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Several exciting recent projects in Italy and the Iberian Peninsula show why innovative Imperial Logistics group company Palletways is rated as Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised network.
Palletways has opened its fourth hub in northern Italy. Located in Verona, it follows the successful opening of Palletways hubs in Bologna, Milan and Avellino over the past 11 years. The Verona hub will handle domestic cargo and is geared towards accelerating general cargo traffic to consignors in northern Italy and provide faster routing and better value to customers across central Europe, says Luis Zubialde, chief operating officer for the Palletways Group. “This investment means that deliveries to the north of Italy and central Europe are now more accessible and cost-effective with Palletways,” he expands. “It gives us the foundation for further growth as the network continues to expand across Europe.”
Another exciting Palletways Italia development is the launch of a new distribution service through the group’s partnership with White Horse Energy, a UK-based biomass fuel company that is new to the Italian market.
“White Horse Energy has over nine years of experience delivering high quality, kiln-dried wood and pellets called Firepower Pellets – to over 20 000 clients, with Palletways as their exclusive logistics partner. The company is delighted to be partnering with Palletways to take its services to Italy,” Zubialde explains. “This new distribution service integrates Palletways’ Application Programming Interface (API), a set of protocols for building application software, into White Horse Energy’s information system. This innovative use of technology means the shipment is prepared immediately after the order is placed. As a result, the customer can decide when to receive their order and can see the progress of their order. Through Palletways, White Horse Energy also offers a dedicated customer service system. Thanks to our partnership we have been able to develop and test distribution solutions tailored for the needs of e-commerce businesses, positioning ourselves among the first palletised freight companies able to deliver to private customers.”
This year has also seen Palletways make huge strides in the Iberian market. The group began operating on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula 12 years ago and is now one of the region’s leading logistics companies, with a cumulative growth rate above 15% for the last three years, Zubialde reports.
He says that the Palletways Iberia network has three hubs across the Peninsula and 67 members with the recent addition of three new members in Barcelona, Madrid and Portugal. The network’s latest hub in Jaen has exceeded expectations after just 12 months of operation, tripling its daily volume of pallet movements. The Zaragoza hub, which has recently been internationalised, has contributed to improving transit times and operational efficiency for traffic to Southern Europe. The final of the three hubs, located in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, is the network’s current headquarters.
“Our Iberian Peninsula network has invested in innovative technologies such as the Palletways Archway Scanning System, with a second scanner recently installed in Madrid. The scanning system photographs every pallet as it enters the hub, providing full visibility, eliminating missing pallets, damage and theft,” Zubialde explains. Palletways Iberia also recently introduced a new mega-truck which has a 40-ton capacity – almost double the 24-ton capacity of a conventional truck. This mega truck will move freight from Zaragoza to Madrid and increase the efficiency of the Palletways’ Iberian network.
“The hard work of staff and members within the network, and investment in infrastructure and technology, has created a palletised freight network which is helping businesses across Europe export their goods to Spain. Palletways is proud to be an enabler for economic growth and prosperity across Europe,”Zubialde concludes.
