Other News (archive)

10 December 2009 – TNT Express France is expecting to deliver over 6 million parcels around Christmas time, twice more than in 2008. TNT’s French arm has announced it will ensure next-day deliveries to French online shoppers until December 24. Consumers can choose to receive their goods at home, at work, or in one of the 4,000 Relais Colis® de France service points. TNT Express France serves more than 150 online retailers, including cddiscount.com, bhv.fr, and quicksilver-store.com. The products range from electronic devices, mobile phones, books and toys to flowers and sports equipment. The French are expected to spend over €5bn online for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, says the French home shopping trade association (FEVAD).

November 2009 – Trial biking world champion Vittorio Brumotti performed a 4.02-meter jump between two TNT Express trucks in Milan on 10 November, beating the previous record of 3.02 meters. The 29-year old Italian rider jumped 4 meters above the ground, using the first truck’s 13.60-meter long roof as a launching pad. TNT Express Italy provided trailers with reinforced chassis to stand the impact of repeated jumps. TNT also allowed Vittorio Brumotti to train in its depot in Rho, close to the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICM 2009), which hosted the performance.

26 November 2009 – TNT Express Russia has again received the “Investor in People” accreditation for its good practices in employee training and development. Reassessment took place during October this year. Auditors interviewed 80 employees out of a total 800. Their report pointed out the existence of internal promotion opportunities. TNT Express Russia indeed fills 81% of management job vacancies internally. TNT’s Russian unit initially received Investor in People accreditation in 2002. It is, to date, the only company in the country to have the recognition.

15 November 2009 – TNT Express France last week opened a new 4,000 m2 depot in Amiens, five times the size of its previous local facility. TNT is also reinforcing anti-theft protection in view of the peak Christmas season. The company, which handles 350,000 parcels or documents on average per day, is dedicating over 50 people to the security of its employees and customers’ goods. TNT installed video surveillance in all 120 French sites and geolocalisation devices in its vehicles. Customised security solutions are offered for specific kinds of freight. TNT Express France invested €12 million in security enhancements over the past five years.

3 November 2009 – TNT Express has opened a 1.2 million euro cargo-handling facility at Penang’s International Airport to improve capacity and transit times for the high-tech industry. The 14,000 sq ft facility will handle 320 tons of goods daily. The new Penang International Gateway connects both with TNT’s 7,620-km long Asia Road Network and air network. A hotbed for the high-tech sector, Penang alone makes up 24% of Malaysia’s exports and 21% of its imports. TNT Malaysia employs 490 people across five major facilities.

26 October 2009 – 51job, Inc., a leading human resource services provider in China, has selected TNT China as a recipient of their "100 Best Human Resources Management (HRM) Companies of 2009". The award recognises 100 companies in China whose human resources practices have made a significant contribution to their corporate development. In addition, TNT won the "Best corporate culture management" award and was elected one of the most "popular employers" by online voters. An award ceremony will take place in Shanghai on 4th December. TNT Express employs about 14,500 people in China, including 2,466 in its international operations.

26 October 2009 – TNT has airlifted 200 tons of high-energy biscuits for people hit by recent storms in the Philippines. TNT flew its Boeing 747-400 freighter twice the past two weeks to transport the Australia-funded biscuits from Izmir, Turkey to Manila. The biscuits were handed over to WFP. The UN food agency is distributing food to about 1 million flood-affected people around Manila and the northern Luzon island. The biscuits are ideal for such emergencies because they do not need to be cooked and they are rich in vitamins and minerals. For more information: http://www.wfp.org/stories/world-steps-help-hungry-philippines#

October 2009 - TNT Express Italy has teamed up with the Italian Policeand the highway company Autostrade per l’Italia to offer anationwide eco-safe driving course to 1,000 TNT Express drivers. This course aims to help participants avoid traffic accidents and save gas. It involves several sessions of theoretical and practical training over September, October, and November. TNT’s two partners provide the instructors. In addition, the Automotive Safety Center of Vairano di Vidigulfo is lending a driving simulator to test the trainees’ skills against difficult driving situations.

12 October 2009 – Agility, TNT and UPS have joined international efforts to expedite food supplies from the World Food Programme. The WFP aims to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by flooding in the Philippines and an earthquake in Padang, Indonesia. The three logistics experts work together in an initiative called the Logistics Emergency Teams (LETs). By using local resources of the LET-partners, such as warehouse management and transport capabilities, WFP’s response is quicker and more effective.

