Simarco Move To Sustainable Fuel

Simarco moves to power its fleet using sustainable alternative fuel.

We are pleased to announce that as a part of our sustainability strategy, Simarco has started to use HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel across its fleet.

HVO is a sustainable drop-in diesel alternative that offers superior operational and environmental performance over fossil diesel. It is synthesised from 100% renewable raw materials with a potential of reducing net CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90%.

Simarco will take a phased approach during this transition. During the initial phase, Simarco will be using 50% HVO in its ten 44T vehicles (trunkers) with the highest mileage in the network. Using 50% HVO will provide reduction of 45% in CO₂ emissions from these trunkers, resulting in an annual saving of 814 tonnes CO₂ emissions.

These savings will reduce the emissions per transported pallet to 0.009 tonnes CO₂ emissions/500 miles. To fulfil the fuelling requirements of these vehicles, Simarco has also invested in a 50,000 litres HVO fuel tank, which is installed at its Witham, Crittall Road hub.

The move forms part of our five-year road map to roll out our sustainability vision and goals.

Liverpool Port Strike Action Now Resolved

Dock workers at the Port of Liverpool have resolved their pay dispute with the port’s management, leading to the previously scheduled strike being cancelled.

600 Unite union workers were due to hold their fourth walk out today (14th November), but an increased pay offer from the port has brought an apparent end to the dispute, with the union and its members voting overwhelmingly to accept it.

The dispute had turned bitter, with both parties blaming each other for the breakdown in negotiations. Despite this, Peel Ports are believed to have gone back to the table with a revised offer that included a pay increase of between 14 and 18%.

Liverpool remains one of the busiest container ports in the UK. Therefore, news of an end to the disruption caused by the strikes will be well received by supply chain businesses, importers and exporters.

The Unite Union also represented the dock workers at Felixstowe who staged two week-long strikes in August and September. While that dispute seemed to be unresolved, the port went ahead and implemented an increase that had not been agreed and no further industrial action has followed.

Simarco Launch Mind Matters

Last month, Simarco were proud to announce our employee mental health forum, named “Simarco Mind Matters”, through which we aim to show our colleagues that we are listening and that we care.

We started by acknowledging that we could do more to assist our colleagues with their mental well being, and as a result we immediately expanded our Mental Health First Aider programme to try and build more support into our workplaces.

The forum was launched to coincide with October’s Mental Health Day, and to mark the occasion some fantastic resources were distributed company wide. All employees were encouraged to take a break and spend some time understanding what they could do to boost their own mental health and what support is available, internally and externally.

Mental health is a broad topic, which is estimated to impact one in four people in the UK every year. With society facing more than its fair share of challenges right now, the need to support our neighbours, family, friends and colleagues is as critical as ever.

Mental health can impact every one of us, so let’s make it a priority for all.

Simarco Team Celebrate 25 Years

The Simarco team got together to celebrate 25 years in business last weekend, with a gala event held at the amazing Braxted Park venue in Great Braxted, near Witham, Essex.

Staff members from offices and warehouses throughout the UK, including Bedford, Bristol, Gloucester, Heathrow, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Witham head-office, came together to enjoy an evening of festivities and celebration that marked our major milestone.

Braxted Park is a prestigious country manor house with 500 acres of parkland and a history dating back to 1342. The venue is one of Essex’s most desired locations for weddings, charity balls, festivals, business events, photo shoots and filming, which made it the perfect setting to celebrate our silver anniversary.

Formed in 1997, we have grown to be one of the UK’s leading independent freight operators, and now provide logistics services and supply chain solutions to an ever growing global customer base.

Simon Reed, Chief Executive, recently expressed his gratitude for this momentous achievement, saying “Thank you to everyone at Simarco for playing their part in our success.  And thank you to all our partners for their business and support over the years.” 

Customs Services Essential To Supply Chain

Customs related services have always been a critical part of the supply chain, but the need for importers and exporters to get this right has never been more essential than it is today.

Since the UK left the EU, Brexit enforced changes to the customs procedures, which added back another level of complexity. UK Customs then changed the entire process for all global imports when CHIEF, the electronic platform for submitting them, was replaced by CDS at the turn of this month, with Exports due to follow in March 2023.

We have structured our customs team to ensure we are able to offer a seamless customer experience, which is free from avoidable delays. Collectively, we are handing over 100,000 import entries every year from around the globe, covering a vast range of product types and with varying customs procedures.

