Tag: Courier/Express/Parcels

ByBox appoints new head of innovation

Posted by | Mar 21, 2007 | |

ByBox, the UK’s leading force in parts distribution, has further
strengthened its management team with the appointment of Mike Boxwell as Head of Innovation.

It is a completely new role and one which reflects the company’s commitment to innovation and technology.

With a background in IT, Mike has a long track record in the hand held scanner market with particular expertise in the courier and distribution industry.

Prior to joining ByBox Mike previously ran computer manufacturer Hand Held Products in the UK and also set up and ran Littlefoot which provides tracking and proof of delivery systems for major parcel carriers. Customers include La Poste, Royal Mail, DX, Amtrak, GeoPost and Business Post.

He has a strong knowledge of the parts distribution market having worked alongside ByBox for a number of years to provide hand held scanning solutions and will bring a valuable skill set to the already successful operation.

In his new role Mike will be involved in developing and managing a new scanning platform for ByBox’ unique network of electronic boxes whilst at the same time having specific responsibility for projects involving technology and innovation.

Mike is also no stranger to innovation having formed eBIKEshop in 2004 which
became the UK’s largest retailer of electric bikes. He sold the business at the end of 2005.

Aged 36 Mike is married with two young children.

Read More

Nightfreight drives back into black

Posted by | Mar 21, 2007 | |

Specialist delivery business Nightfreight has forged back into the black – posting pretax profits of pounds 4.1 million for the year to November 30, compared to the previous year’s loss of pounds 6.2 million. The company yesterday said it had improved turnover by 6.83 per cent, up by pounds 8.4 million to pounds 131.9 million, while operating profits rose 250 per cent, up by pounds 3.1 million to pounds 4.38 million.

Nightfreight, which started life at Willenhall in 1984 and still remains headquartered there, said the improvements in its performance reflected the benefits of an ongoing investment programme in both customer service and operational developments. Steve Allen, chief executive, said: “Throughout 2006, the company has made good progress improving its financial performance and commencing its transition to becoming a logistics and solutions business, offering customers new integrated services that will meet their changing requirements.”

Nightfreight is currently owned by Royal Bank of Scotland.

Read More

Exel acquisition lifts Deutsche Post figures

Posted by | Mar 21, 2007 | |

Deutsche Post said it boosted the sea freight business of its subsidiary DHL last year, both through the acquisition of Exel and through organic growth, writes Katrin Berkenkopf in Cologne.

‘We notched significantly increased volumes from existing business and with new customers,’ the group said.

With a volume of 2.4m teu, DHL should be the number one sea freight forwarder globally in terms of transport volume, although competitor Kuehne+Nagel is considerably larger when it comes to turnover.

The 2.4m teu contrasts with only half of that volume seen a year earlier, which demonstrates the leap ahead that the acquisition of Exel meant for DHL’s Global Forwarding business.

The growth in revenue is clearly lagging behind the volume increase, however. Sea freight turnover grew by 41% to EUR2.66bn (USD3.5bn). Deutsche Post pointed out that a dip in freight rates on high-volume routes had a negative impact on finances.

Kuehne+Nagel last week reported a seaborne transport volume of 2.3m teu and turnover of SFr8.3bn (USD6.8bn). Overall, the logistics division of Deutsche Post which includes ocean and air freight, supply chain business and land-based freight business recorded a turnover of EUR22.9bn, up from EUR9.9bn.

Acquisitions, first of all that of Exel, account for EUR11.6bn of the increase. Earnings before interest and taxes grew from EUR346m to EUR762m. Deutsche Post chief executive Klaus Zumwinkel reiterated his forecast of operating profits in logistics reaching EUR1.2bn by 2009. For the current year, he expects a rise of 15%.

Read More

RFID gives City Link customers real-time tracking

Posted by | Mar 20, 2007 | |

Delivery company City Link has installed 15,000 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on its parcel cages to improve efficiency and speed up its delivery services. The company now plans to work with clients to provide real-time tracking solutions.

The Wi-Fi based Active RFID solution was installed by AeroScout (a US company), and JDH Consultancy at City Link’s depots around the UK. The rugged tags manage the company’s dynamic inventory of ‘roll cages’, which house and protect its high-value parcels during transit.

At any moment in time, up to 300,000 parcels in 15,000 cages at 70 UK locations can be monitored and located in real-time from City Link’s National Distribution Centre in Wednesbury, West Midlands, over the City Link Cisco Wi-Fi network.

RFID technology has been available for a long time but the cost of the tags and implementation have made its use prohibitive for tracking small, low value items. The costs are reducing and its use in logistics and item tracking is continued to increase. Marks & Spencer can track individual items and a German bookstore is using the technology within boxes of books.

Read More

GBP 2m investment keeps TNT Sameday in Pole Position in the UK

Posted by | Mar 20, 2007 | |

The instant-response arm of Britain’s leading business-to-business express delivery company has unveiled a multi-million pound investment programme to keep the business at the top of the ‘Premier League’ of the UK same day delivery market.

The GBP 2 million initiative will see an innovative deployment of TNT Sameday’s army of 1,700 drivers, a new web-based Storapart distribution service designed to enhance speedy despatch of parts to engineers plus the introduction of state-of-the-art ‘mobile worker’ units to each driver. Each element is viewed as a critical component in the TNT drive for customer service excellence in 2007.

At the touch of a key, the new Common Operating System will automatically calculate parcel delivery rates, recommend the closest driver available for a collection and allocate drivers’ payments.

The new warehouse stock management system of TNT’s Storapart service – called Storapart Distribution System (SDS) – creates a common approach across TNT the Storapart sites throughout the world, providing a consistently high level of customer service.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest