Sitra Group was launched in 1962. It employs approximately 1,150 people across 11 countries including the UK and operates a fleet of 700 owned trucks and over 2,000 trailers and containers, including liquid and powder food tankers.

The group, which last year reported a turnover of €165m, is largely owned by the Saelens family, with investment company Creafund holding the balance of shares since 2021.

The purchase of Abbey Logistics Group, which boasts an annual turnover of £75m, sees Sitra Group add nearly 600 staff and a fleet of 325 trucks and 550 trailers to its operations. Sitra Group has pledged that Abbey will continue to operate under its own name and livery. An Abbey Logistics spokesperson told MT that the company has no plans to make any staff redundant or to close any depots.

Abbey has been majority owned by private equity firm NorthEdge Capital since 2016, following a management buyout (MBO), led by Steve Granite, former chief executive and current chairman, who is to take on an advisory role at the company, following the acquisition.

Granite said: "Since our MBO we have successfully transformed Abbey from a £45m turnover family business to a £75m market leader and refocused the business on its core strengths as a specialist tanker operator in the UK.

"We are proud of how the business has grown, not just in revenue but in market share and maturity, to become the UK’s leading food tanker operator.

"With the unwavering support of NorthEdge and a great working relationship between the board and the investors, the business is now in great shape, and I am delighted to see it end up in the ownership of another family-owned business in Sitra Group who will undoubtedly develop the business and it’s people even further."

He added: "I would also like to say a huge thank you and well done to the employees of Abbey who have worked tirelessly to make Abbey the market leader it is today and I’m confident that being part of the Sitra Group will have a positive impact on our people and loyal customers.”

David Patten, Abbey Logistics Group MD, also welcomed the deal. He said: “I have worked with Sitra as a supplier during my time as a customer in Europe and I hold the company and its people in high regard.

"It is an exciting time in Abbey’s history to once again be part of a family-owned business and I am over the moon to be joining the Sitra team. This is great news for our employees and customers.”

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Jon Pickering, Northedge partner and chief investment officer, said: “We are proud to see Abbey joining forces with Sitra, another market-leading business with a strong commercial and cultural fit.

"Throughout our partnership, management have worked tirelessly to build a high-quality leadership team, retain and grow a blue-chip customer base, continuously improve operational efficiencies and develop a market-leading approach to talent attraction and retention to support scale.

"Abbey is now well positioned for future growth as part of Sitra, continuing to deliver world-class service to its customers, and we wish the whole team the best of luck in their next chapter.”

David Saelens, Sitra Group chief executive, said: “Sitra Group is delighted to announce the acquisition of Abbey Logistics Group. It is a milestone in Sitra’s history to acquire a renowned, well-established company like Abbey.

"Together with our partner Creafund we have been working almost a year on this deal and to now welcome the whole Abbey family to the Sitra group feels like the cherry on the cake.

"It was a great pleasure to work closely with Steve, Dave and Matthew who are truly professionals as well as the other members of the Abbey management. We have not only aquired a great company but we also welcome some of the best individuals in our industry.

"We are very much looking forward to welcoming and introducing every Abbey member in our organisation. Abbey will continue to operate under its own name and colours and Sitra is not intending to change whatsoever to the well-working organisation that Abbey is today.

"Since Creafund’s entry in Sitra Group, the size of the company has more than doubled and we are getting close to €300m turnover with over 2,000 employees, on course to our ambition which is to reach the €500 million milestone by 2026. Please allow me to thank everybody who was involved in making this deal happen “

Kenneth Depuydt, partner of Creafund added “We are extremely pleased to accelerate the strategic growth plan of Sitra by adding Abbey to our ambitious Group. We truly value the professionalism, the entrepreneurship, the reputation and all stakeholders, including all employees of Abbey tremendously.

"We hence warmly welcome Abbey as part of our Group and look forward to further consolidating the food logistics market together."

Abbey was advised by KPMG and DWF and Sitra was advised by EY.

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The committee is also demanding an end to the exemption of garbage, construction and small urban trucks from EU emission targets and that trailer manufacturers deliver a 12.5% cut in trailer emission performance by 2030.

While Britain is no longer in the EU, these targets will still impact UK fleet operators because most trucks used in the UK are manufactured in Europe.

