Palletline Chief Outlines 5 Year Strategy
Originally posted on Motor Transport, 3rd August 2026.
Carl Moore talks to Steve Hobson about growth, technology and the future of the UK’s leading pallet network
When Palletline set out its latest five-year vision, the objective was clear: take a well-established, service-led pallet network and prepare it for a very different future. That future will be shaped by technology, environmental pressures, shifting customer demand, and the realities of a highly competitive and often unpredictable freight market.
Stepping into the business at a pivotal moment, incoming chief executive officer Carl Moore brings three decades of logistics experience – but notably, none from the pallet network sector. His last role was as MD of efulfilment at Wincanton, leaving just as the takeover by GXO was announced. That outsider perspective is already influencing how the business is thinking about its next phase.
“I’ve been in logistics for 30 years,” he explains, “but not in pallet networks. So this is a new sector to me – but there are a lot of similarities too.”
In some ways taking the helm of a burning ship and turning it around can be easier than coming into a highly successful business already having ambitious growth plans – especially when the previous incumbent Graham Leitch has moved upstairs to become chairman of the board.
But Moore is clear that he is not seeking radical reinvention, but rather a carefully managed evolution that builds on a strong co-operative model while embracing new opportunities regarding data, diversification and decarbonisation.
Growth in a tough market
By almost any measure, the pallet network sector remains a difficult place to operate. Margins are tight, competition is intense and profitable growth requires far more than simply grabbing market share.
“It’s a tough market,” Moore says. “Unless you’re going to buy volume, you’ve got to get everything right: the members, the pricing, the volumes and the balance.”
And balance is the key word. Unlike traditional logistics operations, pallet networks rely on the constant interaction of independent members, each with their own territories, customer bases and commercial priorities. Growth that is not carefully managed can quickly create imbalances – too much inbound traffic in one region, too little outbound in another – undermining members’ profit across the system.
Despite these constraints, Palletline has continued to expand. Recent additions such as Swains, Safe and Mobile PPL represent major wins, bringing significant new input volume into the network. At the same time, overall throughput has been increasing, with periods of double-digit growth recorded during peak trading.
Yet the emphasis is not simply on adding more freight. “What matters is the type of growth,” Moore notes. “It has to work for the members.”
The network’s core “sweet spot” remains smaller consignments – typically four pallets or fewer. Larger shipments are still best handled via direct groupage or dedicated transport. But the boundaries between these segments are evolving, and Palletline is increasingly focused on enabling its members to capture a wider range of opportunities.
Beyond pallets
That shift is already visible in the network’s expanding service portfolio. While pallets remain central, Palletline is moving towards a more diversified proposition. “It’s not just about pallets now,” Moore says. “We’re looking at what services we can offer to the membership and the wider market.”
One key development is the launch of Palletline Global Logistics, designed to facilitate international flows and support the network’s European ambitions. Historically, Palletline has been primarily UK-focused, but demand for cross-border solutions is increasing, and represents a clear growth opportunity.
Other initiatives include measures to make more use of hub capacity outside the peak night-time hours and expanded night-time delivery operations. In highly congested urban areas, the latter is becoming increasingly important.
“Night deliveries make a lot of sense,” Moore explains. “Particularly in and around London.”
The aim is to provide tools and capabilities that allow even smaller operators to access larger accounts or more complex requirements.
Unlocking hidden capacity
Perhaps the most transformative element of Palletline’s strategy is the development of a virtual hub: a concept that reflects broader trends towards data-driven logistics.
At present, Palletline has strong visibility of the freight that flows through its hubs. But what it does not see is the much larger volume handled directly by members outside the network structure.
“We see what goes through Palletline,” says Moore. “What we don’t see is the volume our operators have that they don’t put through the network.”
The virtual hub aims to bridge that gap, using data integration to create visibility across all member operations. By linking into existing transport management systems, the platform will allow Palletline to identify potential connections – matching loads between depots and reducing the need for central handling.
“It’s about visibility,” he emphasises. “If we can see it, we can make it happen.”
The potential benefits are significant – reduced mileage, improved vehicle utilisation, and increased capacity – all achieved without major investment in physical infrastructure.
