XPO has initiated a three month trial in the UK which will see it migrating volumes destined for Scotland from its shared pallet network to a multimodal solution using an overnight rail service.
XPO first introduced a road-rail option in the UK in 2022, combining full truckload transport and daytime rail service for pipe manufacturer Wavin.
The new solution’s combination of pallet network and overnight rail maintains lead times required are maintained and XPO expects it to be faster than traditional trucking.
According to the company, the solution also creates less of an environmental impact. XPO customers in the Midlands who ship to Scotland can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of a pallet by up to 79%.
Dan Myers, Managing Director – UK and Ireland, at XPO said: “The passion of our entire team is to challenge ourselves to be better, to support our customers and to realise improvements, which is hugely motivating. This single initiative will reduce emissions by almost 513,000 kilos of CO2 per annum for a customer whose shipments require two vehicle trips per day.”
The current trial covers a distance of more than 500 kilometres from Crick to Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal in Northamptonshire, onward to Mossend Rail Terminal in Scotland, and then to XPO’s distribution hub in Motherwell.
The multimodal transit time from Crick to Motherwell is about two hours less than the same journey by truck which also helps to reduce the risk of road delays, whilst also reducing road congestion.
Each journey is about 600 miles, for which the company estimates there is a reduction of 705 kg of CO2 per trip.
