United Biscuits is adding 62 new longer trailers to its lorry fleet under a special licence as part of a ten year Department for Transport trial, in order to reduce carbon emissions and operate more efficiently.
This builds on UB’s “Fewer and Friendlier Miles” campaign launched in 2006 which it reckons has removed 20 million truck miles from UK roads, and has reduced its CO2 emissions from transport by 40 per cent.
The new trailers are 15.65m long, two metres longer than standard existing trailers, and can carry 60 pallets of biscuits instead of the previous 52 pallets.
By carrying larger loads, the trailers are expected to save 450,000 truck miles on UK roads each year, and reduce carbon emissions by some 618 tonnes a year.
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The trailers are based at UB’s National Distribution Centre in Leicestershire. They will regularly depart with 60 pallets of biscuit varieties to be delivered to customers, and return fully loaded with biscuits and cake from one of UB’s factories – reducing empty miles.
The trailers have been liveried in line with the company’s recent Jacob’s and McVitie’s advertising campaigns.
Kevin McGurk, group supply chain director at UB, said: “These liveried trailers… are a very visible example of how we are working across the organisation to make UB ever more competitive.
“UB has recently brought its supply chain together as one team and this is a clear example of what’s possible by working together with pace and ambition.”
