We are delighted to have finally taken delivery of seven New Generation DAF XF 450 FTP tractor units, as part of our ongoing fleet replacement programme. The new trucks continue the long-standing relationship between DAF Trucks and Abbey Logistics. Also joining the fleet are four previous generation DAF XF truck which we are very familiar with and are extremely popular with our driver team. Pleased to see them arrive, Dave Patten, Managing Director said, “A successful fleet truck is one that our drivers will take great pride in operating. It needs to be safe, comfortable and spec’d to a high... Read More
Abbey Logistics has extended its contract with Lhoist U.K. for bulk lime transport to customers throughout the UK. Lhoist U.K. is part of the Lhoist Group of companies one of the largest producers of lime and limestone products in the world. Lhoist Group’s U.K. business operates from its works in Buxton and Kirkby Stephen where it produces lime for a variety of applications requiring lime transport including cleaning emissions from energy from waste plants, and other large combustion plants. The lime is also used in a wide range of both traditional and emerging applications across the industrial, construction and... Read More
What do you get when you cross a group of lorry drivers in kilts and a ride-on toy truck and tanker? A brilliant idea to raise loads of money for the Make a Wish Foundation. The drivers are all part of the Truckmate UK Facebook group, made up of drivers from companies across the UK, who do various charity events for good causes throughout the year. Several drivers from the group formed Team Scotland, who decided to compete in truck pulling challenges at truck shows across the UK, raising a lot of money for charity in the process. Attracting big crowds at the shows, Team Scotland has so far raised thousands for various... Read More
Safety and Quality Experts Join Abbey's SHEQ team Adding new customers and growing in different sectors brings new responsibilities to the business. We must keep pace with the strict environmental and quality objectives that are often specific to each product we transport. To maintain our safety and quality commitments to our customers and teams, we welcome two experts to our SHEQ team who will ensure our customers, new and old, continue to receive the best standards of service from us. Patricia Kauc joins us as Quality and Hygiene Manager and brings significant experience in quality law and... Read More
Abbey Logistics awarded new contract with Premier Foods to transport all bulk flour produced at their mill in Andover to their bakeries throughout the UK. The new contract which started in early January, adds to Abbey Logistics’ growing list of bulk flour customers and will see us loading flour at Premier Food’s mill in Andover and providing nationwide transport and delivery into their bakeries and two of their manufacturing sites using our fleet of food grade bulk powder road tankers. Premier Foods owns some of the U.K.’s best-loved and most recognisable brands and is one of Britain’s biggest listed food... Read More
We'll look back on the second half of 2021 at Abbey as an example of how well our teams can perform when facing huge external challenges. Covid, the driver shortage and massive demand for our services across bulk liquids and powder transport, bag to bulk and warehousing has all meant our teams across the group have needed to pull together, look at new ways of working, adapt and innovate to protect our customers' supply chains like never before. In the last six months we've tackled every challenge we've faced with the same positive can-do attitude that's helped grow the business to what it is today and as a result,... Read More
HGV Driver roles, Now Hiring throughout the UK! 4 on 4 off, day shifts, early starts, late starts, nights, weekends, nights out all week, or just a couple per week? We've got the shift pattern to suit you. We have roles available based from our depots across the UK, and with highly competitive packages available, make 2022 the year you join the UK's leading bulk food tanker company. Click here to see all our... Read More
New DAF Trucks Delivered in December More DAF XF trucks delivered by North West Truck Services to join the UK's largest food-grade tanker fleet here at Abbey. The new DAF XF trucks look fantastic on a cold December morning this week, just before they were delivered to drivers in our liquids and powder teams. These latest additions are part of a large order of trucks that will see more units added to the fleet in the new year in both our Liquids and Powders... Read More
Thank you to North West Trucks for this fantastic model of one of our powder tankers, and a brand new DAF XF truck! The model was given to us in celebration of our order of some new generation Daf XF trucks that will be arriving soon. It looks pretty amazing in gold and in miniature scale, so we can't wait to see how these trucks look full size in white and... Read More
We are rolling out a new fleet maintenance system across our four workshop locations to help improve vehicle reliability and utilisation. Supplied by Freeway Fleet Systems, engineers and technicians are being equipped with rugged tablets for digitally recording time and work activity. Synchronised in real time, a Freeway central asset maintenance system, the mobile devices and management software will give Abbey 24/7 visibility of the status of all maintenance work and costs associated with parts and labour. Operating nearly 1,000 liquid and powder trucks and tankers and recently investing more than... Read More
Abbey was on hand last week to support final preparations for polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, ahead of its maiden voyage to the Antarctic. The ship, named after the TV naturalist and BBC presenter Sir David Attenborough, has spent the past year in shake-down trials around the British coast and is now in final preparations for its first ocean voyage to Antarctica for the new austral summer research season. The vessel was in Harwich International seaport in Essex and Abbey was on site all week, delivering more than 100,000 litres of purified water to be used onboard during its first... Read More
Abbey has taken delivery of 12 Iveco S-Way tractor units to support a new customer in the North East. The new S-Way model is Iveco’s latest generation heavy truck and a direct replacement for their Stralis model. Abbey’s new contract is to transport Category 3 animal fats for use in renewable fuels, a rapidly growing sector that produces a renewable diesel alternative from residues from food industry and agriculture industries and can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, compared with conventional diesel. Our target is to have Abbey’s fleet working on the contract all running exclusively on... Read More
Abbey extends its partnership with Viridor, one of the UK's leading recycling, and waste management companies. Last year, the two firms began working together through Abbey’s bag to bulk facility where Abbey provided reformatting and bulk transport services for recycled polymers from Viridor’s Skelmersdale facility. Since then, the partnership has worked together to develop a transport and reformatting solution for Viridor’s new cutting-edge Resource Recovery Centre in Avonmouth, which once fully operational will become the UK’s largest multi-polymer facility. Viridor’s Avonmouth... Read More
