Shiply Blog

Next time - Use Fedex

2010-04-30T11:49:00.005+01:00

Probably the best commercial Fedex has ever created.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

£67m tendered by Transport for London for eco haulage vehicles

2010-04-22T11:58:00.006+01:00

Transport for London (TfL) has allotted a total sum of £67m over the next four years to increase the number of eco friendly haulage vehicles in the capital.

The tender will be divided into four parts covering different types of electric and hybrid vehicles, including vans and trucks up to 12-tonne.

TfL also said that the tender would encompass low carbon vehicle financing options such as purchase price, leasing options, contract hire and service and maintenance.

Electric vans and trucks are expected to be more affordable with this funding

About 70% of the funding will be allocated to eco-friendly passenger vehicles, with the remaining 30% spent for low emission minibuses, light commercial vehicles and light duty trucks.

Kevin Harkin, sales director for Smith Electric Vehicles, a company specialising in manufacturing electric vehicles said: "This announcement is great news for the UK commercial electric vehicle industry. Large scale procurement can stimulate the market, grow volumes and thereby help EV manufacturers bring down the purchase costs for fleet managers."

Delivery companies turn to trucks as planes grounded by volcanic ash

2010-04-19T14:55:00.008+01:00

Major delivery service operators in the UK and EU have turned to trucks to minimise their delivery delays and limit the impact of air traffic disruption.

Items such as express mail, documents and packages, normally shipped within Europe by air are currently being transported by road instead. This means there will be delays of at least one day or so.

Delivery companies like TNT are relying on trucks to limit delivery delays

It has also been reported that trucks are now being used to deliver packages on long distance routes such as Belgium to Italy and Russia.

However, international cargo will not move until restrictions are lifted as most airports are currently closed. It was estimated that the flight disruptions might have grounded about half of the daily 11,000 ton cargo volumes between Asia and Europe.

Spokesmen for TNT, UPS and FedEx all said that their companies are working hard to make sure planes are loaded and ready to leave once the flight restriction is lifted.

DHL special delivery service

2010-04-16T09:00:00.001+01:00

This is how DHL helps a customer send her love to her boy friend. What a delivery service!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

please note: the listing of kisses on shiply is strictly forbidden ;P

£30 penalty tickets for not wearing seat belts on 50m journeys

2010-04-15T15:00:00.000+01:00

North Wales bin lorry drivers are complaining that they are being targeted unfairly by police for not wearing seat belts in their cabs. There have been nearly 30 drivers fined with £30 penalty tickets so far this yet.

The drivers, employed by three North Wales councils, claim they are exempt from wearing seat belts as they rarely driver more than 50 metres between stops.

One driver said: "The policeman watched as I collected the recycling boxes. I drove up the street before he came and said I had to wear the seat belt. I pointed out the short distances involved and the exemption but he wasn't having that and issued me with the ticket."

Bin lorry drivers complain that they are being treated unfairly

A North Wales Police spokesman commented on the incidents: "These individuals provide an irreplaceable service to the community, and in recognition of the nature of their role they are afforded a partial exemption by law for journeys of less than 50m. If they exceed this distance without a seat belt they commit the offence."

What a load of rubbish... (sorry, couldn't resist!).

Angry hauliers warn to protest before General Election

2010-04-14T12:00:00.000+01:00

Just days after the Government put fuel duty up by 1p a litre, fuel prices have hit a record average of £1.20p a litre and experts warned the price could rocket to £1.50p this summer due to the weak pound and increased cost of wholesale fuel.

In an industry where fuel constitutes an enormous part of every haulage company's overheads, the fuel duty increase is affecting all areas of the industry around the UK.

Haulage companies are not happy with the recent fuel duty increase

Tony Burriedge, from Lancashire, set up his own haulage company 12 months ago and is now being forced to abandon his business as petrol and diesel prices have rocketed recently.

He said: "I am officially packing it in at the end of this week. I can't afford to run with the prices people are paying. We are still fighting competition from Europe where they have cheaper fuel, we just can't compete with them."

Andrew Spence, a farmer, who led Fuel Lobby protesters at the Shell UK plant in Jarrow in both 2000 and 2005, warned that angry haulage companies are prepared to launch action and make petrol prices a political issue once again.

The 42-year-old, who also runs a haulage business in Durham said feelings were running high in the haulage industry and blockades could be back before the General Election.

Shiply's 10,000th transport provider

2010-04-12T15:45:00.012+01:00

Shiply has reached another historic milestone: we have more than 10,000 transport providers now registered on the site.