MEPs voted for targets to cut the average emissions of new freight trucks by 45% in 2030 and 90% in 2040. For 2035 they called for a 70% target, higher than the 65% proposed by the Commission. They also said the standards should be extended to cover the 20% of heavy-duty vehicle sales which the Commission has proposed to exempt, such as garbage and construction trucks and small trucks designed for city deliveries.

Fedor Unterlohner, freight manager at green think tank Transport and Environment (T&E), said: "MEPs have doubled down on the environment ministers’ support for the draft targets, except they don’t want a fifth of polluting trucks to escape regulation.

"A broad consensus is clearly emerging between lawmakers that these targets are the minimum needed for the truck sector to decarbonise.”

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The MEPs said trailer manufacturers should improve the emissions performance of truck trailers by 12.5% in 2030 – a slightly weaker target than proposed by the Commission.

A separate target for trailers helps reduce the energy required to pull the trailer, ensuring zero-emission trucks can drive even further.

The environment committee followed the Commission and environment ministers in rejecting loopholes for trucks running on e-fuels and biofuels.

Most biofuels are unsustainable and e-fuels are regarded as a last option, only needed for sectors with no other options to decarbonise such as aviation and shipping.

T&E pointed to research which shows synthetic fuels would increase the total cost of ownership (TCO) of trucks by as much as 50%, even when produced in the most optimistic conditions. It also pointed out that these fuels still emit toxic air pollutants harmful to human health.

Unterlohner said: “Lawmakers have again rejected the oil industry’s attempts to waterdown the truck climate targets.

"A loophole for biofuels and e-fuels would ensure as many fossil powered trucks as possible enter the fleet over the coming decades and keep up demand for fossil fuels.

"We call on the Parliament plenary to keep the door closed to these Frankenstein fuels.”

The EU Parliament will decide its position on the CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles when it meets in plenary on 21 or 22 November.

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Air Cargo Transport, which offers road transport services for the air cargo sector, will operate from the company's 67,000 sq ft Westway Park facility at Glasgow Airport.

The launch also sees John Cunningham appointed as head of air cargo operations and Maureen Cunningham take on the role of head of security.

They will be supported by a dedicated team of Cargo Approved professionals, which the company said have many years of direct experience in the sector. The new venture has created 10 new jobs in total.

Managing director, John McKail (pictured), said: "This is a very exciting strategic development for our business, something we have been planning for 18 months. The introduction of this new transport solution for the air cargo sector will mean we can collect and deliver freight to or from key UK airports.

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"We have invested in a brand new fleet of Q7 roller bed trailers and will linehaul cargo between Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. We will operate under CAA approved Regulated Agent Status, with the mandate to manage known Secure Prior to X-ray (SPX) cargo."

Bullet Express has also launched a beers, wines and spirits service to meet rising customer demand. The company recently obtained a HMRC excise movement guarantee for the international and national shipping of beers, wines and spirits and has dedicated 30,000 sq ft of warehousing for customs bonded storage at Baillieston. Buket Express said this week that the bond license is in its final stages.

Commercial director, Martin Craghill commented: "Demand from our customer base has resulted in the creation of these addition service offerings. Bullet has a long-standing relationship with a number of household brands within these sectors.

"We have historically stored and shipped bottles, cans, or packaging on their behalf. Having license to expand storage and ship their liquids is a natural evolution for our business."

Bulk liquid transportation is a key part of this development, which the company said is an area of particular expertise that Craghill will develop with his team, aided by his long-standing experience in this area, having previously been at the commercial helm of Braid Logistics.

Bullet Express, which employs around 155 staff and operates a fleet of around 144 vehicles, operates from four operating facilities in Scotland at Bothwell, Baillieston, London Road, Glasgow and Westway Park at Glasgow Airport.

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The alliance promises DPD’s UK customers "frictionless" cross-border ecommerce selling and shipping to international customers by accessing ESW’s one-stop solution, which streamlines the process.

The partnership expands ESW’s UK market share and sees it supporting DPD's extensive network of top-tier retail and brand customers.

ESW said that brands that integrate with its DTC solutions can enter both domestic and new international markets in a "matter of weeks" while maintaining control over every aspect of their experience, from their data to the look and feel of their ecommerce sites to their content, catalogue, payments, fulfilment, and delivery and returns experience.

ESW’s Global Voices research of more than 16,000 consumers across sixteen countries, reveals a diverse map of demand for UK products. It found that the UK was one of the top three most shopped markets for international online purchases across categories including luxury goods (with 32% of consumers buying from British brands), clothing (29%), footwear (29%), cosmetics (27%) and consumer electronics (24%).

