Freightliner feeds Scotland’s five a day fruit and veg habit

Scotland is known for many things. Kilts, bagpipes and whisky are all things Scottish. Then there is the famous Scottish diet – a stereotype that claims as long as it’s haggis (basically the entrails of a sheep) and as long as its deep-fried, it’s on the menu. In so much as that might be somewhat exaggerated, so is the Scottish aversion fruit and vegetables. However, thanks to rail freight, Scotland’s dietary shortcomings are being well fed, with a very healthy five-a-day habit.

Dieticians say five-a-day is the best way to a healthy life. Operator Freightliner has taken that to heart. The carrier operates five intermodal trains every day into their Coatbridge terminal, delivering a healthy forty thousand containers annually. There’s a complete menu of goods on board, many of them bringing in fresh produce for Scottish tables, from farms all across the UK and abroad.

Fast food

It’s not just consumer goods that are fast moving. Getting farm produce to the table is also an express logistical challenge. Freightliner dispatches train load consignments to last-mile road carriers in double quick time from Coatbridge. “Number one and number two propositions are sustainability and digitalisation, says Clive Slayford, Freightliner’s commercial director for intermodal traffic in the UK and Europe. “All the way from customer order to delivery. We are seeking to streamline everything, all the way through our process.”

Freightliner has yet to roll-out its web-based appointment system called the Vehicle Booking System (VBS) at Coatbridge. The VBS system is already available at eight terminals, which allows hauliers to collect or deliver containers more efficiently. The VBS, according to Freightliner, helps keep terminals secure and reduce queueing. They say it also plays a crucial role in allowing existing terminals to seek efficiency and maximise their assets, especially given the high cost of new rail infrastructure. Coatbridge, effectively midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, has been one of Freightliner’s strategic sites for the past thirty years. Keeping the roster as fresh as the produce it delivers, the company currently runs five daily intermodal services, all originating at deep-sea port terminals. Freightliner claims to be currently unique in running “mother vessel loads” directly into Scotland.

Direct from deep sea ports

With the increasing focus on carbon reduction and the need for greater use of rail for intermodal logistics, Coatbridge Freightliner Terminal is expected to play an even more important role in the years to come. The current service pattern of five daily trains, covers Southampton twice, London Gateway twice, and a single Felixstowe service. Via Coatbridge, Freightliner has made a virtue of long-distance services, connecting Scotland with deep sea ports. The Compnay admits that runs from local, feeder ports may work out cheaper in some instances, but they say the reliability of the long haul, direct from international deep sea quaysides, attracts customers.

Freightliner’s success in delivering fresh fruit and veg to Scotland’s doorstep is a testament to its commitment to sustainability and digitalisation. The company’s use of the VBS has helped it streamline its processes and maximise its assets. Coatbridge plays its part too, and it’s an increasingly important role. The stereotype of the Scots steering away from fruit and veg will soon be a thing of the past, at least in part thanks to Freightliner’s five-a-day trains.