In the wake of COP26, we see that all aspects of life and business will increasingly need to be viewed through a green lens. This certainly includes distribution and logistics. As roads become ever more congested, even switching to electric vehicles or other green fuel sources will not overcome all the challenges ahead. Rail freight, so long a neglected cousin of road transport, is increasingly coming under the spotlight for its eco-friendly credentials, but is it yet a practical option for UK businesses?

The COP26 convention has thrown many aspects of logistics planning and management into sharp relief, highlighting the need to enhance the industry's green credentials. At all levels of the supply chain, from hauliers to retailers, empty running causes waste and inefficiency. This is now being recognised with a new campaign to end empty running with the potential benefit to both businesses and the planet, "It's What's Inside That Matters".

Supply chain professionals have been faced with mounting challenges this year. As we advance toward the holiday season, these challenges are starting to permeate some sectors and have a knock-on effect on the wider industry. But what's causing the dominoes to topple and how can businesses break the cycle of supply chain disruptions – either this year or in the future?

With the predicted online retail boom in full swing and the High Street experiencing a boom in demand following the second national lockdown, 3PLs need to have practical, Covid-secure transport strategies in place if they want to impress customers and reap the rewards of the economic recovery. Here are three steps that 3PLs can take to optimise their transport strategy to reduce delivery times and maximise throughput.

If you want to get 2021 off to a flying start – and let's face it, who doesn't after the year we've had – you'll need to keep up to date with the latest developments in the logistics industry. However, there's so much going on in this fast-moving sector that it can be difficult for busy business owners and warehouse managers to know what to focus on. Here's a quick guide to three of the hottest trends and why you should be embracing them if you want your company to thrive during the Covid recovery.

The following article is based on a real study carried out for a successful subscription model business. However, the principles apply to any business running a distribution operation comprising own fleet and carriers.

The following article is based on a real study carried out for businesses with country wide sales premises. However, the principles apply to any business with multiple distribution centres than need rationalising.

Utilising logistics consultants can be a highly effective way of boosting your company's efficiency.

However, if you want them to help you to find and implement a new warehouse management system (WMS), you'll need to work together.

How efficient and adaptive is your logistics strategy? To develop a plan, or assess the efficiency of an existing one, every element of your logistics operation should be assessed and monitored to establish costs. KPIs and identify areas where savings can be made. Whether this is something you are doing for the first time, or as part of an ongoing strategy of improvement, you may find the following eight steps useful – each focusing on a different area of your business.

What does ‘smart’ logistics actually mean? While the actual way a business structures its logistics and supply chain varies from company to company, there are three basic principles that underpin an effective, smart logistics strategy. We will look at each in turn in this article: connectivity, data and efficiency.