Platform Updates - Courier Exchange

Earth Day comes around once a year to remind us that the environment needs our support and protection. While conducting business on the Exchange, whether moving loads from A to B or orchestrating logistics operations, there are small actions we can all take to make a big difference. We hope to encourage good habits that will last because every day should be Earth Day.

Here are top 5 tips for making greener choices while completing loads on the Exchange:

1. Grab a reusable water bottle for everyday use and remember to fill it up between load bookings. Single-use plastic bottles significantly contribute to pollution, even when recycled and contain more microplastics than tap water. What’s more, a single-use plastic bottle that ends up in a landfill site takes approximately 450 years to decompose – scary stuff!

2. Take freshly packed lunches with you on the road, reducing the environmental impact of the UK’s lunch-on-the-go habit. Studies show that around 11 billion pieces of packaging every year make their way into a landfill site. If you do happen to buy lunch, a solution could be to take your container with you instead of requesting plastic bags or sandwich wrappings. We know that sometimes waste is hard to avoid, but you can be prepared by always having a bag to store your rubbish and then correctly recycling it at the end of your day.

3. You can make simple choices on your journey like switching your engine off when idle for longer than 2 minutes. It’s a great way to save fuel and reduce the amount of poisonous exhaust gases being released into the atmosphere. Simple things like regularly servicing your car, being mindful of speed limits, getting out of the habit of unnecessary revving and harsh acceleration all contribute to greener choices.

4. Use our Return Journeys solution to eliminate dead mileage. If you’ve driven a long way to complete a load booking and are wanting to make the most of your miles back home, advertising your availability and upcoming route on our mobile app will help you receive real-time notifications matching you to backloads in the area – saving you time and optimising your fuel efficiency without ‘offloading’ extra pressure on the environment.

5. Go digital with electronic quotes, PODs and invoicing using our platform and mobile app – making your life easier and helping you reduce paper wastage.

Ultimately, Earth Day is about making conscientious choices, however small, that will lead us to a greener future.

If you’re interested in learning more about how our freight tech solutions can help your business unlock latent potential and achieve peak efficiency, book a demo today.

Gregor Gowans from Trans.iNFO had a chat with Founder and CEO, Lyall Cresswell, on how Transport Exchange Group has pioneered digital evolution in the logistics industry with its market-leading freight tech solutions.

Lyall also touched on core product offerings, the competitive climate of the marketplace, current developments and more.

We have various measures in place to prioritise the safety of our members, staff and partners during this time.

The Exchange Remains Fully Operational

Transport Exchange Group is responding to the effects of COVID-19 in an empathetic, proactive and practical way. Our top priority is the health and safety of our trade community, partners and staff.

The Department for Transport has confirmed in writing that the work of the Transport and Logistics sector is essential and should continue to the greatest extent possible through this crisis. It is for this reason that we continue to operate with some adjustments.

Haulage drivers, managers, warehouse staff and all other logistics professionals need to continue to go about their business to keep supply chains moving, and government policy is clear that this applies to all supplies chains and not only those for food and medical supplies. At all times workers should however follow Public Health England guidelines on social distancing.

Our Approach to COVID-19

It’s our collective responsibility to protect the integrity of the Exchange and safeguard the interests of our member businesses as much as possible. We’ve asked our members to pay drivers and carriers on time or even earlier if possible.

Rest assured that we are also closely monitoring slow payers reported to us. Payment cooperation ensures the smooth-running of businesses and keeps loads moving.

If you’re having difficulty or anticipate any problems, please speak to us.

We’ll be introducing a new Complaints Resolution process designed to resolve any payment issues quickly and efficiently.

Our marketing email communications will continue as usual, with helpful information sent out to members about COVID-19 developments, product releases or platform-related updates. You can also refer to our pop-up banners found on the log in page of the platform for information.

We realise that each member’s circumstances are different. If you’d like to discuss anything relating to your account, please contact us on 020 8993 7100.

We endeavour to treat your case with empathy and help you navigate your circumstances accordingly.

We aren’t compromising the support promised to our members during this time. Our team is still available to help at the same operating hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

In addition, we’ve expanded our team to cope with the increased volume of calls and enquiries relating to COVID-19.