Following on from the success of Abbey Logistics’ Class 2 to Class 1 HGV driver programme, Abbey’s customer British Sugar has launched its own ‘earn while you learn’ Class 2 to Class 1 driver training which is designed and managed by Abbey’s Driver Training Team and will be run alongside Abbey’s existing Class 2 to 1 programme. The training is being launched this month and British Sugar is calling on Class 2 drivers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Nottinghamshire, who are interested in obtaining their Class 1 licence, to get in touch. The course offers fully paid training with a guaranteed HGV Driver role on... Read More
Abbey Logistics CEO Steve Granite has responded to Boris Johnson's comments about the HGV driver shortage and the government's unworkable plan to offer a temporary driver visa to drivers from the E.U. Speaking to Sky News and BBC News, Steve suggested that a temporary visa scheme was not attractive for drivers and only a long-term driver visa system and adding HGV drivers to the skilled worker list would make a difference. Steve also highlighted the challenges facing new drivers getting test slots and the barriers for some HGV parking site owners getting planning permission to improve their... Read More
To support drivers looking to make the transition from Class 2 to Class 1 HGV driving, we launched an earn while you learn training programme earlier this year to make obtaining a Class 1 licence easier, and more convenient for drivers. Achieving a Class 1 licence can be a costly and time-consuming endeavour, so the training programme we deliver offers drivers a salaried position throughout the training and guarantees a Class 1 driving role with Abbey, on successful completion of the course. Our First Graduates From Abbey’s first round of trainees, three new drivers joined the business after successfully... Read More
The Benefits of Being an HGV Driver at Abbey Logistics performs an essential role in enabling the UK’s prosperity, growth and standard of living. It is also an important contributor to national wealth in its own right. HGV Drivers are central to the success of the sector which is one of the largest in the U.K. Without Drivers, there is no logistics, and the skilled and vital roles that Drivers fulfill, are vital for every aspect of society. The perception of Driving HGVs is often misunderstood and there are many benefits of being an HGV driver that are worth highlighting. Freedom For some people, a desk-based job just... Read More
OPEN TO ABBEY EMPLOYEES ONLY Win £500 Amazon Gift Voucher in our Photo Competition! Plus £100 Amazon gift vouchers for 11 runners up to be won Do you have an eye for a great photo? If so, we need your help. Abbey is putting together a 2022 calendar for our customers and to use at our depots to showcase all the great work our teams do across the business. To do this we need great images of our teams at work. We’re not going to suggest what you photograph, but we’d like them to include shots that show our vehicles, properties, equipment, or people, supporting our customers through the role that you do at Abbey... Read More
During the last month, Abbey welcomed Kelve and Jemima, two logistics interns that joined the business as part of the Career Ready, Think Logistics Internship programme. Abbey's internship programme is led by Emma Bamin from Abbey's HR team and is designed to showcase the variety of careers available in the logistics sector and give young people experience and insight into the world of logistics as they consider their career options. Our interns spent time with teams in HR, IT, marketing, finance and commercial as well as learning about the wider group, what we do and the vital role that logistics plays in the UK economy. At the end... Read More
We are recruiting for several HGV Driver jobs at our Liverpool, Manchester and Hull depots, supporting our customers in the food manufacturing sector with bulk transport in road tankers of products such as chocolate, glucose and edible oils. We have various shift patterns available, and are confident we can find the right shift pattern to suit you. Our increased hourly pay is £12.50 - £17.00 per hour depending on the shift you are working. Overtime, Parking, Weekend Work and Nights Out In addition to the increased hourly rate, we are paying overtime rates after 9 hours on Monday to Friday daytime shifts and for drivers... Read More
Abbey Logistics has announced the acquisition of South West based liquid food tanker specialist Welch Hire, which includes the company’s customer base and tank hire business. The transaction extends Abbey’s network coverage with the addition of 48 bulk liquid road tankers and 13 tractor units. The deal also gives Abbey an operating site in the South West of England and a larger customer footprint in Europe, which Abbey says will open further commercial opportunities for the business. Welch is well known in the bulk liquid food and animal feed markets in both the U.K. and Europe, and the company shares several customers with Abbey.... Read More
Abbey has formed a new partnership with Cisternas Amarillo S.L (Amarillo), a large bulk powder road tanker company based in Seville, Spain, and part of the full-service logistics company, Pantoja Grupo Logistico. The partnership is designed to provide continuous movement of customers’ products between the UK and Spain in road tankers, and provide customers with a faster more reliable and cost-effective transport solution through a well-managed joined-up approach that optimises the reach of the two businesses. The partnership combines Abbey and Amarillo’s extensive knowledge and experience in bulk food road... Read More
The biggest and best awards show in our industry is back! The famous Motor Transport Awards will be held in September and promises to be an amazing occasion as the industry comes together to celebrate achievements over the past year. Celebrating its 35th year as the benchmark for excellence among UK road transport fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers and other sector specialists, this year's event will be something special. Everyone at Abbey is thrilled to hear that we have been shortlisted for three awards this year, and we are especially proud that two of these nominations are for collaborative work... Read More
Congratulations to our team at Abbey's Buxton depot for Achieving FORS accreditation at the site. FORS is the highest industry standard that recognises the importance of the quality of our operations in terms of safety, efficiency and environmental protection. Our Buxton depot joins our Middlewich and Dunbar sites which both achieved FORS accreditation earlier this year. The three depots play an important role in supporting our customers in the cement and construction materials sectors and this latest award further demonstrates our commitment to these markets and Abbey's wider bulk food grade and non-food powder... Read More
‘STEP UP IN CLASS’ – ABBEY’S NEW DEDICATED CLASS 2 TO CLASS 1 TRAINING PROGRAMME NEW LOCATION! - NOW WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRITISH SUGAR TO OFFER CLASS 2 to CLASS 1 TRAINING IN BURY ST EDMUNDS, NEWARK AND WISSINGTON FOR DRIVERS LOOKING TO PASS THEIR CLASS 1 LICENCE - CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS We are looking for highly motivated Category C (class 2 drivers) to make the transition to Category C+E (class 1). Abbey is offering full paid training with a guaranteed HGV Driver role on the successful completion of the course. We have opportunities throughout the U.K. with various shift patterns... Read More
