The options of using rail, sea freight or the road haulage throughout Europe creates an extremely fragmented range of options for the users of these freight solutions.  The result of this has been to commoditise freight and create an extremely competitive yet diverse range of options for the users of freight delivery services.

The complexity of the needs of clients of these services does not easily fit with the varying strengths of the providers and therefore makes the choice of which solution to use very difficult.  In choosing just one provider elements of the service may ultimately suffer but will be put up with for the sake of cost and the upheaval that choosing a new supplier will create (better the devil you know!).

The ability to marry the diverse requirements of the customer with the relative strengths of the various providers is one of the key skills of a freight management company.

An in depth audit of a clients freight and distribution requirements linked to the strategic aims for their organisation will lead to a robust system of freight management, such as that provided by Bridgeway, that covers all aspects of the company’s delivery solutions.

Bridgeway’s Freight Management system for organising and effecting the movement of freight and the provision of haulage is unique.  During the last 26 years Bridgeway have perfected this system for coordinating over 2500 of the European Haulage and distribution companies to meet the needs of its customers.

What makes us different?

The Bridgeway system has been developed by working closely with its customers and listening to their needs and demands.  Some of the key areas that our customers are focused on are;

• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Communication
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Accuracy
• Spread
• Value

Focusing on these important areas Bridgeway have solved a varied number of issues related to these key areas some of which are outlined below.

Reasons for change

Desperate customer service departments that are spending more time chasing the delivery than getting the next order.

Unproductive sales reps out in the field, who are spending more time apologising for the last delivery because it was late or damaged than building the relationship to new levels.

Frustrated production planners having to expedite repeat orders to replace product damaged in the delivery process.

De-motivated customer service staff that deal with regular abuse from buyers because they are unable to give that buyer a clear answer to the simple question “where is my order?”

Anxious field reps who avoid selling into certain areas due to the poor service levels experienced in the delivery of orders to that area.

Angry production directors who move heaven and earth to make superb product in a timely manner, that repeatedly arrives in a poor condition (if at all).

Concerned MD’s who spend more time in management meetings acting as broker between Sales, Production, Finance and Distribution departments arguing about logistical issues.

Frustrated finance departments dealing with the myriad of stealth surcharges imposed by the various freight and distribution companies.

Desperate transport and logistics departments searching for that extra vehicle to cope with the increased demand or deciding which customer will have to suffer the consequences.

Angry marketing directors who tell a great story of the quality of their company’s product only to find that the company’s reputation for quality has been totally destroyed because the delivery didn’t equate to quality of the product.

Frustrated sales reps whose bonuses are affected because the deliveries are late and future sales are reduced, ultimately leading to apathy and resignation.

What now?

If any of these resonate with you then just pick up the phone and call us now on 0845 230 1600, email us on logistics@bridgewayfreighting.co.uk , fax us on 0845 230 4618 or complete the form in the contact us page.

Effective solutions for freight management and haulage – Bridgeway Freighting taking the fright out of freight.

Where to site our warehouse(s) can occasionally be straightforward, however in the vast majority of cases this can be extremely complicated and frustrating.  Taking into account all of the variables that impinge on the right location which must ultimately lead the most suitable location to deliver the strategy for the company not now but into the future.

The decision of using third party warehousing facilities or keeping it in house is just as difficult in most cases.  The advantages of in house are clear to most of us, however it can lead to a restriction in the agility of the organisation to change and adapt to an ever faster moving market.

Stock as a balance sheet item may be appealing and is often seen as a strategy for the business.  The changing nature of the market means that stock can ultimately lead to huge write offs of redundant stock.

Visibility within an organisation and up and down the supply chain is usually the key to managing the inventory of both raw materials and finished goods.  Ensuring that minimum stocks are held and replacement stocks are ordered at the right time.  Organisations that are lean and agile tend to be able to compete in the market place more effectively or lead the field with innovative products and methods of delivery to the market.

Decoupling of the supply chain at the appropriate point is key to developing more agile organisations linking this to a drive towards lean processes help to build world class organisations for the future.

An in depth audit of a clients warehousing and distribution requirements linked to the strategic aims for their organisation will enable the development of a robust system for managing inventory, minimising stock to effective levels, managing external and internal warehousing of both raw materials and finished product, and pin pointing decoupling points in the supply chain.

