Pallet2Ship® Service Updates

Dear valued customer, 

Following a further review of service, it has become necessary to amend the below postcode areas to economy only. This is a temporary measure to stabilise service into this area and we will keep you updated as and when we are able to reinstate full service.
 Therefore, with immediate effect:

Postcodes:E1-3, 5, 7-10, 13-16, 20 & 98

CR4, 7, SW2, 4, 8, 9, 11-20

We have received information from our haulage partners that a major shipping line is now unable to restitute empty containers back to the Port of Felixstowe, more lines are expected to follow this week and be unable to restitute containers.

This may mean that deliveries on all shipping lines could be delayed as hauliers will have to return empty containers to different ports within the UK which will displace the tractor units and drivers, and could also incur additional charges due to the increased mileage that the hauliers will have to complete.

 This is likely to cause further issues within the already troubled haulage market, we will continue to work with our haulage partners to try and avoid disruption where possible.

 If your delivery is affected we will advise accordingly at the earliest opportunity.

Please be advised that due to the current exceptional circumstances, we see ourselves forced to make some changes in regards to our UK Mainland services. 

Following more than 12 months of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is now facing a nationwide HGV driver shortage and increased freight volume, which has led to massive backlogs. 

Furthermore, the transit time for our UK Mainland services will be changed as follows:

- Premium Services: 1/2 working days

- Economy Services: 3/4 working days

*Please note that the services to/from other parts of the UK, such as UK Highlands, Channel Islands, UK Islands, Northern Ireland, and UK Isle of Wight are also subject to transit time changes.

Your delivery is our main priority, and we will continue to work tirelessly alongside our carriers, to provide our customers the best service we can.

We would like to thank you for your understanding and your support, and please be assured that we will continue to update you as soon as we receive any updates from our carriers.

Dear valued customer,

We have been advised by Palletways that all deliveries to Amazon FC's in postcodes DN4 5JS / DN11 0BG / S43 4PZ will be stopped temporarily due to huge numbers of freight trying to go in.

Palletways IT have changed the system so that these postcodes will not offer service into them, giving Depot 36 (Hastings)  and Amazon a chance to clear this freight, as well as protecting the health, safety, and business of the depot and its employees from the backlog of 600 pallets which is entirely out of their control. 

The earliest delivery slot currently available to the depot is at least a week away and we will review the suspension next week with a view to reversing it depending on the situation at that time.

Please note this will also impact any goods which you may have already sent through that is yet to be booked in / delivered into these centers.

We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this situation may have caused, and as soon as we receive further updates, we will let you know.

Thank you!

Dear Customers,

We would like to make you aware of the extraordinary circumstances being faced by the UK's Pallet Networks, as a result of the pandemic, Brexit and other causes.

Please take a moment to read through the latest update we have received from The Association of Pallet Networks.

The Association of Pallet Networks
Fradley Park
Lichfield
WS138NG

7 May 2021
Dear Colleagues and Customers

The Association of Pallet Networks is asking for your support and patience as the UK's pallet networks meet an unprecedented level of challenge in their role as keyworkers and a major delivery mechanism for UK plc.

While our sector prides itself on high service levels, we would like to draw your attention to the exceptional circumstances in which our network partners are currently operating. Following more than 12 months of disruption due to pandemic, during which we continued to keep Britain moving, shops and hospitals stocked, and your goods reaching their customers, we have recently had to deal with an extraordinary surge in volumes at a time when our resources are acutely stretched.

This has inevitably impacted on our ability to maintain the very high service levels for which our industry is renowned. There are many factors which have contributed to the current challenging situation:

• An unrelenting growth in pallet volumes. 01 2021 saw 14% growth year on year and March was the highest volume month the sector has ever seen, with more than 3 million pallets delivered.
• An 46% increase in residential deliveries, which are more difficult and time consuming than B2B deliveries. In 01 2020, 13% of our total deliveries were to residential addresses. In 01 2021, this was 19%, or almost one in five pallets.
• An acute driver shortage. The UK's driver shortage stood at approximately 50,000 in early 2020. It has since been exacerbated by Brexit, which resulted in the loss of thousands of EU drivers and warehouse staff. In addition, new IR35 rules on the classification of contractors has affected the availability of agency drivers who usually supplement our workforces. The logistics industry is now lacking almost 80,000 drivers, according to Logistics UK.
• We are still operating under social distancing rules, and must make provision for team members who are, or have family members, vulnerable to COVID19 infection.
• There are significant delays with products moving over UK borders, both to and from EU countries. We are doing our best to support customers and expedite consignments but this is a resource-heavy task which has been challenging for all sectors.

In short, despite responding with resilience and agility to the needs of a UK under lockdown and undergoing the most major shift in trade conditions for several decades, we are having to do far more with less resource available to us than ever before.

We will continue to work intelligently, proactively and professionally to meet all your delivery needs. However, we would be remiss if we did not take the time to explain these highly unusual circumstances to our loyal customer base, and ask for your understanding and support.

How you can help?

Firstly, please be patient if some of your deliveries take longer than normal. Our teams are working extremely hard and they care just as much as you do about the efficiency and professionalism of their service.

Secondly, communicate to your customers that there may be some unavoidable delays in their expected delivery schedule. It would be helpful if they could use the provided track and trace services, or contact you, as the seller, if they have queries about their delivery, rather than ringing network depots.

Work with your pallet network and your local depot to ensure that every pallet is correctly manifested, packaged and all necessary paperwork and contact details are correct. When Hubs and depots are extremely busy, troubleshooting problematic consignments creates an unnecessary delay.

Please remember that our successes still outnumber the challenges we face, and that our primary concern is to give you optimal service, safely, cost effectively and sustainably.

Thank you, on behalf all the UK's pallet networks for your understanding.

Yours sincerely
Paul Sanders
Founder & Chairman, APN