FOR-WORD - Fortec Distribution

Issue 1 2016
FOR-WORD
A ROUND UP OF NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
IN THIS ISSUE: We look ahead to 2016, our Simply European service is proving popular, the Fortec
Connect roll-out is complete, the latest news from Members and much more...
g
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
You can find out more about these events and book your place by visiting fortec-distribution.com/events
and filling in the registration forms. For more information, get in touch with Jo Marks on 01327 306 359 or
jo.marks@fortec-distribution.com
Wednesday
Thursday
16
14
April
May
National Meeting
Staverton Park,
Daventry
Historic Public
Houses Tour,
London
March
Friday
Thursday
Saturday
6
16
June
July
Fortec Open,
The Belfry,
West Midlands
Truck Open,
Heythrop Park,
Oxfordshire
Annual Award
Ceremony,
Holiday Inn, Stratford
9
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016
2016 promises to be an exciting year for our network. Not
only are we in a better place commercially than we have
ever been, but we are making changes to our operations
this year that will mean we are more efficient and effective
than ever before. Add in the fact it is our twentieth
anniversary this September, and we’ve got a great year to
look forward to!
COMMERCIAL ROUND-UP
DAVE SPONG,
GENERAL MANAGER,
COMMERCIAL
We made significant changes to the tariff
last year and we took key decisions on our
freight profile. The overall objective was to
create more stability in the network and
make Fortec the network of choice.
2015 was the best year yet, in terms of stability and
membership growth and really gives us a great platform for
2016.
We also introduced Simply European which is doing very
well and I’m pleased with the positive feedback we’ve had
about the service from many of the Members that have
tried it.
In addition, we have added some excellent new Members
to the network over 2015. We had nine more Members than
we did in January last year and have recently added an
extra two in January and February 2016.
We’re a stronger and more stable network as a result of
our new Members, the choices you made last year and
our Simply European service, so I am looking forward to
seeing the fruits of our labour over the coming months. I
really believe we are on the right road to Fortec being the
network of choice for Members.
OPERATIONS ROUND-UP
ADRIAN BRADLEY
GENERAL MANAGER,
OPERATIONS
On the operational side we used last
year to concentrate on maximising our
operational efficiencies and ensuring we
were doing all we needed to on health
and safety.
2016 will be a year for making further gains and changing
the way we do some things. The recent discussion groups
brought many suggestions on how we should continue
to improve the operational element and implement new
strategies to maximise our efforts. I will talk further about
these opportunities at the National Meeting.
In addition, I want to introduce depot pallet scanning this
year and improve trunking visibility. We are also looking to
expand our presence at Watford Gap which will be a major
project for us centrally.
I will of course keep you up to date with these projects as
they progress, so please do attend the National Meeting in
March to hear more.
SIMPLY
THE BEST!
Simply
European,
our service to
24 countries
across the
continent,
was launched
in October last year. Since then 33
Members have used the service and
we’ve seen a significant increase in
the number of pallets going through
to Europe using the GEODIS network.
France is the most popular destination
with 25% of consignments destined
there, Germany is second with 17%
and the Netherlands is third with 16%
of consignments.
“
All three shipments sent
to Germany on Friday were
delivered without issue on Tuesday.
This is one very satisfied customer
and the tracking system is simple
to use so gets a big tick.
I have sent another two pallets
tonight and will utilise the service
as much as I can.
”
Gordon Conway
Optima Logistics
If you haven’t yet tried the service
and would like to know more about it,
or if you have some feedback, please
contact your Regional Commercial
Manager – Rachel, Gavin or Steve.
They’d be happy to talk through the
interactive tariff with you.
€
prem
€
eco
The brochure and
accompanying
tariff can be
found on the
Member area of
the Fortec website
www.fortecdistribution.com/
members
DISCUSSING THE FUTURE
On 21st and 22nd January we held our annual discussion groups in Haydock and Thame. This was the
second time the discussion groups have taken place. They were keenly anticipated after the success of
last year’s inaugural meeting.
There was a good attendance from across the network with 24 representatives from 19 depots joining the
Fortec management team. The topics discussed included:
• Review of 750KG tail lift limit decision
• Economy daytime service upgrade and
potential collect from depot option
• Clarification on stacking on trunks
• 9 pallet agreement
• Date specific premium service – reviewing
the impact on Members
• Simply European and Irish services
• Communication – pre-alerts, Fotrack
system alerts, daily delivery updates and
the escalation process
• Pallet scanning
• Trunking visibility
• COP portal – explanation of the system &
costs
• Fortrack as a TMS
Many of these topics will be presented at the National Meeting on 16th March at Staverton Park,
Daventry and in some cases will be voted on by all attending Members.
