IoC news
Industry news of relevance to Fellows and Members
IOC chair Carl Lomas was at Derby University for 2016 logistics week to see student success and logistics excellence. Prof Ming Lim introduced Emily Key who finishes the undergraduate logistics course in Sept to take a role at DHL. 2016 year will see other undergraduates alongside Emily ready for work in the sector of e-retail at the heart of the East Midlands transport hot-spot in the inspirational postcode of the D2N2 LEP.
Train the trainer conference at RTITB in the West Midlands looked at the answer. A full-house event of hauliers, trainers, awarding bodies and a traffic commissioner.
Trailblazer qualifications are headlining the transport news, both LGV and Express delivery courier, but who trains the trainers? To teach someone to drive a car you have to be a qualified instructor. There has long been discomfort in the heavy sector that no such qualification is needed in the truck world; the DVSA has a register but you don’t have to be on it and you don’t need any training qualification to teach truck drivers their driving skills.
RTITB launched their truck driver trainer standard in Telford. Carl Lomas, IOC chair, attended what was a big turnout. Hauliers, training providers, a traffic commissioner and awarding bodies were greeted with a display of heavy haulage from a yard full of MAN Iveco and Scania trucks.
IOC chair Carl Lomas was at Donington Park raceway for the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) strategy day with member companies and the two-wheel dealer networks.
A focused delivery of data with a Bank of England insight into the economy. Launch of Parc data, knowledge beyond new registrations, second-hand and off-road for a full world view of two-wheelers.
Expert advice on electric - when is it not a push bike? Motivation big time with a look at the success of NEC Motorcycle live show.
This was a full house packed to the rafters, nearly 150 folk, free access to the Grand Prix museum and the roar of superbikes howling around the track outside. This was a two-wheel day not to be missed.
Institute of Couriers has welcomed a growing engagement to both regular and reserve army, exchanging employer communication to find job placement for troops exiting army to life in logistics, in reverse find heavy vehicle driver training via the reserve forces opportunities for commercial logistics individuals looking to move from warehouse to wheels jobs.
The army has long been recognised at the National Courier Awards, Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt presenting a courier silver C to RLC James Brennan in 2015.
The IOC was greatly honoured to accept an invitation from London district 151 regt to see logistics at the sharp end of the guns in Central London. IOC Chair, Carl Lomas and Tracey Worth were guests for the 41-gun salute to mark the accession to the throne of Her Majesty the Queen.
Mike Baker Clydesdale (IOC Heads of industry speaker) reports the numbers exclusively for IOC...
Since the start of 2014, the industry benchmark for wholesale diesel prices, ULSD10, fell from around 50p per litre and hit a low point 12 months ago in January 2015 of around 26p. The price soon recovered to around 35p at the start of summer 2015, before falling by over half to a new low of around just 15p per litre in January 2016 due to ongoing concerns about oversupply and a gloomy start to the year in terms of global economic confidence.
These fuel price decreases have been so significant that there has been speculation that the Chancellor may look to cash in by increasing fuel duty to above the current rate of 57.95p per litre. Whether this will eventuate given that motorists have only recently started paying less than a pound per litre on supermarket forecourts remains to be seen.
Cycle solutions for the final mile, Richard Armitage FCILT
e-Retail explosion seeks solutions to final mile. Population growth, demand for home delivery, inner city air quality, congested roads all seem to fit two wheel cycle, powered by pedal or electric.
There is nothing new about cycle couriers; during the eighties a motorbike courier who lost their licence for too many speeding points often reverted to leg power and added pedestrian zones and cut through paved areas to their street knowledge to complete deliveries in ever more concentrated zones of the inner city by pedal bike.
The cycle courier today is a green icon for client, brand and courier company; the further win is legal access to pedestrian zones, inner city areas of high density retail mix not accessible to fuelled vehicles.
DPD has been listed in the prestigious Sunday Times ‘Best Big Companies to Work For’ list for the first time, it has been confirmed. The company will feature in the top 25 when the full list is revealed at the Best Companies awards celebration in London on Thursday 25th February.
The Sunday Times 'Best Companies’ list celebrates excellence in workplace engagement and is widely acknowledged as the most searching and extensive research into employee engagement carried out in the UK. Lists are compiled based on employee opinions on how the company; supports wellbeing in the workplace, gives something back to society, shows strong leadership and teaming, provides opportunities for personal growth, and offers fair pay and benefits. Only the organisations with the highest level of overall employee engagement qualify for the 'Best Companies to Work For’ list.
Ultra Low Emissions TfL launch event Jan 27th
A snazzy video with a Gnewt Hermes electric final mile delivery van set the scene for a positive exchange on an agenda for a healthier London at the LoCity launch Jan 27th.
Ultra Low Emission is far more than Euro 6, courier vehicles, small and light vans do not yet exist in the general marketplace and the 2020 timeline is racing towards us. IOC welcomed Transport for London's announcement of their January 27th launch event of LoCITY – a brand new industry-led programme aimed at helping the freight and fleet sector lead the way in improving air quality and reduce carbon emissions.
IoC Chair Carl Lomas was on hand to listen to Mike Brown, new boss of TFL, responsible for 13 million passenger journeys a day.
Yodel has appointed former Arriva MD, Mike Cooper as its new chief executive officer. Mike will officially take up the position at the independent parcel carrier on 1 February 2016.
New CEO for Yodel appointed following a successful Christmas peak for Yodel, which saw the national courier award winning carrier handle 22 million parcels between 22 November and 24 December while achieving record customer satisfaction levels reported through the ‘have your say programme.’
Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said: “We're delighted to welcome Mike Cooper to the team. He has an impressive track record of galvanising people to deliver exceptional results and using consumer insight to drive a great customer experience. Mike will focus us still further on our ever improving service levels and provide impetus to Yodel’s growth ambitions.”.
Prior to joining Yodel, Mike spent nine years at Arriva plc, one of Europe's leading passenger transport providers, where he was deputy CEO and managing director. He also spent five years at easyJet as chief commercial officer, and four years at Thomson Holidays, where he was managing director of the direct sell business.
Exploding e-retail platform in the post Black Friday peak of 2015. It's not all parcels - pallets are going to home delivery. With a shift of pallets from classic B2B, in a recent IOC interview pallet network Pallex reported 30% of deliveries arrived at home address locations. Palletforce reported today central England investment in Staffordshire; 20 million to bring their facility to 50 million pounds, over 650,000 square feet and capacity for 30,000 pallets a night.
© 2025 Institute of Couriers