Top tips for creating your Brexit action plan for freight forwarders

After being introduced to Courier Exchange by several business partners, Andy decided to join the Exchange in February 2007 and hasn’t looked back since. The platform has given them access to over 5,400 member companies allowing them to take on more work and reduce dead mileage.

Redhead Couriers was the first member company who volunteered to take part in the trials for the combined advanced vehicle tracking with the Exchange. By integrating their existing Navman Wireless telematics solution with Courier Exchange, the company can provide complete visibility and status of their vehicles to more than 5,400 fellow operators in the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.

As a result, Redhead Couriers are now able to better promote their available fleet capacity, match their precise vehicle locations to new load opportunities and also offer the ability for trading partners to monitor the progress of loads whilst in transit.

Speaking recently about the telematics integration, Andy commented: “We have been a longstanding member of Courier Exchange, but we were looking at ways of simplifying our internal processes while seeing where we could pick up additional work.”

“The added visibility and control from the vehicle tracking integration allows us to work closely with our partners, streamline our transport planning and boost the profitability of our business. The integration also has the benefit that we can publish our available fleet capacity without having to enter this information into the Courier Exchange website.”

The company originally adopted the Navman Wireless vehicle tracking solution in order to monitor driver behaviour, reduce fuel usage and boost operational performance. One of the main reasons for selecting Navman Wireless was its ability to integrate with the Exchange, providing an effective means of streamlining supply chain processes and optimising fleet performance.

The added visibility and control from the vehicle tracking integration allows us to work closely with our partners, streamline our transport planning and boost the profitability of our business.

Redhead Couriers uses the Courier Exchange from two sites in Colchester and London, with around 10 per cent of loads coming via the freight trading platform. By taking real-time locations of available capacity direct from the tracking software, the company has already experienced an increase in incoming job enquiries, while trading partners are now able to view the exact whereabouts and progress of their loads whilst in transit to provide added peace of mind.

Lyall Cresswell, Managing Director of Transport Exchange Group said: “We are committed to taking a partnership approach with other leading technology providers to fully integrate complementary third-party systems for the benefit of our members such as Redhead Couriers.

By accessing live operational data from vehicle tracking and transport management solutions, users of our freight exchange can take advantage of this operational insight to provide complete visibility of available resources and capacity. The automated data feed also cuts down on the need to manually update the Exchange with this information, saving time and making it easier to operate.”

Established 35 years ago the company has gone from strength to strength building an enviable customer portfolio. However, recognising the dangers of being so exposed to just one market, the company’s Managing Director, Ryan Wicks took the deci- sion 18 months ago to join Haulage Exchange in a bid to further broaden Falcon’s horizons.

Based in Stratford, East London Falcon recognised that because much of its business comprised dedicated time critical loads, its fleet of 20 vehicles which range from small vans to 26 tonnes were massively under-utilised with 95% of vehicles driving back empty.

Since joining the Exchange, Falcon has seen business grow massively, opening up a host of new opportunities for the company.

Ryan Wicks cannot speak highly enough of the Exchange and the impact on the business. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “Whilst we still have a thriving business in print, the Exchange has given us a new direction marking a new chapter in Falcon’s history.

Now an established member with a reputation for providing exemplary levels of customer service, Falcon is often approached directly for their delivery services.

Nevertheless, every transaction is managed by the Exchange together with all invoicing which Ryan says is a major advantage. “The fact that the Exchange can manage the administrative function is a big plus. It means our staff are not burdened with the task, but more importantly the Exchange works on a 30 day payment basis which provides us with a steady flow of income which in turn aids cashflow.”

The business flow is not however all one way. Falcon also takes advantage of the benefits the Exchange can do for its own work, for example if they needed a specialist vehicle for a particular job. Ryan Wicks continued: “It’s a win win for everyone. The fact that we have access to each and every one of the Exchange’s members means that whatever request a customer may have, the likelihood is that we will be able to meet that need fast.

“Additionally the new work we are doing has opened up a lot of local business which was a first for us. That said it has been hugely successful and has produced so much revenue that it equates to a couple of clients put together.”

