The introduction of and publicity around employee coach services managed by Zeelo to Prologis UK’s Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) has helped to drive a 525% increase in job applicants for one tenant of the site, the supplier has revealed.
Such a figure demonstrates that the provision of corporate shuttles to workplaces that are not well served by public transport can be a major enabler for recruitment and retention for those businesses and a significant revenue opportunity for operators, Zeelo says.
It is currently providing transport for workers at DIRFT from Coventry and Leicester and will add further routes to and from Daventry, Northampton and Rugby. Over 9,000 workers are employed on the site, which is located close to the M1.
A recent survey of Zeelo users showed that over 70% have found that the services have made it easier for them to be able to accept a job that they would not have been able to commute to otherwise, the technology business continues.
Speaking about the success with DIRFT, Zeelo Chief Executive Sam Ryan says: “We are delighted to support companies like Prologis that are making it possible for all their clients to attract staff from nearby towns.
“Logistics and distribution is essential work, but public transport services around business parks are not designed for the daily commutes of shift workers. Typically, you need a car, which not everyone can afford these days.
“That is where Zeelo has come in to resolve a recruitment issue with a tech-enabled shared mobility solution that actually improves their access to the best jobs. Our proprietary software can identify recruitment hotspots and plug in routes to and from these areas within a matter of hours.”
Zeelo has recorded four million rides booked since 2016 and two million in 2022 alone. That increase has been driven by demand from warehouse and logistics parks across the UK, the United States and South America.
The supplier has underlined its commitment to transition its services to net zero by 2030, by which time it anticipates that eight million rides will be delivered by zero-emission vehicles. The first of those are already in service in the UK, operating for clients including Amazon, Dwight School London and Ocado.
