APC Overnight has invested over GBP 1/4 million in extending its existing facilities and purchasing additional high-tech equipment for its National Sortation Centre at Essington near Wolverhampton. Following a sustainable construction approach, the new hub developments boast a new football-pitch sized mezzanine floor (80 X 30 metre) giving a 50 per cent larger sorting area, with five specially designed lifts that transport parcel cages to the mezzanine in less than 40 seconds. The investment has boosted APC Overnight’s capability and will offer significant improvements in customer service during peak times.

With the additional resources, APC Overnight is able to streamline and accelerate its sorting processes by allocating distinct areas for each type of business. This includes a dedicated section called the M Sort area for the 10,000 parcels a night the hub handles for local Midlands destinations. This streamlined method of specialised sortation also improves the capacity of the main sorting systems.

“This investment allows us to create a dedicated area for MailPacks and CourierPacks, which makes perfect sense for the entire operation. These consignments are often the most time sensitive, so now we can segregate them on arrival and take them straight up to the mezzanine to be processed,” says Ivor Skinner, APC Overnight Director.

The Security Freight System is now also based on the new mezzanine and this handles valuable items such as laptops. These items travel in separate sealed cages, isolated from other traffic, and are hand scanned using an innovative camera-based system on arrival before being sorted and resealed into cages for delivery.

In addition to the mezzanine extension, APC Overnight has also installed a massive 1,400 square metre weatherproof canopy over its unloading bays. This offers maximum protection for parcels and staff in all weather conditions making it easier to operate in the hot sun or during the heaviest rain storms.

“In adverse weather we used to have to stop unloading vehicles, so the search was on for a solution! We selected a German company who designed and constructed the new roof. This was a challenging project as the canopy spans a huge area and had to be free of vertical supports so that vehicles and staff could move around freely. The company also had to ensure that the structure was lightweight yet flexible enough to withstand extreme windy conditions,” says Mike Dewick, APC General Manager.

Vicki Dixon with her trophy

Vicki’s award highlights the contributions that women are making within the logistics industry, which has traditionally been perceived as male dominated.

Vicki, who joined FedEx Express from school as a customer service agent 20 years ago, has worked her way up within the company and come to personify FedEx Express’ commitment to training, viewing it as integral to everyone’s career within the organisation.

Vicki has created, developed and promoted many different training programmes to meet FedEx Express business needs and the demands of a diverse employee base throughout the company’s European, Middle East and African operations. 

Vicki designed the Purple Passport to accompany all employees on their journey within FedEx, recording their training to ensure that employees can achieve their career and personal aspirations while working for the organisation.

These programmes have set new standards within the industry with qualifications and certifications that are recognised by governments and undertaken by other company’s in the sector.

Hilary Devey of Pall-Ex hands HRH a cheque for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers

This occasion was a gathering of carers and those they care for, at a holiday camp, and was arranged to give everyone a well deserved break, and to encourage carers to share knowledge to better equip them for dealing with situations that may arise when looking after a relative. In total, The Trust has 133 independently managed Carers' Centres, which reach over 310,000 carers.

Hilary has always been a generous supporter of charity work, and devised a ‘penny-a-pallet’ scheme many years ago. For each pallet delivered by Pall-Ex, one penny is donated to charity, allowing giving to grow in tandem with business success. This latest donation is one in a series, with The Trust benefiting by a total of £28,785.85 in the past twelve months. Last year, Hilary was named a patron for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Following consultation in January 2008 on complaint handling standards, Postcomm has today published its proposed complaint handling regulations.  

The proposed regulations come from key issues raised by stakeholders in response to the consultation, suggestions from the industry working group for licensed postal operators (facilitated by Postcomm), and relevant best practice. 

The key elements of the regulations are:

• a definition of complaint – a common definition provides consumers and companies with some clarity and assurance that companies are operating on the same basis, and assists with cross industry comparison. The BS ISO definition has been adapted for use by Postcomm to work within the context of the complaint handling standards regulations;
• a requirement to have a complaint handling procedure - the complaint handling standards set out the information which must be included in the complaint handling procedure but do not prescribe the specific processes or timescales to be followed;
• a requirement for complaints to be recorded on receipt and updated on any subsequent contact - this helps to address consumers’ concerns about having to repeat details more than once, provides a clear starting point for redress, and a way for licensed postal operators to identify underlying problems;
• a requirement to signpost the complaint handling procedure – to ensure a consumer is aware of the complaint handling procedure when they make subsequent contact to the licensed postal operator indicating their complaint is not complete;
• a requirement to deal with consumer complaints in an efficient and timely manner – licensed postal operators will be required to maintain adequate resources to enable them to handle and process consumer complaints in an efficient and timely manner; 
• a requirement to signpost consumers to the redress scheme – when the specified time period has expired or deadlock has been reached a licensed postal operator must send the consumer key information about the redress scheme;
• a requirement to have appropriate arrangements in place with the new NCC for any complaint referrals – this will ensure there are appropriate arrangements in place for effectively managing referrals of complaints from vulnerable consumers from the new NCC to licensed postal operators; and
• a requirement to publish complaints data – licensed postal operators must publish specific complaints data annually .  Postcomm will review these annual reports and will formally review the regulations in 2010/2011.

The consultation will be open for four weeks and will close on 31 July 2008.  Postcomm will then make the regulations prescribing the complaint handling standards before seeking the Secretary of State’s approval.  It is Postcomm’s intention that the complaint handling standards regulations will come into effect on 1 October 2008.

