few months that might show changes in how drivers acquire more transport work. For a long time it’s been simple. The Courier Exchange was the place to be and if you wanted to get extra work you had to be willing to pay their prices so you could network with thousands of
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Significant increases in courier prices have contributed to rising overall costs, adding further strain to UK freight service providers during peak season.
With road freight prices declining prior to peak season, industry leaders are shifting their focus to government initiatives to cement long-term cost stability
• The delivery firm has opened a new, larger site in Somerset following continued growth for the business and its local SME customers.
• The business has invested in increasing its sustainability commitments with plans to convert its fleet to solely electric vehicles.
● Over 6 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to be rolled out by the end of 2023
● Projected to save around 15,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions upon completion of the initial roll-out this year
• Giant new site entirely diesel-free with 500 EVs and all HGVs powered by HVO
• DPD achieves pledge to deliver to 30 of the largest towns and cities in the UK
with green final mile delivery vehicles.
Welcome to Couriers TV’s latest digital newsletter It’s November already!? How on earth has that arrived so soon? There’s even Christmas ads on the TV already and that’s just not right. At least one thing. We all know it’s earning season. Get out there and get winning some work because there’s going to be lots of it around. If you need access to more work then you probably need a
• The UK’s largest independent delivery network highlights steady growth for the business.
• The business has continued to make significant investments to support its employees and SME customers as it builds for future growth.
Highest monthly prices rise for haulage and courier services in nine months raises concerns for businesses ahead of peak season
• The partnership will bolster The APC network’s range of delivery services for consumers with increasingly flexible and varied delivery needs
• The APC will also be introducing a new ‘Leave Safe’ option as part of service enhancements to APC Choice
The Post Office has joined forces with leading parcel delivery company DPD to launch a new online parcel service.
DHL Express, the world’s leading international express delivery service provider, has relaunched its international Same Day Service for customers in the UK with emergency delivery needs, or with items that cannot be sent through the Express network. Opting for the Same Day service ensures a shipment will be sent via the fastest available mode of transport, utilising DHL’s trusted specialist service providers. The Same Day service gives customers access to
Starting your own delivery business is an exciting venture and in an industry this competitive, you’re going to want to make sure you’re at the forefront of your competitors. So, what can you do to step-up your marketing game? We came up with 5 great tips to get you started. 1- Networking We’re starting off big as this one typically strikes fear in to all that stare directly at it.
Courier services offer a faster, personal and more secure alternative to standard mail and postal delivery services. Traditional mail services can often have slow delivery terms. The sender may also incur costs for faster deliveries or to send large or heavy items. It’s here that couriers can step (or drive…) in and steal the limelight. Offering an improved and more attentive delivery services for businesses and individuals alike, providing a
Ratchet Straps can be a couriers best friend at times. No matter what kind of work you plan on doing, it makes sense to always have some available. Okay, so the exception is if you are a parcel multi-dropper then you won’t have much of the time or inclination to bother tying anything down. And it won’t be as necessary. But occasionally there might just be that one item that
Welcome to Couriers TV’s latest digital newsletter We’ve made it to July and been off-radar for quite a lot of 2023 so far, but that’s mostly down to how much has been going on behind the scenes. In March/April we had a full redesign of our insurance section and created some all singing, all dancing landing pages for our advertisers. We’ve also been working on a whole new look for
Growing with the SMEs over the past 20 years: How North Wales-based Delsol has evolved over the past two decades as its customer base thrives
Today Team Secures Acquisition of Speedy Courier Services Ltd, Fueling Expansion and Strengthening Industry Presence
Colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions and professional successes were celebrated in The APC’s business awards 2023
• Supported trials are set to commence Q4 2025 once the exhaustive pre-production prototyping phase is completed and the HGVs are ready to enter volume production.
• Fleet operators offered extensive trial periods to test & evaluate the HVS hydrogen-electric HGV
• Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) is a new UK-based hydrogen vehicle emerging OEM and innovator in the heavy-duty commercial vehicle segment
• Revenue increased by 11.6%
• Profit increased by 27.1%
• Strong net cash position at year end
• New contract wins with JCB and Airbus, and expansion of existing business with Jaguar Land Rover, will see around 2,000 people joining Unipart’s UK workforce in 2023
• Darren Leigh appointed Chief Executive Officer
• John Neill continues as full-time Executive Chairman
• The delivery network’s mean Gender Pay Gap is -3.2%, equating to women earning three pence more per pound than male colleagues.