Being connected to all the UK’s container ports, roro ports and customs terminals, we are able to provide fully automated and effective customs entry solutions for both imports and exports.

Please do not hesitate to contact us about us being your one-stop approach to all your customs requirements. We are confident we will provide you with peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on growing your international business.

Simarco Launch It’s First LMS

Simarco – Training to be the best: 

As part of our commitment to the ongoing development of our employees, we are excited to launch Simarco’s first ever Learning Management System.

This is the first time our colleagues will have access to a repository of easy to access self-development courses on all sorts of topics, including Microsoft applications such as Excel, wellbeing, and management.

We will also use the platform to drive compliance as well as boost our employee onboarding experience.

We are committed to helping our colleagues develop in an environment that supports curiosity, growth and learning, to allow them the opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive.

Servicing Amazon Euro Fulfilment Centres

It is impossible to deny the increasing presence of Amazon within the e-commerce market, as they continue to play a major role in the sales growth of many SME retail businesses through their marketplace platform.

The option to sell products online and to have the ‘sales order to consumer’ fulfilment taken care of by Amazon is often advantageous to smaller and fledgling businesses, who can then focus more heavily on their products and growth.

However, getting your products into their European fulfilment centres is not always easy and has certainly not been simplified since the UK left the European Union. If this is something your business can relate to, or you are just looking to improve your costs and/or delivery times, then Simarco have the perfect solution for you.

Simarco are distributing to many of Amazon’s European (and UK) fulfilment centres on a daily basis and provide our European e-commerce service as outlined below:

• Collections throughout UK.
• Dedicated daily line haul.
• All commodities catered for (including ADR products).
• Non Inventory services available.
• Consolidated stock movements to most of European AMAZON distribution centres.
• On-line access to your shipment data including export entries/Import clearances.

If you are working with Amazon in Europe, we would be delighted to hear from you to discuss more about how we can connect you better.

Leading The Way, Everyday To France

Simarco continue to lead the way into France with our established daily groupage and express services into Paris and beyond. For those still feeling the logistical impact of Brexit on their exports to our nearby neighbours, then it’s time to talk to one of the industry leaders.

With driver accompanied trailers leaving both our Witham and Stoke-On-Trent warehouses every weekday, we offer competitive pricing for standard and express services to customs compliant French depots, and for door deliveries throughout the country.

Our services can include fully automated customs clearance in the UK and in France, which can be enhanced for DDP shipments using our DDP Regime 42 smart border clearance process. If you are not using the Regime 42 option to eliminate delays caused by VAT and duty payments, then please contact us to find out more.

Simarco are one of the leading logistics providers in Europe. Through the use of the latest technology and an extensive network of partners, we provide a reliable and cost effective connection to Europe for your business.

Want to know more? Contact us now.

Simarco Launch Employee Engagement Forum

We are delighted to introduce the launch of “Simarco Connections”, a forum to further enhance our employee engagement across the company.

Simarco is committed to creating a positive and collaborative workplace, connecting with each other, and becoming one Team.  

Our employee engagement forum is just one of many employee engagement initiatives that we are undertaking to ensure we create a supportive and productive environment, leading ultimately to an even better experience for our colleagues and valued customers alike.

CDS Replaces CHIEF Next Week – Are You Ready?

As we have communicated previously, HMRC will be changing the customs process for import and export ports by replacing the current CHIEF system for imports next week. According to HMRC, the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) will be in place as outlined below.

• 30 September 2022 – CDS will replace CHIEF for UK import declarations.
• 31 March 2023 – CDS will replace CHIEF for UK export declarations..

Therefore, the import changes are effective NEXT WEEK.

ACTION IMPORTERS ABSOLUTELY MUST TAKE NOW… 

1. All businesses MUST register themselves for CDS through their own Government Gateway portal. 
   Get access to the Customs Declaration Service – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
   
   A trader checklist is available from the GOV.UK website. To download, please use this link: 
   UK Trader Checklist: Moving to CDS 
2. Importers with Customs Deferment facilities MUST set up a new direct debit for their accounts to work with CDS. The current CHIEF direct debit will not work after 30th September.
   Set up CDS Deferment Direct Debit

Please note that if you have not registered for CDS prior to the dates outlined above, an export or import declaration cannot be made on your behalf. This will mean your goods are unable to export from UK (for UK departures) or clear UK customs (for UK arrivals).

 If you have any questions, please contact cdsenquiries@simarco.com