Davies Turner, the UK’s largest independent freight forwarding and logistics company, has taken first place in the European Logistics category of the UK’s premier freight and logistics awards event.
The British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) Freight Service Awards have been organised annually for over 30 years and are rightly seen as the Oscars of the UK freight services industry. At yesterday’s presentation Davies Turner also made the finalists shortlist in the Supply Chain Management category.
The company’s unique neutral e-freight quotation and booking platform for third party freight forwarders was seen by the independent judging panel as an innovation that makes it stand out in the marketplace, so becoming a worthy winner of the European Logistics category.
Philip Stephenson, chairman of the Davies Turner group comments: “Davies Turner is well known for its comprehensive European overland portfolio which offers direct groupage, part load and full load trailer services with dedicated express transit and super-express options.
“The market for European overland operations is very mature and highly commoditised; so the opportunities to differentiate the service offering are limited.
“Furthermore, a significant proportion of the traffic on the network is booked and contributed by other freight forwarding and logistics companies, which do not operate their own services.
“Increasingly, these important independent third party co-loaders have sought the ability to obtain immediate rates for any of our European overland export and import trailer services in real time, without having to resort to time-consuming telephone calls, emails or filling in online quote request forms.
“In response to this request, we have developed and implemented an online e-freight quotation and bookings portal specially aimed at the shipments of independent freight forwarders that can deliver instant online access to pricing, 24 hours a day for consignments up to three tonnes in weight or nine cubic metres in size.
“The success of the portal for both ourselves and these co-loaders has in turn led to our extension of access to the e-freight quotation and bookings portal for direct shippers as well, which enables all our customers to take advantage of the benefits that the portal delivers.
“Such instant online quotation systems are already available in the air and ocean environment. However, we believe that the introduction last year of the e-freight quotation and bookings portal, tailored specifically for shippers in the European trailer arena, , leaves us with a unique product in this otherwise very competitive and standardised sector of the overland freight forwarding business.
With these additions, the number of companies using Davies Turner’s online e-freight quotation and bookings portal is now at least 200 and in 2019, those users requested around 30,000 quotes via the online portal helping to eliminate thousands of time- and resource-consuming emails and phone calls for all parties, and reducing delays by providing users with more accurate real-time information online.
“Once again it gives us a Unique Selling Proposition in the market, which remains a characteristic of our company’s pioneering history, as we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary.
“This BIFA accolade is a great way to start such a landmark year.”