This means whatever you are moving, whether a dining table, a car you are bidding on eBay or belongings to your new home, on Shiply there are a huge number of transport companies who can fulfil your needs.

Remember also, each and everyone of these transport providers is also feedback-rated, so you can be sure of not only the best price but also assess performance levels right here on Shiply.

The art of delivery

2010-04-09T12:55:00.011+01:00

This is apparently how delivery services are carried out in many countries around the world (masters of logistics is the title of the video). Somehow we think perhaps there is no insurance involved!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Scottish farmers turn to hauliers for help during lambing

2010-04-06T17:30:00.010+01:00

As heavy rain and snow continued to hammer Scotland during the Easter break, some farmers have turned to local haulage companies to help get their sheep under cover and provide a dry place to shelter and lamb.

Livestock wagons and trailers are being used as temporary accommodation for sheep during this harsh weather condition and the National Farmer Union (NFU) is suggesting farmers to contact local hauliers for help with sheltering.

Scottish farmers are turning to local hauliers for help with sheltering their sheep

Sandy Tulloch, chairman of NFU's Less Favoured Areas Committee said :"The haulage industry may have a role in helping producers out the hole they are in. It may be worth any sheep farmer, for the price of a phone call, contacting their local haulier to see if they have a trailer available that could help them get their stock out of the weather and, hopefully, get their ewes and lambs on their feet."

We at Shiply are wondering whether any Scotland couriers on Shiply offered to help your local farmers shelter their sheep. If you did, please share your stories, we believe everyone is interested to know.

Fedex testing electric delivery trucks in service

2010-04-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

Fedex has shown its strong commitment to eco-friendly transport by putting four zero-emissions electric delivery trucks to the demanding Los Angeles delivery circuit.

The company also claimed to be the first amongst its U.S. courier service competitors to put all-electric trucks to work. However, there is not yet a title for the truck as it will not officially enter service until June 2010.

Fedex's electric delivery trucks will be tested in LA for their reliability

Mitch Jackson, vice president of environmental affairs and sustainability for Fedex said: "Eletric trucks are still their infancy, but we think they have a bright future in the mix of alternative energy vehicles."

Way back in 2004, Fedex has already shown strong leadership in eco-friendly shipping solutions when it introduced hybrid-electric commercial trucks which currently total 1,400 worldwide.

Shiply's new look

2010-04-01T19:18:00.003+01:00

We hope that you have all enjoyed seeing Shiply's new look which was launched on Tuesday 30th. After months of careful work and planning we were delighted to show off the new design to all Shiply members.

Why the change?

Frankly, the old site was looking a bit tired and we also had a large number of behind the scenes changes which will help with overall performance and enable the marketplace to grow even more over the coming months and years.

We hope the new design shows a more professional, clean image and is easier on the eye! That is especially important for those of you who we know spend a large number of hours on the site everyday looking for backloads.

This was a big step, so what's next?

Well, that would be telling. But, we are pleased to announce a large range of new tools, features and indeed country expansions coming in the very near future. These will all benefit both transport providers and users alike, so do keep your eyes peeled.

As always, we really do welcome your feedback not only on the new design but on our service generally - do get in touch and leave us feedback so we can continue to improve. We really do read every piece of feedback we receive and have actioned literally hundreds of suggestions to date, so, please keep them coming.

Have a very Happy Easter.

Best,

Robert

The trucker who could save your life

2010-03-29T16:18:00.005+01:00

Jeremy Fisher, a haulage driver of Greeenroyd, Greetland, has been helping heart-attack victims by giving immediate care to people struck down by cardiac arrest in Calderdale.

Jeremy volunteers to be a community first responder, which means he is often the first on the scene to assist people in Greetland who suffer heart attacks.

After five years involved in the service, Mr. Fisher estimated that the number of lives he has saved runs into double figures.

Jeremy has saved many people's lives as a community first responder

His contributions have been recently recognised by Yorkshire Ambulance Service with a James Lee award, an accolade celebrating the achievements of Yorkshire's community first responders.

Jeremy said after the award ceremony at Leeds United's stadium: "I was pleased and shocked to receive the award. I had no idea before the night that I would win so it was a great surprise. I'm a lorry driver by profession but I volunteer whenever I get the chance. It's definitely the most fulfilling thing I've ever done."

Why you should never drive home early

2010-03-26T12:44:00.008Z

Please learn from this trucker's experience: never drive your truck home early as you just never know...

