As we all know, the Olympics are looming. Whether you have a personal interest in them or not, we do need to consider the logistical impact this may have, as moving freight around will become increasingly difficult in many areas, not just in London, but throughout the UK.

Many of our clients are asking what we are doing to prepare for them in order that delays can be minimised. To be honest, we are not really doing anything too different than that which we already do.

We always communicate with our clients regarding collections and deliveries, and when difficult periods are approaching (such as the annual Italian shut down), we try and pre-empt our clients to consider what they need to do to cover such periods, and what can be brought forward (or deferred) to mitigate any difficulties.

So yes, it’s a big thing, but good communication is hardly rocket science.

The TfL (Transport for London) has done a good job on their website with regards to what areas are expected to be affected, and when. In particular, there is an interactive map by day which is pretty useful too. No doubt many of our clients (and client’s clients, in the case of the many forwarders who use our services) in the immediate vicinity will already have started to consider this, and may be privy to more localised information.

In any event, whatever your plans are, please ensure that you check with our office Olympiads so that we can overcome the period with the minimum of disruption and associated costs.

We are pleased to introduce our new partner in Greece – Vianox Svolos SA, based on Athens, with additional facilities in Thessaloniki. We are now able to offer a twice weekly road freight Groupage services to and from Athens and Thessaloniki, including dangerous goods.

Vianox Svolos SA has been established in Athens, Greece, since 1968. The Svolos Group has enjoyed a successful business record in several fields, from manufacturing through to distribution, Information Technology Systems, and Sea freight within the bulk sector. In 2012 Vianox Svolos SA expanded its logistics activities into the International forwarding sector, taking additional advantage of the demise of one of the leading Greek forwarders, and so, for the UK, this is where we come in.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are pleased to announce that our freight service to Spain has been further enhanced with the ability to provide freight services to both Andorra and Gibraltar. The stringent regulations for exporting to these countries, in particular, Andorra, require particular attention, including but not limited to, driver and traction nationalities, load content limitations, not to mention customs formalities which have their own idiosyncratic peculiarities.

Transit times are between 6 and 7 days from the UK, serviced with driver accompanied vehicles either directly or via our partners’ Barcelona and Madrid depots, including the ability to transport dangerous goods (ADR) as with most of our services.

For further information, feel free to contact our Iberian specialist, James Mears.

Adding to our services to Spain, we are now able to provide a weekly temperature controlled service providing for widespread distribution throughout Spain via our partners’ hubs in Barcelona and Madrid.

For further details, please contact James Mears directly on +44 (0)161 490 7903

Pretty obvious really, but the heavy downfalls of snow has caused significant disruption to services during the last few days, and will continue to do so. Currently, there is no access to the ports of Calais and Dunkerque, nor the French Eurotunnel terminal. In addition, blockages on many major routes through France and Germany and into Italy, including the ro-ro train between Freiburg and Novara are running well below capacity, if at all. Greater restrictions are in force for vehicles carrying hazardous cargo.

It goes without saying that we cannot guarantee any transit times at present, and it is advisable that you stay in contact with our operational team for further details.