40 pallet positions a day. That's the average number of positions K'livéo's couriers handle every day, thanks to a fundamental principle that ensures their profitability: mutualization.
About cyclelogistics
In the wake of the covid-19 crisis, there has been an encouraging boom in the use of cyclologistics. Many cities have contributed to this boom by introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZ), which restrict the circulation of certain combustion-powered vehicles in city centers. Added to this are the constraints of traffic jams, parking difficulties and the overall stress that delivery in the city can generate. Carriers have therefore had to adapt and overcome these constraints by finding a complementary mode that can operate for them in an urban environment..
These barriers have been removed thanks to cyclelogistics numerous courier companies have set up in cities, both large and medium-sized, to operate more easily in city centers and help reduce air pollution.
It's clear that some services have not managed to find the right balance to survive, due to a lack of carriers willing to entrust them with their flows, of suitable equipment, or of resources. Setting up a new system necessarily involves additional costs, but by democratizing this mode of delivery, the associated costs are bound to fall. A number of initiatives have been launched to encourage the use of cyclologistics in France.
“The Colisactiv, program, supported by the SoFUB, allows us to get a certain amount of money for all parcels delivered by bike, which is divided in two: 50% for the client to encourage him to choose us [choose a bike delivery company], 50% for the company that actually delivers the parcels," explains Simon Bondu, operations manager at K’livéo.
K'livéo has made its mark and become profitable
In Angers, K'livéo was created in October 2016 by Hélène Grellier. Founder of another logistics company about ten years ago, Logisseo, Hélène saw for herself the problems associated with delivering pallets and other parcels in Anger's city center: congestion, very limited accessibility from 10:30 onwards, noise and air pollution to name but a few. So she founded K’livéo
Today, the company employs 18 full-time and 2 part-time staff. Every day, K'liveo receives a large number of parcels and pallets, which it distributes on several rounds through the center of Angers.
K'livéo customers, both professional and private, have "made it normal" for their delivery driver to arrive by bike. This is "good news, and shows that it's becoming more commonplace", says Simon.
After several attempts, the company managed to find its ideal hub by setting up below the city center, at the MIN d'Angers, in a 400m2 warehouse offering 50m2 of office space and a rest room for the team.
Working with several carriers: mutualization
K'livéo has opted for mutualization, and works with around ten principals, enabling it to operate on both "pallet" and "parcel" flows, limited to 30kg, as well as on boxable "small parcel" flows. Except for 3 of them, all goods are delivered directly to the MIN before being received, sorted and delivered. Hélène has also chosen to rent a 22m3 to pick up freight directly from carriers who are unable to provide the delivery service. No business is left aside.
The ability of principals to drop off goods at an intercity hub may prove to be a limit to the development of cyclologistics.
Schenker, Heppner, DPD, Chronopost, DHL and Paack Logistics entrust their flows to K'livéo to serve Angers. The company also works locally with Bouchara, for whom it delivers to customers who are unable to take their purchases home. Monceau Fleurs elegantly delivers its bouquets by bicycle, as do U express delivery customers who receive their orders with K'livéo..
"The idea is to go to a customer with all his deliveries for the day, whatever the carrier or type of freight (pallets or parcels), and deliver everything at once, so that the customer is only disturbed once".
Gaining in efficiency with the right solutions
To best meet their needs, the K'livéo team owns a dozen BicyLifts, which they combine with Niholas, enabling them to load both the front and rear of the bike. 300kg are delivered for each departure. The BicyLift's unique lifting system, combined with the modules, saves "an incredible amount of time", says Simon. The fork slides under the pallet and "in less than 10 seconds, it's loaded onto the trailer", with "no effort" and no "CACES". The same applies to parcel containers, which are prepared simultaneously, moved easily and fully loaded on departure.
On average, pallet deliveries amount to almost 3T per day, delivered with the greatest of ease. Some pallets are filmed and destined for a single customer, while for some customers there are bulky parcels that K'liveo coordinators pool according to address.
Once the pallet has been delivered to its recipient, or the parcel dropped off, reverse logistics makes it possible to achieve a 20%/25% return on the journeys initially planned empty. This makes it possible to "return from the city center with collections or other flows". K'livéo works with Cocycler, specialist in the collection of biowaste from professionals.
The limits of K'livéo's development
“Real estate is no longer an issue", but it used to be. "In 1 year, we've moved 5 times". A problem encountered by many logistics players, and one that is prompting municipalities to review their PLUs, develop logistics hotels and reallocate unused parking lots (as at Beaugrenelle in Paris). The real estate challenge brings innovation with micro-hub and hub-mobile projects.
Another barrier is the acceptability of mutualization: some carriers prefer to be delivered under their own name, rather than by pooling flows..
Finally, one of the keys to success, closely linked to the notion of mutualization, is the integration of all deliveries on the same IT interface. Here too, it's complicated for some carriers to abandon their own delivery systems to which they are accustomed. This would enable K'liveo and many others to optimize their rounds without having to worry about the carrier, and would simplify everything.
K’livéo has become a key player in Anjou's city center, capable of delivering all types of dry flows, and is expanding rapidly thanks to potential partnerships in the making.
K'livéo : a key player in logistics in Angers