MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
2010 Set to be the Year of the Exchange
Transport Exchange Group (TEG), the company that operates the busiest online freight exchanges available to the UK road transport industry, is looking ahead to an exciting year as it prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The company, which runs the Courier Exchange and Haulage Exchange services, ended 2009 on a high with record volumes month-on-month during the second half of the year.
Its unique web based offering has not only stood the test of time, but has demonstrated that it is playing an ever increasing role in the transport landscape.
And with more companies looking to ‘up their game’ in the drive for efficiency whilst simultaneously addressing ‘green’ issues, TEG is ideally placed to mark its milestone anniversary year with even more growth.
Lyall Cresswell, Managing Director of the Transport Exchange Group, said the benefits of freight exchanges were becoming more attractive which had been reflected in increasing activity on TEG’s Courier Exchange and Haulage Exchange.
He said: "Since we first launched the Transport Exchange Group ten years ago the transport and distribution industry has gone through some tough times with ever decreasing profit margins and rising costs.
"This situation is set to continue with businesses continuing to face tough economic challenges with increasing fuel charges coupled with the need to reduce their carbon footprints identified. However as we enter our 10th anniversary year, TEG is in a strong position to help tackle these challenges head on.
"Our services enable transport operators to work together and share the financial burden of rising fuel prices, congestion charges, tolls and the need to comply with legislation. Indeed many transport operators have already enjoyed the financial and environmental benefits of using our services, which can help give them a competitive advantage. Our success to date is very encouraging and something that we anticipate we can build on in 2010."
Transport Exchange Group’s exchanges are tailored for operators to post loads and available capacity to find vehicles to move their goods. By enabling member companies to do everything from booking loads and confirming orders to approving invoices and making payments electronically, they provide an efficient and seamless trading hub, offering tangible business benefits.
Member companies can virtually eradicate empty journeys and unprofitable backloads, and share the many costs of transporting goods.
The Transport Exchange Group has more than 2,000 member companies which use the company’s secure, flexible, visible, real-time services every day to maximise the profitability of their supply chains.
As well as Courier Exchange, for the sameday courier and express freight industry, and Haulage Exchange, for loads of 7.5 tonnes and more, the Transport Exchange Group has a Regular Runs service, where operators can post their regular journeys enabling them to spot opportunities for collaboration within each other’s schedules.
In addition to the fundamental service offering, the Transport Exchange Group has built a unique and sophisticated set of easy to use solutions to further increase the benefits of the exchange for members. These include providing electronic trading, from order confirmation to invoice approval and payment, an interactive map of loads and journeys available along a route, eliminating the need to scroll through lists, and a mobile solution which enables businesses to use the exchanges on the move.
Lyall Cresswell continued: "We have laid some very strong foundations in our first ten years and we very much look forward to further building on these as we enter our next decade.
"A freight exchange such as ours which is both neutral and secure offers immeasurable benefits and we are confident that the exceptional levels of growth we have enjoyed over the past few months mark the dawning of a new era for the freight exchange."