Thank you to The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) for recognising Abbey Logistics' efforts in responding to the challenges of the pandemic last year, and the steps we took to support our teams and our customers. Produced in collaboration with Grant Thornton UK, their "Adapting With Purpose" report by the BVCA highlights several short case studies of private equity and venture capital backed businesses, showcasing some of the unique and innovative ways these companies quickly adapted to the challenges and protected their employees and customers last year. To view the report which includes video... Read More
Having your truck washed while it's in for service is always nice, but our VMU team in Liverpool wants to do better than that for our drivers. Opened last month, and a big hit with everyone who’s had their truck detailed so far is our new valeting offer for all trucks going in for service at our Liverpool VMU. The valet includes a full wash and dry of the truck and wheels using premium products and a complete (Covid-19 safe) vacuum and upholstery clean and detail of the inside of the cab including mats, dash, door shuts and windows. Operated by Jamie Patten, this new service is designed to keep our trucks... Read More
We've just released the latest edition of the Abbey Logistics Magazine and it's our biggest yet! Packed full of news and updates about new contract wins, renewals and lots of features on new trucks and tanks added to the fleet over the last couple of months, our driver and apprentice of the year, and much, much more. This edition is also very special as it's a celebration of Abbey's 30th Anniversary and features a look back over the past three decades and some of the milestones we've achieved at Abbey along the way. To view a PDF copy of the magazine please click here To view an Ebook version please click... Read More
More good news from our powders division, our team in Dunbar, Scotland has been awarded FORS Silver accreditation, and our general powders depot in Middlewich is now FORS Bronze accredited. These accreditations are the highest industry standards that recognise the importance of the quality of our operations in terms of safety, efficiency and environmental protection. The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is a voluntary accreditation for fleet operators, which aims to raise the level of quality within fleet operations, and demonstrate which operators are achieving the highest standards. Why is FORS... Read More
Chocolate transport logistics With Easter fast approaching, many of us will have chocolate on our minds. It’s difficult to avoid the thousands of different products in the shops or the adverts tempting us with the endless variations of eggs and sweets. In the UK, more than 80 million boxed Easter eggs are sold each year and the UK chocolate Easter egg market is worth in excess of £220 million, with sales growing every year as the choice of chocolate eggs expands. The sheer volume of demand for Easter chocolate means that manufacturers must rely on reliable chocolate transport logistics solutions to guarantee that consumers can... Read More
Abbey’s talented engineers and technicians at our vehicle maintenance units (VMUs) in Liverpool, Bromborough, Middlewich and Hull, keep our vehicles and trailers working 24/7, ensuring our customers’ can enjoy robust and dependable supply chains. Our liquid and powder tanker fleet is serviced and maintained in-house wherever possible by our team of IRTEC trained and qualified engineers and technicians, who are responsible for all aspects of vehicle maintenance, inspections, and MOT preparation for nearly 1,000 liquid and powder trucks and tankers. Our customers need a reliable, and predictable service that keeps... Read More
Abbey Logistics has been awarded a recycled polymer logistics and materials handling contract by Viridor, the UK’s biggest recycling company. Working in partnership with more than 150 local authorities and major corporate clients across the UK, Viridor has the UK’s largest network of 300+ advanced recycling, energy recovery and landfill diversion facilities. These sites specialise in supporting manufacturers to reduce their reliance on virgin plastic and are some of the most sophisticated plastic recycling and reprocessing plants in the country. Abbey Logistics is partnering with Viridor through the logistics... Read More
Abbey adds 15 new dual-purpose trucks that go into service in Abbey's bulk liquid and powder tanker transportation fleets. The new trucks from Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK Ltd feature both a hydraulic pump for discharging liquid products and a high capacity blower for discharging powder products. By having equipment suitable for both classes of products, the trucks will be much more usable in the fleet, further enhancing the flexibility Abbey can provide to its customers. Going into operation immediately the new trucks feature Mercedes’ innovative MirrorCam technology which provides a significantly improved all-round... Read More
Fleet Apprentice Liam Murray has been awarded Abbey Logistics’ annual Apprentice of the Year Award 2020. Since joining Abbey in 2018, Liam has gone above and beyond what is expected of him, he has quickly become an established member of his team and has already contributed several new initiatives in the business that benefit both his colleagues and our customers. Abbey's Logistics Apprenticeships As a business, Abbey is well aware of the benefits young people can bring to the organisation, from fresh ideas to renewed energy. This year apprentices joined us in fleet, workshop, finance and health and safety and... Read More
Employees from Abbey Logistics’ depots and offices in Liverpool, Golborne, Bromborough and Newark have been collecting money and food donations for food banks. Donations have been made to food banks local to their depots in the run up to Christmas. Organised by Liam Murray, a fleet apprentice currently studying for his Team Leader for Transport Manager Level 3 apprenticeship, Liam has planned, and project managed the collection on behalf of Abbey. Abbey’s teams donated more than £650 and hundreds of pounds worth of food and other essential items over the last few weeks, which were taken to local food banks at... Read More
30 Years in the Making! From a small road tanker business in Birkenhead, Merseyside to today, one of the largest bulk liquid and powder road tanker companies in the UK, Abbey has celebrated many milestones over the past three decades. Thanks to Abbey’s unique personality of customer focus, a ‘can-do’ spirit, energy, and our positive attitude that runs throughout the business, we have been able to build fantastic long term relationships with customers over the years and welcomed many new ones along the way by helping them overcome challenges and improve the service they provide in their... Read More
How to transfer products from bulk bags to road tankers Many of Abbey's customers import products into the U.K. in bulk bags in shipping containers. This presents a challenge for them in terms of storage, inventory management and onward delivery. Bulk delivery of products in road tankers is easier, faster, and safer than bulk bags and many of our customers have found themselves asking how to transfer products from bulk bags to road tankers and Abbey has the answer. Abbey's bag to bulk road tanker service gives customers flexibility and a cost-effective solution for reformatting bulk bags of various sizes into bulk... Read More
The new food tanks from Feldbinder form part of a long-term fleet replacement and refurbishment scheme, as Abbey Logistics and British Sugar modernise the fleet used to transport bulk homegrown sugar throughout the UK. Running more than 90 food-grade road tanker trailers and completing over 350 deliveries each week, Abbey’s food transport operation on behalf of British Sugar is a major undertaking. To ensure reliability and security of service for British Sugar’s customers, Abbey Logistics has embarked on a substantial fleet upgrade programme that includes replacing a large number of tractor units... Read More