For the continued safety and wellbeing of our staff, our head office remains closed until further notice with all employees working from home. Our operating hours remain unchanged to ensure the continuity of business on the Exchange.

There are no impacts on our ability to keep the Exchange running reliably and securely.

Transport and Logistics is a key sector and we need to keep supply chains running, but that doesn’t mean the safety of our members must be compromised. Our digital tools and app functionalities allow you to keep your business running while stopping the spread of COVID-19.

For more tips on how to use our digital features to help stop the spread, click here.

With all our staff working remotely, we are complying with the government’s social distancing guidelines. We’ve cancelled any pre-arranged face-to-face meetings with members, employees or partners.

Our annual Members’ Evening, set to take place in June, is postponed until further notice.

Working in logistics means that many of our members are in daily contact with people across the country. According to a recent study funded by the US National Institutes of Health, Coronavirus can survive on stainless steel and plastic for 72 hours and 24 hours on cardboard, so always bear this in mind whether you’re working in an office or behind the wheel.

We want to get you ready and equipped to prevent infection and protect others by providing practical information and tips for your profession.

Top 10 tips to protect yourself and others

Tip #1
It is advisable to check load details before quoting or accepting a booking. You can contact the load-poster by phone or text to see if you’re required to take certain measures or precautions during pickup or delivery.

Tip #2
Try and go completely digital with your workflow and POD process if possible, speak with customers to discuss beforehand as they may still want a hard copy POD. Stay informed with what type of PODs your recipient is willing to accept at this time, they may accept a picture of a written signature on a piece of paper.

Tip #3
Remember to wipe your mobile screen with disinfectant wipes but we recommend not exchanging your phone, pens and paper with your customers.

Tip #4
Keep disinfectant wipes with you to clean the inside of your vehicle, especially the steering wheel.

Tip #5
Pay special attention to Euro bookings as advice and restrictions will vary between countries.

Tip #6
Don’t restrict access to restrooms for carriers. For us to protect each other we must ALL wash our hands.

Tip #7
Avoid direct contact with those showing signs of illness to prevent the transmission of the virus onto your hands.

Tip #8
It’s best to sneeze and cough into tissues. Place a waste disposal bag in your vehicle. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow. Steer clear of touching your face – this includes your eyes, lips and nose as you can infect yourself if your hands are carrying the virus.

Tip #9
There is a shortage of hand sanitisers in stores, but if you do happen to have some and you sneeze into your hands, use it immediately. If you don’t have hand sanitiser, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds.

Tip #10
Don’t worry too much about wearing surgical face masks. If you happen to have them, it wouldn’t hurt to wear them. Face masks are more beneficial to people who have the virus so they can try to stop spreading it to others should they cough or sneeze.

Transport Exchange Group recognises that its members must be feeling a tremendous sense of pressure and uncertainty regarding Coronavirus and its potential effect on the economy.

Our team wishes you and your loved ones good health during this time. We are closely monitoring developments and will keep you updated.

CEO and Founder of the Exchange, Lyall Creswell, has shared a few words on how we can all pull together as a trading community to support our members.

“Dear Member,

I write to you to offer you our full support at this time of unprecedented uncertainty and anxiety. Although we expect trading volumes on the Exchange to remain robust for the present, we are mindful that some of our member businesses will come under increasing pressure as the economic situation deteriorates.

As a trade community it is critical that we all play our part in helping each other to weather the crisis and pull through this together. Going forwards, I respectfully ask you all to consider implementing the following actions:

Those of you who are posting sub-contract work on the Exchange, please ensure that you pay your suppliers on time. Better still, if you are able to pay them earlier then please do so – the future of our industry depends upon the health and survival of suppliers.

Given the inevitable cash flow crunch in the wider economy, please be extra vigilant about the credit terms you extend to your end customers ‘off Exchange’.

Try and go completely digital with your workflow and POD process – this is the time to ask your end customers if they really need hard copy PODs and invoices when an electronic image scan could suffice. This will increase the efficiency of the whole supply chain and ensure that quicker payment terms and reduced costs can be achieved for everyone. In addition, this will help to reduce the inherent health risk of drivers spreading the virus when they pass pen and paper around multiple times during the day for those still using manual PODs.

On a more general note, please take a few minutes to review our Rules, Regulations and General Policies of the Exchange. These now become more important than ever.

