Issue Date: 12 March 2012
Ref: JIG12/01
SUSTAINABLE DOUBLE-DECKER DISTRIBUTION FOR LEADING WHITE GOODS MANUFACTURER
Jigsaw Solutions, one of the UK’s leading providers of large-scale managed transport solutions, has enhanced its capabilities for white good manufacturer Indesit by adding six dedicated double-decker trailers to its ongoing distribution contract. The new trailers promote sustainability and efficiency for flexible loading and overnight transportation of Indesit products from the manufacturer’s central distribution centre in Raunds to six home delivery satellite warehouses around the UK. Jigsaw Solutions estimates it will save 340,000 road miles each year as a result.
“These new trailers represent a significant investment by our business and will enhance our ability to provide a highly efficient, sustainable and dedicated service to Indesit,” says Andy Humpherson, Managing Director at Jigsaw Solutions. “Double-decker trailers allow us to transport the maximum amount of goods while retaining flexibility to accommodate a variety of loads. The reduction in vehicle movements and road miles was central to our business case.”
Indesit and Jigsaw established a relationship more than five years ago and are currently part-way through a second contract covering deliveries from the manufacturer’s warehouses in Raunds and Sharpness to customers and retailers’ distribution centres. Orders received by Indesit during the day are processed and picked before being released for delivery later the same evening. Items from Raunds are then loaded on to the double-decker trailers ready for shipment during the early hours to Indesit’s six home delivery satellite centres. On arrival at these facilities the items are cross-docked onto vehicles operated by Indesit’s award-winning in-house specialist home delivery network.
The items being transported, including fridges, freezers, washing machines and cookers. Order volumes vary from day to day and are difficult to predict accurately in advance. To meet these challenges Jigsaw utilises double-decker trailers which enable flexible loading but with very high volume density. This means that the vehicle carrying capacity is maximised at all times for optimum efficiency and the lowest possible transport costs. The new aerodynamic, energy efficient trailers have been supplied by Cartwright and incorporate hydraulic powered floors to facilitate easy loading and unloading. Each is finished in distinctive Indesit livery.
Transportation services, provided by Jigsaw’s network partners, require fewer vehicle movements and road miles to help Indesit meet its sustainability objectives. Jigsaw estimates that on average there are 25 fewer vehicle journeys per week saving up to 340,000 road miles per annum to support the current delivery volumes compared with using conventional single-decker trailers.
“Over the years Indesit Company have led the way in double-deck trailer design for the movement of white goods and are pleased to see logistics partner Jigsaw enhance their fleet with the inclusion of these six trailers,” says David Hannam, Operations Manager for Indesit Logistics. “We hope to be able work together on other cost effective transport solutions in the near future.”