Martim Avillez Oliveira, ESW global chief revenue officer, said: "At ESW, our core mission is to facilitate seamless DTC access to brands seeking to find new ways to grow revenue, optimise inventory and improve margins using a cross-border strategy."

Jonathan Pratt, DPD UK director of sales and CRM, commented: “At DPD we are committed to innovating to offer our clients new opportunities to grow their businesses and add value.

"This alliance with ESW offers DPD customers the ability to seamlessly expand beyond the UK to sell and ship around the world, with the confidence that they are delivering the same quality shopping experience globally as they do locally."

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The changes to the proposals follow concerted lobbying from a number of EU countries. Under the amendments, the pollution limits for cars and vans would remain the same as under Euro 6. However limits for HGVs will be lowered and test conditions slightly adjusted.

The Council also unanimously backed limits for emissions from brakes and tyres, the first instance of such rules, as well as new standards on the durability of electric vehicle batteries.

The decision to retain lower emissions for trucks under Euro 7 regulations has not been welcomed by truck manufacturers, who argue that meeting the more stringent Euro 7 emission standards will divert their efforts to make the transition to electric and hydrogen powered vehicles.

The European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission must now negotiate a final agreement on the new regulations.

Announcing the changes, Spain's Héctor Gómez Hernández, acting minister for industry, trade and tourism, said: "We believe that, with this proposal, we achieved broad support, a balance in the investment costs of the manufacturing brands and we improve the environmental benefits derived from this regulation."

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) gave a mixed response. ACEA director general, Sigrid de Vries, said: "The member states’ position is an improvement on the European Commission’s Euro 7 proposal – which was entirely disproportionate, driving high costs for industry and customers, with limited environmental benefits.

She added: "The Council’s aim to continue the effective Euro 6/VI tests is sensible. However, compared to what is in place today, Euro 7 is much broader for new cars, vans and, in particular, heavy-duty vehicles, requiring significant engineering and testing efforts. As such, it will require huge additional investments from our industry at a time when it is pouring all its resources into decarbonisation.”

She continued: “Our industry is fully committed to tackling air pollution and climate change. We now call on member states, the European Parliament, and the Commission to work towards a Euro 7 regulation that will enable us to focus on these dual objectives while keeping vehicles affordable and our sector competitive.”

"The EU already has one of the world’s most comprehensive and stringent approaches to pollutant emissions from vehicles, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particles. State-of-the-art technology means that exhaust emissions are barely measurable," she claimed.

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Manufacturers have campaigned hard for changes, lining up OEM leaders to voice their concerns in a recently launched ACEA-led video campaign.

Martin Daum, Daimler Truck chairman took part, warning of the challenges manufacturers face to meet Euro 7 standards. He said: "It would be a big misunderstanding to think that Euro 7 would just be about changing one single vehicle component.

"To comply with Euro 7 manufacturers would need to invest heavily in research development, production, and testing facilities.

"Bottom line, it would cost our industry billions of euros and this would inevitably lead to higher prices for transportation and for customers. So Euro 7 would not be cheap at all, particularly for the environment."

Marco Licardo, Iveco Group chief technology officer also weighed in. He said: "In its current form, the timeline that the commission has established for light commercial vehicles is extremely challenging. For OEMs to produce 3.5 tonne vehicles that are Euro 7 compliant by summer 2025 is easier said than done. And the summer 2027 deadline for commercial vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes will be difficult. "

He added: "Iveco supports the EU standards but we request that the Commission provide the adequate lead times to develop and implement the required the new technologies and parameters that do not divert resources from other strategic advancements - in this case, our electrification and energy programmes."

Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck and Bus, warned that the Euro 7 proposal would tie up "significant" financial and human resources, which MAN estimates would cost 1 billion Euros, and these should be put towards developing zero emission vehicles insterad.

He called for a streamlined andholistic regulatory approach to support the transition to zero emission technologies and a move to enabling recharging infrastructures and hydrogen refuelling facilites.

However OEMs face concerted opposition from environmental campaigners, who will continue to lobby the EU for tougher measures on emissions.

Anna Krajinska, vehicle emissions and air quality manager at the campaign group Transport and Environment, said the council position on Euro 7 is a "disaster" which puts manufacturers' profits before people. She called on the European Parliament, which gets the final say on the amendments, to ensure a "meaningful" Euro 7 regulation.

