Distribution and logistics

When deciding which type of transport meets your business' distribution needs, there are several logistical factors you may want to take into account.What you want to transportConsider the nature of the products you need to distribute. Are they perishable dangerous or expensive?If you transport perishable goods such as food, you may wish to consider specialised refrigerated transport.

If you transport goods that are classified as dangerous, you must meet requirements regarding packaging, labelling, training of drivers, etc. You can contact the Enquiry Point of the Department for Transport Dangerous Goods Branch on Tel 020 7944 2755 or email them at dangerousgoods@dft.gsi.gov.uk. When transporting people or live animals you will need to gauge the expected volume to ensure your transport has an appropriate capacity and meets health and safety standards.

Frequency and timing of deliveries:Your goods or services may need to go to single or multiple destinations in the UK, Europe or across the world.You need to decide:if you will deliver daily, monthly, etc,whether you want delivery capability to be available 24-hours a day,whether you can predict the dates and times you'll need to distribute your goodsmhow much control you want over the timing of your deliveries, eg whether your schedules fit with train timetables,how quickly you want goods to reach their destination.

Transportation costs:Transporting goods by air or courier tend to be the most expensive methods per unit, but can be the fastest. Using trains, ships or the post can be more cost-effective, but not always practical, especially if the goods are perishable. Email is another cost-effective delivery method but is limited to electronic files and data.