Month: February 2024

Ask any haulier about the prospect of changing their Transport Management System (TMS) – and they will probably go very pale. It is an enormous undertaking and, if not managed well, can wreak havoc with your logistics operation. So much is at risk given the platform controls nearly all aspects of business; resource planning, routing of vehicles, order creation, invoicing, pallet tracking, proof of delivery, customer communication … the list goes on. When we were selecting our platform provider, we knew we had to bring all these variables together in beautiful harmony to ensure the system was fit for purpose for our team, whilst also providing best-in-class functionality for our customers.

We only went and did it!

When we signed on the dotted line with Qargo, we didn’t just sign up for an ‘off-the-shelf’ package. Instead, we joined an exciting partnership with an exceptional team of developers. Together, we have designed, tested, created and rolled out an IT platform that is, without doubt, sector-leading. In the run up to ‘Going-Live’, we collectively spent over 2,500 hours within the Qargo-Verse in a sandbox test environment, where we experimented with over 5000 non-live consignments.

Thanks to all the hard work that went into the 10-month development phase – the ‘Go-Live’ experience was, dare we say it, painless! We knew what to expect and when. The preparation enabled us to deploy the plan precisely. When we entered what Qargo refer to as the “Critical Care Phase” during the ‘Go-Live’ transition, the Qargo team were on site with us, and a team of platform developers were working 24/7 behind the scenes to set our systems up as we needed.

The Go Live experience – Seamless Deployment

Within less than 24 hours of ‘Going-Live’, we had over 1000 consignments booked on the new Qargo TMS, with API integrations flowing with customers and partners as well as full cross dock functionality and driver application. Everything just works! Our teams within the office, the yard and our drivers really love the intuitive way the software delivers solutions.

A few years ago, AI-supported job entry and full fleet route optimisation was a dream. Now it’s our reality and we love it.

Thank you Qargo!

How do you achieve a perfect work-life balance?

We are constantly in awe of our employees and what they juggle in day-to-day life: childcare, caring for parents, health challenges – all before you have even left for work!

As a family-run business, we do all we can to shoulder these challenges and flexible working practices have become a given to help find the perfect balance. For LGV drivers, some flexible solutions aren’t an option, hence the title of this post, but that doesn’t stop us.

The beauty of running a 24/6 logistics operation is that there are plenty of hours within the working week to be creative with shift patterns. We really can write the script for our employee’s working hours – In our team of 65 drivers, we proudly have 24 different working patterns, and we’ll happily create more!

We achieve balance when the set of variables is right for each person. For the employee, pressure is removed, and life is easier and more rewarding. For Anglia Freight, our vehicles have a driver in their optimal state – life distractions are reduced, fatigue is less, and attention behind the wheel is improved.

In 2023, we approved 11 flexible working requests; here’s a few

  • Kevin and Peter both moved to a 4-day week for health balance.
    ‘My knees give me a lot of problems. Having a Wednesday off gives me a break mid-week and I can rest and attend doctor, hospital or physio appointments.’
    ‘I found myself getting a lot of health problems, requiring doctor/hospital visits on Wednesdays. Anglia Freight approved the request with no issue, and if I can’t get my appointments for Wednesday, they allow me to switch days. As a result, my attendance has improved.’
  • Richard requested a 4-day working pattern due to family commitments and a staged approach toward retirement.
    ‘My extended personal time allows me to uphold family commitments and undertake longstanding hobbies. The request was handled promptly following consideration of any impact on the business whilst happily meeting my expectations.’
  • Darren requested flexible working to provide care for his father.
    ‘Due to a sudden change in my father’s health, I found myself regularly travelling to Hertfordshire to help with his care and support. This became more challenging to manage alongside my own home life and work. After speaking with the HR team, a flexible working request was agreed upon, reducing my working week to 4 days and having every Monday off. I can now spend more time caring for my father, including speaking with health care professionals on my Monday off work. This has also helped my mental health and resilience, as I am less tired and stressed.If you would like to discuss flexible working options with Anglia Freight, we’d love to talk to you – contact us via hr@angliafreight.co.uk