25 September 2009 – TNT Swiss Post, a 50-50 joint venture between TNT Express and Swiss Post, has introduced a fleet of electric cargo bikes to pick up and deliver documents and parcels in Geneva. Drivers can easily avoid traffic jams and reach destinations on time. The zero-emission vehicle, which has a capacity of 360 lbs, can travel 30 kilometres on a single charge. TNT Swiss Post also operates ten natural gas-powered cars for its delivery needs.

22 September 2009 – A Russian charity fund has partnered with TNT Express to deliver tactile books for blind and visually impaired children at the start of the school year. TNT gratuitously transported the books to primary schools, libraries, and nurseries in over sixteen Russian towns (Pskov, Murmansk, Kaliningrad, etc.). Each year, the Fund “Illustrated books for blind children" produces two sets of books for low-vision youngsters as part of its program “Book as a gift”.

16 September 2009 – Demand for TNT Express Italy’s baggage service grew by 8.5 per cent in 2008 amid tightening airline baggage rules. More and more hotel chains and air travellers are using a service initially designed for motorcyclists. With its ‘Servizio Bagagli’, TNT Express Italy offers domestic and international door-to-door luggage collection and delivery at a price starting from €26, including all-risk insurance. This makes it interesting for air passengers who wish to avoid extra charges for turning up with an extra bag, or one exceeding the airlines’ weight limits. Depending on the airline, excess baggage can cost as much as €15 a kilo. TNT Express Italy is the only unit within TNT to offer a baggage service.

September 2009 – TNT and Renault are teaming up to develop electric vehicles for TNT’s post delivery fleet in the Netherlands. The vehicles will be available in 2011. TNT, which already uses 50 electric trucks in 23 major towns in the UK, tests various technologies that can reduce its CO2 emissions, including hybrid and gas-powered vans. Renault plans to introduce a complete range of electric vehicles in 2011.

1 September 2009 – TNT Express Russia now offers hazardous materials transport services to customers in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East. The service is mostly aimed at chemical, oil and gas companies that need to safely ship goods requiring special handling. Examples include oil-based paints, aerosols, fertilizers, chemicals. In addition to timely delivery, TNT Express supplies the necessary packaging and marking of the shipments.

31 August 2009 – TNT Mercúrio’s six branch offices in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul earned a triple certification for quality management (ISO 9001:2008), environment (ISO 14001:2004), and health and occupational security (OHSAS 18001:2007). ABS Quality Evaluation carried out the audit. TNT Mercúrio plans to have 50 branch offices certified by 2011. “These norms are the base for a responsible management and our contribution for a more sustainable world,” said TNT Express Brazil’s Country General Manager Roberto Rodrigues.

12 August 2009 – TNT Express today opened an 800sq metre depot in San Fernando, the capital of the Pampanga province, in the northern island of Luzon. The €220,000 facility is part of TNT’s expansion programme in southeast Asia. Located close to the Subic, Clark, Angeles and Bataan economic zones, the depot can handle 400 tons of shipment per day and offers room for further expansion. It will serve the Philippines and reinforce connectivity with the rest of Asia.

4 August 2009 – TNT Express and TNT Post Italy are providing logistics support to the Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup (6-13 September). The tournament, which will gather 48 national homeless football teams, aims to build awareness of the world’s billion homeless and help the players rebuild their lives. A TNT aircraft transported the Cup trophy from Afghanistan, home of the 2008 winning team, to Milan. TNT is offering warehouse space to store food and sporting equipment brought by sponsors. TNT Post will distribute invitations and promotional flyers. The Homeless World Cup supporters include UEFA, UN, Nike, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Eric Cantona, international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.

29 July 2009 – TNT Singapore has increased its customer base by 14% since the opening of its expanded Singapore Country Depot and Customer Care Centre a year ago. The revamped facilities helped TNT Singapore achieve a 20% increase in the weight of consignments carried for equipment and machinery and healthcare customers. Both centres are part of TNT’s 180,000-square-feet complex in Singapore, which also houses TNT’s largest life sciences express hub worldwide.

23 July 2009 – TNT Express opened its expanded international and domestic operations centre in Ho Chi Minh City. Located next to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the 3,000-m2 facility will enable TNT to handle more high-tech products, machine parts, and garments. The centre features leading-edge security technology and in-house customs for faster, more secure handling of high-value goods.