He concluded: “I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the Exchange. It really has given us a tremendous boost to our business and has provided a strong platform which will enable us to continue to grow and develop.”

Falcon Print Transport has recently taken advantage of an agreement between the Exchange and TomTom Telematics that enables the company to use live data from the WEBFLEET tracking system. By integrating the telematics technology with the freight trading platform, Falcon Print is now able to better promote the availability of 10 vehicles within its owned transport fleet, as well as provide added peace of mind to its trading partners.

Meanwhile, trading partners can also use the live tracking data to view the whereabouts and progress of their loads whilst in transit to provide added visibility and peace of mind.

“We can now quickly and efficiently show where a particular vehicle is to demonstrate we are delivering on our service promise. Sometimes it is important to prove we are doing the job properly and the integration is the simplest way of achieving this.”

Having hung up his boots at the age of 24, Jamie Boyd started the business from scratch with a loan from the Princes Trust. He had nothing but a van, a willingness to work hard and ambition. It paid off and in the first 18 months, the business grew substantially during which time he built a sizeable customer portfolio within his local patch, some of which had a European presence.

However, as both his customer base and their requirements grew, Jamie recognised that if he was going to compete on a level playing field and take the business to the next level he would need to have nationwide and contractor coverage.

He entered into discussions with Haulage Exchange. It was not, however, a decision he was going to take lightly. Having built his business, much of which on the basis of personal relationships, his chief objective was to find a facility which shared his commitment to putting customer service first –an ethos which he sees as being at the very core of any successful business.

Haulage Exchange fit the bill perfectly and in December 2006 he became a member and he hasn’t looked back since.

He commented: “Haulage Exchange has done a great job. It has given us the level of coverage that we needed and some of the contracts we have today wouldn’t have been possible without the Exchange.

“It suits our business. The speed of pick up works well and the level of service replicates that of our own – it is a seamless operation and one in which we have total confidence to provide a level of service commensurate with our own.”

Today Team is still continuing to grow at an exponential rate – a staggering 75% in the past 12 months. They have also moved to new offices and have plans to further expand.

Jamie continued: “Haulage Exchange has been good for our business and gave us a strong foundation on which to build. We have built our business on delivering personal service. No matter what we are asked to do we always try to find a solution and the Exchange helps us deliver that.

“The Exchange feedback system offers total transparency and is immensely valuable. In fact, the Exchange is just like using one of your own drivers.”

Based in Warrington, Cheshire Today Team operates 20 vehicles, has seven full-time staff and a team of self-employed drivers.

As part of a move to better utilise its fleet operation, Today Team has recently integrated its TomTom Telematics’ WEBFLEET system with Haulage Exchange. The initial trial involving two vans and an HGV is already providing value in terms of reduced administration, increased revenue and improved customer service according to Jamie Boyd:

“We have previously used the Exchange to predominantly source capacity, but other members are now seeing the location and status of our vehicles in real-time, so we are now receiving incoming job offers. This is helping us fill available capacity and create a new revenue stream,” explains Jamie.

“We are also reducing admin requirements because not only does the integration automatically update vehicle information, our partners also have live visibility of their loads which cuts down on the number of calls we receive asking for updates.”

The freight management company operates from two depots in New Mills in Derbyshire and Calne in Wiltshire with a fleet of more than 50 articulated and rigid vehicles. Having been operating since 1961,

H Crabtree has developed relationships with a number of regional partners and sub-contractors. However, the company recognised the need to find an effective means of expanding this network to possess a haulage capability across the UK, from all major cities and towns to the most remote locations. This would enable it to not only fill empty return load capacity but also outsource any excess work that could not be handled internally by its own fleet.

H Crabtree joined Haulage Exchange more than five years ago. From its headquarters in Derbyshire, the company uses the tool to flexibly maximise and expand capabilities based on exact workload and operational requirements.

The company is able to identify suitable work around the UK to fill any empty fleet capacity, with the company handling on average 50 loads a month that has been identified and secured via Haulage Exchange. H Crabtree also posts any excess work when it does not have a suitable vehicle to carry the load, meaning it can increase capacity during busy trading periods or take on additional jobs in previously unsuitable areas. This has been made possible by accessing more than 5,000 transport businesses across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe that make up Haulage Exchange.

