New freight network opened in Mullingar

A new road haulage initiative, PalletXpress Ltd, was recently launched by the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan in Mullingar. Company managing director and well-known GAA personality Tommy Carr explains more.

Tom Carr

The official launch of PalletXpress, Ireland’s first truly independent hub, was performed by the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan at its Mullingar base on July 19 last.

PalletXpress is a new development in Irish road freight distribution, focusing on the movements of palletised freight. Its central hub in Unit B at Forest Park, Mullingar Industrial Estate is based on a “hub and spoke” concept with members located throughout the 32 counties. They are responsible for collection and delivery within their own designated area, and then trunk locally-collected freight to the central hub in Mullingar each night, for onward delivery by other members.

“This is a very simple concept and it’s amazing to think that it has taken until now for something like this to happen in Ireland,” says PalletXpress managing director and well-known GAA personality Tommy Carr.

From left: Kieran Conlon, Managing Director, Transland Group and Paschal Taggart, Chairman, PalletXpress

“I was asked by Kieran Conlon, managing director of the Transland Group, to do a feasibility study and to come up with a business plan based on the UK model. Now that it has become a reality, we expect the business to be a big success.”

The PalletXpress concept is the brainchild of Conlon, who believed that if a number of high-quality hauliers from throughout the country pooled their resources together and could deliver into a central hub each night, each could offer a realiable nationwide service to customers while concentrating on collections and deliveries within their own areas.

It enables members to substantially reduce operation costs and takes away from Dublin-bound routes, thus reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Furthermore, as the hub operation takes place at night-time, customers can avail of even higher levels of service (e.g. later cut-off collection times, earlier deliveries, etc.)
Instead of clashing with other traffic at peak periods, the PalletXpress scenario requires that trucks operate to and from Mullingar between 8pm and 4am. Smaller rigid trucks are used to carry out local deliveries during the day, further reducing congestion at peak times.

A number of reputable hauliers have signed up to PalletXpress, including Woodside Distribution (Antrim), Carroll Transport (Tipperary), Go-Trans (Limerick) and Howley Distribution (Dublin).
“Ninety per cent of the hauliers involved are members and shareholders,” Carr explains.

“Given the problems facing hauliers such as spirralling fuel prices, escalating insurance premiums and increased journey times, they felt it made greater sense to pull together and that this was the best way forward. The fact that so many hauliers have put money into this shows how committed they are to the idea.”

A sophisticated IT system has been developed and customised by ProStrategy Ltd to centralise all operations, administrative and financial dealings between members. Barcoding technology has also been incoroporated, enabling customers to track their consignments via the internet.

From left: Noel Shannon, Managing Director of ProStrategy Ltd; Tom Carr, Managing Director of PalletXpress; Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan TD; Kieran Conlon, Managing Director of Transland Group

There has been an initial investment of EUR600,000 in the company and it is hoped to create up to EUR800,000 for the local economy. PalletXpress, which is chaired by Paschal Taggart, who is regarded as one of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs, is expected to grow from 10 employees to 40 within two years.

Speaking at the launch of the company in the Mullingar Park Hotel, Minister Seamus Brennan said that efficient transport and effective logistics were critical to Ireland’s success as an economy. He added that there was growing recognition that an integrated approach to infrastructural development and the role of transport providers was the key to effective logistics and supply chain management.

The Minister commended the promoters for their innovation in bringing this new concept in transport logistics to the Irish market.
“I believe that this system of freight distribution, based on the ‘hub and spoke’ system, will help to significantly reduce costs in the road haulage sector, enhance customer service and contribute to a reduction in traffic congestion,” he commented.

From left: Joe Byrne, Project Manager, ProStrategy Ltd and Marcel Dumitrescu, Software Developer ProStrategy Ltd with Minister of Transport, Seamus Brennan TD

Carr reveals that PalletXpress decided to set up their base in Mullingar because of its central location within the 32 counties and planned improvements to the road infrastructure in the region.

“In making our decision to base ourselves in Mullingar, we looked three years ahead when further improvements to the road network into the town are expected to be completed. We also looked at towns like Athlone, Portlaoise and Tullamore, but eventually opted for Mullingar because it is that bit closer to Dublin,” he says.

Tommy is one of the biggest names in the GAA, having played for and managed the Dublin footballers before taking charge of the Roscommon team at the end of 2002. During his playing career with Dublin, he won five Leinster medals, an All-Star award and played in three All-Ireland finals. He also toured Australia with the Irish Compromise Rules team.

His move to Mullingar two years ago made it possible for him to manage the Roscommon footballers, whom he guided to an All-Ireland quarter-final appearance last year. They also contested this year’s Connacht final against Mayo.

Tommy played most of his club football with Lucan Sarsfields and also had a spell with Ballymun Kickhams. He continues to line out for the Shandonagh club which is situated on the outskirts of Mullingar.

For further information on PalletXpress, check out the company website at www.palletxpress.com