Yodel expands network

Yodel, the parcel delivery company, has opened a new service centre in Basildon, Essex, adding to its estate of over 60 locations around the UK.

The permanent centre, on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, opened its doors last month. Seventy van drivers operate from the site, supported by 54 office and warehouse staff, and are expected to deliver around 14,500 parcels per day in the run up to Christmas.

Trailers are received into the service centre from Yodel’s three central sorts, and parcels are then processed and sent out by van for delivery to the addressee.

The layout of the 50,000 sq ft centre has been designed with a focus on security, health and safety and operational efficiency, the latter of which has enabled drivers to leave the site earlier to start their deliveries.

Specific features include a drive-through briefing area, where drivers can obtain their daily instructions and equipment without having to leave their van; separate car parks and entrances for operational staff and employees and customers; new trailer bays and a one way system in the yard.

In addition Yodel’s Aberdeen site has been extended, by acquiring an adjacent unit at the Alterns Industrial Estate in Torry, to double the size of the existing service centre. The new space, which opened seven weeks ago, has been redesigned to provide a central base for the area and bring all the local workforce, some of whom had been working from satellite sites nearby, under one roof.

The company has also refurbished and reopened its service centre on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate, Ipswich. The improvements include state of the art sorting equipment, which will allow the site’s 90 drivers to start their tours earlier in the day.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said: "These acquisitions and improvements to our estate will further enhance our operational efficiency, providing our clients and their customers with an effective and proficient delivery service."