Please rest assured that our service will continue as normal throughout this period. We are fully geared up for our staff to work remotely if necessary. We have also accelerated the next phase of our off-site call handling operation which is now able to resolve the majority of your general enquiries.

We will continue to investigate other ways to support our members as the situation develops and will keep you posted regularly.

Myself and the entire team stand with you at this very challenging time and wish you all the very best”.

Warm regards,
Lyall Cresswell
Founder & CEO of Transport Exchange Group

As today is International Women’s Day, we took the opportunity to catch up with one of Courier Exchange’s top-performing female van owner drivers in celebration of this movement for women’s rights.

We’re shining the spotlight on owner driver and director of Courier Hire & Reward Ltd, Sonia Johal.

Celebrated since 1911

International Women’s Day has been taking place on March 8^th since 1911 and this year’s theme, #EachforEqual, promotes the individual actions we can take to challenge bias and prejudice but also celebrate the achievements of women. It is for this exact reason that Sonia was chosen for this interview. She represents and supports female empowerment in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Sonia wants to let other women know that they too have opportunities in logistics and shouldn’t feel intimidated or burdened by patriarchal ideologies.

Sonia’s story marks the return of our ‘Transport Heroes’ series in which we interview a variety of owner drivers, hauliers and freight forwarders on what makes them successful on the Exchange. Each member’s story is unique, and our aim is to shine the spotlight on their successes, challenges and any wisdom they’d like to share for inspiring and motivating existing members.

Conquering the stereotype

With over 130 positive delivery feedbacks, Sonia Johal’s business ‘Courier Hire & Reward’ has gone from strength to strength, by using CX’s vast network of vetted logistics professionals to her advantage.

Sonia, on the other hand, had no reservations about entering into a male-dominated profession. She loved the personal freedom the job afforded her and eventually decided to start her own business.

I find the industry warm and welcoming. People are kind and were eager to share best practices when I first started. Plus, as long-distance couriers, people are mostly on their own, except for loading and offloading.

Despite the appeal to be her own boss, Sonia recognises that the job isn’t for everyone. She continues, “I don’t think everyone can do it. It requires a lot of concentration over long periods with irregular work hours. Fitness levels, sleep patterns and vehicle maintenance are major factors of success in this business”.

Although not directly experiencing any issues relating to her gender while on the job, it’s not uncommon amongst other women working in logistics. Sonia offered her thoughts on the lack of female owner drivers, suggesting it may be due to the pressures of gender expectations, perceiving driving larger vehicles as daunting and the lack of encouragement and support stemming from this.

When asked about her daily activities, she responded, “My days vary. Energy levels are a factor, as I work 24/7. I’m lucky as I find it easy to sleep, so I can ensure I’m well-rested between deliveries. I have a routine that I follow. Once I finish a delivery, I fill up with diesel, AdBlue, Screen Wash and then get some rest until I’m ready to go. I always turn on my CX notifications, so I can get a head start on quoting for loads while enjoying a coffee”.

Continuous growth for Sonia on CX

Since joining CX, Sonia has already completed over 170 loads, including several direct bookings. Sonia describes how the CX platform streamlines business for its members, with its integrated features and solutions contributing to efficiency and profitability.

‘Friendly, eager, professional and superb’ are just some of the words that members have used to describe Sonia. Her stellar feedback points to her willingness to go above and beyond. Sonia humbly attributes her positive feedback to following customer instructions very carefully and always doing her job ‘with a smile’.

The digital platform and mobile app are very user-friendly. I handle the majority of my work through CX, with very few exceptions. I even use the accounting software to process non-CX-related work. Even my accountant uses the platform for my VAT returns.

As a result of her strong reputation as an owner driver on the Exchange, Sonia has now established successful business relationships with big clients like UPS, FedEx and Hermes, across her 25 years of experience driving vans and larger vehicles like minibusses and trucks.

She’s taken the initiative to gain more qualifications and is currently working to achieve her Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (DGSA), ADR and Level A / B Aviation. Not every owner driver has these certifications, which is another good example of Sonia’s tremendous dedication to growing her business and expanding her horizons. Another interesting fact about Sonia is that she’s also a chemistry graduate, which she considers as having helped her to pass her ADR exam.

