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Alliance Freight Network is set to open its doors later this year and will offer a domestic palletised goods network "with a slight twist on the whole scenario", says managing director Peter Shortt. The network, through a series of "strategic alliances", will offer members additional services of sea freight import and export and European groupage and parcels.

Shortt, who runs the business with development director James Eardley, says the core domestic pallet operation will be the only  service launched in the short-term, with the additional services "phased in" later.

"We've got everything in place, but we're not looking to run before we can walk," he says.

The new network is based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, in a 32,000sq ft hub, and has three members to date "from three phone calls", says Shortt, covering Northern Ireland, the Midlands and some parts of the North-west. He aims to have 35 members "as a bare minimum" on board at the launch.

Alliance Freight Network will become the 12th UK pallet network and will undoubtedly further raise concerns from rival networks of a saturated market and lack of quality hauliers to recruit.

Shortt, himself once a member of a pallet network, disagrees: "There's got to be a number of operators crying out to be members of a pallet network but the opportunities haven't been there for them.

"Smaller independent [operators] seem more embroiled in making a success of a network. I wouldn't want  any of the large multi-nationals as a member."