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This year’s Microlise Transport Conference was held on 15th May and, true to form, was another successful event. A free one-day event open to anyone involved in the road transport industry, the conference offered an excellent opportunity for attendees to increase their knowledge of current industry related topics. Several leading figures presented key subjects that included particularly interesting ideas and projections about the future of our industry. Attended by 1200 fellow professionals, this conference was ideal for those interested in staying up to date with information and developing their business in line with future trends. Presentations in Brief Paul Strong (Technical Director of Google Cloud) This presentation provided a fascinating insight into the use of the Cloud and how it can shape companies in our industry going forward. It’s clear the future of transport lies in computers, technology and digital transformation, and Paul did a great job of explaining how technological devices are set to define our businesses. AI, Just in Time Everything and the Cloud were the focus of this presentation, but the themes offered plenty of scope to expand on this hugely important subject. Dr Jonathan Keating This talk was a highlight and was particularly interesting in terms of the growth of e-commerce, something that is set to affect everyone in the courier network in the coming years. There is no doubt that fewer people are going out to shop and instead choosing to buy online. This change in buying behaviour has a direct impact on the number of vehicles on the road and therefore also impacts congestion and the environment. The talk focused on the electrification of vehicles, the introduction of e-courier bikes to move goods and the vision for clean air zones. Marian Kitson (DVSA Director of Enforcement) This was an excellent discussion about the protection of drivers from unsafe, non-compliant individuals on the road. With more than ten thousand cameras out there, set to deter the dangerous drivers, Marian Kitson is intent on reducing vehicle related incidents. She explained how roadside vehicle checks found defected vehicles and illegal driver hour clocks and how this will be clamped down on in future. Elliot Shaw (Highways England) A huge topic of discussion throughout the UK courier network, congestion in this country is at an unsustainable level. A road network that allows free flowing traffic movement is key to our economy, which is why congestion is the single biggest issue we have to deal with. In this talk, Elliot Shaw explained how the road networks are set to change to accommodate the increased amount of freight on our transport routes. Planning has been laid out in five-year blocks, with the next block of strategic plans to be put in place between 2020 and 2025. Our industry is a rapidly evolving one and we are lucky to have such well-organised and well-attended events such as the Microlise Transport Conference. For anyone involved in freight forwarding and doing business throughout the UK courier network, attending conferences like this and keeping abreast of current information is extremely important. Planning for the future is vital in our line of work and any successful company owner or manager needs to stay up to date and move forward in line with industry practice. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their online courier network. 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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