PDFS is the new name for the combined companies of Paul Davis Freight Services and Channel Island Lines.
Founded 40 years ago, Paul Davis Freight merged with CI Lines 30 months ago, moving to new purpose-built premises in Southampton last November. The 40,000ft2 warehouse is situated just three minutes from the motorway, making it very easy for customers to deliver goods in.
The company continues to have an operation in Bristol, serving the West Country, Wales and, with its proximity to the M5, also the Midlands and the North.
The businesses have been through some major change recently and having offered both ‘Lift-on/Lift-off’ and ‘Roll-on/Roll-off’ services, the last twelve months have seen the successful migration of all traffic to the ‘Roll-on/Roll-off’ services. This shift provides greater capacity for customers through the use of twice daily ferry services.
Andy Jehan, PDFS CEO said: “I joined the company at the start of July, having been tempted back into the Logistics market by this exciting project. What stood out when I joined was the quality of the people throughout the organisation. We’re looking to build on the organisation’s 40 years’ experience and our focus is providing excellent customer service, whilst also offering real choice in the Channel Islands’ logistics market. Every customer is treated as an individual and we try to tailor our services to their needs. Being flexible is key in our industry; we carry anything from one-off small shipments, to regular full loads.”
In addition to rebranding, PDFS is also working on a number of other initiatives, including further improvements to their technology. Having introduced web-tracking earlier this year, which enables customers to see the progress of their consignments, they are continuing to upgrade systems in order to further enhance efficiency and support customers.
The company currently has 85 employees, the majority based in the Channel Islands. Whilst its most obvious service is the provision of freight services to both Jersey and Guernsey, the company also provides storage and services to all other UK offshore islands, including Northern and Southern Ireland. PDFS’ established networks also enable collections and deliveries to be made throughout the UK and Europe.
With businesses across Europe preparing for Brexit and reviewing their supply chains accordingly, demand for storage has increased. With good capacity in the UK, the business recently took on more space in Guernsey and is actively looking for additional warehouse space in Jersey to meet demand.
Having celebrated 40 years since Paul Davis Freight first started out, the new, enhanced PDFS is now looking forward to celebrating the next 40 years of successful operation.