Initial estimates suggest the virtual hub could handle thousands of pallets per day once fully developed, with an initial target of approximately 1,500 daily movements.
Crucially, the approach is pragmatic rather than speculative. “We don’t want data for the sake of data,” he says. “It has to deliver something tangible.”
Technology modernisation
Supporting this initiative is a broader overhaul of Palletline’s IT infrastructure. The network is transitioning from its legacy Contrado platform to a new system, Optima, designed to provide improved integration, usability, and data visibility.
“We’re upgrading the hub platform,” Moore explains. “Optima will give us more visibility and easier interaction.”
Importantly, the system is being designed to work with – not replace – members’ existing transport management systems (TMS). Rather than imposing a single network-wide platform, Palletline will integrate with a range of TMS, allowing data to be pulled in without disrupting local operations.
This reflects a broader theme in the network’s strategy: enabling rather than dictating.
Multi-hub strategy
While technology will play an increasingly important role, physical infrastructure remains central to Palletline’s operations. And here, the network is firmly committed to its multi-hub model, with its national hub in Birmingham complemented by regional hubs in Glasgow, Haydock, Coventry and North London.
“We have got a big central hub – we’ve just got more than one,” Moore says.
This provides several advantages. Firstly, resilience. A single hub represents a potential point of failure; multiple hubs reduce that risk.
Secondly, efficiency. By routeing freight through the most appropriate hub, the network can reduce overall mileage and improve operational performance.
And increasingly, thirdly, sustainability. As the industry moves towards electrification, shorter trunking distances and regionalised operations are likely to become essential. “We think multi-hub works,” Moore says. “It reduces mileage and gives us flexibility.”
The network is reviewing its infrastructure as part of its growth plan, with the potential for further investment, including the acquisition of additional sites.
The co-operative model
Palletline’s identity is closely tied to its co-operative structure. Fully owned by its members, the network operates for their benefit: a model that differentiates it from all other networks. “It’s a real strength,” Moore believes. “But it can be challenging, if you let it be.”
One of the biggest challenges lies in aligning the interests of a diverse membership. Some businesses are highly ambitious, seeking rapid growth and expansion. Others are more conservative, focused on maintaining stable operations.
“You’re never going to have every member aligned,” he admits.
Yet that diversity can also be a strength. Members bring local expertise, long-standing customer relationships, and a commitment to service that is hard to replicate in more centralised models. Many are family-owned businesses, some with histories stretching back a century or more.
“They’re proud of what they do,” Moore says. “And that shows in the service.”
Governance structures are designed to balance input with efficiency. Strategic decisions are made by the board, supported by member representation through formal forums such as the commercial and operations steering groups.
“It’s not management by committee,” he stresses. “We still need to be nimble.”
Maintaining balance
One of the most persistent challenges in pallet networks is maintaining balance between input and output. Regions with strong manufacturing bases tend to generate outbound freight, while others – particularly more rural or tourist-driven areas – are primarily inbound.
“Some areas are very imbalanced,” he acknowledges. The South West, for example, often sees significantly more deliveries than collections, particularly during peak holiday periods.
Managing these imbalances requires constant adjustment. Palletline uses a combination of territory realignment, member support, and targeted business development to ensure that no operator is left at a disadvantage.
“If someone is struggling, we look at why,” he explains. “It might be volume, geography, service, and we address it.”
In some cases, this can involve bringing in new members or redistributing postcode areas to create more sustainable operations. The ultimate goal is profit across the network.
Marketing the scale
Despite its size and capabilities, Palletline remains relatively low-profile among parts of its potential customer base. That is something the leadership team is keen to address. “We’re well known in pallet world,” Moore says. “But outside that, people don’t always realise the scale.”
When the combined resources of its members are considered – fleets, depots, warehousing capacity – the network compares favourably with many major 3PLs. Yet that message has not always been effectively communicated.
Increasing brand visibility, improving digital presence and articulating a clear value proposition are all part of the plan.
Decarbonisation
No strategic discussion would be complete without addressing sustainability – and for pallet networks, this is one of the most complex challenges of all.