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The donated truck will play a crucial role in training new HGV drivers and enhancing road safety across sub-Saharan Africa.

The vehicle, which comes from Fagan & Whalley’s current fleet, will be transported over 7,000 miles across the world to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia later this month. 

The ITC) has been partnered with Transaid since 2008 and is the leading vocational training centre for HGV driver training in Zambia. 

Sam Fagan, managing director, commercia, said: “At Fagan & Whalley, we believe proactively in paving the way for safer roads and communities, not just in the UK, but beyond. 

“It’s been a joy working with Transaid, whose values surrounding road safety are highly aligned with our own. For years we have placed a great emphasis on improving road safety within the UK, so to be able to extend this mission across to sub-Saharan Africa, too, means a great deal to us.

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“The truck we’re donating will be used to provide HGV training to new and existing drivers in Zambia, meaning not only will it contribute towards safer roads across the region, but it will help provide new career opportunities to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Here at Fagan & Whalley, family forms the very core of who we are - which is why knowing we can help people halfway across the globe provide for their families resonates so deeply with us. We’re thrilled to be involved.”

Florence Bearman, Transaid head of fundraising, added: "We’re all really excited by Fagan & Whalley’s generous donation. The vehicle that the team are providing us with is a relatively new model from 2014, which means it has a great deal left of life in it and will allow us to provide training for many years to come!” 

“Zambia is a landlocked country, which means there often are real difficulties in the transportation of goods due to unpredictable freight and logistics services.

"By increasing the number of qualified HGV drivers across the country, we’re not only improving road safety standards and the livelihood of drivers, but we’re simultaneously supporting the wider community and economy by allowing for easier transportation of medical supplies and commodities. We’d like to thank Fagan & Whalley again for this fantastic donation.” 

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Launched this month, DHL’s new customer portal offers regular customers a simplified booking process where they can easily access information on scheduled collections and live tracking for assurance that their consignments will be delivered on time and in full.

The international same day service is largely targeted at the aviation, pharmaceutical, automotive and energy sectors where businesses may have an emergency need to send time-critical documents, medical supplies, or spare parts for linefeed needed to prevent costly delays.

It offers customised delivery service, including a courier who will hand carry items from pick-up to drop-off, using dedicated vehicles for shipments with a temperature control need, and specialist transport for dangerous goods.

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Duncan Heron, VP at DHL Express said: “In the current environment with pressured supply chains and the increase in just-in-time manufacturing, as well as the need to safeguard brand reputation by delivering on promises, we recognise that an international same day service is more important than ever.

“Customers booking a same day service through us can take advantage of a wide range of trusted suppliers, that have all signed up to our rigorous SLAs – so they can rest assured they’re getting the best possible service in their time of need.”

DHL Express added that the revamp aims to meet customers increasingly high expectations for expedited delivery options and make it more competitive in a global same day delivery market which is predicted to grow to $20.8bn ($26.4bn) by 2027.

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Commenting this week on the group's purchase of the Kent-based haulier in July, Spencer-Knox (pictured), said Seafrigo PML's customers will benefit from the group's extensive geographic reach, providing a global, secure end-to-end solution, with seamless access to new supply chain routes all over the world, across road, air and ocean.

At the same time the deal brings on board PML's HMRC / DEFRA approved Border Control Posts, ERTS bonded warehouse facilities in Kent and Heathrow, and its UK customs handling service, which strengthens Seafrigo's strategy to retain complete control of the entire cold chain and avoid reliance on third parties,.

Seafrigo also sees the transaction as an opportunity to grow its European road freight offering, with the deal increasing its HGV fleet by a further 30 trucks, six of which feature powered roller bed floor systems.

The deal also benefits from Seafrigo's 47-year heritage, and PML 20 years of experience within the temperature-controlled goods sector, the group said.

Seafrigo Group, which was launched in France in 1979, specialises in the global transport of temperature-controlled food products. It operates from 25 locations across five continents and employs around 2,500 staff. 

PML operates from three locations in the UK, at Heathrow, Lincolnshire and Kent and offers air, ocean and road freight forwarding as well as warehousing and value-added services.

The acquisition saw all PML employees join the Seafrigo Group with immediate effect and its depots co-branded to PML Seafrigo with plans for the company to eventually take on the Seafrigo brand.

