Ipswich-based Karl King Transport – established in 1991 to provide end to end transport solutions for goods coming into the UK by port – has joined the Fortec Distribution Network.

The company joined the network in October as part of plans for its continued growth.

With several years of experience as a driver under his belt, company MD Karl King used a £2,000 loan to set up his business.

Karl had spotted a gap in the market, with no hauliers transporting containers straight from the port, or providing storage and delivery in a one-stop shop.

More than this, Karl realised there was a need for changes in the industry – with companies needing to be more proactive and to work to improve customer satisfaction and communication.

Starting out with just himself, another driver and two vehicles, Karl’s company has enjoyed exponential growth over the years.

Now serving the ports of Felixstowe, Ipswich and Harwich, Karl King Transport today operates three sites totalling 300,000 sq ft – all within a five-mile radius of its Ransomes Europark HQ. It employs 90 staff and operates a fleet of 35 vehicles.

Using latest technology, Karl King Transport is able to run its business from any location at any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, while providing customers with live information.

The company is serving the CO postcode for Fortec.

Karl said: “We had been a member of a pallet network for several years but we were looking for another network which was more service centric and which went beyond customer expectations.

“We were attracted to Fortec in particular for several reasons – its delivery promise, its service, its central location, its software technology which offers live delivery information. After extensive research Fortec stood out to be a company which still believed in network added values, delivering a strong service and focusing on the customer.”

Karl said: “We have a robust service with Fortec and the more robust it is, the more customers will use it and the more that happens, the more pallets we can input every night.”

Fortec Distribution Network is one of the UK’s leading palletised distribution providers with a pedigree spanning 21 years and a well-established network of 84 members around the UK. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the French-based global logistics provider Geodis, Fortec ships around 5,100 pallets a night, from a range of industries around the UK and mainland Europe.

Fortec Distribution Network

About the Author: John Loughran