Sarah Wixey, project manager freight & fleet programmes says congratulations to both Carl and Nigel. Carl Lomas from the Institute of Couriers has been selected as the Chair of the van working group and Nigel Base from SMMT will be the Vice-Chair – There will be a conference on May 25th in London and the first van group sector meeting needs to be in your diary for June 15th.

A busy forum, opened by TfL boss Mike Brown, well-attended with a big slant to politics, 50 days to the new mayor, blue-sky thinking. Carl Lomas IOC spoke of exploding e-retail home delivery numbers, ‘half of retail, home delivered  by 2020’ setting the question to Ian Wainwright, ‘is it sustainable and are we ready?’

Jamie O’Hara, chief political advisor for TfL talked elections, "50 days to the mayoral election; it's going to be a new mayor. Vote on May 5th,new Mayor takes office on the sunday"

TfL Commissioner Mike Brown opened the 2016 Freight Forum

I want to work collaboratively with you. Enjoy the 'Streets Ahead' exhibition in the room. Put LoCity Conference - May 26th - in your diary...

Ian Wainwright then spoke about the continuing TfL action plans, up to and beyond the London Mayoral election.

IOC chairman Carl Lomas reports on the Royal Logistics Corps Foundation Launch at TfL March 2016.

What is more important, speed or reliability? Maj Gen Angus Fay talked about the valley of death between concept and capability. ‘We need last mile edge to beat our enemy.’ ‘A single data platform for everything logistics would be a game changer!’

Freight in the city - the conference covered politics, from council to LEP, traffic commissioner to town planner. Top level logistics speakers, TfL to TfGM, networks and workshops . Multi-modal distribution parks. Warehouse to wheels.

Former Asda VP Ian Stansfield spoke with passion for solutions to e-retail and final mile. DHL and Clipper looked at consolidation to delivery. Trucks in the sunshine outside, trade show inside and over four hundred guests for the top level summit of pallet to parcel. Topic focus on pre and post consolidation, distribution centers local or regional as online continues to grow beyond expectations.

Ian Wainright (TfL),

Freight is complex, we need to demystify freight, its goods and services, we need to keep it simple. We want each region to work together, Manchester with London, with the Northern Powerhouse.