Palletline is taking a measured approach, investing in infrastructure while avoiding overly aggressive commitments. Solar panels are being installed across key sites, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure is being rolled out. Initial installations include six truck charging stations at the Birmingham hub, supported by government funding with another six planned.
“We’re doing this incrementally,” he explains. “We’ll prove it works, then build on it.”
Member engagement has been central to the process. While enthusiasm varies, there is broad recognition that change is inevitable. “Not everyone wants an electric truck,” Moore says. “But everyone knows it’s coming.”
The network is also exploring alternative fuels and longer-term solutions, recognising that full electrification – particularly for double-decker trunking – remains some way off.
Limits of co-operation
As the industry grapples with decarbonisation, questions are being raised about the potential for greater collaboration – even between competing networks. Shared charging hubs, joint purchasing and co-operative infrastructure development are all being discussed.
Palletline is open to some of these ideas, particularly where they deliver clear benefits to members. “We’re looking at group purchasing,” Moore says. “There are certainly opportunities within Palletline but I can’t see different pallet networks getting together to share buying power anytime soon.
“We compete as well as co-operate. We would have to understand who benefits.”
For now, the focus remains on internal collaboration, although future partnerships cannot be ruled out.
Clear direction
The wider logistics market remains difficult to predict. Economic conditions are flat rather than volatile, with no clear boom or bust cycle. “It’s a strange time,” Moore reflects. “We’re not seeing big swings, just a lot of uncertainty.”
Within that environment, Palletline’s diversity has proved valuable. The wide range of goods moving through the network helps to smooth fluctuations, while seasonal peaks – such as Easter – continue to provide predictable uplifts.
Strong forecasting capabilities are also a differentiator. “Our analytical team is very accurate,” Moore says. “Probably more so than I’ve seen before.”
Long-term growth
Looking ahead, capacity planning is a key priority. While recent peaks have been managed through operational adjustments – including shifting more freight to daytime operations – longer-term solutions are required. That includes investment in new hubs, as well as the potential for temporary pop-up operations where needed.
“We’re designing for the next five to 10 years,” he says. “Not just the here and now.”
The next phase
Palletline’s strategy is not about reinventing the pallet network model. Instead, it is about refining and enhancing it – using technology, infrastructure and collaboration to unlock new opportunities.
At its heart remains the co-operative ethos that has defined the business from the start. “We exist for the growth of our members,” Moore says.
In an industry facing economic uncertainty, environmental pressure, and rapid technological change, that clarity of purpose may prove to be the network’s greatest strength.
The challenge now is execution - turning the vision of “Palletline 2.0” into reality.
And as Moore acknowledges, there is no room for complacency: “We have to be better tomorrow than we are today.”
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Touchbase Features You Might Have Missed
If you've already used Touchbase to book freight, track a consignment or download a POD, you'll be familiar with the basics. But there's plenty more built into our new TMS, and customer portal. Some of its most useful features are designed to save time on the jobs you do repeatedly, give more people in your business access to the information they need and reduce the amount of manual admin involved in managing your freight. Here are a few features you might have missed! Two-hour delivery windows and live ETAs Checking whether a consignment has been collected or delivered is useful, but Touchbase can give you much more detail while your freight is moving. Live status information, ETAs and two-hour delivery windows give you a clearer idea of when your freight is expected to arrive, while mapping tools make it easier to see exactly where collections and deliveries are taking place. See live status updates as your freight moves Get ETAs and two-hour delivery windows View collection and delivery locations on the map Spend less time chasing for progress updates Reusable booking presets If you regularly send similar freight or use the same collection and delivery points, there is no need to start every booking from scratch. Touchbase lets you create reusable booking presets, so you can start with information you already use regularly and simply make any changes needed for that particular movement. Spend less time entering repeat booking information Reduce unnecessary manual data entry Make regular bookings quicker to create For customers making the same or similar bookings regularly, it's a simple feature that can save a surprising amount of time. Live pricing across our services You don't need to contact us every time you want to check the cost of a movement. Touchbase gives you access to live pricing across our transport services, allowing you to price different movements and book them through the same system. Get prices without waiting for a quote Compare the options available for your freight Move straight from pricing to booking It means you can make decisions and get freight booked without adding another email or phone call to your day. Bulk imports Booking consignments individually works well for smaller volumes. When you're arranging dozens of movements at once, bulk imports can make a much bigger