Biased beliefs are not a true reflection of reality. Women are excellent professional drivers, but many are still misrepresented and made to feel like they don’t belong in this profession.

Her advice for aspiring female owner drivers

When asked to share some practical words of wisdom for women interested in the industry, she said, “Make sure you train in advance of investing any money into a van. Try driving long distances in the size of the vehicle you will be driving for at least a week, to get a feel of your ability and how to manage your delivery schedule.”

Sonia is a true testament to the opportunities available to women in logistics. They simply need to reach out and grab it with both hands.

From all of us here at the Exchange, we wish all the women operating on our Exchange a happy International Women’s Day!

If you manage a small fleet, then you’ve probably invested in a telematics solution. Telematics gives you several key benefits, but the main one would be giving customers full visibility of your fleet. This helps both parties to better manage risks and control unforeseen costs.

The ABAX Triplog system goes one step further. Unlike other telematics providers, its technology is already fully integrated with the Courier Exchange and Haulage Exchange platforms. By using these two powerful systems together, there’s no limit to the efficiency your fleet can achieve.

This seamless integration between ABAX and the Exchange has helped Victor Rowley, CEO of Start 2 Finish Couriers Ltd, witness productivity in his business like never before.

Victor, who founded the same day logistics company, specialising in the transport of commercial waste and hazardous goods in 2003, says that Transport Exchange Group has helped to grow his business. “We have a very agile fleet, but it is small,” he says. “Transport Exchange Group’s virtual fleet is not only vast, but it’s extremely well-stocked too. That means that when I post a load on the Exchange, which I do around 25 times a month, the smart load matching tool always ensures that I can find an ADR-accredited driver, whose vehicle meets the required standards, to take on the job and carry it out in a timely and professional manner.”

However, like many small fleet operators, as his business grew, Mr Rowley says that “it became increasingly difficult to manage his time”.

He explains, “As I posted more loads through the Exchange, I found that I was spending most of it keeping my customers updated regarding the status of their loads.”

Mr Rowley contemplated hiring another member of staff to help him in the office, but after careful consideration, he concluded that the extra money that he would need to put towards “wages, national insurance and pensions payments” made it “a counter-productive step”.

Seeing that recruiting a member of staff was out of the question, Mr Rowley simply integrated his ABAX Triplog GPS-based vehicle tracking system with Courier Exchange. As a result, he solved his problem.

Mr Rowley says he’s been using “integrated telematics for around two years now”. In terms of operational efficiency, while he says that “it’s difficult to put a figure on it”, but the benefits it has brought “have been instant and far-reaching”.

He explains, “These days when I post a load using the Exchange, the ABAX system provides me with live tracking updates – every second of every minute. And what’s more, as the GPS-based system is running all of the time, it can’t be turned off by a driver, nor does it ever go down. As a result, I always receive a reliable, resilient and robust service, which appears on the Live Availability Map. But what’s really clever is that the CX system enables my customers to receive real-time alerts too – and as often as they require them. The best bit, however, is that I don’t have to lift a finger as the updates are sent to them automatically”

While Mr Rowley mostly uses the Exchange “to post loads”, he says that “the enhanced visibility” made possible by the integrated telematics really comes to the fore when he’s posting a load.

With integrated telematics taking care of the tedious tasks that were once a big part of his daily ‘to do’ list, Mr Rowley says he has more time “to focus on other parts of the business that need his attention”.

“This has enabled me to provide an even better quality of service to my customers than I was previously able to,” he adds.

What’s more? “The ABAX telematics system helps me to better maintain my fleet. How? Well, it gives me the visibility to control and to reduce fuel costs. It also allows me to track the speed of my vehicles. I’ve programmed the system to send me an alert if one of my vehicles exceeds 75 mph on the motorway. The drivers who work for me are very responsible, and it’s very rare that I get an alert of this nature, but in terms of promoting safety and sustainable driving on our roads, it is a very effective tool.”

Ultimately, Triplog allows Mr Rowley to automate mileage records, which helps me to better maintain vehicles.

“As a belt and braces measure, we also work off a chart and run regular weekly maintenance checks on each vehicle, he says, “But the technology certainly compliments the work we do and provides us with a useful system of checks and balances.”