Abbey has renewed its long-term partnership with British Sugar, by extending its contract to provide bulk sugar transport across Great Britain, with a new multi-year agreement. Abbey Logistics began working with British Sugar in 2016. Since then, the two companies have adopted a ‘one team’ approach with Abbey becoming an extension of British Sugar’s logistics team. Together they have successfully delivered several high-profile projects which focused on customer service, management information, reducing cost per tonne, safety and a significant reduction in empty miles. As a result of this close collaboration,... Read More
Abbey Logistics has invested £600k to add seven new trucks to its fleet supporting long term customer Lhoist U.K. Lhoist U.K. is part of the global Lhoist group of companies and the largest producer of lime in the world. The U.K. business produces lime products at its quarries in Buxton and Kirkby Stephen which are used for many applications, including cleaning emissions from waste incinerators, drinking water treatment, energy from waste plants, and other large combustion plants. The lime is also used in diverse environmental, industrial, construction and agricultural sectors. Abbey began working with Lhoist in... Read More
As part of #nationallorryweek which starts 16th November, The Road Haulage Association asked Abbey to contribute with a short film highlighting the careers available in logistics. The film features an interview with Liam Murray, one of Abbey's current apprentices and highlights some of the great opportunities available for young people, not only within Abbey but throughout the industry with structured earn while you learn schemes from lots of companies in the sector. Examples like this are a great reminder that the industry needs to connect with talented and skilled young people to continue to see the industry thrive.... Read More
We're absolutely thrilled to win Team of the Year at this year's Motor Transport Awards for the team that works alongside our customer British Sugar - managing bulk sugar logistics throughout the UK. Formed in 2016, the Abbey Logistics and British Sugar team has developed into a fully integrated, cost-effective and high performing unit, which practises, shares and promotes teamwork in every aspect of the British Sugar transport contract. The integration of our teams produces initiatives and development on a rolling basis, with each side inspiring the other. This Award is a wonderful... Read More
In February, Abbey launched its HGV Driver of the Year competition 2020. The award is to celebrate and recognise the skills and abilities of our HGV driver team and show our appreciation for the job our drivers do. Driving an HGV is challenging, and a career as a driver requires a specific mindset and unique abilities, it’s not your typical 9 to 5 and although most people take trucks on the road for granted, without the drivers the UK’s economy would grind to a halt. Class 1 drivers are the backbone of the supply chain. It would be impossible for the economy to grow or even to function without them. Almost every... Read More
Abbey's Driver Training Team win 'Training Team of the Year' at the Talent in Logistics Awards 2020! Our driver trainers have built an amazing division designed to support our team of drivers with induction, ongoing, tailored, CPC and development training throughout their time with us at Abbey. Abbey’s driver training department has gone from being a functional part of the recruitment process to become a data driven, evidence-based source for continuous improvement across the whole business - bringing costs down, improving driver retention, reducing incidents, greater interaction with our customers, and generating... Read More
Lockdown Logistics - The Changes in the Operating Environment seminar, taken from day three of the Commercial Motor Show. Mike's seminar looks at the deep analysis Abbey and Microlise completed during lockdown to understand the impact of empty roads on transport companies, the expected and unexpected benefits we found and it's impact on performance and customers. Mike will explore how the beneficial changes can be realised longer-term, and how using telematics as part of your operation can give you much more than just driver performance data. Commercial Motor's virtual show is an exciting new concept for the road transport... Read More
In this edition we pay tribute to our teams that worked under such difficult circumstances during lockdown, and continue to adapt rapidly and professionally to changing Covid rules and regulations. Also in this issue are updates on several new contract wins for Abbey, vehicle and tanker investment and details about our driver of the year... Read More
Abbey Logistics has taken delivery of 11 new latest generation trucks that will go into Abbey’s core British Sugar fleet, providing bulk sugar transport movements throughout the UK and Ireland. The new CF trucks from DAF feature latest generation aerodynamics, engines and gearboxes together with dynamic intelligent driving modes designed for maximum transport efficiency and minimum emissions. The vehicles will produce up to 20% less nitrogen oxide and fewer particulates than previous generation vehicles being replaced in the fleet, as British Sugar maximises the environmental benefits of homegrown... Read More
Talent in Logistics Awards 2020 The finalists for this year's Talent in Logistics Awards have been announced and we're delighted to say our Training Team have done it again! Shortlisted for the Training Team of the Year Award, we have our fingers crossed for 1st October when the annual Awards show goes ahead as an online event. A massive well done to our team of dedicated driver trainers who have built an amazing division designed to support our large team of HGV Drivers. The team work tirelessly to provide drivers with induction, ongoing, tailored and development training throughout their time with us at Abbey,... Read More
Abbey Logistics has been awarded accreditation from Alcumus SafeContractor, for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace. Alcumus SafeContractor is a leading third-party accreditation scheme which recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management. The scheme is accredited by UKAS, the UK’s national accreditation body for certification providers and they are also a member of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) Ltd, ensuring that their accreditation services also follow best practice. Under the SafeContractor scheme, Abbey underwent a strict audit process which looked at our health and safety... Read More
Matthew McCrudden, an HGV technician based at Abbey's Middlewich depot has completed the Three Peaks Challenge in a time of 23 hours and six minutes. Matthew was part of a team of eight who took on the challenge of climbing Britain's highest peaks in 24 hours, a total of 26 miles and 3,407 metres of climbing. Matthew took on the challenge to raise money for stroke charity A Stroke of Luck, a charity offering advice and access to exercise-based stroke recovery. They provide stroke survivors with the opportunity to connect with fitness professionals’ services to aid in recovery and... Read More