difference. Rather than entering every consignment separately, you can upload multiple bookings together and manage them through Touchbase once they've been created. Create multiple bookings in one go Reduce repetitive data entry Manage higher booking volumes more efficiently For customers processing larger volumes, this can remove a considerable amount of manual work. Map pins and Street View Getting the exact collection or delivery point right isn't always as straightforward as entering a postcode. Touchbase includes mapping tools to help you check locations visually, including map pins and Street View. This can be particularly useful for larger sites, industrial estates or locations where the correct entrance isn't immediately obvious. Check collection and delivery locations visually Give us more accurate location information Help avoid confusion at unfamiliar sites It's a relatively small feature, but one that can make a real difference when a driver is trying to find the right place. User and permission management Touchbase doesn't have to sit with one person in your business. You can create users and control what different colleagues can access, helping get the right information directly to the people who need it. Give accounts teams access to invoices and documents Allow transport teams to manage bookings and tracking Control access and permissions across your organisation It means fewer internal requests for information and avoids one person becoming the gatekeeper for everything relating to your Browns account. Collection and delivery photographs Touchbase gives you more than a status update when your freight is collected or delivered. Photographs captured during the movement can provide a visual record at collection and delivery, sitting alongside the rest of the consignment information within Touchbase. See your freight at collection and delivery Keep a clearer visual record of each movement Get more context without having to chase for information Because Touchbase connects with the applications used by our drivers and operational teams, information captured while your freight is moving can feed directly back into the same system. Reporting and operational data The Touchbase dashboard gives you a live overview of what's happening across your account, without having to dig through individual consignments to piece the picture together. Key logistics KPIs and operational data are brought together in one place, helping you quickly see how much freight you're moving, where it's going and how activity is changing over time. See key logistics KPIs from one dashboard Track booking and freight volumes over time Spot trends and changes across your account Get a clearer picture of your overall transport activity Rather than only using Touchbase when you need to book or track a particular consignment, the dashboard gives you a wider view of your logistics operation whenever you log in. API integration For some customers, one of the most useful Touchbase features could mean spending less time in the portal altogether. 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We can arrange a demo, talk through your current logistics operation and show you how Browns and Touchbase could help you manage it more effectively. Speak to our team , book a demo and see what upgrading your logistics with Browns could look like.
Browns lands £1m deal as bespoke TMS goes live
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A New Chapter Begins at Browns
Introducing Touchbase, our new Transport Management System Every major investment Browns has made over the past few years has been driven by the same ambition: to make our business stronger, our service better and our customers more successful. That ambition has shaped the way we've invested in our people, our fleet and our facilities. It has challenged us to continually improve the way we work and look beyond today's requirements, building a business that's ready for tomorrow. Today, we're proud to introduce our biggest technology investment yet. Meet Touchbase, the new Transport Management System built by us, for you. Developed entirely by our in-house team, Touchbase brings customers, drivers, warehouse teams and operations together through one connected technology platform, supporting the movement of freight from booking through to final delivery. Built around the way we move freight Transport Management Systems sit at the heart of modern logistics operations. They connect the people, processes and information required to get freight where it needs to go. But as Browns has grown, so have the requirements of our operation and our customers. We wanted technology that could support the full breadth of our operation while giving us the freedom to shape how it develops as Browns grows. Rather than adapting our business to fit an off-the-shelf TMS, we decided to build our own. Touchbase has been engineered from the ground up using decades of operational experience in pallet distribution and the knowledge of the people who work with our customers and move their freight every day. It has also been built to connect the different services we provide. Whether we're moving a consignment through the pallet network, on our general haulage fleet, as a full load or as part of a contract logistics operation, Touchbase brings the information together within one platform. One system. One live operational picture. Connecting every stage of the freight journey Touchbase isn't a single application. It's a technology platform that connects our customers, drivers, warehouse teams and operational colleagues, with dedicated applications supporting each stage of the freight journey. From collection through to final delivery, information can flow between each part of the operation as it happens. Touchbase can capture and share live information