www.truckandtrack.com Spring 2025 Truck and Track 9 BUSINESS NEWS connection. This means they will need to manually accept shipments/loads while you receive automated updates in your TMS. Automated real-time visibility may still be available with those carriers through a separate connection to an integrated visibility platform like Descartes MacroPoint™. 2. Limit the number of solution vendors involved in your overall TMS. This will have the most impact in terms of implementation time, cost, and the required implementation team expertise. Having one team of true experts overseeing your complete solution will result in optimised process handling and a reduced risk of unexpected implementation complications and costs. 3. Beyond these external factors, the active involvement of your own team is essential. Having the right stakeholders (including key users) participate and reach consensus on the optimal processes, along with reliable IT support and a project manager from your side, will significantly influence project costs, timeline, and overall success. Conclusion Shippers that have implemented a TMS have indicated that the analysis and design phase is crucial to the overall project. Make sure that the right people allocate sufficient time to deliver a robust solution design document, as well as participate in acceptance testing which will minimise change requests, and timing delays due to bugs throughout the project. Optimising your TMS implementation by understanding and scoping your needs up front, examining ways to consolidate the complexity of the project, and ensuring the right stakeholders are involved in each step of the process will help ensure that both your one-time costs are limited, and you are setting yourself up for long-term value. www.descartes.com Lower Thames Crossing approval is a momentous decision, says Logistics UK Following the announcement by Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander to approve the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Lower Thames Crossing, Logistics UK Chief Executive David Wells OBE says it will drive growth across the whole economy: “Businesses up and down the country are currently hamstrung by delays crossing the Thames, so the government’s decision to approve the Lower Thames Crossing Development Consent Order (DCO) today is excellent news. The scheme has been in the planning stages for over a decade and this is a momentous decision: industry is united in its backing for this vital trade route and when completed will unlock UK logistics, drive growth and help keep supply chains moving across the whole country.” Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. For more information about the organisation and its work, please visit logistics.org.uk At Longport, GBRf loco 69014 was named ‘EMD Longport’ by John Smith OBE, Chief Executive Officer of GB Railfreight and Jonathan Caen, Director of Progress Rail UK. Its new vintage golden livery was also unveiled at the ceremony attended by EMD’s and GBRf’s maintenance and fleet team. At the event, John Smith OBE said, “This is the fourth loco we have named on behalf of EMD which just goes to show the strength of the relationship our two companies share. A huge thanks to everyone here from EMD and we look forward to working closely with you in the future.” GBRf loco 69014 ‘EMD Longport’ with its new vintage golden livery From left to right Jonathan Caen Director of Progress Rail UK and John Smith OBE Chief Executive Officer of GB Railfreight TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk
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