Author: Archive

Alan Firmin joins PalletFORCE

Posted by | Aug 25, 2006 | |

Kent transport company Alan Firmin has joined the PalletFORCE palletised distribution network in order to enhance the range of services it can offer to its customers.

Alan Firmin decided to become a member of the Network after it recognised the need to diversify its business. “We are an established name in full-load distribution, but many existing and potential customers were also enquiring about smaller pallet drops. Joining a distribution network allows us to become a ‘one stop shop’ and able to accommodate these orders,” comments Paul Denyer, Operations Manager at Alan Firmin.

The choice of PalletFORCE was made after Alan Firmin received several recommendations of its reliability from fellow Transport Association members. The company also felt that PalletFORCE’s member-owned status would be beneficial.

Alan Firmin has been recruited as a Shareholder Member Depot for the BR and parts of the TN and ME postcodes. It will share responsibility for the latter areas with existing PalletFORCE members, as part of the Network’s programme of postcode consolidation.

Based in Snodland, Alan Firmin’s diverse business covers transport, warehousing, property and farming. It currently operates a fleet of 32 tractor units and 5 rigid vehicles.

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Postal Service Gains U.S. Market Share

Posted by | Aug 25, 2006 | |

The U.S. Postal Service, riding the wave of strong demand for its Priority Mail deferred air product, gained U.S. air market share in 2005 for the first time in three years, The Colography Group, Inc., said today in releasing its full-year 2005 analysis of the domestic U.S. air cargo market.

According to The Colography Group, the USPS’ share of the air shipment market increased to 37.7% in 2005, as compared to 37.1% in 2004. The Postal Service, the only carrier to gain shipment share year-over-year, grew its shipment base by 4.9% in 2005, by far the fastest growth of any domestic air competitor.

The Postal Services’ gains were attributable to a resurgence in Priority Mail, its two-to-three day delivery product which had fallen on three years of hard times following a 15% rate increase in 2002 that sent customers fleeing to competitors. Since then, however, the USPS has kept rates steady while its private-sector rivals have imposed annual price increases. In addition, USPS can pass on lower operating costs to its customers because it cannot by law impose surcharges to offset rising fuel costs. The result of both factors has been a widening price differential between low-cost Priority Mail and its competition, leading to increased demand from value-conscious shippers.

Not surprisingly, deferred air shipments showed healthy growth in 2005, rising 4.2% over 2004 levels. By contrast, overnight air traffic grew by less than half that at 1.9%. Priority Mail accounted for almost three-quarters of total growth in the deferred air shipment category.

Another highlight of 2005 was the overall performance of the domestic air market. In the last three quarters of the year, domestic air growth exceeded that of U.S. GDP, the first time in four years that has occurred. For the full year, air shipments grew by 3.2% to 2.5 billion shipments, with gains across all market categories: letters and envelopes, packages and freight. Revenue totaled $33.6 billion, a 5% increase over 2004 levels, a phenomenon driven largely by the impact of fuel and other surcharges on the carriers’ top lines.

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Stepped-up security in Austrian post offices

Posted by | Aug 24, 2006 | |

Security equipment for all post offices supplied by Siemens

According to a recent study conducted by Österreichische Post AG, the amount of loss or damage caused by post office robberies has more than quadrupled over the last five years. To provide maximum security for both customers and staff, Österreichische Post AG has, after a EU-wide call for tender, commissioned Siemens with supplying new security equipment for all post offices. The contract covers delivery, installation and taking live of a state-of-the-art security system as well as maintenance, troubleshooting and providing a central service control center. An alarm verification system reduces the number of false alarms as incoming alarms are checked by the control center prior to being forwarded to the police. To speed up resource planning and shorten response times, it is also possible to forward the information collected by the surveillance system to the police in advance. Following successful pilot operations in eight post offices, all Austrian post offices will be equipped with the new system by the end of 2007 and linked up with the service control center operated by Siemens Building Technologies. The necessary investment amounts to € 8.5 million.

