truck stop

<strong>£100 million boost to improve HGV roadside facilities</strong>

Dec 14, 2022 |

Last year the shortage of HGV drivers forced the Government to issue temporary visas to experienced foreign drivers and also as a consequence retailers to poach drivers away from carriers and the more general logistics environment, to fill the gaps, amid fears of empty shelves before Christmas 2021.

Improved pay and conditions, and the clearing of a backlog of HGV driving tests, have boosted numbers of drivers, but there are concerns that a shortage of decent facilities will push workers to find jobs elsewhere, in more attractive roles and commercial sectors.

Logistics UK, the rebranded Road Haulage Association (RHA as was), believe that the lack of safe and secure roadside facilities for lorry drivers is a critical weakness for the industry and estimate that there is a shortage of 11,000 lorry parking spaces, which forces drivers to park in insecure lay-bys and industrial estates without access to food, toilets or showers and other amenities.

Many truckers say facilities on Britain’s roads are overpriced and in a poor state and is a significant factor in driving so many to leave the industry. Compared to mainland Europe, the UK's facilities for drivers are years behind what is available on the continent to haulage and trucking company operatives.

MP’s acknowledge that facilities need to be improved, particularly if more women are to be attracted into the sector and essential if drivers are not just recruited but retained, which is why the government has announced a £100 million boost to improve HGV roadside facilities.

The funding aims to improve security measures for drivers, boost welfare facilities like showers, rest areas and restaurants, and increase HGV parking capacity where possible.

Truck-stop and road service operators can bid for a share of the £32.5 million match-funding pot. This is in addition to the £20 million match-funding launched earlier this year from National Highways to improve roadside facilities and security for lorry drivers and their cargo. 

The Unite union which has been campaigning for better facilities for truckers, said most of the promised funding will not be allocated let alone spent until 2025.

Logistics UK said that a swift resolution is needed to ensure that the shortfall of lorry parking and facilities can be constructed and opened so that drivers have access to the hygiene and rest facilities enjoyed by workers in other sectors of the UK economy.

The move is part of the government’s '33 actions', unveiled in the summer, to address the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and retention of this essential sector, in the movement of goods domestically and internationally.

The 33 actions include making 11,000 HGV driver training places available through Skills Bootcamps, boosting the number of HGV driver tests, and launching our Future of Freight plan to encourage millions of people to make a career in logistics.

As a result, new HGV drivers are taking and passing their driving test in record numbers, with 29,384 HGV tests conducted in one 90 day period – 54% more than the corresponding period in 2019 before the pandemic.

The government’s funding scheme draws on ‘The National Survey on Lorry Parking: Part One’ which provides important evidence as to what improvements are needed and where to boost the nation’s roadside infrastructure.

Logistics UK said that the government’s survey confirmed that England’s commercial drivers are woefully under-catered for when it comes to accessing safe and secure overnight parking areas. This has been an issue for too long and is preventing the industry from recruiting and retaining the skilled workforce that it needs. The government’s stated objective to improve the situation is welcome, but industry now deserves action, so that more parking facilities are developed, at pace, where they are most needed.

We work with selected long-term transport partners, at strategic locations across the UK, to give us access to the widest pool of equipment and driver resource. Including rail operators and coastal feeder platforms to regional ports.

To learn more, or to discuss your situation and options, please contact Simon Balfe, who leads our transport operations throughout the UK, Europe and as part of any global movement across the road, rail and coastal feeder services that we deliver.

Metro truck at bay

<strong>Metro road freight preparing for everything</strong>

Nov 30, 2022 | ,

Just a few month’s into his new role and Metro’s Head of European Services, Matt Paxton-Rhodes say’s that instead of future-gazing, his focus is on the resilience of current operations, expanding the trusted partner network and finalising the service-model template, ready to transfer into new markets.

The market softening experienced in the second half of 2022 is going to extend into 2023, with the European road freight market expected to expand well below current inflation levels, as slowing economic growth in the EU weakens demand for road freight services in, through and out of Europe.

The outlook for the European road freight market will depend on the outcome of various unpredictable factors, including inflation, consumer demand, driver shortages and fuel costs.

Looking across Europe, we are anticipating a considerable variance in performance, with Turkey and Eastern Europe markets likely to perform better than Western European countries, like Germany, Italy and the UK, that are likely to be some of the slowest-growing road freight markets in 2023.

Despite the slowdown UK road haulage capacity is still stretched, by driver shortages and more directly by European truckers reluctance to cross into the UK, without the guarantee of return loads and no border delays.

Metro’s partner network resolves these issues, by providing access to capacity, drivers and specialised equipment, like mega-trailers, that can supercharge supply chain effectiveness.