Bulk food road tanker company Abbey Logistics has reopened its food grade tank wash bay in Hull following significant investment in the site. Located minutes from the Port of Hull, Abbey’s wash bay has been providing food grade road tanker wash services to its own and third-party hauliers’ road tankers for more than 30 years. During that time, the company has worked hard to keep pace with steadily changing customer needs, regulations and demand patterns. As part of that continuous improvement, work began in late 2019 to overhaul the wash bay in Hull bring it up to date with the latest technology... Read More
On Saturday 18th July, Matthew McCrudden, an HGV Technician based at our Middlewich depot, will be taking on the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales to raise money for A Stroke of Luck, a stroke charity based in Birkenhead. Matthew and 6 others in the group, including a qualified mountain instructor, will begin their challenge by climbing Ben Nevis in the Grampian mountain range. The group will then drive to the Lake District to climb Scafell Pike before travelling to the Snowdonia National Park to scale Welsh giant Snowdon. The aim is to complete the route in under 24 hours. To put this daunting challenge into... Read More
Our nationwide silo evacuation team have had a busy week helping customers get their manufacturing sites up and running again quickly, by removing blockages and contaminated products from silos. So far this week our food grade and non food grade silo evac tanks have been in Scotland, the Midlands and the South West supporting customers in the cement polymers and food manufacturing sectors. Urgency is key when production is stopped due to silo problems and our team of experienced planners and drivers can be with customers, often the same day, to remove blockages or contaminated products. SUPPORTING... Read More
The Road Haulage Association launched its #HGVHeroes campaign last month to recognise the industry’s workers, and the vital roles they play in keeping the nation fed and protected during such difficult and challenging times. Abbey are proud to be part of such an important sector and hope that the recognition the profession received in recent months continues, as the public acknowledge the UK haulage industry does an incredible job – not just in times of hardship but every single day of the year. All of us at Abbey are delighted that our wash bay team in Hull and Ted Park, one of our transport planners in... Read More
SABIC Europe has awarded road tanker operator Abbey Logistics a plastics distribution contract to transport bulk polymer granules throughout the UK. Abbey Logistics has added another major plastics producer to its growing list of customers in the plastics sector. The company has secured a bulk polymer distribution contract with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) Europe, one of the leading plastics manufacturers in the world. The contract will see Abbey providing bulk polymer granule distribution services throughout the UK, using its large fleet of specialist tipping silo road... Read More
Abbey Logistics Group has ordered 52 tractor units from DAF and Mercedes Benz. The order follows a “significant improvement in financial performance, despite COVID-19”. CEO Steve Granite said “Performance in the current financial year to June 2020 has seen a major improvement on previous years and a return to profitability since earlier this year. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has achieved since we made structural and operational changes in late 2018, and not only are we back to where we should be financially, our service to customers is back to industry leading standards and our workforce is... Read More
Thank you Red Bull! Lovely surprise delivered to us in Liverpool this morning from Red Bull. The famous energy drinks company are donating cans of their ever popular drink to logistics key workers to show their appreciation for the drivers, depot staff, planners and everybody else who keeps the trucks moving throughout the UK. Incredible gesture from Red Bull and very much... Read More
We all know that the roads have been noticeably quieter during the pandemic as great swathes of the population stay home and many businesses remain closed. So what, if anything, has been the impact on HGV operators who have been delivering critical supplies during this time and what can we learn? According to Steve Granite, CEO of Abbey Logistics: “We have all been trading in incredibly challenging circumstances, but as a result of quieter roads, we have seen an improvement to customer service and savings in repair and maintenance and an increase in MPG as well as nearly 6% increase in the average speed of our... Read More
Abbey’s JAUPT approved driver CPC training moved online this week as the company held its first course for drivers based throughout the UK, and participants have unanimously praised the new delivery method. The instructor led course was held in two 3.5 hour sessions over two days and provided a great opportunity for drivers to maintain their training while on furlough or at home. It was also a great opportunity for drivers to catch up as this week we started with some free time for drivers to chat with their colleagues who they haven’t seen or spoken to for many weeks, which proved very worthwhile. Training... Read More
Following a competitive tender process, Abbey Logistics has secured a multi-year contract extension with ADM UK, one of Europe’s leading edible oils producers. Abbey Logistics has worked with ADM for more than 20 years providing bulk liquid transport to customers throughout the UK and this latest extension sees Abbey placing an even greater emphasis on service and customer support. Together, ADM and Abbey made significant changes to the operation of the contract, utilising vast amounts of data to understand where service could be improved. Working side by side, the teams developed a plan to drive industry leading... Read More
Abbey Logistic's online CPC training courses are now available to all drivers and hauliers. Abbey's JAUPT accredited and DVSA approved online CPC training courses are a great way to keep up with drivers hours training while at home or on furlough. We are currently running The Professional Driver and Drivers Hours and Digital Tachographs courses and spaces are still available. The competitively priced course is 3.5 hours per day with each course running for two days to achieve the required seven hours. To book your place or to find out more about the courses please contact... Read More
Abbey Logistics asked its teams juggling working from home while looking after children, to send in their most creative rainbow pictures to remind everyone to stay positive and to show their support for all drivers across the UK. Abbey also worked with Holy Name Primary School in Fazakerley, Liverpool which is operating as a Liverpool City Council Hub for children of key workers who created a lesson about logistics, and wanted to lend their support and send in their pictures. The company was overwhelmed by the response, creativity and variety of pictures sent in, along with some wonderful messages of support. In response Abbey... Read More
Abbey Logistics’ vehicle and trailer workshops in Liverpool and Middlewich have both achieved IRTE accreditation in both workshop and engineering best practice. The IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) Workshop Accreditation is an independent review of procedures and practice; it involves an audit to judge performance and focuses on best practice compliance in areas such as premises, equipment, technical staff, management, clerical staff, documentation, quality and appearance. Abbey’s busy workshops are in operation 7 days a week and our teams of highly qualified and experienced technicians, engineers and... Read More
