Founded in 2021, Express Logistics offers local and global delivery solutions from its base in County Mayo, Ireland. The company was founded by a former DHL delivery driver whose exceptional performance led to him being contacted to take on more and more work. Pivoting from a solo driver to delivery business founder has been very successful and the company now boasts a 40-vehicle-strong fleet.
Meeting client needs
Acting as a third-party logistics provider for DHL, UPS, GLS, and FedEx, they offer express, next-day, nominated-day, and international delivery services, and are always willing to accommodate each client’s specific needs.
A company culture of delivering on clients’ requests led them to use Spoke, as they wanted to win new clients who required digital proof of delivery and better shipment tracking and visibility. In addition to their willingness to adapt to market conditions, their quality of service has helped them develop a reputation that now means that new business regularly seeks them out, and driver recruitment is commonly handled via word of mouth.
‘If you can do what your customer wants, they’ll give you the business.’
Express Logistics doesn’t store any items, as all deliveries are carried out the same day they receive the goods from partners. Every client has different needs; some will have their consignments delivered to their location for sorting and loading, whilst others will have consignments handed over mid-route from van to van. Everyone does it differently, and Spoke enables them to swiftly create new routes and make in-flight changes to live routes with minimal disruption and the most efficient outcome.
One of the biggest challenges is compliance and technical requirements from clients, but Spoke provides a platform that is flexible enough to tailor operations to each client’s needs.
A digital paper trial
General Manager Mark Wheelan handles day-to-day operations and has seen first-hand the transformation Spoke brought to the business.
Overseeing 30+ routes a week, he knows how beneficial Spoke has been in eliminating time spent answering client queries and providing delivery status updates. Being able to share dynamic ETAs with recipients and clients has reduced the time he spends answering inbound queries by 50%.
‘Once the business grew, we needed a routing software that could help us answer client queries.’
It’s very typical for Express Logistics clients to provide the physical packages but no accompanying paperwork or digital manifest, so proof of custody and delivery has, in the past, been hard to provide.
Thanks to Spoke, every item scanned onto a route is recorded in the driver app and the Dispatch Dashboard, providing a digital paper trail as it progresses toward its final delivery destination. Signature and photographic proof of delivery are shared between the driver, dispatcher, client and recipient in real time.
Another growing request from clients that led Express Logistics to Spoke was the need for designated delivery and collection times to fit with the client’s working hours.
‘Numerous businesses require timed delivery and collections. Our drivers use Spoke's time window feature to meet these companies' requirements. Without Spoke, this would not be possible.’
Good relationships = good business
In part, Express Logistics' success can be attributed to its relationship-building skills.
As rookie drivers learn the ropes, they are assigned less challenging rural routes, while more experienced drivers are assigned denser, high-volume city routes. This sensitive approach to driver onboarding has resulted in great driver retention, with many drivers staying for four or more years.
There is also a give and take in their business relationships. With many of their clients, they provide a two-way service: fulfilling client delivery requests and referring work to clients when they are unable to meet requests themselves.
As their founder seeks to take Express Logistics to the next level, relationships are also at the core of his plans. In addition to negotiating with potential wholesale and retail partners, he is looking to expand their services in order to win new contracts for air and road freight delivery.