Bridgeway have been involved in a variety of warehousing and distribution solutions either providing the facility directly managing third party warehouses or helping to shape the strategy and facilitate the effective use of existing space.  Being immersed in an ever changing world helps Bridgeway to provide an overview of the wide variety of cutting edge, world class options available to its clients.

What makes us different?

The Bridgeway system has been developed by working closely with its customers and listening to their needs and demands.  Some of the key areas that our customers are focused on are;

• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Visibility
• Lean and Agile
• Communication
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Accuracy
• Value
• Future Proof

Focusing on these important areas Bridgeway have solved a varied number of issues related to these key areas some of which are outlined below.

Reasons for change

Frustrated production directors who spend vast amounts of time and resource on monthly and annual stock takes.

An embarrassed customer service team who are unable to give their customers a clear answer to the simple question “where is my order?”

Anxious field reps who avoid selling certain products due to the poor service levels experienced in the delivery of those product lines.

Frustrated production planners having to expedite orders due to unforeseen shortages of raw materials.

Too much time is spent by frustrated business owners, chasing information on the status of stock (raw or finished) rather than managing their business.

Angry production directors who move heaven and earth to make superb product in a timely manner, that repeatedly arrives in a poor condition (if at all).

Concerned MD’s who spend more time in management meetings acting as broker between Sales, Production, Finance and Distribution departments arguing about logistical issues.

Angry Production Directors who are continually battling for more space for the important job of producing and not storing product.
Frustrated finance departments dealing with the unwieldy balance sheet items of raw material and finished goods stock.

Angry marketing directors who tell a great story of the quality of their company’s product only to find that the company’s reputation for quality has been totally destroyed because there isn’t enough of the right product in the right colour or the right size at the right place at the right time.

Frustrated sales reps whose bonuses are affected because the deliveries are late and future sales are reduced, ultimately leading to apathy and resignation.

What now?

If any of these resonate with you then just pick up the phone and call us now on 0845 230 1600, email us on logistics@bridgewayfreighting.co.uk , fax us on 0845 230 4618 or complete the form in the contact us page.

Effective solutions for warehousing and distribution – Bridgeway Freighting taking the fright out of freight.

Supply chains are what makes an organisation.  No matter what your company does what size it is or where it’s headed; the agility and flexibility of your supply chain will determine how far you are able to go.

The complexity that is naturally associated with the supply chain for your organisation is very probably unique.  No one can understand how it works and hangs together better than you.  Many of our clients express their problems by their inability to “see the wood for the trees” therefore help in determining clear strategy and visibility throughout the supply chain are often motivators for change.

The complexity of the needs of clients does not easily fit with the varying strengths of the practitioners in this field and therefore makes the choice of where to turn particularly difficult.  Strategic partners whose expertise dovetails across all disciplines in the supply chain create a cohesive solution to this problem.

The ability to marry the diverse requirements of the customer with the relative strengths of the various providers is one of the key skills of a company like Bridgeway Freighting.

An in depth audit of a clients supply chain linked to the strategic aims for their organisation will enable the development of a robust system for managing inventory, minimising stock to effective levels, managing external and internal warehousing of both raw materials and finished product, pin pointing decoupling points in the supply chain and ensuring on time in full deliveries to customers.

What makes us different?

The Bridgeway system has been developed by working closely with its customers and listening to their needs and demands.  Some of the key areas that our customers are focused on are;

• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Visibility
• Lean and Agile
• Utilisation
• Communication
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Accuracy
• Spread
• Value

Focusing on these important areas Bridgeway have solved a varied number of issues related to these key areas some of which are outlined below.

Reasons for change

Frustrated managing directors who despite new products can’t seem to shift the organisation quickly enough to take advantage of the opportunities.

Angry managing directors who tell a great story of the quality of their company’s product only to find that the company’s reputation for quality has been totally destroyed because the delivery didn’t equate to quality of the product.

Irritated managing directors who spend too much time dealing with the day to day detail of logistics rather than managing the strategic aims of the organisation.

Alarmed Managing Directors who spend more time in management meetings acting as broker between Sales, Production, Finance and Distribution departments arguing about logistical issues.

Frustrated production planners having to expedite repeat orders to replace product damaged somewhere between the end of production line and the final delivery.

De-motivated customer service staff that deal with regular abuse from buyers because they are unable to give that buyer a clear answer to the simple question “where is my order?”

Anxious field reps who avoid selling into certain areas due to the poor service levels experienced in the delivery of orders to that area.