Abbey Logistics Group has added five latest generation Mercedes Actros trucks to its fleet, to support growing demand in its liquid food business. Going into operation immediately the new trucks feature Mercedes’ innovative MirrorCam technology which provides a significantly improved all-round view and consists of two cameras mounted to the exterior of the vehicle and two 15-inch displays on the A-pillars inside the cab. MirrorCam also offers improved mpg performance due to the compact, streamlined profile of the camera housings. Underneath, the new trucks are packed with safety enhancing technology and features to increase fuel... Read More
Abbey has asked our teams working from home to ask their children to paint or draw a rainbow and put them in their windows at home to give other families something to look out for while they stretched their legs on their daily walk and remind them to stay positive. Some families are also using them as a game on their walks to see how many rainbows they can see. We know how difficult it can be to juggle working from home and looking after children so hopefully this will help keep our colleagues children busy for a little while. Featured here are some of the brilliant pictures we have received so far from some very talented people, the... Read More
Celebrating the best in UK Transport and Logistics, the Motor Transport Awards is a major event on the calendar each year. With Logistics high on the agenda at the moment and the general public finally getting to see the crucial roles that companies across our sector carry out, it is fitting that this shortlist acknowledges some of the great work that has been done this year. This year's shortlist includes companies involved in all aspects of the supply chain and is another great example of how important transport and logistics is to the UK. All of us here at Abbey Logistics are thrilled to have been... Read More
Abbey Logistics has posted health and nutrition packs supplied by Applied Nutrition to all their 650 employees, and launched a daily online personal fitness class provided by leading personal training company Absolute Body Solutions, further demonstrating its support for its frontline workers, and those working from home or on furlough. Following last week’s announcement where the company pledged to pay a bonus to all front-line staff and top up sick pay for those that could not work, the company said it wanted to do all it could to protect their workforce’s health and well-being at this difficult... Read More
Supporting the national effort to get the UK through the COVID-19 pandemic, Abbey Logistics will pay frontline employees a recognition payment at the end of the year. The move is an acknowledgement for their staff’s hard work and commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is aimed at drivers, wash bay, warehouse, planning and workshop teams, whose roles are vital to keep the wheels turning and provide essential supplies to the UK’s crucial supply chains. To ensure staff do not continue to work if they need to self-isolate, Abbey says they will top up sick pay for frontline staff for two weeks to be no less than £300 or... Read More
With a massive increase in demand for food supplies, Abbey Logistics are working round the clock to keep food manufacturing sites stocked with key ingredients to ensure the UK’s food supply chain continues uninterrupted. We have seen an rise in deliveries for flour, sugar, oils and chocolate, all key ingredients for thousands of different food products we all rely upon. We are extremely proud of our driver team, planners, on site staff, workshop and washbay operatives for the commitment they've shown at such a challenging time, and the speed at which they have adapted to new working practices, required to fight the spread of... Read More
Abbey Logistics Group has been awarded a distribution contract for bulk polymer distribution from INEOS O&P UK’s Grangemouth site in Scotland. Abbey Logistics' growth in the polymers sector continues following investment in their bulk transport fleet, equipment and added value services, including bag to bulk facilities and warehousing. In this latest development, Abbey Logistics will take responsibility for transport planning and delivery services for INEOS Olefin and Polymers (INEOS O&P UK). Polymer product will be loaded at INEOS O&P UK’s dedicated facility in Grangemouth for delivery by road to... Read More
The Social Mobility Pledge is clear when it says: “Talent is spread evenly across the UK, but all too often opportunity is not.” That's why former Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Justine Greening, has teamed up with some of the U.K.'s leading businesses and Universities to share best practice on boosting social mobility and levelling up opportunity. The Pledge was founded by Justine Greening, supported by David Harrison, founder of the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility and now covers more than 3 million employees, and 1 million students across the UK. Abbey Logistics signed the pledge late last year... Read More
Abbey will be opening a non-food grade wash bay at our tank cleaning facility in Liverpool in February. Abbey’s cleaning station provides tank cleaning services to both our own, and other haulier’s tanker trailers. We have operated our own wash bay facilities in Liverpool and Hull for more than 20 years, with our busy tank wash in Liverpool, previously being exclusively food grade. Due to the significant demand for more non-food tank cleaning capacity in the region, we have converted one of our bays to wash non-food grade products exclusively and can provide cost-effective cleaning to both accompanied and... Read More
This year, three of Abbey’s team each celebrate an amazing 30 years of service with the company. During that time, they have seen Abbey expand from a single site on Abbey Close in Birkenhead, Merseyside, to more than 35 operational depots and the UK's largest bulk liquid and powder food road tanker company. Fleet Engineer Dave Melville and Drivers Jim Martin, and Danny Kimber joined us today at Abbey HQ for a presentation covering their 30 years with the company and were each presented with their 30 years Service Award to mark their achievements by Abbey CEO Steve Granite. Recognising... Read More
Logistics Apprenticeships The scope and breadth of what we do at Abbey Logistics is reflected in the range of apprenticeships and professional training opportunities we offer to talented and ambitious young people. Providing hands-on experience in their chosen field, apprentices and trainees can play a key role in contributing to the future success of the company. In addition, they are gaining on-the-job knowledge and experience from industry leaders and earning a competitive salary, while studying towards a nationally recognised qualification. A Structured Approach In the last 2 years, Abbey’s HR team has worked with several... Read More
Eleven brand new tractor units have been added to the British Sugar logistics contract fleet and went into service in late December. The new vehicles are part of a wider fleet replacement scheme to replace older units with more efficient and comfortable trucks to ensure an efficient and reliable service for our customers, and a pleasant working environment for our drivers. The trucks are from manufacturer DAF and will be distributing bulk liquid and powder sugar products throughout the UK on a 24/7 basis. The DAF Space Cabs are FORS silver compliant and include numerous features for operational safety and driver comfort including... Read More