If you do courier work, you need insurance. Fact. Now stay with me folks, because while the subject may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, CX is very proud to announce a new partnership that’s set to benefit our members. And yes, it’s about insurance.

Of all the aspects of running a successful courier work business, ensuring you have the correct insurances in place is one of the most important. You can land in a world of trouble if you don’t make sure you’re covered with the appropriate insurance policies. Meet Business Choice Direct.

Everyone loves an easy life and, on a topic as serious as this, we think it’s a case of letting the experts (BCD) do their job so you can get on with yours – which is getting the courier work done.

Our new partnership with BCD means that all our members will now be able to get access to their exclusive products at a very special price. In other words, we’ve negotiated some pretty good mates’ rates for you. You’re welcome!

The company not only price matches on any (like-for-like) van policy, they can also help you make sure that the cover you already have is fit for purpose and is exactly what you require to run your business. (You’d be surprised how many people unwittingly pay for things they don’t need and aren’t covered for things they do.) This includes insurance policies for things like:

How do you get on board? Well, firstly, you’ll need to be a member of the Exchange. Job done? Excellent.

Then you just have to get in touch with the good folks at BCD (via this link on our site).

The rest is up to them and they’ll do all the legwork to find you the best prices on the products you need. They guarantee to better any existing cover or offer an alternative quote, then price match and you’ll be instantly covered as soon as you sign up.

It couldn’t be easier and here at CX we couldn’t be prouder of our new partnership with BCD. Insurance really doesn’t have to be a dirty word…

Courier Exchange is the UK’s most trusted and fastest-growing managed freight exchange platform. Become a member and we’ll help your business run more efficiently and effectively, with access to valuable partnership programmes like this, the ability to buy and sell capacity in real-time and much more.

If you’re a VAT-registered business, the word ‘tax’ might have a bit of a negative connotation, but if you’re a member of Courier Exchange, the platform’s very handy (not to mention user-friendly) ‘Accounting’ feature goes a long way to helping you stay in control.

How? Well, in addition to being able to fully integrate with the most popular accounting programmes, like Sage, Quickbooks and Xero, HMRC has now approved our freight exchange software as MTD (Making Tax Digital) compliant. Your life just got a whole lot easier…

While the aim of the Government’s MTD initiative is written all over the tin, for some of us it might seem easier said than done. But it’s actually designed to make keeping on top of all your VAT issues easy and to ensure you don’t fall foul of compliancy. The buzz words HMRC uses include ‘effective’ and ‘efficient’, and through the MTD initiative, they’re committed to making fundamental changes to the way tax administration works.

In a nutshell? As the name suggests, the Government now requires any operator/business whose turnover exceeds the VAT threshold to maintain records and submit returns digitally.

That’s all very well of course, but it’s got to work at a grassroots level for it to work for us, right? As the UK’s fastest-growing freight exchange, CX is committed to working with our members to ensure you can grow your businesses as effectively and efficiently as possible (we can use those big words too, HMRC!), without any unwanted stress.

A huge number of our members have taken up use of the CX accounting software feature and, because it’s completely compliant (with MTD), we’re now fully approved by HMRC. And proud of it.

So now, not only can you use it to manage invoices and PODs with the touch of a button on your smartphone, it’s now going to make your VAT returns an absolute breeze. So, if you’re not a member of CX, there’s never been a better time, because who doesn’t want an easier life?

Membership to Courier Exchange not only gives you access to real-time available loads and a virtual fleet of drivers for sub-contracting work, but you also get full use of our innovative accounting software system and many other valuable features. Take your business to the next level with the UK’s fastest-growing freight exchange.

How to Make Every Day Earth Day on the Exchange

The Exchange Remains Fully Operational

Our Approach to COVID-19

Top 10 tips to protect yourself and others

Celebrated since 1911

Conquering the stereotype

Continuous growth for Sonia on CX

Her advice for aspiring female owner drivers

Solutions

Add-ons

Resources

Support

About

Legal

The Exchange Remains Fully Operational

Our Approach to COVID-19

Top 10 tips to protect yourself and others

Celebrated since 1911

Conquering the stereotype

Continuous growth for Sonia on CX

Her advice for aspiring female owner drivers

Solutions

Add-ons

Resources

Support

About

Legal

Cookies on our website