Truck and Track Autumn 2022 www.truckandtrack.com 30 PALLET NETWORKS The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has appointed Association of Pallet Networks (APN) founder and chairman Paul Sanders to its Board. The appointment aligns with the APN’s strategic mandate to develop its role as an influential voice representing the sector on all relevant issues. There is a natural synergy between the two organisations. The APN represents the UK’s nine pallet networks and so is in an excellent position to make meaningful and informed contributions to the RHA’s policy and strategic direction. The 800+ independent hauliers who operate within the APN’s nine member networks are all RHA members. “This is an excellent opportunity to ensure that the objectives and challenges facing our member Hub operations are naturally married to the broader concerns of the haulage community in which pallet network members reside,” says Sanders. “The APN’s goals are to provide an influential and representative voice for the sector, to share health and safety best practice and to develop our sustainability programme, which will address the recruitment and decarbonisation challenges facing us,” he says. “Establishing an executive position within the RHA extends our platform and offers synergy for both organisations. Sanders, who formed the APN in 1986, has a long-standing personal association with the RHA. He has been a regular and active member of central and regional meetings for 36 years, and has held the positions of chair, secretary and treasurer in his sub-regional group, as well as serving as vice-chair for the Midlands and Western Regional Council. Sanders comes from a five-generation family transport group which, until 2003, included a haulage operation. He is now Managing Director of Allports Group, an established Renault Truck and Isuzu Distributor Group in Staffordshire. “Our family businesses have always been involved with and supporters of the RHA,” he says. “I’ve been impressed with its fresh approach in recent years and think this is an excellent time for a constructive collaboration between APN and RHA.” APN members agreed, having been recently presented with RHA’s five-year strategy. “It was clear to us all that we shared a common view of the future direction of the industry, its challenges and objectives,” says Sanders. “Together we can provide an even more cohesive and compelling voice to represent road transport. It is essential that we develop our collaboration with government agencies in order to navigate the sector through the next decade.” Allports Group provides cost-effective transport solutions to the entire industry. In addition to the truck distributorship, the group also has a strong contract hire and rental truck and trailer business, with a national and established customer base. Sanders believes that his experience with AllPorts Group also gives him valuable insights into the decarbonisation journey facing haulage. His organisation has recently created a new division with specialists in electric vehicles, feasibility, infrastructure and alternative fuels. www.theapn.co.uk Paul Sanders, Chairman of the Association of Pallet Networks APN chair strengthens sector voice with appointment to Road Haulage Association board TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TO ALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk A next-day service to Scotland’s most northerly city launched by Palletline in May has hit the ground running, achieving an on-time delivery success rate of more than 99%. The 24-hour service to Inverness and surrounding areas, launched by Palletline through its member A R R Craib, is the latest in the network’s portfolio of services, and is now part of its core offering which already includes 48 and 72-hour services to Inverness. The cost-effective new service is a first for Palletline which is one of only a few UK networks to offer an overnight / next-day service to the most northern parts of Scotland. Graham Leitch, Group Managing Director of Palletline, said: “We are delighted with the success of this new service which is the latest addition to our extensive portfolio of services for customers. “Within its first few weeks, the service has proven hugely popular with customers who are now able to take their goods to market in the northern areas of Scotland more quickly, offering an improved service for their own customers in those areas.” A R R Craib operates out of Aberdeen and Glasgow. Palletline’s next-day service to Inverness proves an instant winner with customers
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