Palletline Accesses Dedicated Transport Solutions

Northumberland-based Dedicated Transport Solutions Ltd (DTS) is the latest company to join Palletline plc, the UK’s longest established pallet distribution network.

Founded around 15 years ago, DTS operates 20 vehicles and employs 40 staff at its base at the DTS International Freight Terminal in Nelson Way, Cramlington. It is now covering the NE1-7, 12 -13, 15, 18-20, 22-30, 45-49 and 61-71 postcode areas for Palletline, with input levels currently at around 200 week and growing.

DTS specialises in international freight forwarding, primarily to and from Scandinavia, and the growth in its pallet forwarding work led the company to consider joining a network, with Palletline very much its first choice.

Peter Cairns, Depot Principal, explained: “We were aware of the networks and felt that membership would be beneficial for us in terms of enhancing our customer service. However we did not want to be part of a network which was driven by the hub rather than the members, and that was what attracted us to Palletline. Palletline is uniquely owned by its members and therefore is run for their benefit, and the service levels reflect that.”

Glyn Jones, Managing Director of Palletline plc, added: “We’re delighted to welcome DTS to the network. Their links with Scandinavia will bring an extra dimension to the service offerings of all our members and we look forward to a highly successful partnership with DTS.

“DTS is the latest of several companies to have joined Palletline in the last year as we continue to expand our nationwide membership through the addition of new members committed to our co-operative ethos and the best service levels in the sector.”

Operating from a main hub in Birmingham with regional hubs at Greenford, west London, and Preston, the company today employs some 150 staff, with major clients including blue chip organisations such as Parcelforce and J Sainsbury plc. As well as the UK, Palletline offers deliveries to mainland Europe, Scandinavia and the Irish Republic.

Uniquely among pallet networks in the UK, Palletline is wholly owned by its membership. Currently Palletline has more than 60 member companies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each year covering some 15 million miles and making more than 8000 deliveries a day on behalf of the network.

The company’s quality ethos is driven by ongoing investment in state of the art IT with sophisticated pallet scanning and a web-based track and trace system featuring on-line proof of delivery (POD) images to maximise service performance and transparency.