Depot Focus - Deeside

Deeside Depot is Parcelforce Worldwide's smallest. Around 50 staff across the site collectively average about 3,500 deliveries and 1,500 collections per day. While it's a small set up, it's reach is widespread, sprawling throughout the countryside and rugged landscapes of North Wales. "We are in one of our busy seasons at the moment, with lots of deliveries to the many holiday parks that are located in this part of the country," said Operations Manager Gareth Sullivan. "We are noticeably busier in the summer."

A lot of the Depot's sprawling reach is rural, which can present challenges not necessarily faced by many other Depots in the network. For example, the country lanes around Deeside can be narrow and winding. The increase in traffic from holiday makers in the summer can create jams and make it more difficult to get around.

But it's the winter months that prove to be most troublesome for Deeside Depot's drivers. "A lot of the roads here are mountain routes and this can become an issue when the weather is bad," said Gareth. "Often the roads are closed due to snow, high winds or excessive rain, and that means drivers' routes are affected," he said.

"We're a nimble team here at Deeside Depot though, and we can deal with anything," he added. Gareth was previously a shift manager at Liverpool Depot. "I was on a development program and that gave me the opportunity to become Operations Manager here at Deeside Depot," he said. "The two sites are very different. Liverpool Depot was much more condensed and focused mainly on inner city and suburban deliveries. Here in Wales the routes are longer and mainly rural," he said. "The team here may be small, but it is fantastic."     

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Credit: Beetroot Publishing