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

5 top tips to have a successful house move through Shiply

2010-03-23T11:51:00.003Z

With an increasing number of users listing their home removal requests through Shiply, we believe the following tips will be useful to you.

1. List your request correctly

Since removal companies’ quotes are mainly based on the type of required service and inventory lists, getting these details right is very important.

After your shipment is listed, click on the link to go to your listing and check whether all details are correct, especially the inventory list.

If you have missed something, click on the link Edit Your Shipment to edit it straight away, as if you edit after a removal company has placed a bid, you will have to decline their bid first.

2. Keep contact

As home removals are rather a complex job, removal companies bidding for your work might need to ask you several questions. Every time they post a question, you will be notified via email so if you can, try to answer them as quickly as you can and the more information you provide to the removal company, the more accurate their quote will be.

3. Choosing the right removal company

Shiply has a very useful feedback system with comments left by previous customers for a transport provider. This is the first thing you need to look at when choosing a removal company.

Clicking on their name will take you to their profile page with a snapshot about their company, their feedback rating and feedback left by their customers.

While a company snapshot gives you a basic idea about the removal company, this information is subjective and needs to be verified should you want to.

A company with a high feedback score and feedback rating is often a sign of a reliable transport provider. Have a look through previous feedback they received, especially those from home removal shipment listings.

4. Agree on important details before bid acceptance

To make sure both yourself and the removal company are happy to proceed with a shipment, it is important that you discuss and agree with the removal company on the most relevant details such as date and time, location, removal type, vehicles used, manpower involved before accepting their bid.

5. Communicate and cooperate after bid acceptance

Once a bid is accepted, contact information will be exchanged between yourself and the removal company. They normally get in contact quickly but you can also contact them to facilitate the process.

Communication and cooperation between you and the removal company are the key factors to ensure a successful house move. A removal company normally has lots of experience with home removals, so feel free to ask them for any advice in preparing for your house move.

Alternatively, you can also have a look at our home removal guides here (under Articles section):

http://www.shiply.com/home-removal-firms/

Lorry pushing car down A1 fast lane

2010-03-18T17:53:00.010Z

This video, is absolutely shocking!

This stunning video footage was taken by passengers in another car on the A1 near Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

How the Renault Clio came to be trapped under the bumper of this lorry, which belongs to Arclid Transport, a Cheshire based haulage company and why the driver didn't spot it is still a mystery.

A spokesman for Arclid Transport said: "I've no idea if the video is genuine. We're actually doing an internal investigation at the moment."

Fuel duty increase could lead to 20,000 job cuts

2010-03-18T10:00:00.000Z

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) warned that the 1st April fuel duty increase may lead to an estimated 20,000 job cuts and force hundreds of haulage companies to close down.

The AA said that unleaded fuel could soon increase to over £1.20 a litre even though the price of oil is just about half its peak level.

Angry motoring groups are urging Chancellor Alistair Darling to delay his planned 3p petrol duty hike, which translates to over £1,100 additional cost per year per vehicle for a haulage company, according to the RHA.

AA president Edmund King said: "We are barely out of recession, yet petrol prices threaten to rise to record prices seen during the boom of 2008 - shortly before the collapse into recession. If families, drivers on fixed incomes and those on low pay were unable to cope with record prices then, they are even less likely now."

The fuel duty rise means many haulage companies will have to cut jobs

The RHA chief executive said: "The Chancellor is screwing our industry. Our members' customers will simply not take any more price increase - we could end up losing work because of it."

An industry watchdog predicted that even if the 3p increase was withdrawn, the price paid on average by drivers could soon hit £1.20 a litre which would be higher than the previous UK high of £1.19 of July 2008.

End of the road for famous YouTube trucker

2010-03-17T19:25:00.000Z

Iulian Breazu, 24, a Romanian lorry driver, became an internet sensation after the video clip of him dancing while driving driving his lorry with his feet was uploaded to youtube. His video clip has been watched by millions.

Iulian Breazu driving with his feet

After the video clip was uploaded, copies have been watched by traffic police throughout Europe and they have been trying to track him down.

Last week, finally, his license was taken by authorities in his native Romania - when he was caught driving at more than double the drink drive limit. Traffic police in Sibiu, Romania has confiscated his license for 90 days and ordered him to take a safety test before he could get it back. We are astonished that this is all he was punished, certainly here in the UK you would be looking at a lifetime ban and jail time.

One police officer said: "He has clearly had it coming and the road is a safer place without him on it."

The driver, who worked for a local haulage company, horrified thousands of road users with his video clip of himself dancing around his truck cab.