The Freight Transport Association says that with the price of oil rising to a new record high, it is essential that the Government immediately announces that it is to scrap the proposed 2p per litre increase in diesel duty planned for October, together with similar increases planned for 2009 and 2010.

Lorry operators attending FTA's National Council meeting in London today (Tuesday 1 July) said that the increase in diesel prices of almost 50 per cent during the last twelve months was now extremely difficult to manage. If price rises continued at the present rate, then inevitably the cost of moving some goods would become prohibitive and simply not worthwhile. In the UK, the problems of the high world price of oil were further complicated by the ultra-high tax regime - duty on diesel in the UK is 50p per litre, double the EU average of just 25p per litre.

FTA Director of Policy, James Hookham said, ‘We acknowledge that the Government cannot control the world price of oil. But it can re-think its policy on diesel duty. In the present cost environment, the Chancellor would be daft to impose the 2p duty increase, or the other increases planned for April 2009 and April 2010.

‘The Freight Transport Association and the whole of UK industry calls on the Government to recognise these massive problems. To date, the Chancellor has done nothing to support industry apart from ‘postponing' the 2p fuel duty increase from April until October this year. That is absolutely not good enough. He must certainly take early action to reduce diesel duty for industry - but in the mean time he must immediately announce the scrapping of the present proposals for duty increases this year, next year and the year after.'

Pall-Ex has raised a total of £865 to support Rainbows and LOROS, two Leicestershire charities which care for terminally ill children and adults.

The money was raised by journeys taken by the intrepid fundraising bear Pall-Ex Pete. Pete collected money as he visited Pall-Ex depots around the UK.

"Add YOUR voice and make our industry HEARD"

"Wednesday 2 July 2008 will see hauliers from all corners of the UK meet in London for what is set to be the biggest display of industry unity in recent years when members of the Road Haulage Association, the lobby group TransAction 2007, the Transport Association and other industry bodies make their voice heard.

"If we are to make this day of action a success, it is VITAL that you add YOUR voice to the growing number of members who have pledged their support for Wednesday's day of action.

"If you can spare a vehicle to take part in the moving convoy PLEASE DO SO.  For full details see www.transaction-2007.com

"If you don't have a truck, PLEASE JOIN US when we lobby Parliament.  Meet us at Old Palace Yard (opposite St Stephens Entrance to the Houses of Parliament at 11.00am).  And it's still not to late to contact your MP with a request to meet you in the afternoon.  If you don't have the name of your Member of Parliament, contact your RHA Regional Office who will be able to help you.

"We can only do so much on your behalf - but if we act together we CAN make a difference. I therefore urge as many members as possible to be there on Wednesday 2nd July.  Lets make the 'difference' a reality.

Many thanks and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, 2nd July.

Andy Boyle

National Chairman

Road Haulage Association

Newly appointed Marketing Director Jon Barber (on left) and Operations Director Syed Ziaullah

Barber has developed his Thames Valley-based Scarlet Couriers into one of the UK’s largest independent couriers. He brings his skills in targeted branding and publicity to his new role at APC Overnight. “It’s said that a brand is a promise that you make to the customer – underlining what people can expect of a company. Our brand stands for quality on a national scale, and our task is to make sure it is recognised wherever people need excellent delivery services,” says Barber.

Ziaullah is passionate about the parcel delivery business and his can-do attitude has proven to be the driving force of the 25 year history of his Northampton-based company Action Express. “The dedication of people involved in the network “from Day One” is a major APC strength, and the current Board offers and excellent balance of skills and experience to take the company forward,” adds Ziaullah.

Sian Tolfree, who is supported by CHASE, and her brother Billy receive the cheque from Stuart Godman, Sales at Marketing Director of City Link at Christopher’s hospice.

Staff, customers and suppliers donated the monies at Camberley-based City Link’s annual conference after hearing about the wonderful work of CHASE caring for life limited children and their families.

City Link is set to hold a series of fundraising events involving its 8,000 employees over the next 12 months. Activities already in the pipeline include weekly dress-down days, a charity fun day in June and a Christmas ball.

They are also giving every member of staff the opportunity to make regular donations through their payroll.

Every penny raised by City Link will go to CHASE which provides a network of care and support in homes and local communities through their Community Care Team and at Christopher’s hospice outside Guildford. The service is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year for families with life limited children throughout Surrey, Sussex and South West London.

Stuart Godman, Director of Sales and Marketing at City Link, said he believed the £17,000 would prove to be the springboard to success.

He said: “The cash we have raised already has given us a fantastic kick start and really got the momentum going here at City Link.”

“The courage and bravery of children with life limiting conditions touches the hearts of every member of staff here and CHASE has an excellent reputation.”

“We want to do whatever we can to help give the children under CHASE’s care the quality of life we believe every child deserves. We are delighted with the fantastic support we have already received, not just from our employees, but also our customers and suppliers who have warmly embraced the appeal. It is truly heart warming to see such generosity for such a worthwhile cause and I am sure we will have no problem reaching our £75,000 target and indeed probably exceeding it.”

He continued:  “We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has made a donation and urge everyone to continue to dig deep into their pockets to help brighten up the lives of these children and young people.”

City Link’s appeal comes as CHASE prepares to mark its 10th birthday next year. Since it first opened it has provided support to more than 700 families.

The cost of CHASE providing its vital service stands at £4 million this year. Just six per cent of this is funded by the government. CHASE totally relies on donations and fundraising events to generate the monies in order to enable them to provide this valuable service.

• It costs £6 every minute to run the whole CHASE service.

• One home visit costs £185.

• Respite care for a child and family is £500 per night.

• £12,000 supports a life limited child and their family for one year.