Abbey Logistics has been named an accredited Social Mobility Employer, as part of a nation-wide drive to improve social mobility in the UK. Abbey signed up to the Social Pledge, which encourages businesses to play their crucial role in boosting social mobility by providing training and employment opportunities to local people from disadvantaged communities. What is Social Mobility Social mobility is the basic principle that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. But in its 2017 ‘State of Social Mobility in Britain’ report, the Sutton Trust found that the UK ranks near the bottom for income... Read More
One of the services Abbey provides to the powders sector is silo evacuation. Helping our customers keep their inventories stocked and their products moving, minimising delay and getting production back on track. Silo Evacuation is usually required through product contamination in silos or when silos need to be emptied for routine maintenance. Silo Evacuation Throughout the UK Our vacuum tankers operate throughout the UK, working 24/7 and are available for rapid deployment to remove a wide variety of powdered products - from flour, sugar and other food products to polymers, cement and minerals, we can safely and quickly evacuate... Read More
HULL FOOD-GRADE TANK WASH CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS! Christmas is nearly here but the nation's road tankers are still working and need to be cleaned. Abbey Logistic's food Grade tank wash station in Hull is here to help. Our food-grade accredited tank wash facilities are operating Christmas hours to make sure tanks and IBCs can still get cleaned over Christmas. Various wash services available at competitive prices for both road tankers and IBCs, To enquire about our tank wash in Hull call Chris Whelton on 01482 306911 or email... Read More
Abbey's well known and busy food grade tank cleaning station in Liverpool has extended its hours on Sundays to now operate 6AM - Midnight. Our modern tank cleaning station provides product-specific food grade tank cleaning to Abbey Logistics vehicles and third parties. The Cleaning Station is SQAS, EFTCO and SCOPA audited and approved and we can provide both accompanied and unaccompanied tanks. Hygienic Food Grade Tank Cleaning Transporting food grade liquids and powders is a huge responsibility for any carrier and our highly trained team ensures all tanks receive the same high-quality service as our own vehicles. We provide... Read More
The Freight Transport Association's (FTA) senior policy team has identified 20 key figures in logistics who they see as driving the sector forward in the coming year. Released alongside their December issue of their Logistics Magazine, The FTA has produced 20 for 20, a new supplement that recognises individuals drawn from business, government and academia working across the supply chain. The supplement is sponsored by Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking. David Wells, CEO of the FTA, said: “The UK logistics industry is facing an era of unprecedented change, with pressures such as Brexit,... Read More
Abbey Logistics has announced that Gary Lawson has joined the business as their new National Fleet Manager. Gary will be responsible for Abbey’s fleet of more than 370 trucks and over 550 bulk liquid and powder tanker trailers. He will be responsible for Abbey’s HGV and trailer workshops in Liverpool, Middlewich, Bromborough and Hull, and manage Abbey’s third-party maintenance suppliers across the UK. He will also take the lead in new vehicle selection, testing and trialing trucks and trailers, to ensure Abbey’s customers are served by the most reliable and efficient equipment enabling them to maximise payload, and provide... Read More
CILT Awards The best and brightest of the logistics and supply chain industry gather together to celebrate at the CILT (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport) Annual Awards for Excellence. Held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London in the CILT's centenary year. More than 350 guests, delegates and finalists attended the event and celebrated those individuals and organisations who have delivered outstanding innovation, societal benefits and commercial success within the UK logistics, transport and productions and operations management sectors over the last 12 months. Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, Patron, CILT, was this... Read More
Latest road tankers news from Abbey Logistics. The latest edition of the Abbey Magazine is now available to download HERE. In this issue, we have updates on all thinks road tankers! Details about our new trucks from DAF Trucks, increased business in bulk liquid chocolate transport, driver training and CPC courses, new tankers from Van Hool, new trailers, Think Logistics, our new bag to bulk service, our recent Microlise award and much... Read More
Abbey Logistics has added a number of new Feldbinder Cement Silo tankers to support the company’s growing business in the cement and minerals markets. Manufactured by Feldbinder, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of specialist vehicles, the new lightweight cement silo tankers are designed and built to comply with the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS) Silver accreditation, intended to protect vulnerable road users. Specifications include rear-facing cameras, infilled side panels and blind-spot minimisation mirrors as well as many more of the latest safety and security features to ensure the safety of... Read More
Sarah Snelson has joined Abbey Logistics' HGV Driver Training Team as one of our Regional Driver Trainers. Sarah joins Abbey Logistics with more than 20 years’ haulage experience. Initially starting as an HGV Driver, she has spent much of her subsequent career focused on driver training and skills development. During her career, Sarah has provided driver training in all areas of HGV transport including tankers, general haulage and heavy haulage, across a wide variety of industries. Sarah is a Certified HGV Driver Assessor and a member of the RTITB Master Driver CPC Consortium and has a strong track... Read More
Abbey Logistics has signed up to Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS), the international initiative from the plastics industry to reduce plastic pellet loss. Led in the UK by the British Plastics Federation, the initiative’s aim is to ensure that plastic pellets, flakes, and powders that pass-through manufacturing facilities in the UK are contained and do not escape into waterways. Signing up to the Operation Clean Sweep® pledge is a commitment to adhere to best practice and implement systems on a continuous improvement basis to prevent plastic pellet loss. Abbey Logistics provides bulk plastic... Read More
Learn from the Experts, Driver CPC Training with One of the UK's leading transport companies Abbey Logistics now offering Driver CPC Training to all drivers. Earlier this year Abbey Logistics’ in-house driver CPC training team was awarded JAUPT approved status. This meant we can design and deliver our own CPC courses tailored to our own drivers’ requirements, and also deliver more generalist Driver CPC courses to drivers from outside the company. Abbey has always delivered an extensive driver training programme and has a highly skilled in-house driver training team, made up of driver trainers with... Read More