By blending partner capacity, specialised equipment and operational excellence, Metro develop resilient road freight solutions for the most complex supply chain, like serving a manufacturer’s plants in the UK, Germany and Turkey, with rigid timescales and service levels.

In supporting this client’s manufacturing model. three to four trailers operate daily between each plant, shuttling components and ‘knocked down' shipments with defined delivery deadlines, using GPS tracked trucks to provide full transparency on transit schedules throughout Europe.

Vehicles can be single, double, or even treble-manned, depending on the route and urgency of the load, to take the “Just in time” concept to the optimum level.

Commenting on his experience with Metro, Matt said. “We have the right partners in place, across Europe and our service template is proven, which means we can swiftly roll out pan-European road freight solutions for the most demanding needs, between any location and country.”

“We are seeing more retail manufacturing near-shoring to Turkey and the Iberian peninsula, which are two of our strongest markets and we are very excited by the opportunities that our group's new ‘Ellerman City Liners’ short-sea service will provide throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.”

“Intermodal solutions are incredibly cost-effective and while they may have longer transit times, they are the perfect choice for those that can flex their supply chains, industrial and other less time-sensitive verticals.”

To learn more about our European capability, including our Turkish services, road freight template, or intermodal solutions EMAIL Matt now.

Terms of trade will trip you up

Metro are getting BIGGER in Europe

Oct 19, 2022 | , , , ,

Metro has been shipping freight to, from and across Europe since 1981, using road, rail and short-sea services to create country and product-specific transport solutions. Our new Head of European Services, Matt Paxton-Rhodes, wants to make these award-winning solutions available to more shippers, in more verticals.

Metro’s European transport solutions are designed to meet the needs of individual customers, many of whom have entrusted the management and operation of their supply chain to Metro. 

Safely, efficiently and cost-effectively, Metro plan and arrange the time-definite transport of components intra-Europe, and finished products from the manufacturer or producer, to their final point of use on the European continent.

The European team is experienced in orchestrating and overseeing the timely, cost-effective transport of goods to anywhere in Europe, using rail, short-sea and carrier partners’ modern fleet of vehicles. Designed to transport loads of any size and type, including out-of-gauge, refrigerated and automotive.

Metro’s new Head of European Services, Matt Paxton-Rhodes, has held senior executive roles with some of the biggest global carriers and forwarders, gaining an enviable breadth of experience, knowledge and contacts along the way.

It is a sign of Metro’s growth and stature, that a senior industry professional like Matt is excited by his move and the opportunity to transform the European product.

Matt is very clear on the factors that attracted him to Metro:

People - The passion of the senior team and their total commitment to customers and colleagues.

Power - The flat reporting structure and the empowering of management to make decisions gives Metro the agility to react quickly to customers’ needs. Now.

Product - Metro’s European product is established, proven and effective, with a distinct opportunity for replication in new verticals and geographies. 

Platform – We will always provide all options and best fit recommendations – regardless of the requirement for overland trucking. Trade with our closest markets continues to change, almost daily – so do we with our solutions.

Despite only being with the business for less than a year, Matt has set his sights on some short term objectives. 

“The Metro team has extensive knowledge of European transport and customs compliance arrangements, which means they are well experienced in providing the most appropriate solutions for transporting goods in the fastest, safest and most reliable ways, to deadline and including for JIT operations.”

“Having an established and effective core-product means that I can focus on building a dedicated team to increase capacity, by taking our best-practice and matching it closely to the needs of new verticals, on new routes.”

“Turkey, an increasingly popular location for near-shoring, is a good place to start as it is one of our most established routes and the potential for growth is immense.”

‘’Our brokerage team are market leading and cutting edge – the whole end to end piece is naturally part of the offer and it is a very compelling proposition that we design around our customers individual needs and requirements.’’

If you would like to explore our European capability, or learn more about our Turkish services, EMAIL Matt now. It will be 5 minutes well used!

Autonomous vehicles

Environmental developments you may have missed

Oct 5, 2022 | , , ,

While we continue to drive forward our ‘green’ initiatives, by selecting environmentally focused partners and further developing our MVT ECO platform in managing, measuring and offsetting carbon emissions, we also monitor ‘green’ developments that may impact our sector.

The Hydrofoil alternative to air freight

Air freight emissions account for 0.5% of global emissions and are expected to grow to 6-13% by 2050. Boundary Layer Technologies (BLT) is developing a hydrofoil fast vessel powered by emission-free green hydrogen, as a viable alternative to air.

The vessel (Argo), due to be launched in intra-Asia trade lanes in the first quarter of 2025, will carry 20 TEU, with a range of 1,500 nautical miles and cruise at 40 knots, as a replacement for short-range air freight transport.