This is supported by a much wider network of haulage operators that are used on an ad hoc basis and selected based on location, suitability and member feedback. The Haulage Exchange’s unique feedback system has also provided added insight into individual members, providing detailed information in terms of historical performance. This has enabled H Crabtree to make informed decisions about who they work with and have peace of mind that any new partner will provide high levels of service.

Tony Perkins from H Crabtree explains: “Haulage Exchange has become an invaluable tool within our business that we use on a daily basis to fill empty return loads within our operation and handle any surplus work we are unable to handle ourselves.

This has been achieved by collaborating with highly professional and valued members that share our commitment to quality, performance and personal service.” He added: “Haulage Exchange has connected us with a nationwide network of trusted partners to make better use of our available assets and provide added capacity whenever required. By helping us effectively complete our daily workload we have been able to increase the profitability of the business.”

The company would produce bio diesel from waste cooking oil sourced from local takeaways, and sell the recycled product to the bus, coach and taxi operators.

As the company grew, it required a much larger vehicle to carry a growing volume of bio diesel, resulting in Gary obtaining his operator’s license and acquiring his first 7.5-tonne truck. The newly purchased vehicle allowed the business to carry up to four tonnes of cooking oil at any one time.

The business continued to expand and eventually began to transition into the haulage industry due to the type of delivery requests made by its customers.

As the progression of the Euro legislations demanded cleaner and more complicated engine systems, the bio diesel aspect of the business began to become less important so the company focused on the haulage opportunities.

Fat Solutions prides itself on the high calibre of service it provides to its clients and implements a ‘small enough to care and big enough to do that job’ mantra.

Since setting up his business ten years ago, Gary has personally ensured that his drivers are highly qualified, capable and reliable.

The drivers are all CPC trained as standard and often receive refresher courses from Gary himself. In fact, he often takes them on difficult jobs to ensure that they continue to act in accordance with his expectations in a safe and efficient way. The business provides high quality and reliable service to its clients on a daily basis, with the capacity to carry anything and everything that will fit into its fleet of vehicles including a varied range of loads from ambient produce to high value mechanical machinery. The company has been able to fulfil all customer expectations by joining Transport Exchange Group’s Haulage Exchange and establishing valued partnerships with other members.

Fat Solutions became a member of Haulage Exchange seven years ago, and since then the business has grown exponentially by using the online freight trading platform.

It enables the company to find jobs located close to its vehicles when they are empty to eliminate dead mileage. The Exchange has provided Fat Solutions with an extensive network of well-matched connections in the haulage industry, so Gary has been able to establish many positive working relationships as well as several longstanding friendships. Commenting on the Haulage Exchange,

In fact, Fat Solutions was recently nominated for the Company of the Year Award at the Transport Exchange Group’s annual award ceremony.

Fat Solutions currently operates a fleet of two 18-tonne Scania trucks, one brand new 18 tonne Mercedes truck, a support van and a motorbike. Its fleet is fitted  with TomTom tracking devices.

The combined use of tracking and the Exchange Mobile App creates a great solution to minimise empty running and maximise profits. In the last twelve months, Fat Solutions was able to purchase a brand new Mercedes truck using the profits it made the previous year.

Gary never thought that he would be in the position to buy new vehicles outright, however thanks to the combination of his diligent work ethic, fantastic reputation and support from the Haulage Exchange he has been able to do so.

The company intends to continue to grow the business without compromising on the high quality of its service.

Yorkshire Logistics Group strongly believe in creating opportunities and trust within their client base, pride themselves on traditional customer values and focus driven support. They offer same day nationwide delivery, waste services, storage and distribution and can accommodate all your business transports requirements under one umbrella.

The Haulage Exchange has helped them run their day to day operations more efficiently, here’s how;

What prompted your initial interest to join us?

We did not have many customers of our own, that was the main issue as well as not having a trading platform.

Before you joined the Exchange, what problems or obstacles did you face?

Due to lack of customers, we did not have many backloads, therefore we had empty vehicles on return journeys and it was difficult to find backloads in the right areas.

