1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192 
AT YOUR SERVICE
Page 119
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• After several years as a biennial event, the Distribution Services Show went annual last week at Wembley Conference Centre, with around 125 exhibitors showing their products and services to the distribution industry.
There in force was the justmerged Harris-Reliance conglomerate of eight Transport Development Group subsidiaries, showing its new-found corporate strength. "It's all about commanding the kind of resources you need these days," explains Harris-Reliance managing director Allan Binks.
The changes are not through yet. Flowers Distribution — which only recently adopted a new livery — is to lose its name within six months as it takes on the role of "common user" distribution specialist for the group. The temperature-controlled specialist DMT of Thetford is now under the Flowers urn brella and called Coldair. Reliance Tankers gets a new livery this week — blue with a "molecular structure" design. Tying all these themes together and yet retaining a strong individual identity is the group's objective.
Another company with a new name and new livery is Bees — since October 1, called Bees Security Distribution. Eight Bees managers bought the company from the Lex group in June. The new name is to emphasise the company's specialisation in higher-than-average value products such as electronics, clothes and drinks. It is launching new services and in particular is promoting its returns service; returns are so often an important but neglected matter, according to a Bees spokesman.
Competition in the tail lift market is still strong, with most of the action in the growing cantilever market. Ross & Bonnyman has come up with a tuck-under model that incorporates two desirable features.
The revised Autostow (cheaper and simpler than the one shown at the ERIE in May) has its acting arms beside, rather than under the platform, so the platform can lie flat on the ground and remain horizontal throughout its travel. The arms are also hinged (actuated by a second hydraulic ram) so that the lift is totally flush with the rear of the vehicle when it is stowed under the chassis.
A simpler model from Ross & Bonnyrnan is the new Easistow that has only one ram and lacks the hinged arms, so that it protrudes slightly at the rear when it is stowed away beneath the vehicle. The Autostow is available only in 1,500kg capacity (priced at £1,750) while the Easistow costs £1,500 for the 1,000kg model or £1,600 for the 1,500kg version.