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Spencer-Knox said: “These are exciting times for Seafrigo and PML Seafrigo. Not only do the two businesses align in terms of their product offering and dedication to offering an exceptional service which ensures the transfer of temperature controlled goods with no break in the cold chain, they also share a similar ethos in terms of an overriding commitment to always place the needs of the customer at the heart of any corporate decision making, choosing to remain autonomous rather than developing reliance on services controlled by third parties.

"The sensitive nature of the freight that we both specialise in requires the utmost attention to detail to guarantee an efficient and speedy transfer to maximise shelf life, the ‘golden mile’ is a major hurdle for growers, producers and manufacturers especially in light of the additional challenges presented by Brexit, PML Seafrigo represents a safe and reliable partner to complete the journey.

"Bringing PML into the Seafrigo fold brings us one step closer to realising our ambition to become the fastest and largest integrated perishable supply chain provider in the UK and globally.”

Mike Parr, PML Seafrigo director added: “As a business we’ve always taken pride in being ahead of the curve, constantly innovating our product offering and adapting to the ever-changing needs of the industry.

"Our priority remains to offer a best-in-class service for perishable goods and by providing our customers with a direct route to the global infrastructure available via Seafrigo, we can continue to grow our operations, supplying genuinely worldwide logistics and supply chain solutions delivered with the outstanding knowledgeable and highly personalised customer care for which PML is renowned.

"After 20 years’ in the industry, we are looking forward to embracing this new phase of growth and expansion whilst also providing our staff with excellent career development opportunities.”

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The transaction sees InPost given the option to acquire the remaining stake over the next three years. InPost will also have two non-executive seats on the board of Menzies.

The deal follows an agreement between the two companies earlier this year which saw Menzies become InPost’s logistics provider in the UK.

Menzies has a national network of more than 100 depots and delivers to more than 47,000 locations every day. It has 5,000 staff and a fleet of more than 3,200 vehicles. Its network will allow InPost to expand rapidly in the UK.

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Greg Michael, chief executive of Menzies Distribution, said: “We are proud to partner with InPost and are excited about the opportunities this will create for our clients, our business, and our people.

"InPost and Menzies are uniquely positioned to deliver fast, sustainable delivery and returns in the UK benefiting consumers, retailers, suppliers, and our colleagues. We look forward to the future and supporting InPost’s next phase of growth in the UK.”

Michael Rouse, InPost International chief executive, said: “This relationship marks an important next step in InPost’s journey as we look to strengthen our position as the UK’s leading out-of-home delivery provider.

"Menzies has one of the largest time-critical delivery networks in the UK and we are excited by how the collaboration will enable us to accelerate our growth and the service we can offer our customers.”

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Announcing the deal, the French refrigerated food logistics giant said all PML employees will join the Seafrigo Group with immediate effect whilst all PML locations will, in the next few months, operate using a new co-branding, with a view to eventually taking on the Seafrigo brand.

PML operates from three locations in the UK, at Heathrow, Lincolnshire and Kent and offers air, ocean and road freight forwarding as well as warehousing and value-added services to its customers.

Seafrigo Group, which was launched in France in 1979, specialises in the global logistics flow of temperature-controlled food products. It operates from 25 locations across five continents and employs around 2,500 staff. 

Jason Knox, Seafrigo regional chief executive, said: “With its excellent market reputation and our shared expertise in the management and distribution of temperature-controlled goods this deal is the perfect fit for us.

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"Through an expanded airfreight capability which PML will bring to our operation, all our customers will be able to benefit from an improved service offering, expanded geographic coverage, scale of operations, improved buying power and enhanced service solutions”.

Mike Parr, PML chief executive, said: "For us this new era is very much business as usual for all our customers. We are delighted to become part of the Seafrigo Group which has more than 40 years’ specialist leadership in the temperature-controlled food logistics market.

"The deal provides us all with the opportunity to grow and enhance our business and to truly control the global logistics chain from origin to destination for our customers.”.

Seafrigo said that the UK PML operation will "plug-in seamlessly" to the global Seafrigo network enabling both companies' experts in their fields to leverage their knowledge to deliver an even better service for customers.

Eric Barbé, Seafrigo Group CEO, added: "I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new colleagues from PML. Together we have the synergies and determination to build the world’s leading end-to-end temperature-controlled organisation and I am delighted to have their team onboard”.

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