Before you became a member, how did you run your operations?

We run our operations the same as we do now, the difference now is we have the backing of the Haulage Exchange, which has been of tremendous benefit to us.

What will you say are the 3 best features of Haulage Exchange?

• We really like the accounting software
• The booking diary and invoicing system is very helpful
• We find the tracking system very

Since joining us, what exact problem has it helped you to resolve?

We have resolved our dead mileage issue as we can now find backloads when and where we need them thanks to the Haulage Exchange. We have also been able to build up a good customer base because of joining the Haulage Exchange.

What difference does the Exchange make in your everyday activities?

We no longer have empty loads, we don’t send drivers home without having a load, therefore no more wasted mileage.

Would you recommend us to others?

We absolutely would if the Haulage Exchange is suited to their needs, we would first make them aware of all the details as the Haulage Exchange is full of quality people.

Do use the Exchange to get extra capacity when you need it?

We do, and it has been very beneficial for us.

By getting extra capacity when you need it and using backloads, has it had an impact on the size of the fleet you need to operate yourself?

For us, it has had the opposite effect. Thanks to the Haulage Exchange, we have built up so many customer relationships to the point that we can’t physically keep up with the demand.

We have to decline quite a lot of jobs as we do not have the capacity to accept every job we get given, although we’re growing in size and in fleet.

For me, the answer has rarely been in doubt. I love what I do. I’ve driven a 44-tonne for the last 20 years. It’s a job that I feel privileged to do. Elevated high up in my seat, I’ve got the best view on the entire road. What could be better than that?

Of course, my job comes with tremendous responsibilities and many challenges. Anyone reading this, for example, will already know that margins are wafer-thin, while truck driving isn’t a job for anyone who wants an easy life. It’s exceptionally demanding, and I think I speak for everyone in the industry in saying that Britain’s truckers aren’t afraid of hard work. I know I’m certainly not.

Therefore, if you’re tempted to ditch the day job and work for yourself, it’s vital that you find a way to make truck driving pay for you. I know this from experience. It got to the point where margins were so tight that I was even thinking of leaving the freight industry altogether – something which I never thought that I would consider.

However, thankfully, I found my niche at Haulage Exchange. How? Well, essentially, a decade or so ago, I ran a few vans out of Lincoln – where I’m still based – using Courier Exchange. The work was fairly lucrative and I decided, therefore, to subscribe to CX’s sister platform, Haulage Exchange. Since joining the platform, I haven’t looked back.

But, that said, I’d be lying if I said it was an easy decision to make. It wasn’t. I was sceptical at first because many people make and break promises in this industry, and to some extent you get used to disappointment.

When I first joined, I was immediately impressed with the platform’s smart loading matching capability, which sifts through all the loads on the system and only sends me the ones that match my location and availability.

Nowadays, while I still use smart matching, most of my jobs come from contractors calling me. In my opinion, that’s probably the best thing about the Exchange. It doesn’t just provide you with access to world-class companies, it allows you to communicate directly with them and gives you a unique opportunity to forge long lasting relationships, which, I believe, is the secret to bigger earnings.

It’s impossible not to be excited by the number of loads on the system too. During the last five weeks or so, I would say that my profits have increased by around thirty per cent. But there’s a downside too. Lately, I’ve been so busy that I’ve had to turn jobs down. I’ve recently acquired two owner operator licences, however, and I hope to rectify this in the autumn by buying another 44-tonner.

While I live and breathe the haulage sector, it’s really important to have other interests too. My wife and I own a 32-foot yacht and try to get out on it whenever we can. It’s an expensive pastime to be involved in, but it’s one that my day job allows me to pursue because the Exchange has given me the freedom to work for who I want, when I want, and the funds to put the boat on the water.

I’m hoping of course that when you read this, you’ll be swayed by the industry-leading companies that you can rub shoulders with, not to mention the money you can make if you’re prepared to work hard each hour of each day. But, for me, indulging my passion for the open ocean has really helped me focus on who I am and what I want to achieve. Maybe working as your own boss can do the same for you.

So go on – ask yourself what you want from life. You just might surprise yourself.”

