Critical Issues

Meachers Global Logistics, the UK independent providers of logistics services, is purchasing 7 new tractor units and 24 new trailers at a price tag in the region of £1 million.

Brake, the road safety charity, has published a new report for fleet managers on maintaining safe vehicles. Sponsored by Licence Bureau and published through Brake's Fleet Safety Forum, the report contains results of a Brake survey of fleets' management of vehicle safety, and gives guidance on how fleet managers can ensure vehicles are safely maintained.

B&M Retail has signed a deal with Peel Ports which will allow it to accommodate an additional 85,000 pallets of stock in the run up to Christmas without adding any further mileage or costs to its supply chain.

A smooth, responsive, transparent and – above all – reliable supply chain is critical to business success in today's rapid-fire, on-demand environment. But how do companies ensure that their logistics infrastructure supports all those qualities? Tim Garcia, founder and CEO of Apptricity, offers four tips on how to adopt logistics solutions that deliver ROI and hold up under pressure:

Couriers and delivery fleets must reduce operating costs if they are to survive the era of 'free delivery', says GPS vehicle tracking provider RAM Tracking, which is working with fleets to identify savings, ensuring they remain solvent in the run up to Christmas.

A majority of businesses that implement a business process outsourcing (BPO) programme in order to achieve further expansion, will see sales and profits rise, while a significant number will also create more jobs within their organisations.

It may seem early to be thinking of the festive season when we're still enjoying the last days of summer, but Mentor, the UK provider of materials handling training, advises that good advance planning is the key to making Christmas a time of maximised profit and efficiency, rather than strained resources and the resulting increase in accidental damage.

Almost everyone has fond memories of this year's long, hot summer. But how did the heatwave affect fleet operators?

A new report recommends that retailers and manufacturers in the fiercely competitive fashion industry, need to have a supply chain that is as sophisticated as its customers, who generate unpredictable, 24/7 demand.

The creation of the UK's first Petroleum Driver Passport has moved a step closer with hauliers and training providers being invited to come forward to be approved to deliver PDP training and assessment.

A survey of over 100 senior executives in the UK's logistics sector has identified a significant increase in confidence throughout the first half of 2013, compared with the previous six months.