Brigitte Ederer, CEO and President of the Board of Siemens AG Österreich: “Our technology helps Österreichische Post AG to ensure the security and safety of its staff, customers, and assets in a comprehensive manner. What is more, the uniform security concept for all post offices and the use of the existing IT network for alarm and problem reporting purposes results in significant savings in operating costs.”

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Revenue of postal services rises

Posted by | Aug 24, 2006 | |

Revenue of Indian postal services has increased to Rs 4431.85 crore in 2004-05 from Rs 3297 crore in 2000-01. The volumes of ordinary mail has been reduced due to advent of technology (emails and cheaper telephone calls), however the Indian post has registered an increase in revenues on back of higher traffic of business post. Speed post, the courier service of Indian Postal Department, has seen a 16.08 per cent rise in traffic and 18.7 per cent increase in revenue while business post saw a 29.5 per cent increase in revenue. On the other hand, the volume of traditional unregistered post has fallen. A new scheme for speed post service called ‘One India One Rate’ has been launched. Priced at Rs 25 for mail up to 50 grams to any destination in the country, it is intended to tap inter-state document services and benefit the customers.

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FedEx ranked Top Express Brand in China

Posted by | Aug 24, 2006 | |

FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and the world’s largest express transportation company, is the Number One Express Delivery Brand in China. It is also one of the overall Top 10 Executive Brands in China, according to a survey conducted by a leading management magazine, Chief Executive China. In a statement here today, FedEx said the survey results showed that 44 percent of the respondents named it the most-admired brand in the express delivery services category. Among respondents who use express delivery services, 96 percent said they are current users of express delivery services and 95 percent said they would use the service in the coming 12 months, it said. Now in its second year, the survey included 19 product categories regularly used by executives in China. The results were based on a group of measurements including brand admiration, brand advantage, brand market share, brand preference, brand vitality and relevance to China’s business executives.

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TNT Logistics' position in pecking order may soon be challenged

Posted by | Aug 24, 2006 | |

TNT has announced that it is to sell its logistics division to affiliates of Apollo Management, a US private equity firm, for E1.48 billion. While the sale of the business unit has been on the cards since 2005, Datamonitor’s Chris Morgan questions whether the new TNT Logistics will be able to take part in further market consolidation which is no doubt inevitable in the short term.

In December 2005, Dutch postal group TNT made known its intention to divest its logistics division in order to focus on its core competency of express parcels and mail delivery. TNT Logistics is the second-largest player in the global contract logistics market, although Datamonitor research shows the company had a market share of just under 2% in 2005 – indicative of how highly fragmented the industry is.

Even after the recent wave of merger and acquisition activity, market leader DHL-Exel held a market share of just over 5% last year, and the current market environment makes further consolidation inevitable. While the global logistics market holds a great deal of potential for major players, without the backing of its parent company, one must question whether TNT will have the financial clout to take part in any significant merger activity in the short term.

Selling the unit to a private equity firm rather than a logistics company had been on the cards for some time. Deutsche Post World Net has only recently acquired Exel in a multi-billion euro deal, and this will take some time to fully integrate. Meanwhile, UPS’ European logistics strategy is unclear, as the purchase price would use up vital funds that could be better directed towards expansion in the less mature, higher-growth markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Postcomm imposes penalty on UK Royal Mail for failing to protect mail

Posted by | Aug 24, 2006 | |

Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services, today imposed a financial penalty of GBP 9.62 million on Royal Mail for breaching its licence by failing to properly protect the mail in its care.

The penalty follows a review of Royal Mail’s “mail integrity procedures”, during which Postcomm found that some important features of Royal Mail’s procedures were not being applied across the business.

The penalty was first proposed on 10 February 2006, when Postcomm published a consultation document proposing an amount of GBP 11.38 million. After taking account of representations from Royal Mail and other respondents, Postcomm published its proposal to vary the penalty to GBP 9.62 million on 16 June.

Following consideration of further representations received, Postcomm has confirmed that figure and has today published the penalty notice.

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