The discussion groups form an important part of the future direction of the network. It’s a chance to hear
what Members and Fortec management think about issues in the sector and Fortec initiatives. If you
weren’t involved this time, but would like to be involved next January, please contact Jo Marks on 01327
306 359 or jo.marks@fortec-distribution.com
CONNECTED AND COMPLETE
The roll out of Fortec Connect, our Android based
app designed for digital deliveries, is complete.
All Members now have the capability to deliver
Fortec consignments digitally, significantly
reducing the amount of paperwork and providing
the network with real-time Proof of Delivery (POD).
Despite all depots having the capability to deliver
goods using digital devices, manifests and Fortec
consignment notes are still being used. Therefore,
as agreed in last year’s discussion group meetings,
we have introduced a penalty fee for any
paperwork used after 31st January 2016.
Initially all Members are asked to deliver a
minimum of 75% of their consignments through
Connect with a penalty fee of £1 for each
consignment delivered
using manifests or Fortec
consignment notes.
From 27th March 2016, the
minimum delivery rate through
Connect will increase to 85% with the same
penalty applied to those deliveries not made
using the technology. This will be reviewed in
June with the aim of achieving 100% paper-less
deliveries across the network.
For any queries on these changes to the POD
process, please contact Member Support on 0845
0750 620 and select option 1 or alternatively email
member-support@fortec-distribution.com
TRUCK-TASTIC!
Lombard Shipping and North West Logistics invest in
brand new trucks, fully branded in Fortec livery.
HEALTH & SAFETY
UPDATE
!
A range of updates and
improvements have been
made across the site at
Watford Gap as part of our
further commitment to the
health and safety of our staff
and Members.
1
A new extraction system has been
fitted in the hub. Designed to
remove more CO and CO2 from the
air, the system has improved the air
quality within the hub and reduced
the emission levels.
Simon Fraser, Principal of
Lombard Shipping with Mark Hart,
Operations Manager, pictured
with one of their brand new
trucks.
2
The introduction of a new fleet
of LPG forklift trucks in March will
further contribute to a reduction
in emissions. The new forklifts are
more efficient than the previous fleet and are
fitted with up-rated safety features such as
stop/start technology and a safety light that
projects onto the floor ahead of the vehicle
to give people advanced warning that the
vehicles are on the move.
3
A key pull was also implemented
at the start of February to ensure
engines are switched off when inside
the scan shed. This will significantly
reduce the chance of unauthorised vehicle
movement and safeguards drivers and
operators on-site.
Stephen Dunn, North West
Logistics Principal, takes delivery
of five brand new trucks to add
to their existing fleet based in
Accrington.
If you would like to discuss the options available in
the Fortec Livery range, please visit the livery section
on the member login area of the website for more
information. Alternatively contact Jo Marks on 0845
0750 620 and select option 5 or email jo.marks@
fortec-distribution.com
4
Lane barrier trials began at the
start of February to provide a safer
restricted zone for drivers to prepare
their vehicles before entering the
site. The inbound and outbound lanes will be
separated using bollards, removing the risk of
vehicles straying into the inbound lane when
leaving the site.
Adrian Bradley, General Manager,
Operations, said, “We believe these four
initiatives bring us ahead of the game in
terms of protecting people around our site.
As we all know, the hub is very busy each
evening so these measures will improve
conditions for a significant number of
people.”
FORTEC TRAINING DAYS PROVE A HUGE SUCCESS
Three training days were held in November to
give operators a more in-depth insight into the
ForTrack developments we introduced last year.
working relationships. We will continue with
training sessions this year to give operators the
opportunity to meet and learn together.”
“
Being in a small forum, individuals did not feel
intimidated when making a contribution and
most noticeably everyone was heard, comments
accepted and more importantly a note was taken of
any concerns or suggestion.
The courses held in Lutterworth, High Wycombe
and Haydock covered the new operational
tools Map:IT, Track:IT, Report:IT and Trans:IT, plus
the improvements to our Android app Connect.
Chris Dennigan, Business Improvements and
Performance Manager at Fortec, led the training
days and said, “Not only were the training
sessions well received but they gave people the
opportunity to meet, which always helps with
“
“Well done for the initiative. The Members who were
not represented missed an opportunity to integrate
the depot system more firmly. The better individuals
know each other the stronger the links become.