Angry production directors who move heaven and earth to make superb product in a timely manner, that repeatedly arrives in a poor condition (if at all).

Frustrated finance departments dealing with the myriad of stealth surcharges imposed by the various warehousing companies, forwarders, hauliers or parcel and pallet delivery providers.

Unproductive sales reps out in the field, who are spending more time apologising for the last delivery because it was late or damaged than building the relationship to new levels.

Frustrated sales reps whose bonuses are affected because the deliveries are late and future sales are reduced, ultimately leading to apathy and resignation.

What now?

If any of these resonate with you then just pick up the phone and call us now on 0845 230 1600, email us on logistics@bridgewayfreighting.co.uk , fax us on 0845 230 4618 or complete the form in the contact us page.

Effective solutions for managing your supply chain – Bridgeway Freighting taking the fright out of freight.

There a multitude of pallet networks in the UK and indeed throughout Europe.  They range from franchised networks to loosely aligned members through to large corporate networks.  The result of this has been to commoditise palletised freight and create an extremely competitive yet diverse range of options for the users of next day and economy pallet delivery services.

The complexity of the needs of clients of these services does not easily fit with the varying strengths of the providers and therefore makes the choice of which network solution to use very difficult.  In choosing just one provider elements of the service may ultimately suffer but will be put up with for the sake of cost and the upheaval that choosing a new supplier will create (better the devil you know!).

The ability to marry the diverse requirements of the customer with the relative strengths of the various providers is one of the key skills of a freight management company.

An in depth audit of a clients freight and distribution requirements linked to the strategic aims for their organisation will lead to a robust system of freight management, such as that provided by Bridgeway, that covers all aspects of the company’s delivery solutions.

Bridgeway’s Freight Management system for organising and effecting the movement of freight and the provision of effective single pallet and small consignment deliveries is unique.  During the last 20 years Bridgeway have perfected this system for analysing and matching the range of services and relative strengths of the myriad of networks to meet the needs of its customers.

What makes us different?

The Bridgeway system has been developed by working closely with its customers and listening to their needs and demands.  Some of the key areas that our customers are focused on are;

• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Communication
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Accuracy
• Spread
• Value

Focusing on these important areas Bridgeway have solved a varied number of issues related to these key areas some of which are outlined below.

Reasons for change

Desperate customer service departments that are spending more time chasing the delivery than getting the next order.

Unproductive sales reps out in the field, who are spending more time apologising for the last delivery because it was late or damaged than building the relationship to new levels.

Irritated operation directors who spend too much time dealing with the day to day detail of logistics rather than managing the strategic aims of the organisation.

Frustrated production planners having to expedite repeat orders to replace product damaged in the delivery process.

De-motivated customer service staff that deal with regular abuse from buyers because they are unable to give that buyer a clear answer to the simple question “where is my order?”

Anxious field reps who avoid selling into certain areas due to the poor service levels experienced in the delivery of orders to that area.

Angry production directors who move heaven and earth to make superb product in a timely manner, that repeatedly arrives in a poor condition (if at all).

Alarmed Managing Directors who spend more time in management meetings acting as broker between Sales, Production, Finance and Distribution departments arguing about logistical issues.

Frustrated finance departments dealing with the myriad of stealth surcharges imposed by the various parcel and pallet delivery providers.

Angry marketing directors who tell a great story of the quality of their company’s product only to find that the company’s reputation for quality has been totally destroyed because the delivery didn’t equate to quality of the product.

Frustrated sales reps whose bonuses are affected because the deliveries are late and future sales are reduced, ultimately leading to apathy and resignation.

What now?

If any of these resonate with you then just pick up the phone and call us now on 0845 230 1600, email us on logistics@bridgewayfreighting.co.uk , fax us on 0845 230 4618 or complete the form in the contact us page.

Effective solutions to freight management and haulage – Bridgeway Freighting taking the fright out of freight.

The complexities of exporting your products – knowing which forms to complete and understanding whether they are completed properly – can be daunting and may mean the difference between success or failure.  The same can be said of importing either raw materials, semi finished products or finished goods for distribution in the UK.

Being on an island necessitates a combination of modes of transport to either bring goods in or get them exported to Europe or indeed the rest of the World.  The highly diverse range of options available to you to move your products can be confusing and frustrating, therefore once a method has been chosen we find many of our clients stick with what they know.