including collection confirmation, photographs at collection and delivery, delivery ETAs, dynamic tracking, status updates and proof of delivery. For customers, that creates the kind of courier-level visibility we've all become accustomed to when tracking everyday deliveries, applied to the movement of commercial freight. For our teams, it means working from the same live information throughout the operation. The result is a more connected and informed service, with fewer gaps between what happens on the road, in the warehouse, within our operation and what our customers can see. Built by Browns Creating Touchbase represents a major investment in the future of Browns. Owning our technology gives us far greater control over how it develops. Instead of waiting for a third-party system to introduce a feature or change the way something works, our development can be driven directly by operational insight and customer feedback. When our customers' requirements change, Touchbase can change with them. When our teams identify a better way of working, we have the ability to build it. And when new opportunities emerge to connect systems, automate processes or share better information, we have a platform ready to support them. "Touchbase represents far more than a new piece of technology. It's a major investment in the future of Browns and in the service we provide our customers every day. Developing our own Transport Management System gives us the freedom to innovate faster, respond directly to customer feedback and continue improving the way we operate. This is a significant milestone for our business, and we're incredibly proud of what our team has created." David Brown Jnr, Managing Director Introducing the Touchbase Customer Portal At the heart of the Touchbase experience for our customers, is the Customer Portal, bringing the capabilities of our new TMS directly into their hands. Rather than simply replacing our previous portal, we've taken the opportunity to rethink the experience from the ground up. Booking, tracking, invoicing, reporting and account management now sit within a single environment, giving customers greater visibility, more control and quicker access to the information they need. 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Give the right people the right level of access , with user and permission management across their organisation. Spend less time on repetitive administration , using reusable booking presets, bulk imports, scheduled bookings and API integration. Turn live information into greater visibility , with reporting and operational data available across their account. For customers processing larger or more frequent volumes, Touchbase can automate routine processes through API integrations and bulk imports, reducing manual administration while maintaining live visibility across every consignment. And the experience doesn't stop when a booking is submitted. Touchbase connects what the customer sees with the applications being used by Browns drivers, warehouse teams and operational colleagues. As a consignment progresses, information captured throughout the operation can feed back into the same system, creating a continuous digital record from collection through to delivery. For our customers, that means less chasing for updates, fewer disconnected systems and much greater visibility over what's happening with their freight. Putting our data to work with AI AI has been embedded into Touchbase from the very beginning, working behind the scenes across millions of operational data points to automate time-consuming tasks, speed up processes and help our teams get to the information they need faster. One example is document matching. When proof of delivery, customer paperwork, driver manifests and other documents enter the system, AI-powered vision technology can read and understand them, identify the relevant consignments and automatically associate the documents with the correct jobs. What previously required someone to work through paperwork and manually match documents can now happen automatically. We're also introducing Sidekick , our internal AI assistant built directly into Touchbase. Colleagues can ask Sidekick questions about jobs, loads and other operational information and get answers using the live data already held within the platform. It can also help with tasks such as setting reminders, giving our teams a quicker and more natural way to interact with the information they use every day. With millions of data points flowing through Touchbase, AI gives us new ways to put that information to work. Rather than replacing the people behind our service, we're using it to take care of repetitive administration, reduce manual work and give our teams more time to focus on customers and moving freight. What comes next As we enter this next chapter, it's also an opportunity to reflect on the partnerships that have helped us get here. We'd like to thank everyone at HaulTech for their support over many years. Their software has played an important role in Browns' growth, and we've valued the relationship we've built along the way. As our technology strategy evolves, we wish the entire HaulTech team every success for the future as they continue supporting transport businesses across the industry. Touchbase represents the next step for Browns. For the first time, we have a technology platform developed around our own operation, shaped by decades of experience and built with our customers at its heart. It's a big change, but one that gives us greater control over how our technology develops alongside the business. And, much like Browns itself, Touchbase won't stand still. We'll continue developing it, learning from our customers and our team, and building technology that helps us deliver a better logistics experience for the years ahead.