LeShuttle Freight is a vital link in the global supply chain and carries 25% of the goods exchanged between the UK and continental Europe. At 800m long, each truck shuttle can carry up to 32 trucks for the 35-minute journey between Folkestone to Calais.
The 35 millionth truck belonged to Ontime Capitrans, one of Spain’s largest transporters of temperature-controlled goods throughout Europe. Ontime Capitrans has been a LeShuttle Freight customer for more than 25 years, supplying refrigerated goods to some of the UK’s leading supermarket chains. The driver, Luis Vitervo Panches has been driving for 36 years and has crossed the Channel with LeShuttle Freight over 1,000 times.
Spain is a key trading partner for the UK; in 2023, goods worth £29 billion were traded between the UK and Spain. Overall, 16% of the total trade between UK and Spain was facilitated by The Channel Tunnel, making this a critical route to market for Spain’s fresh produce exports. With between 15-20% of LeShuttle Freight traffic from Spain and Portugal, the Iberia region is one of the largest trade contributors along Germany, Eastern Europe and the Benelux region.
Deborah Merrens, Chief Commercial Director at LeShuttle said: “This milestone is one we’re incredibly proud of and we want to thank our customers for their continued support.
“At LeShuttle Freight, we focus on better understanding the needs of our customers – hauliers and drivers – to offer them dedicated services from smart border crossing procedures to enhanced driver experience onboard our shuttles and on our premises. This was reflected in an improved satisfaction score last year and we’re looking forward to hitting our next milestone very soon… watch this space!”
Agustin Lison, FTL International Operations Manager at Ontime Capitrans, said: “We’ve been using LeShuttle Freight for 25 years due to the speed and ease of use of the service. It is the quickest and most efficient way we can deliver our fresh goods to the British consumers and the smart border solutions provided by LeShuttle Freight help us to ensure a smooth and fast crossing.”