Many thanks for chairing such a useful and
enjoyable meeting. It was great to meet everyone
face to face and we will definitely do our best to use
as many of these as we can.
Janette Bouracier
Channel Seaways
”
HIGH WYCOMBE
Chris Smith, Oxford Carriers, Harry Alvin & Sam Green, Millbray
Pallets, James Cornfield, Bridgetime Transport, Janette
Bouracier, Channel Seaways, Kelly Martin, H&H Distribution
and Phil Collins & Graham Greenaway, GEODIS West Thurrock.
”
Bill Dixon
Cumbria X-Press
For more information about Fortec training days
please contact Member Support on 0845 0750
620 and select option one. Alternatively email
member-support@fortec-distribution.com
LUTTERWORTH
Michael Rodgers & Jaqui Porter, Allen Logistics, Dave Todd,
Oxford Carriers, Mark Hart, Lombard Shipping, Christopher
Dean & Roy Mason, Bridgetime Transport, Helen Bushby &
Simone Fisher, Nexis Services and Ryan Merrick, EFM.
HAYDOCK
Ian Turner & Lee Craven, GEODIS Manchester, Aaron White,
Lombard Shipping, Andrew Carroll, NLC Transport, Bill Dixon &
Marion Luck, Cumbria X-Press, Dale Hill, Brocklehurst Transport,
Ian Sneddon, Spavin City Express and Neil Frearson, North
West Logistics.
INDUSTRY NEWS
36% OF CLICK & COLLECT SHOPPERS
EXPERIENCED ISSUES AT CHRISTMAS
THE RHA WARNS OVER-RELIANCE ON
OVERSEAS DRIVERS MAY HARM INDUSTRY
APN LAUNCH LIMITED QUANTITIES POSTER
CAMPAIGN
Over a third of Click & Collect Christmas
shoppers experienced issues with their
orders, a JDA/Centiro report has found.
The RHA has warned that heavy
reliance on overseas HGV drivers poses
a risk to the long-term resilience of the
UK road transport sector, and takes
money out of the UK economy.
The Association of Pallet Networks
(APN) has launched a poster campaign
designed to help Members with Limited
Quantities (LQ) hazardous goods.
Of those who experienced issues, 31 per
cent found there was not a dedicated
area in-store for Click & Collect, 31 per
cent experienced long waiting times
due to lack of in-store staff and 24
per cent complained that staff were
unable, or were taking a long time, to
locate items in-store.
Online orders also had problems – with
33 per cent of shoppers saying they
experienced issues with their purchases,
up from 31 per cent in 2014. Of those
that experienced problems, 48 per
cent had had late deliveries, or never
received their goods; a further 48 per
cent had missed deliveries – including
when they were at home.
77 per cent of Brits said they would be
likely to shop elsewhere next Christmas
because of a negative Christmas
shopping experience.
RHA director of policy, Jack Semple,
said, “Approximately 60,000 foreign
drivers work in the UK with an estimated
loss of £180m a year through drivers
sending money to their home
countries.”
Semple said, “There needs to be more
encouragement and support to recruit
and train UK workers. We have no
incentive to change and we need to
do more. I think the government has
a role to play in this, to encourage
companies to train UK people in this
essential industry.”
Driver shortages have created a
knock-on effect of larger companies
continuing to increase wages leaving
SMEs struggling to compete and retain
their drivers.
The posters offer practical advice
and guidance on the best practice
for handling LQ hazardous goods
and includes information on correct
labelling, investigative action and rules
for documentation.
The campaign is part of the APN’s
support programme that offers advice
to Members on their approach to health
and safety in the logistics industry.
The posters have been issued to alll
attendees of their recent Members’
meeting, which is held to discuss
improvements and share best practice.
For more information on the advice
and guidance available from the APN,
please visit www.theapn.co.uk
MEMBERS’ NEWS
BAKRO GOING FOR GOLD
Bakro International Transport
Ltd was accredited with a
FORS bronze standard in
November last year.
Dean Millard, from Bakro,
said: ”We are very pleased
with our FORS bronze
accreditation. We have
worked hard to achieve
it and are now focussed on obtaining the
Silver and Gold standards.
“We are always looking for ways to improve
and accreditations from industry standards
helps us benchmark our progress. Not only
have we achieved the FORS accreditation,
but we were recently awarded a CLOCS
certification.
