TPN looks to raise volume
With a new hub with capacity to spare, TPN looks for more members and European partners to raise throughput.
The Pallet Network says it is to focus on developing its European operations this year and next, but that it will not attempt to keep up with its rivals’ increasingly complex information technology. Managing director Adam Leonard, speaking at the new hub at Rugby to which the company relocated in January, said the network is in talks with potential partners based in Germany, France and Switzerland. It recently launched TPN Ireland and already has a service to Benelux. Leonard said the network moves around 3,500 pallets a night. “Growth will be controlled by the members but we would like to achieve 4,500 pallets by the end of the year,” he says. Chairman Richard Eldred said: “In the past few months the growth has been slower than anticipated for a whole basket of reasons, poor consumer confidence and the impending election, but our members are still very optimistic and are quoting for lots of work.” The company is expecting to take on new members this year. It stopped taking on members in the months leading up to the hub move, because of capacity constraints. TPN says it won’t try to keep up with its rivals’ increasingly complex IT systems – Palletways announced that it is to introduce in-cab signature capture (MT last week). TPN uses Zip-Zap software and pallets are only scanned if they are left on the hub floor at the end of the night. “We are happy with the system we have. We need to get all members up to a certain spec, we need some to raise their game, before we can move forward,” says Eldred. TPN plans to update its website within six months to enable all customers to be able to retrieve scanned proofs of delivery online. The network is also seriously considering introducing a quarter pallet service after pressure from members, but admits it is not looking at introducing logistics services. “we have the capacity but there isn’t the demand from members”, says Eldred.
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