News

Family-owned logistics firm TM Logistics (TML) says the state of the economy and a downturn in key sectors is forcing it to reorganise its network, which will see driving jobs moved away from its Midlands heartland. The company will shed 20 jobs from three sites: Hams Hall, West Mids Pembridge, Worcs and Worcester. However, to cope with business growth elsewhere, another 14 driving posts have been created in Milton Keynes, Bucks Selby, North Yorks and Runcorn, Cheshire.

MD Grahame Taylor  says the move will help the Martley, Worcs-based firm to withstand any worsening of the economy. "What we have had to do is relocate equipment to where the volume is," he explains. "[It will help] to reduce empty running and get better vehicle utilisation." The company is also introducing the position of network controller who will "take a global view of the operation", says Taylor.

TML operates across three main sectors - packaging, insulation and automotive - and it is partly due to weakness in the latter two that the changes have become necessary. Despite the tough trading environment the firm will still plough some £2m into the business on new trucks and trailers between now and January 2008.  Taylor says that the pipeline for potential new business is looking promising, including added-value work for existing clients.

He adds: "For those doing it right, there will be big opportunities and we are quite confident that we are going to be picking some of those  off." TDG is reviewing staffing levels at the 12 depots it inherited when it acquired SCA Transport at the end of 2006. The logistics firm warns there will be redundancies, but at this stage is unable to say how many. The Unite union estimates a total of 30.