Irish postal operator An Post has launched a new service ‘Post Logistics’ in cooperation with the global logistics operator DB Schenker to seize “new business opportunities in freight forwarding” which essentially targets Irish SMEs exporting up to seven pallets to the UK and Europe.
An Post described Post Logistics as “a high-quality, dependable, standardised freight-forwarding and groupage service based on reliability, simplicity, speed and value”. Post Logistics was formed by An Post as its logistics division.
Using An Post’s fleet and extensive ground forwarding network for Groupage & ‘Less Than Truckload’ (LTT) shipping, Post Logistics will transport pallet freight from SME customers nationwide to a central Dublin depot from where it will be shipped onwards by DB Schenker.
As part of Post Logistics, An Post provides an efficient and reliable door-to-door pallet collection and delivery service “at very competitive rates” from any location in Ireland with delivery to UK and Europe from Monday to Friday.
To profit from the service, customers can use an online ordering platform featuring a user-friendly account management interface. The service is fully trackable.
Liam O’Sullivan, Mails Operations Director at An Post, said that the provision of freight services is a natural extension of An Post’s existing business. ‘’Our existing national network, logistics capacity and customer service is fully supported by the latest technology. Mails distribution is mainly an evening, overnight and early morning business so during the day we can devote our capacity to servicing the freight forwarding needs of Irish SMEs.”
‘’Having examined the potential market and worked closely with prospective customers, we know that Post Logistics has what it takes to make a difference in this market, based on our unique network infrastructure. We asked the market what they needed and then worked to match what we could offer so it was really the customer who shaped Post Logistics.’’
He highlighted the changes in the mail business and its “very challenging environment”. “’We need to utilise our people, our assets and our network to find new customers and new business. The landscape we operate in is changing rapidly and we have to adapt and grow. It’s a great position to be in where we can utilise our existing skills and network to generate new business. The real win is that we can actually help Irish exporters to trade more effectively on the global stage AND add another string to our bow in the process’’.
An Post collects, processes and delivers 2.5 million items every day to 2.2 million business and residential areas and employs almost 10,000 urban, rural, full-time and part-time staff. It uses a road fleet of over 2,600 vehicles and 1,600 bicycles and serves 1.7 million customers every week. The company’s network comprises 1,100 post offices and 121 postal agents, with the PostPoint payment channel offered at retail outlets nationwide.
DB Schenker is the transportation and logistics arm of Deutsche Bahn, the world’s second largest transportation, groupage and logistics services provider. DB Schenker Land Transport has a network of 720 branches in 36 European countries.
“Combining the extensive networks, quality of service and delivery experience of two of the most trusted brands, An Post and DB Schenker – with 150 years’ worth of experience in European logistics – Post Logistics enables Irish SME businesses to have access to a seamless, integrated, gold-standard pallet delivery service to the UK and Europe – certainty, reliability and affordability are guaranteed,” An Post concluded.
