Palletways UK exceeded expectations this festive season to shift a total of 867,619 pallets - an industry record. Pre-Christmas forecasts were at 850,000 pallets to move through the network in November and December, but a late surge across the 110+ UK depots saw members top that figure by 17,000. 

Dave Walmsley, Palletways UK Managing Director, said: “We were expecting to set an industry record at 850,000 pallets moved in November and December. But to exceed that forecast by over 17,000 is a magnificent effort by our network of members which is testament to their hard work and commitment throughout our busiest Christmas ever.

“Palletways approach to innovative technology and our regional hub model make this effort possible. Our industry-leading archway scanning system captured around 112,000 pictures a day over the last two months.  

“The palletised freight network industry was the unsung hero of British homes at Christmas time and we’re proud to have played a part in getting those presents under the tree. However, the work doesn’t stop here and - with a volume growth of seven per cent year-on-year – we're in a strong position to outstrip our performance in 2017.”

Palletways approach to the development of its network of four regional hubs in Lichfield, London, Leeds and Edinburgh was a critical factor in moving an estimated £347 million of goods around the UK.

Mike Harrison, Palletways UK Operations Director, added: “The multiple regional hub model underpins the speed and efficiency of movement of this record breaking number of pallets. For example, for our distance members, regional hubs offer the opportunity to double trunk freight instead of travelling longer distances to a central hub.

"The system also supports customer service excellence because our members can collect from our customers later in the day because vehicles have less distance to travel."