There are however new developments on a regular basis with new services being added to provide more effective and efficient routes.  How do you manage the myriad of options available to you and avoid those frustrations?  Who worries about the decision to use the new route?  Who is frustrated getting clear information to enable the requirements of customer service to be linked with the efficiencies available on various routes?  Managing these combinations through the use of experienced professionals can prove extremely beneficial to both the bottom line and, dare it said, “The worry lines”.

An in depth audit of a clients import and export requirements linked to the strategic aims for their organisation will lead to a robust system of freight management that covers all aspects of the company’s potential modes of transport whether it be road, rail, air or sea.

Bridgeway’s Freight Management system for organising and effecting the movement of your products and the provision of various modes of transport is unique.  During the last 20 years Bridgeway have perfected this system for coordinating a vast number of multimodal operators, shipping lines and air freight consolidators to meet the needs and demands of its customers.

What makes us different?

The Bridgeway system has been developed by working closely with its customers and listening to their needs and demands.  Some of the key areas that our customers are focused on are;

• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Communication
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Accuracy
• Spread
• Value

Focusing on these important areas Bridgeway have solved a varied number of issues related to these key areas some of which are outlined below.

Reasons for change

Too much time is spent by frustrated business owners, chasing information on the status of consignments rather than managing their business.

Buyers who are angry, that their trust in large companies is misplaced, when commitments to service fail despite the higher charges.

Angry that the price isn’t the price!  The surcharges can be extortion can’t they?

Frustrated production planners having to expedite repeat orders to replace product damaged in the delivery process.

An embarrassed customer service team who are unable to give their customers a clear answer to the simple question “where is my order?”

Anxious field reps who avoid selling into certain areas due to the poor service levels experienced in the delivery of orders to that area.

Angry production directors who move heaven and earth to make superb product in a timely manner, that repeatedly arrives in a poor condition (if at all).

Concerned MD’s who spend more time in management meetings acting as broker between Sales, Production, Finance and Distribution departments arguing about logistical issues.

Frustrated finance departments dealing with the myriad of stealth surcharges imposed by the various modes and methods of import and export.

Angry marketing directors who tell a great story of the quality of their company’s product only to find that the company’s reputation for quality has been totally destroyed because the delivery didn’t equate to quality of the product.

Frustrated sales reps whose bonuses are affected because the deliveries are late and future sales are reduced, ultimately leading to apathy and resignation.

What now?

If any of these resonate with you then just pick up the phone and call us now on 0845 230 1600, email us on logistics@bridgewayfreighting.co.uk , fax us on 0845 230 4618 or complete the form in the contact us page.

Effective solutions to freight management and haulage – Bridgeway Freighting taking the fright out of freight.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

The Thompson Technik plant at Pontycymer, South Wales manufactures plastic components for the automotive and agricultural industries including Ford. The automotive industry is renowned for working to Just In Time principles where deliveries must be on time and 100% reliable.

Bridgeway had been occasional suppliers to Thompson for several years but the volumes increased rapidly in the summer of 2004. Bridgeway are now the preferred supplier of transport services to the South and East of the UK for Thompson Technik, having provided an excellent, reliable service.

Although the majority of loads are within the UK we have also successfully organised several inter company transfers from all over Europe to their factory at Bridgend

Bridgeway started working with GSK by moving small consignments of blackcurrant concentrate from Cardiff to their plant in Coleford. The consignments were always urgent and needed to be delivered within a couple of hours so that continuous production could be maintained.

We were soon asked to help with the movement of a couple of loads from Dorset to their distribution warehouse in Sharpness near Gloucester. These loads were requested at very short notice needing to be collected within a couple of hours of notification. The success of these initial jobs led to Bridgeway being given responsibility for the movement of all of the production from Dorset, up to 1700 tonnes per week.

Before Bridgeway became involved a constant lack of communication led to a total breakdown in the trust between the production, transport and distribution functions.

Production plans could not be met due to delays and breakdowns, leading to wasted journeys, idle vehicles and empty distribution warehouses, possibly resulting in unfulfilled customer orders.

Bridgeway undertook a study to visit all production, despatch and distribution staff in Dorset and Gloucester to establish a good working relationship. This led to far better channels of communication enabling a smoother product flow. Bridgeway did not get involved with improvements to the production line or relieve the pressures on the distribution warehouse but could make those parts of the chain more harmonious and consequently more efficient.