A Year Of Innovation For Palletline
Originally published by UK Haulier, Friday 14th Feb 2025. Palletline , the UK’s leading palletised freight distribution network, has further reinforced its market position with the introduction of a host of innovations which are reaping dividends across the network for both members and their customers. Established as the UK’s first pallet network in 1992, Palletline has since been at the forefront of innovation, setting a benchmark for other networks to follow. However, in the past 12 months it has surpassed all others leading the way with the development of a range of solutions to provide a level of visibility and service that is both unique and unmatched in the marketplace. At the vanguard of recent innovations is Palleteyes – the industry’s first forklift-mounted CCTV and scanning system. Palleteyes is a development that has revolutionised the palletised freight sector, delivering the most advanced levels of visibility and traceability in the industry and in turn improving Palletline’s efficiency and hub capacity. The culmination of a £2 million investment, Palleteyes is a game-changing solution which is the most progressive of its kind, setting the bar for technology not just within the pallet network sector but across the logistics industry. Integrated into the company’s forklift truck fleet, Palleteyes utilises the latest advances in CCTV technology, wide-aspect barcode scanners and event processing to deliver the most advanced levels of visibility and traceability in the palletised freight sector. The outcome is improved levels of quality control at the point of unload and reload, with inaccurate scans eliminated, enhanced safety and an improvement in sortation efficiency of more than 15%. Activating within two metres of a pallet, the state-of-the-art system scans a barcode and displays important delivery information including bay location for the forklift driver. Simultaneously, two HD CCTV cameras are activated recording a close-up and wide-angle video of the pallet from unload to bay to reload – giving network members full visibility of their freight at all times via a cloud-based portal. The system also integrates with the forklift’s onboard systems to monitor driver performance and operational productivity, and weighs each load, sounding an automated alarm to prevent drivers from lifting a pallet weighing more than 400kg above a height of 1.2m – in-line with the latest double-deck trailer loading guidelines from the DVSA, HSE and other regulatory bodies. Another technological development, Palletline’s Photo-On-Delivery service, was also launched, placing the network on an equal footing with the more technologically advanced parcels sector and offering more transparency and protection to customers. Operating alongside Palletline’s digital signature capture process, Photo-On-Delivery allows the network’s delivery teams to use their existing handheld devices to capture photos of successfully completed deliveries. Compatible with transport management systems, drivers have the option of taking one or more photos in case of discrepancies. Members across the network are reporting improved efficiency and visibility across their operations as well as new business wins as a result of this latest advanced technology. Gina Helm, Business and Operations Manager of Palletline member Anglia Freight said: “The launch of Palleteyes and Photo-On-Delivery has been a real game-changer for us and our customers. “Not only does it give us significantly enhanced layers of visibility of the freight we’re sending through the Palletline network, but our customers have total peace of mind, knowing their valuable goods can be fully tracked, with on-board forklift CCTV or photographic evidence, at every stage of a consignments journey through the network. “It has not only contributed to our customer retention but has also proved to be a unique selling point that is attracting new customers to our business.” Similarly, Carl Hepworth, Palletline Supervisor at member Expect Distribution said: “The introduction of Palleteyes has been really valuable within our operation, becoming the go-to tool for quick and accurate query resolution. “Plus, we’ve fully integrated the Photo-On-Delivery service into our own standard processes. It has had the added benefit of improving our service to private addresses too, enabling us to deliver to a customer’s pre-agreed secure location, which ultimately reduces the need for redelivery services and gives our customers complete peace of mind.” Palletline Group CEO Graham Leitch said the latest developments are part of Palletline’s programme of innovation as the network maintains its position at the forefront of the palletised freight sector. He said: “The volatility we have seen within our sector over the past 12 months has been unprecedented and therefore maintaining a competitive edge has never been so important. “The benefits of our new initiatives have and will continue to be far reaching, not just to the advantage of our members but also to their customers. “Here at Palletline we pride ourselves on our commitment to pushing the boundaries, ensuring that we remain ahead of our competitors and provide a best-in-class service unmatched by other networks in the industry.” To further extend its offering and provide its members with additional service flexibility, Palletline launched its brand-new Half+ pallet, providing value-for-money for customers who need to transport pallets of up to 1.8 metres in height and 500kgs in weight. Designed for B2B customers, the Half+ pallet meets the needs of retailers and e-commerce brands and is ideally suited for regional and nationwide distribution environments.