For those who have not seen it yet, this is the video clip mentioned:

Funny moving accident

2010-03-12T11:01:00.005Z

We hope that none of the removal companies who use Shiply employ similar staff to these two!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

The billionaire trucker

2010-03-09T16:07:00.000Z

Lindsay Fox is probably one of the most famous truck drivers in the world, as he's made a fortune being a trucker. Fox, 72, dropped out of school when he was 16 and started his trucker's career.

Lindsay Fox is the 10th richest man in Austrlia

Now he's worth $1.5 billion and ranks No. 10 amongst Australia's 40 Richest Men. Fox's company Linfox operates in different industries with Linfox Logistics being the biggest division with 5,000 truck drivers.

Last year, amid the global economic downturn, it was estimated that Linfox made about $100 million profit. Not only famous for building an empire from trucking jobs, Fox has also been running a safety campaign for several years to reduce haulage accidents.

Lindsay Fox also owns Melbourne's second and third biggest airports and Armaguard, a cash-transport business with $3 billion revenue in 2009.

When being asked why he's been so successful, Fox said: "It's a people business. Personal relationships are always the key to good business. You can buy networking, you can't buy friendships."

How truck drivers drift

2010-03-05T11:22:00.005Z

We bet you've seen Rally Car drivers drift many times as that's what they do for a living.

But a truck driver? Let's check this out.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Shiply win £40,000 in Shell Springboard Competition

2010-03-03T16:10:00.011Z

Shiply were last night delighted to have achieved the runner up spot in this year's Shell Springboard competition. Out of 6 national finalists and hundreds of entrants, Shiply came in second to HiMag Solutions who innovated a planar transformer which could dramatically increase energy efficiency in electrical devices across the world.

The Shell Springboard programme has awarded over £1.6 million to 43 UK-based small businesses and this year celebrates its fifth anniversary. Eight companies have been given no-strings awards of £40,000 each at regional events in February. HiMag Solutions impressed the UK final judging panel, and out of the 6 UK finalists came top to gain the further title of Shell Springboard UK winner. The judging panel comprised Tom Delay of the Carbon Trust, Lord Oxburgh, Ben Goldsmith of Wheb Ventures and Dr Douglas Parr, Chief Scientist, Greenpeace.

James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK, said: “Over the last five years, through Shell Springboard we have provided £1.6 million to a broad range of cutting edge low-carbon projects, from turning waste distillery fumes into biodiesel, to recycling dead leaves into fuel. The winners are great examples of low carbon innovation. I wish this year’s winner, HiMag Solutions, and all the finalists every success

A Duck In A Truck!

2010-02-19T17:54:00.002Z

Ok, we've posted a few weird videos before on a Friday - but a duck in a truck? really?

have a great weekend all!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.

New feature - feedback reply

2010-02-16T16:51:00.003Z

Every story has two sides and this is especially true with feedback left on Shiply. The customer isn't always right and vice verca. So, we now offer the ability for our members to reply to feedback received and for this to be displayed immediately underneath the feedback in question.

If you wish to make use of this new feature, just follow these steps:

1) Log in
2) Navigate to your profile page
3) Click on the reply link to the feedback in question
4) Type out your reply

It's as easy as that, your reply is there for all to see. It cannot be edited, so please be careful with what you write just as per normal feedback. It is always a better idea to take the higher ground and simply state the facts of a transaction than get down and dirty or make personal remarks. After all, this is your public profile and people pay a lot of attention to it, whether that is analysing whether to accept your bid or analysing whether to bid.

We hope you enjoy this new tool

Improved Messaging Functionality

2010-02-15T12:50:00.001Z

As no doubt many of you will have seen, we have made some improvements to the "my messages" section of your "My Shiply" section for transport providers.

You will notice that not only is it all much faster generally but also we have tidied up the display to limit just 20 messages at a time and sort by columns. You will also now get an alert of received new messages when you login or indeed no matter what page of the Shiply site you are on (top right of pages):

We hope these new features and improved performance will really help you with managing your Shiply account day to day. Please feel free to drop us any feedback, we really appreciate it.

The Great Lego Haul

2010-02-10T12:35:00.007Z

Lorry drivers carrying known valuable goods in their trucks are most likely to be very alert to the risk that carrying such valuables brings.

However, one unlucky trucker and his HGV fell not victim to robbers who were after high-end consumer electronics or a truckload full of antiques. The unlikely stolen goods in a robbery in Northamptonshire last week were ...

Lego bricks!

As a child most of us probably wondered what we would do with a truckload full of Lego. Maybe something like this?