The team behind Argo’s development claim it can replace air freight with only a small increase in door-to-door transit time and will target high-value, time-sensitive cargo like electronics, automotive parts and pharmaceuticals. It will be equipped with power to support reefer containers and offer freight prices that will be 50% cheaper than air freight, based on average 2019 rates.

Argo is intended to be powered by green liquid hydrogen fuel cells, although BLT has yet to secure a supply contract for green hydrogen and it is unclear whether dedicated pipelines for the transport of green hydrogen to the ports used by Argo will be built in time for its launch.

ARGO image courtesy of Boundary Layer Technologies (https://www.boundarylayer.tech/argo)

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

SAF is similar in its chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel and is produced from sustainable feedstocks, including cooking oil, non-palm waste oils from animals or plants; solid waste from homes and businesses, and food scraps that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration. Other potential sources include forestry waste, such as waste wood, and energy crops, including fast growing plants and algae.

Using SAF results in a reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions over the lifecycle of the fuel compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces, depending on the sustainable feedstock used, production method and the supply chain to the airport. 

We work closely with the Air France/KLM/Martinair SAF programme, in growing the adoption of SAF and reducing the carbon footprint of our air cargo miles. We are considering migration to programme partnership and contributions to further SAF acquisition.

Driverless electric trucks on public roads

Swedish freight technology company Einride has granted a permit in the United States for a pilot project, to test electric, autonomous trucks, which will run for two weeks in the third quarter of 2022 and take place on public roads.

The Einride autonomous electric truck operates without a driver and is monitored by a specially-trained remote driver who can take control if necessary.

Autonomous trucks will mix with normal traffic on public roads located near project partner GE Appliance’s plant near Memphis, Tennessee. 

As part of the pilot, the autonomous trucks will test moving goods, as well as loading/unloading goods with warehouse teams at nearly locations.

Image courtesy of Einride (https://www.einride.tech)

Automated container terminals

Following on from ECT, which opened in 1993 and became the first fully automated terminal in the world, a new container terminal with five deep sea berths is being developed at Rotterdam. It will add 7m teu of annual capacity when it begins operations in 2027, with 2.6km of quay at the north end of the ECT terminal.

Like ECT, the new facility will be fully automated, with vessels unloaded by autonomous cranes and cabin-less ground vehicles.

The cleanest vessel power source

The greenest of power sources, wind propulsion, has received a lot of interest as ship owners aim to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. Depending on the size of the sails, efficiency gained from wind propulsion assists mechanisms generally in the range of 15-20%.

Maersk’s liquid bulk division sold the Maersk Pelican to an Indonesian carrier last year, the vessel was the world’s first product tanker to incorporate wind propulsion technology into its operations.

The vessel was sold with the technology installed on board and Maersk has confirmed that it will continue to work with relevant parties to enable the use of wind propulsion technology, optimise vessel performance and reduce CO2 emissions.

From giant kites that pull cargo ships to inflatable sails to spinning rotors that create lift, the move towards wind-powered commercial vessels will generate a doubling of such ships on the water by 2023, as lines work to help meet the industry goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the global fleet by 50% by 2050, from 2008 levels.

In July, Japanese  carrier K Line boosted its kite orders to five and signed a contract to install as many as 50 on its fleet of about 420 vessels, as part of its move to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Giant commodity trader Cargill will pilot-test two 120-foot-high rigid wind sails made of steel and composite glass that will be outfitted on the 751-foot-long carrier that it charters and could help cut emissions by as much as 30%, which equates to about 6,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. If the trial is successful, Cargill will retrofit up to 10 more ships.

There are about 12 wind propulsion systems on the market, with seven more coming online in 2023, including 37 meter rigid sails, 100-square-meter inflatable wing sails and 35 meter rotor sails.

The biggest hurdle for many shipowners is the capital investment, with rotors and rigid sails easily costing $1 million to $1.5 million each and ships often needing at least three or more. The return on investment typically is about seven to eight years, but with higher fuel costs, that time is being trimmed dramatically.

Seawing image courtesy of K Line (https://klineurope.com)

Metro has committed to Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and is achieving CO2 neutrality by measuring, reporting and offsetting our CO2 emissions.

The ‘free of charge’ Eco module, that sits in our MVT supply chain platform, monitors the energy emissions, emission costs and CO2 equivalent emissions, of our customer’s consignments, by every mode. Which means that Metro customers can monitor the environmental impact of their supply chains and participate in offset projects that will eradicate their supply chain CO2 footprint.

To request a demo or discuss your requirements, please contact Simon George, who can outline our proven carbon reduction strategies and the availability of offset projects.

Category: Road

Road | Supply Chain

Latest News in this category