23 July 2009 – TNT Express launched a twice-weekly B737-300 freighter service between Singapore and Balikpapan, in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. The service is primarily aimed at customers from the mining, oil, and gas industry. A spare part shipment picked up today in Amsterdam can be delivered in Balikpapan in three days. TNT is leasing the 16-ton capacity freighter from Cardig Air.

July 2009 – Antique vases, the Olympic torch of 1936, the Pierre de Coubertin Trophy and gold medals from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. These are some of the museum items delivered by TNT Express to the German Sports & Olympic Museum on time for the opening of the exhibition “The Horse and Olympia” (Cologne, 11 July - 27 September 2009). The exhibit celebrates the role and beauty of the only animal athletes included in the Olympic Games.

7 July 2009 – TNT India is distributing medicine and shelter materials to about 15,000 people displaced by cyclone Aila at three refugee camps near Calcutta. The company has also set up a medical relief camp in Ghospur, a severely hit village, where doctors are treating people with malaria, diarrhoea, and skin infections. The cyclone Aila struck Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal on 25 May.

24 June 2009 - TNT Express has achieved the ISO 28000 security certification for all its operations in the Asia Pacific region. TUV Rheinland conducted the audit. The certification shows how serious TNT is about supply chain security, an essential customer requirement. TNT Express, a validated C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) company globally, had already received TAPA and AEO certifications for several of its units.

June 2009 - TNT Indonesia, the local unit of TNT Express, won the Best Contact Centre Operation and Best Agent Outbound awards from the Indonesia Contact Centre Association (ICCA). The awards were handed out in Jakarta on 29 May 2009. This is the first time an express integrator receives these awards. Other participants included banks, insurers, telecommunication operators, and energy companies.

TNT is gearing up for the final of the global 2009 Drive Me Challenge, TNT’s annual eco-friendly and road safety driving contest, at the prestigious testing grounds of MIRA in the UK on 30 September 2009. Italy will kick off the qualification rounds in the first week of July in partnership with Fiat. The final will be a truly international event as drivers from the USA, the UAE, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Italy, Portugal, Poland, UK, Benelux, Mail Netherlands, Mail Parcel services as well as EMN Germany test their skills following national qualifying heats throughout the summer.

9 June 2009 – Close to 300,000 people marched in 70 countries on June 7 to raise awareness and funds for WFP’s school feeding programmes. This is 50,000 more than in 2008. The leisurely walks drew entire families, clad in white and orange, in places as diverse as Sydney, Cairo, Manila and Nairobi. The biggest single walk was in Tanzania, where Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanza Peter Pinda led 50,000 participants. “Walk the World” is organised by WFP, TNT, Unilever and DSM.

June 2009 – TNT Express UAE on 1 June won the “Express Logistics Provider of the Year” award at the third annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA) in Dubai. The distinction recognises companies that have “delivered a portfolio of market-leading solutions within the Middle East's express logistics sector over the past twelve months.”

5 June 2009 - TNT Post Parcel Service extends its product range for Dutch business customers looking to ship parcels with high value content in an extra secured way through the acquisition of Mikropakket. Valuable goods such as jewelry and telecoms products are shipped via a highly secured distribution network and offer the customer more certainty and also lower insurance costs thanks to the optimal security system.

June 2009 - TNT-Hoau has expanded its Day Definite road delivery service to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, thus extending the service’s coverage to 231 depot pairs. The company plans to add new destinations in the coming weeks. Introduced in February 2009, Day Definite is a premium road service designed for the Chinese domestic market. All shipments are bar-coded for real-time online tracking and the trucks are equipped with GPS.

5 May 2009 - TNT China International Express has received the “2009 China’s Best Call Center of the Year” award from the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) and China’s Customer Contact Center Standard committee (CCCS). TNT China runs three regional customer contact centers that employ about 200 people. They provide customer services 24/7. Read also the press release http://www.tnt.com.cn/en/newsroom/pressrelease/2009/20090505.html.

5 May 2009 – TNT has extended its scheduled Asian road service to Cambodia, adding 1,500km to an existing 6,000km network running from Singapore to China. The new service is initially available in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Customers using TNT’s Asia Road Network (ARN) can save 30% on transport costs compared with airlifting out of Cambodia. The service is three times faster than shipping by sea.