Like many other logistics services providers, in recent years CB has had to face up to the problems of smaller deliveries, less efficient trips and rising transport costs. In the end the logistics organisation made an unusual proposal to the company’s management, explains Arjan de Jong, Transport Manager at CB. Why not work together with Audax, one of CB’s competitors, and make use of each other’s networks? The result: lower costs, a 10-30% reduction in kilometres travelled and time savings of 10-30% – as well as a positive operating result. The targets resulting from the Dutch Climate Agreement have also been comfortably achieved.
Cost savings combined with sustainability
An inventory revealed that there was considerable overlap between the networks of CB and Audax. Audax mostly made small drops with delivery vans, while CB handled bigger deliveries using box trucks. The various deliveries are now divided up and transported as efficiently as possible on a daily basis with the help of a self-developed tool. This smart process is not only generating financial savings, but also helping to increase sustainability.
Profitability
CB is combining profitability with sustainability in other areas too. Where possible, CB delivers goods to the outskirts of cities, after which electric vans and cargobikes distribute them in a carbon-neutral way. For trips within the Randstad region and over long distances cleaner fuels are used: GTL and LNG. The company has purchased cleaner diesel trucks with Euro 6 engines and, together with an innovative partner, has built its own e-truck for shorter trips. It also monitors the driving behaviour of its drivers closely, resulting in increased safety and efficiency when they are behind the wheel.
Compliance with Climate Agreement
Thanks to these measures, by 2020 CB will have cut its CO₂ emissions by 40% and its particulate emissions by 80%, which means it will be well on the way to achieving the targets laid down in the Climate Agreement. CB uses the online tool BigMile to validate these figures easily and the tool also generates analyses that offer an immediate insight into black spots, helping the company optimise its performance further. The results have been impressive: at the Top Sector Logistics Conference 2019 CB was presented with the first Lean & Green star. ‘We will now work towards the second and third stars!’