He continued to say: “We are proud of our
development over the last few years which
has resulted in a first class logistics operation
throughout the UK and Europe.”
For more information about FORS
accreditation scheme please visit fors-online.
org.uk
MSD PROMOTES
DRIVER
January 2016 saw the
promotion of Andrew Costello
at MSD (274) to the position of
Operations Director - Administration Services.
After joining MSD over a year ago, it was soon
apparent that Andrew had the necessary skills
and network knowledge to make the move
from a driving role to an office based position.
Glenn Mitchell, Commercial Director at MSD
said: “It quickly became clear to us that
Andrew would be better suited to dealing with
our network partners on a day to day basis
through our customer service department.
“We’re confident he will be an invaluable longterm Member of the Network Customer Services
team at MSD. He’ll be dealing with enquiries
and best practice on a daily basis, supporting
and communicating with other operations
teams from across the network.”
To contact Andrew Costello or any of the
team at MSD call 0116 2604080 or email
andrewcostellomsd@aol.co.uk
GEODIS IRELAND WINS IEA LOGISTICS
COMPANY OF THE YEAR
GEODIS Ireland was awarded Logistics Company of the Year at the
Irish Exporters Association’s (IEA) annual Export Industry Awards, in
November.
The judges were impressed with GEODIS’ implementation of Lean
Management, 5S Program, IIP Accreditation and investment in their
facilities and infrastructure.
Robert Cashman and Susan Lally, Directors of GEODIS Ireland
stated: “We’re delighted to be awarded the IEA Logistics Company
of the Year Award. The IEA plays a vital role in providing practical help and support to Irish Exporters –
support which has introduced them to the global market.”
Congratulations to GEODIS Ireland from all at Fortec!
SPOTLIGHT ON: CHANNEL SEAWAYS
Channel Seaways have sites in Poole, Jersey,
Guernsey and the 3rd smallest Island, Alderney,
home to only 1500 residents. With transportation
routes limited, the threat of severe weather
conditions and specific customs clearance
regulations, delivering to the Islands has its fair
share of challenges.
Fleet size:
One ship, 20 road vehicles and one bicycle
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT CHANNEL
SEAWAYS AND WHAT YOU OFFER CUSTOMERS?
Locations:
Alderney
Tel: 01481 822231
Most of the freight that arrives in the Channel
Islands is transported by sea. We handle the
majority going to Alderney, being the sole shipping
operator to the island.
Not only do we offer logistics services, but we run
Allied Coasters, the main agents for the majority of
cruise ships to the Islands - we expect around 140
cruises to visit this year.
We also run Guernsey Outriders, a service that
escorts oversized vehicles on the Islands, similar to
police escorts.
Additionally we run Storkline, a service for
international shipping to and from the Islands and
Wastenot, a recycling service for metal and scrap.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE A LIFELINE FOR THE
CHANNEL ISLANDS. HOWEVER, WHAT MAKES YOU
STAND APART?
Our personal touch – we know the majority of our
customers very well. We have a great relationship
with them and they understand the challenges we
face every day. For instance, during some
of the worst periods of weather our supermarket
shelves can be bare – it’s part of Island life.
Employees:
Year founded:
48 1969
Guernsey
Tel: 01481 723400
Jersey
Poole
Tel: 01534 721515
Tel: 01202 678732
The festive period was a particularly extreme
example of the impact weather conditions can
have on the islands. As Storm Frank battered the
coastlines, we battled through the storm to make
deliveries to the Islands. The photo, below-left,
illustrates just how bad the crossing can be for our
ship.
ASIDE FROM THE WEATHER CHALLENGES, WHAT
OTHER ISSUES DO YOU FACE DAILY?
Each Island has its own government and laws
which have an impact on processes such as
customs clearance. This can be one of the biggest
challenges for us; for example we were tasked with
shipping an Elizabethan cannon that had been
underwater for 400 years. However we were asked
to provide an import licence as it was deemed to
be a firearm, and possibly loaded!
As long as we are pro-active and ensure the
goods coming into the islands are shipped with
the correct information required by customs, then
we should experience very few problems. The
challenges come when we are short of information
– it causes major delays.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL ITEM YOU HAVE
SHIPPED?
