Palletways links hubs with IT and Trunking

Palletways passed a landmark last week as it linked its UK hub in Lichfield with its hub in Nijmegen, which serves Benelux, Germany and Denmark.
The near-identical computer systems of the two networks were plugged into each other and a scheduled trunking service started operating for the first time. One- and two- pallet consignments are the core traffic.
Information technology is standard throughout the linked networks, both in terms of track and trace for the customer and internal systems.
The service started with just one 13.6m straight frame trailer but European development manager John McCormick says: ‘We have got very ambitious targets.’
The UK telesales team at Lichfield has been canvassing for the past eight weeks and the 100-plus network members have been briefed, says UK and group marketing manager Fabio Manto.
Commonality in structures, operations and IT are used as Palletways expands on the continent. Its well- established Italian network plugs into the other two hubs within three months.
Spanish operations will launch by the summer, with the hub there joining the international network shortly afterwards.
Nijmegen works through 21 member companies and will add ten more by the summer, some of which will cover Switzerland and northern France.
The network for the rest of France will be developed by Frank Demey, a Belgian who joined Palletways last week from a contractor in the automotive logistics sector.
In the UK, roll-out of the Trans-aXion in-cab system for real-time PoD capture to all members is taking a little more time than first forecast; but it will be completed ‘by Easter and for sure before summer’, Manto says.
Trans-aXion is the system that has just been chosen by PalletForce.