A partnership designed to improve the efficient transfer of perishable goods out of Belgium
PML – the leading supplier of world-class logistics and supply chain solutions – is teaming up with European Forwarder Tulpin Group to forge a strategic alliance designed to speed up the transfer of perishable goods from Egypt to the UK.
The formal partnership between the two companies will signal a new era of efficiency for producers and retailers alike, enabling a smarter route to market for producers and fresher, imported perishable goods – boasting an extended shelf life – for retailers.
PML, who has been working with Tulpin Group for many years, will take responsibility for the last-mile delivery of fruit and vegetable consignments that have been shipped by air from Egypt. The agreement will see Tulpin Group’s own customs agency/haulage company All-Trade/Ostendfresh collect the freight from Ostend airport and load into trailers. The trailers will be driven to the ports of Dunkirk and Calais and the consignment will be dropped onto a RoRo ferry destined for the Port of Dover. Tulpin Group will advise PML in advance of any required information to enable a seamless customs clearance and potential inspection. PML will collect the trailers from Dover, taking them to the company’s state-of-the-art logistics and transport hub at Lympne, Kent for clearance via the company’s approved Border Control Post. After clearance, PML will deliver to the end customer and then return the trailers to the port for transfer back to Belgium, to enable the process to be repeated. It is anticipated that during the peak season, there could be up to 20 trailer movements per day.
There are clear advantages associated with PML handling the customs paperwork and assuming responsibility for any onward truck movements in the UK. These include a faster turnaround of trailers allowing for more freight to be moved; no requirement for downtime for EU drivers saving time and money; elimination of the risk of EU drivers being caught up in queues resulting in problems with managing driver schedules/drivers becoming frustrated and addressing the growing reluctance for EU drivers to drive to the UK post-Brexit.
PML and Tulpin Group have already completed trials of the new arrangement, with customers set to benefit from the expedited transfer route from mid-November 2022, in line with the peak seasonal import calendar for fruit and vegetables.
Commenting on the alliance, Sales Director Nick Finbow says, “The working relationship with Tulpin Group is well established. Both companies are specialists in the efficient transfer of perishable goods, work with a similar ethos and share the same commitment to upholding the highest standards of customer service. Our decision to commit to this arrangement is based on customer demand and the need to seek out an innovative solution to further streamline the transportation of temperature-sensitive consignments. By combining our experience and expertise, we are able to offer clients the added reassurance of a speedier, seamless transfer of goods, an unbroken cold chain and the clear advantages associated with the delivery of fresh foods that benefit from extended shelf life.”