Our new overhead rail fall arrest system in action, at Abbey Logistics' bag to bulk tanker materials handling facility near the Port of Liverpool. Designed and installed by market-leading fall protection company Heightsafe, the new system enables our team to work at height safely with no restrictions or obstructions. For our customers, this means much quicker loading times for tankers leading to increased predictability for their supply chains. Our bag to bulk facility in Bromborough provides materials handling services and requires our professional warehouse staff to work on top of tanks each day to assist with the loading of bulk... Read More
Abbey Logistics has announced that it has increased the volume of bulk chocolate transport it carries for Barry Callebaut by 100%, following a competitive tender process. The bulk chocolate transport volume increase follows several service improvement initiatives on existing volumes over the last 12 months, implemented as a result of the two companies working collaboratively to improve the service Barry Callebaut’s customers receive. This latest increase in volume further reinforces Abbey’s position as the UK’s largest bulk chocolate transport road tanker operator. The new contract went live in... Read More
Abbey Logistics has been awarded the Microlise Driver Excellence Award at their 2019 Driver of the Year Awards. The Microlise Driver of the Year Awards is an annual industry event that recognises the most talented HGV drivers working in the UK transport industry and acknowledge the vital work they do. With categories based on telematics data, the awards are open to all drivers and are a perfect way to reward outstanding performance and contributions to industry. Winners are calculated using anonymous telematics data from more than 210,000 drivers which identifies the drivers achieving the highest driving performance using a... Read More
Abbey Logistics, has confirmed a fleet order for 20 new DAF trucks. The order is for DAF's XF FTP lightweight mid-lift 6x2 tractor units in a £1.6 million investment into its bulk liquid and bulk powder road transport operations. The truck order, comprising 16 XF 480 FTPs and four XF 450 FTPs, all with Space Cabs, is being supplied by local DAF Dealer, North West Trucks, in Liverpool – and are in build for delivery from mid-June through to early July. 12 units will be equipped with Gardner Denver discharge equipment, eight with Mellor systems. The new DAF XF fleet order will bring the Abbey Logistics fleet total to 350 and comes... Read More
Closing the skills gap the logistics industry faces is the responsibility of every operator, writes Think Logistics founder and Abbey Logistics group CEO Steve Granite. Think Logistics is the industry-led, not-for-profit project involving some of the UK’s best-known transport and logistics companies, and we are calling on all logistics companies to get behind the initiative in 2019. We need more support by operators offering internships or work placements to students, and introduce them to an exciting and rewarding career in logistics. Internships are four-week positions, usually paid at minimum wage levels in which a young person... Read More
Commercial vehicle contract hire and fleet management company, Prohire Limited has secured the contract to supply Abbey Logistics with its latest tractor unit fleet requirement. The vehicles, which went into operation at the beginning of 2019 are to support a new bulk flour contract with British baker Hovis, distributing bulk flour from Hovis’s flour mill in Wellingborough to bakery sites throughout the UK on a 24/7 basis. The Mercedes Actros 2446LS tractor units have been supplied on a 60-month contract term by Prohire. They are FORS silver compliant and include numerous operational and safety features, including Gardner Denver... Read More
The latest edition of the Abbey Magazine is now live! Featuring news about our delivery of 28 new Mercedes Actros tractors, Abbey's new animal feed division, and our rapidly growing plastics bag to bulk service, plus much more! Download your copy... Read More
Bulk flour distribution by Abbey Logistics has started with leading British baker Hovis. The contract sees Abbey providing a 24/7 bulk flour distribution service from Hovis' flour mill in Wellingborough to bakery sites in the UK. Hovis, one of the country’s most recognised brands, selected Abbey Logistics following a competitive tender process, where Abbey demonstrated the added value it could provide through its flexible and responsive distribution model, ability to invest in new equipment and its focus on data-driven continuous improvement. Abbey's new fleet of Mercedes Actros trucks also began work this week to support the... Read More
As one of the UK’s largest powder road tanker companies, Abbey works very closely with customers to understand their requirements and build solutions designed to improve the efficiency of their supply chains. Earlier this year we were asked to design and build a reformatting facility to transfer bulk one tonne bags of plastic granules into bulk tankers. Through this new facility, we would eliminate a stage in our customer’s supply chain, reduce mileage and reliance on a third party. Abbey Logistics operations manager John Abbott began the process of identifying the requirements and designing a procedure with... Read More
Baking company Hovis, has awarded Abbey Logistics a UK contract to provide bulk flour distribution to its bakeries in the Midlands and the South. Hovis, one of the country’s most recognised brands, selected Abbey Logistics following a competitive tender process, where Abbey demonstrated the added value it could provide through its flexible and responsive distribution model, ability to invest in new equipment and its focus on data-driven continuous improvement. Abbey Logistics, the UK’s largest bulk food powder tanker company, is set to invest significantly in new equipment to bolster Hovis’ existing fleet and... Read More
Congratulations to Daniel Richardson who recently completed a two-week internship with Abbey Logistics over the summer holidays. Daniel, from West Derby School in Liverpool, worked in a number of different departments to get a complete overview of what life is really like at a large, modern and busy logistics company. Thrown in at the deep end, Daniel started with our planning and operations teams at Great Howard Street Liverpool where he worked alongside our experienced planners to get a feel for how we manage the hundreds of daily deliveries we make in the UK and Europe, the technology involved that lets us know where each vehicle is at... Read More
Steve Granite, Abbey Logistics CEO has been invited to join Insider North West’s prestigious 42 under 42 list, which is an annual list that celebrates the strength of the region’s young business owners and business leaders. Insider launched the initiative 25 years ago to celebrate the region’s best young entrepreneurs. The average age on the magazine’s Power List at the time was 52, so the 42 under 42 were the people handpicked as the ones to watch as the business leaders of the next decade. Since then this exclusive club has developed into a network of the region’s leading figures in business that are helping drive... Read More
Abbey Logistics has launched a new dedicated animal feed tanker transport division, focused on providing nationwide bulk transport and logistics for liquid animal feed. Abbey is no stranger to the animal feed sector and has provided road tanker transport for some of Europe’s leading manufacturers for more than 20 years. This latest move has enabled the company to dedicate vehicles and tankers to the animal feed sector and crucially puts in place a dedicated support team consisting of planning and commercial functions that will concentrate solely on customers in this sector. As one of the UK’s leading bulk liquid... Read More