Transport outsourcing for a national specialist retailer
PTL Co managed a national transport outsourcing tender for a specialist retailer, creating a structured route to provider comparison and contract selection.
THE CHALLENGE
Finding the right national transport partner
Client
National specialist retailer
Sector
Consumer retail
Scale
83 stores; 7,800 annual store deliveries
Engagement
Logistics outsourcing
PTL Co helped a national specialist retailer outsource store transport for a network of 83 UK stores, supported by around 7,800 annual deliveries from a central distribution centre. The retailer operated a broad range of more than 25,000 products across 250 ranges, with transport requirements covering fixed delivery schedules, daytime deliveries, out-of-hours deliveries and dead-drop delivery windows.
The operation was 95% roll-cage based, with the remaining 5% handled through pallets, totes and dollies. It served stores seven days per week using a blend of double-deck and standard trailers, with 70% of deliveries taking place during store opening hours and 30% as dead-drops. PTL Co needed to create a tender process that allowed providers to model seasonal demand, delivery restrictions, vehicle constraints, store access limitations and open-book cost structures on a consistent basis.
83
retail stores served
25,000
products
95%
roll-cage based operation
48
potential providers assessed
WHAT WE DID
Delivery framework
PTL Co defined the national store-delivery requirement, prepared the transport tender and managed the response analysis across a highly competitive provider market. The process moved from 48 expressions of interest to 16 full quotations, with annual charges ranging from £777k to £2.807m before quality, validity and resource assumptions were tested. The work assessed whether providers had designed realistic solutions, covered peak-season demand, understood store restrictions and proposed credible open-book cost structures rather than simply submitting headline prices.
1. DEFINE REQUIREMENTS
Specify the national store-delivery operation, including 83 stores, fixed schedules, delivery windows, seasonal profiles, vehicle restrictions and store access constraints.
2. PREPARE TENDER
Create open-book tender documentation that enabled providers to price resources, management fees, implementation needs and service requirements consistently.
3. ENGAGE MARKET
Run the market process from 48 expressions of interest to 16 full quotations, ensuring providers understood the scale, seasonality and operational expectations.
4. TEST RESPONSES
Remove incomplete or unsuitable submissions, including providers that had not covered the full solution, peak-season activity or required cost breakdowns.
5. COMPARE COSTS
Analyse total annual costs, key cost drivers, resource assumptions and parity-adjusted pricing so shortlisting reflected both price and operational credibility.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
Outcomes delivered
The retailer gained a structured, evidence-based route to transport partner selection. PTL Co reduced the provider field by testing solution quality, peak coverage, resource assumptions, key cost drivers and parity-adjusted costs, narrowing the process from 16 full quotations to a more credible shortlist. The analysis showed that headline annual charges alone were not enough, because lower-cost responses could be based on incomplete resource assumptions or insufficient peak-season coverage. The final decision process therefore gave the client clearer evidence on which providers could realistically support national store deliveries, manage seasonal variation and deliver the required service on an open-book basis.
Market response structured.
The tender created a competitive market process, moving from 48 interested providers to 16 full quotations and then through staged exclusions based on quality, cost and operational fit.
Cost range clarified.
Annual quote values ranged from £777k to £2.807m, with detailed analysis used to distinguish credible operating models from low-cost or incomplete submissions.
Resource assumptions tested.
Core resources, including drivers, tractor units, double-deck trailers, single-deck trailers, agency hours, fuel rates and mileage estimates, were compared to expose differences behind the headline pricing.
Stronger shortlist produced.
Providers were assessed through solution quality, cost-driver scoring and parity testing, giving the retailer a clearer basis for shortlisting and final negotiation.
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