• Women make up 40% of The APC’s Senior Leadership team and 50% of its Executive team.
• Yet, the company is looking to attract and retain more female employees across the business, including delivery and warehouse roles.
Logistics UK’s popular Vans Today event is returning for 2023 with an unrivalled line-up of speakers, including industry experts from National Highways, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Aviva. The half-day briefing, which aims to outline potential solutions to some of the key operational challenges currently facing van fleet operators, will be held on 27 April 2023 at Leicester City Football Club. Sponsored by Logistics UK’s Van
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DPD UK, part of DPDgroup, Europe’s largest parcel delivery network, today announces that it has completed the acquisition of longstanding final mile courier company Absolutely, to further strengthen its same day delivery capabilities across the UK.
As awards go, this is a fairly niche title to hold. But being Britain’s Best Courier Company To Work For is probably a more important title than many transport companies might realise. Have you ever heard a celebrity use the line “This award means more because it’s voted for BY THE PEOPLE”? Well this is what we’ve done here. From December 2022 to January 2023 we ran a survey to
A Belated Welcome To The New Year It’s been a strange, and somewhat frantic, start to the new year for us here at CTV. And that kind of explains why it’s already February and we’re only just wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2023. We’ve had a lot on our plates so far as we’re preparing some new video content alongside our usual day-job of courier work for our
With the shift to self-employment increasing, what can owner-drivers and independent couriers do to earn a fair living when sub-contracting for other companies?
Leading Midlands recruitment agency Encore Personnel is tackling the societal stigma around women in logistics head on and in less than 12 months, the business, headquartered in Leicester with six driving divisions across the UK, has quadrupled the amount of female HGV drivers on its books.
First of all, let me be clear that I don’t know if we’re already in a recession or how soon it might happen. There has been a lot of talk but I don’t believe it’s confirmed at this time. Just in case though, I wanted to look into how we can all prepare our courier businesses to survive any possible financial downturn. Preparing your small business to survive when times
The developers behind a UK-wide address-finding App have decided to make it free until April 2023 to help people with the cost-of-living crisis this winter.
With the new year just around the corner, we wanted to pull over and take a look at what’s up ahead in 2023.
After almost a year of diesel price rises, it’s time to face facts. Prices are not coming down any time soon. You need to act to save money on your fuel bills.
In response to today’s Autumn statement, business group Logistics UK is encouraged that the government has prioritised stability for the economy after a period of volatility, which will help restore confidence for businesses. However, as Kate Jennings, the organisation’s Policy Director explains, there is also disappointment that some of the measures announced could stifle the switch to greener energy
87% reduction in CO2 emissions across 1,600 HGVs
60% of DPD’s HGV fleet will switch to biofuel this year
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• The delivery firm has opened a new 22,500 sq. ft. site following continued growth for the business and its customers in the last 18 months.
• Celtic Couriers invests for the future, introducing six Electric Vehicles to its fleet and recruiting for several new roles.
News that the government is taking steps to stabilise the economy have been welcomed by business group Logistics UK, which represents the organisations that move all the goods which the UK economy needs. However, as Kate Jennings, the organisation’s Policy Director, says more detail is required to reassure business and provide time to enable effective planning and budgeting.
17-21 October 2022 Week of Action and Road Trip
The Fourth Quarter. No, this isn’t an article about American Football. It’s about the last part of each year where couriers across the UK brace themselves for the ‘busy season’. Q4 is the last 3 months of the year. And for those of us that do delivery work, they’re (usually) the busiest. Especially where services like the Courier Exchange and other major delivery work platforms are concerned. Christmas is less
• DHL Express UK will deliver parcels directly to Post Offices, providing a convenient location for consumers to collect packages
• DHL is the world’s leading international express service provider
• Partnership is further demonstration of Post Office strategy to open its network to new parcel carriers and drive footfall for Postmasters
• Click and Collect services already rolled out to 5,000 Post Offices in under a
It’s September. The kids have gone back to school and the weather has changed. Autumn is definitely underway. This new season brings new opportunities for couriers, and especially for visitors of Couriers TV.
• First 4 Logistics has invested in two new sites and three new senior hires following growth of the business and to better serve local SME customers at a time where high demand for delivery services continues.
