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Anyone working in the transport sector has to deal with a lot of changes in a fast-moving and competitive industry. One of the biggest challenges yet comes from measures aimed at reducing the damage to our environment from delivery work. If you carry courier loads in London, you’ve certainly already encountered the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) – but you might not know that members of popular freight exchange network Courier Exchange (CX) are already finding it a lot easier to navigate. In this article, we’ll explore what the ULEZ means for the transport industry – and what help CX offers their members to deal with it. The Ultra Low Emissions Zone Introduced in April 2019, the ULEZ is pretty much what it says on the tin: a zone that restricts (through a levy) entry to the most polluting vehicles. We won’t go too deep into the details here, but the overall scheme means vehicles not compliant with the EU’s Euro-6 standards have to pay a charge each day they drive in the zone. Even more significant – especially to those who deliver courier loads outside the capital – is that more and more of these ULEZs are likely to come into force elsewhere around the country in the coming years. The London zone, which currently covers the same central area as the congestion charge, is already set to expand to the entire city, and other local authorities around the country have been looking into establishing their own. Wherever you do your work, then, it’s crucial you are prepared, informed and ready to deal with low emissions zones. Courier Exchange One of the most popular freight exchange networks in the UK, CX provides its more than 38,000 members excellent opportunities to buy and sell courier loads. On top of this core function, it also offers members integration with other platforms and, most relevant to this article, unique features like the ‘Multistop’ function. What is Multistop? Useful to both drivers and fleet managers, Multistop makes delivering more multiple courier loads simple, allowing users to post up to ten stops between the pickup and point of delivery on a single booking. This makes things easier for those offering the job as well as those doing it, allowing each side to clearly see the total distance travelled, rather than relying on POD data alone. Crucially, it also shows additional fees incurred – including notifying users if any scheduled stops fall within the ULEZ. Using Multistop to Navigate Ultra Low Emissions Zones Whether you’re an old hand at delivering courier loads or new to the transport industry, it’s crucial that you be able to turn a profit and complete jobs reliably. Multistop helps with this, as it clearly shows if a driver will need to enter any charged zones, and how much it will cost them to do so. Managers and those putting jobs out to tender can also benefit, as Multistop lists available compliant vehicles in the area and alerts users when a job is accepted. This means that drivers avoid extra charges, clients avoid extra fees, noncompliant vehicles stay out of restricted zones, and alternative or compliant vehicles get a chance to complete deliveries. Put simply, it’s a win-win situation. With the number of ULEZs set to increase significantly in the future, it’s well worth getting on board with a freight exchange that has experience helping members navigate them. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier loads in the express freight exchange industry. Numerous transport exchange businesses are networked together on their website, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.
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