UPS to rebrand Kiala locations to expand delivery options

UPS has announced it will be making efforts to rebrand various Kiala locations throughout Spain to make these co-branded as UPS Access Point locations. This will be an initial step in the bid to transform all Kiala locations to UPS Access Point locations, which is due for completion in 2016.

Online retailers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK can now have their goods shipped directly to a UPS Access Points/Kiala location as an alternative to home delivery, in addition to providing an opportunity for retailers and consumers to meet with growing cross-border e-commerce.

Within Spain, consumers who are not available for a residential delivery will be able to have their parcels and package re-directed to a UPS Access Point/Kiala location, giving them opportunity to pick up their shipments at their own convenience. In most instances, shipments will be able to be collected from the location point the same day.

Christoph Atz, Managing Director for UPS Spain has said: "These additional services address the results of our 2013 Pulse of the Online Shopper survey in which consumers indicated that they want more control over when and where their purchases are delivered, and a convenient returns process. Additionally, it contributes to our sustainability efforts by reducing the number of return trips a driver needs to make to an address, which lowers carbon emissions."

UK Transport Secretary opens new refuelling station at UPS facility

Patrick McLoughlin, the UK's Transport Secretary, recently opened a brand new biomethane refuelling station at one of UPS's hubs within central England.

The newly introduced refuelling station is located at UPS's site in Tamworth, Staffordshire, with it being used by the parcel delivery company's 20 duel-fuel tractor vehicles, using a combination of diesel and biomethane - a renewable fuel.

George Willis, UPS's Managing Director for the UK, Ireland
and Nordics (left), with UK Secretary of State, Patrick
McLoughlin (right)

UPS has said the alternative fuel use that calculated a 40% decrease in carbon emissions and "very low" levels of air pollution. The vehicles are able to travel for longer distances and overnight.

The Director of Sustainability at UPS Europe, Peter Harris has commented: "The transport sector has very limited access to biomethane, as government incentives for producers tend to be preferential towards the energy sector where other alternatives more readily exist." Harris continued: "We hope [this] can encourage a discussion on how best to address this discrepancy."

Biomethane-powered vehicles were first introduced to the UK during the London 2012 Olympics, with UPS being the official logistics partner of the games. It was decided the company would incorporate its vehicles on a permanent basis within the UK following the Games.

McLoughlin commented, on opening the new station located in Tamworth: "I  am really pleased to see this in action here in Tamworth. We are keen to see more use of biogas, which is why we have extended tax incentives on all gas transport fuels. This will provide more support for those considering investing in these technologies."

TNT Express to invest $85m into building regional hub near Brisbane, Australia

TNT Express is due to invest 85 million Australian dollars into building a new headquarters distribution centre located near Brisbane, Australia. The new site will reach 72,000 square metres in size, situated at Redbank within the city of Ipswich. With construction to begin this month, its expected completion date is June 2015.

TNT Express has said the new depot will provide state-of-the-art parcel sorting technologies that will be able to process 15,000 parcels per hour, whilst also being able to cut carbon emissions by up to 20%.

The parcel delivery company is said to recruit from the local area; the facility is expected to introduce 300 full-time jobs.

Regional Director for TNT Express Queensland, Peter Gutsche, has commented: "The new TNT Express Redbank logistics hub will be a major facility in this important and growing area of Queensland. It will contain some of the most technologically advanced and innovative parcel sorting technology available to improve the operational efficiency and security of our customers' shipments."

The new construction is part of a broader investment for TNT Express in Australia, including the introduction of new "super hubs" in Sydney and Melbourne, due for completion in 2015.