As the lifeline link for Alderney, there is no limit
to the cargo we carry. Not only do we ship the
regular commodities needed to sustain a small
community, such as groceries and electronics, we
also move larger freight such as vehicles, materials
and equipment, plus we ferry people and cats and
dogs. The strangest was a live llama though!
ted by
waves crea
battling the
Press
ip
y
Sh
se
nt
rn
llia
ue
G
Va
e
aways’ MV
Sarre for th
e
Se
el
ev
St
nn
of
ha
C
tesy
. Photo cour
Storm Frank
For more information about Channel Seaways
visit alderneyshipping.com or send an email to
natasha@channelseaways.co.uk. Alternatively
contact the team using the telephone numbers
above.
FORTEC NETWORK DEBT SETTLEMENT
SCHEDULE FOR 2016
NEW MEMBERS AT
FORTEC
Below is Fortec’s debt settlement calendar for 2016, as
referenced in the Service Quality Manual (SQM). This
differs from the standard UK calendar, so please follow
this schedule to ensure you meet the payment deadlines.
A printed version of the schedule has been sent out to
all Members and is also available to download from the
Member log in area of the Fortec website.
We welcomed two new members to the
network in January; EUR Service UK and
Roberts Transport.
For any queries on this schedule or to request additional
copies of the document, please contact the finance
department on 0845 0750 620 and select option 4, or
alternatively email accounts.fo.uk@fortec-distribution.com
FUNDS CLEARED IN
FUNDS
MEMBER CLEARING AVAILABLE TO BE
ACCOUNT
DRAWN UPON
PERIOD
JANUARY
22/02/16
Monday
29/02/16
Monday
23/03/16
Wednesday
30/03/16
Wednesday
MARCH
25/04/16
Monday
03/05/16
Tuesday
APRIL
25/05/16
Wednesday
01/06/16
Wednesday
MAY
22/06/16
Wednesday
29/06/16
Wednesday
JUNE
25/07/16
Monday
01/08/16
Monday
JULY
24/08/16
Wednesday
31/08/16
Wednesday
AUGUST
26/09/16
Monday
03/10/16
Monday
SEPTEMBER
24/10/16
Monday
31/10/16
Monday
OCTOBER
23/11/16
Wednesday
30/11/16
Wednesday
NOVEMBER
21/12/16
Wednesday
28/12/16
Wednesday
25/01/17
Wednesday
01/02/17
Wednesday
Weeks 1-4
(27th Dec – 23rd Jan)
FEBRUARY
Weeks 5-8
(24 Jan – 20th Feb)
th
Weeks 9-13
(21st Feb – 26th Mar)
Weeks 14-17
(27th Mar – 23rd Apr)
Weeks 18-21
(24th Apr – 21st May)
Weeks 22-26
(22nd May – 25th Jun)
Weeks 27-30
(26th Jun – 23rd Jul)
Weeks 31-34
(24th Jul – 20th Aug)
Weeks 35-39
(21st Aug – 24th Sept)
Weeks 40-43
(25th Sept – 22nd Oct)
Weeks 44-47
(23 Oct – 19th Nov)
rd
DECEMBER
Weeks 48-53
(20th Nov – 31st Dec)
EUR SERVICE UK
EUR Service UK, based in Gamlingay,
Cambridgeshire, offers a wide range
of European services, particularly their
daily groupage service from Italy, Mega
Euroliners across the continent and container
movements. They also offer warehousing
solutions and trailer rentals. They will be
covering SG postcodes.
Danny Norris, at EUR Services UK, says: “We’re
really pleased to be joining Fortec. We have
daily departures to and from Italy and have
a need to move pallets across the UK as a
result of that. Joining a network enables us
to fulfil that need and have more control
over individual pallets. It also enables us to
open up an additional revenue stream and
we hope it will grow our business.”
ROBERTS TRANSPORT
Roberts, in Littlehampton, is a family-run
transport, distribution and warehousing
business, set up in 2006. They offer sameday,
next day, chilled, ambient and frozen
services as well as delivering to Europe. They
specialise in food distribution, particularly
temperature-controlled. They will be
covering partial BN and RH postcodes.
Dave Roberts, Managing Director, says:
“Joining Fortec was a natural step for us. We
needed a next day and 48 hour service for
our pallets and liked the ethos of the Fortec
network. I could tell it was a people-network
which is what I wanted, as it complements
our business approach - I’ve already started
getting more business to put through the
network!
GET IN TOUCH AND LET US KNOW YOUR STORIES
Contact Sophie Parker or Andrea Martin 0845 0750 620 and select option 5
sophie.parker@fortec-distribution.com / andrea.martin@fortec-distribution.com