TVS Supply Chain Solutions specialise in providing revenue growth, inventory reduction and operating cost reduction. They have multiple distribution centres and forward stock locations at strategic points around the globe, with over 4 million sq. ft of warehouse space.

They also have access to a global distribution fleet, working with some of the best and most proficient carriers in the marketplace. This means that they can ship products however and whenever their customers require.

The Haulage Exchange has helped TVS Supply Chains Solutions to run their day to day operations more efficiently, here’s how;

What prompted your initial interest to join us?

We paid a visit to our current providers and I noticed that they were members of the Haulage Exchange, so we thought we would give it a shot!

Before joining the Exchange, what problems or obstacles did you face?

We were not dealing with the drivers directly, we would go through a third party which can result in things being lost in translation. But with the Haulage Exchange, we have the details of the drivers and we deal with them day in, day out.

How did you run your operations before joining?

We would give the jobs to a selection of companies and pay our margins on that.

What would you say are the 3 best features of the Haulage Exchange?

• Dealing with drivers directly
• Getting backloads at good rates
• A feedback system that allows you to rate drivers and determine their reliability

Has the platform helped you overcome any problems?

Joining the Exchange has reduced our costs and enabled us to effectively communicate with drivers.

What difference does the Exchange make to your everyday activities?

It has allowed us to cut out the middlemen in our operations so that we can deal with the drivers directly.

Would you recommend us to others?

Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I have already recommended it to people I know, because the Haulage Exchange is working for us, therefore I’m confident others will love it too.

Do you use the Haulage Exchange to get extra capacity when you need it?

Getting backloads has become much easier but we do not have a fleet or drivers as we just post work out. However, the Exchange has helped us build our own network of reliable drivers which has made our operations significantly more effective and efficient.

After turning over a quarter of a million in the first year Blue Whale Logistics was set up. It has since established itself as a highly successful and reliable logistics and haulage company in the industry. During its first few years the company achieved an average 28% annual growth. The company has since employed fifteen general staff, six drivers, three warehouse staff and five office workers. The Leicester based business has a wide area of operations, working both locally, nationwide and in Europe. Blue Whale Logistics began operations with a single Mercedes Sprinter. Today the business runs a fleet with a full range of vehicles from small vans to Moffett and crane offload vehicles.

Some of the vehicles are manufactured specifically to ensure they are able to carry loads of all shapes and sizes.

The business provides a high quality transport service to its clients, from a small daily run for a national bakery company to a large contract transporting one thousand port-a-loos for the Glastonbury Festival, also the Olympics.

The company recently relocated its office to Enderby from  its original site. Now is has a 6,000 square foot warehouse to accommodate its overnight operations and uses three other sites across the county where in excess of 2000 pallets are stored. Since becoming a member of the Haulage Exchange five years ago, Blue Whale Logistics has been able to forge great working relationships with other members of the Exchange. The company often subcontracts work to other Exchange members.

The business has survived two double dip recessions unscathed. John credits this success to the business’s diversity, the capitalisation of sub-contracting and the company’s decision to choose the clients it works with wisely. The company prides itself on its high levels of service and its ability to fulfil its customers’ expectations.

Blue Whale Logistics feels that its diversity enables them to keep one step ahead of the competition.

John aims for the business to continue providing the excellent standard of quality as well as further developing the business and expanding at a steady rate.

John added: “The next step in the business, we are looking to extend our storage facilities. I hope we can carry on with the increases we have experienced over the last 8 years”.

The Bicester based company operates a fleet of four 7.5 tonne vehicles providing transport solutions to clients across the UK. Their modern vehicles are equipped with tail lifts and pallet trucks to minimise waiting times at destination.

Their team has years of experience within the transport industry enabling the company to quickly become the haulier of choice of their business partners for reliability and customer service.

Having been introduced to the to the idea by a fellow haulier, Direct Connect Logistics joined Haulage Exchange two weeks before commencing trading.

Having seen how the Exchange works, founder Rhys Hackling has quickly realised what an effective tool Haulage Exchange is and knew it would make a significant contribution to the business’ turnover, reputation and how it would open the door to a large pool of national business contacts.