International freight distribution network Palletforce has partnered with Heppner, France’s largest privately-owned distribution company, to help provide unrivalled continental coverage for its members and their customers.
The move is the latest in a series of major collaborations with premier partners which sees Palletforce, part of logistics giant EV Cargo, offer seamless express services to 24 European countries. It will further boost Palletforce’s dynamic growth in Europe, which last year saw volumes increase by more than 20 per cent.
Heppner, founded in 1925, has 70 regional distribution agencies across France and a turnover of more than €700m. The integration of their IT systems with Palletforce’s own, ground-breaking Alliance system, and centralised use of Palletforce’s SuperHub, will ensure seamless movement and reporting of palletised European freight.
“This is exciting news for Palletforce and represents another major step in the ongoing expansion of our services and infrastructure in Europe, evidenced by the increased volumes to date,” said Palletforce’s European development director Mark Tabor.
“Our partnership with Heppner means Palletforce members can offer cost-effective deliveries across France through a single distribution hub using one trunk vehicle whether the freight is destined for the UK or abroad. Meanwhile, using our sector-leading technology and IT, customers have the confidence of being able to track and trace their consignments through one unified system.”
Over the last 18 months Palletforce has extended its European coverage from eight to 24 countries in addition to launching a global service, with a focus on Asia, working alongside its sister EV Cargo businesses. The company has spearheaded moves to reduce European tariffs, as well as introducing a clear pricing structure based on pallet size.
“Investing in strong regional partnerships across Europe boosts service quality and builds a platform to enable further long-term growth,” said Mr Tabor. “We’ve already seen volumes in markets like Spain and Italy double over the last 18 months and we’ve been working hard to enhance other services.”
Michael Conroy, Palletforce chief executive, said: “Palletforce is all about delivering commercial benefits and growth opportunities for our members and, by working side by side with European partners like Heppner, we can provide them with a competitive advantage and place them in a prime position for expansion.
“Members are really benefitting from a simple system that is easy to understand and use. They can use the same collection and line-haul vehicles as their UK deliveries, our pricing is more transparent than other networks and the invoicing process is straightforward and easy to manage.”
