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DfT praises pallet firms for efficiency
Page 10
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A new government-backed report praises the pallet networks for their efficiency. Jennifer Ball repors.
PALLET NETWORKS are improving transport efficiency and helping the environment,but there is still room for improvement, according to a report commissioned by the Department for Transport.
The TransportEnergy Best Practice (TEBP) study Key performance indicators for the pallet sector reveals network trucks ran empty for just 12.8% of the total distance,compared with 19% fora similar survey of vehicles in food retail and 26,4% for the UK pare as a whole.
Trunking runs were even more efficient by this measure, accounting for just 4.5% of the distance travelled during the survey period. Trunking also scored highly on the vehicle fill indicator. On average 80% of the deck is filled,compared with 69% in the food retail sector and 74% for non-food products.
However, the report says that pallet networks could make further improvements by increasing driver training to cut fuel consumption and using computerised vehicle scheduling.
Report author Les Beaumont says: "Pallet networks have improved the performance of UK transport as a whole with greater vehicle efficiency, reducing charges for customers and productivity gains. But it is not all good news: there is a big difference between the best and worst operators. If everyone could operate as well as the best, there would be even more gains."
Adam Leonard, MD at Rugbybased The Pallet Network adds: "We don't have a draconian attitude, overloading our members with things that they have to do; we only give them ideas about ways to improve their business."