FinTec Business Solutions, the company behind a new UK-wide address-finding App developed in Shropshire, has launched an official partnership with Ordnance Survey.
A five-man team from Logistics UK has today (28 July 2022) completed a 130-mile overnight cross-country bike ride, raising £2,600.00 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Starting at the business group’s offices in Leamington Spa on 27 July 2022, the team rode through the night via central London before arriving at the organisation’s ’s head office in Tunbridge Wells, completing the ride in a total of ten hours.
• Forty traders at Billingsgate Market, in London, are taking part in a sustainable deliveries pilot – a partnership between the City of London Corporation, DHL Supply Chain and Ford Pro
• To date, the pilot has resulted in an estimated 37 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from deliveries with 949 fewer vehicle journeys on central London’s congested roads, helping reduce air pollution
• Traders at the historic fish
The local delivery firm has invested in several new job roles and the introduction of EVs following significant growth for the business and to better serve local SME customers at a time where high demand for delivery services continues.
As the inflationary pressures on business costs continue to soar, Logistics UK has called on Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi MP to take decisive action to protect the nation’s supply chain and prevent price rises in all sectors with the immediate introduction of a 6p per litre reduction in fuel duty. Kate Jennings, Logistics UK’s Policy Director, explains that the use of fuel is key in the delivery of goods across the
YDL records 6% overall growth in a year that evolved the shape of distribution. The local delivery firm invests in 13 new job roles following significant growth for the business and to better serve local SME customers at a time where high demand for delivery services continues. 13 July 2022: YDL, part of The APC delivery network – the largest independent parcel delivery network in the UK – has today
Autonomous robots will each deliver up to 30 parcels a day, in two neighbourhoods
Royal Mail Health has teamed up with Pharmacy2U, the UK’s leading online pharmacy, to deliver NHS prescriptions reliably and safely. Delivery is free* for patients and simply requires registration online. In order to use the service, download the Royal Mail Health app or visit online at www.royalmail.com/health/pharmacy2u Royal Mail Health is committed to improving access to patient’s healthcare needs. Working alongside Pharmacy2U, Royal Mail Health will make sure that NHS
Logistics UK’s Next Generation Van conference – to be held at Doubletree by Hilton in Coventry on Thursday 07 July 2022 – boasts an expert speaker line-up including Tim Campbell, Managing Director of Campbells Consultancy and Jackie Hewson, Alternative Fuels Implementation Manager at John Lewis Partnership.
The disruption to global supply chains, which began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and had a significant knock-on effect on businesses around the globe, looks set to continue throughout 2022, according to the annual Logistics Report from business group Logistics UK.
The good old days for courier companies are gone. It’s time to adapt. Technology and inflation are two of the key forces that are going to reshape the future of transport.
Couriers TV has been going for more than 4 years and yet, until now nobody has seen the ‘host’ appear on any previous videos. Until now.
Paul Simonds of G4S Cash Solutions has today (11 May 2022) been crowned Logistics UK’s Van Driver of the Year 2022 following a competition day held at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre alongside ITT Hub and the Future Logistics Conference. Mr Simonds fought off tough competition from 10 other finalists, also winning Van Excellence Driver of the Year 2022 – supported by Bott – and three individual tasks.
The APC launches several activities and initiatives across the network in support of Mental Health Awareness week
Logistics UK has launched the search for its first Transport Manager of the Year; a new competition aimed at celebrating the very best transport managers in industry.
Leading parcel delivery firm DPD has agreed a deal with Ford for 1,000 E-Transit vans this year, which will take DPD’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet to over 2,500 in total.
Due to popular demand, Logistics UK has extended the deadline for submissions to its Van Driver of the Year contest to Friday 29 April 2022. This follows a surge of late enquiries and will give more companies the chance to enter their leading professional drivers into the competition.
Volta Trucks, the leading and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has revealed the forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants – the second product family in its full-electric vehicle range.
Leading parcel delivery firm DPD has been named Sustainable Business of the Year at the Business Champion Awards.
DHL Express, the world’s leading international express delivery service provider, has today announced the roll-out of 270 new electric vans, which will be taking to roads across the country as part of its last-mile fleet.
The only thing we can say is that I guess we should be thankful for small mercies, because when fuel prices are this high, anything that can bring that down again helps.
Pair to offer retailers ‘plug and play’ deliver to shop software solution
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