XPO Logistics supports Tour de France

US-based company, XPO Logistics, will take to the roads of the Tour de France for the 40th consecutive year as official transport partner.

A team of 68 XPO Logistics drivers will pilot 52 trucks for 3,479 kilometres, moving over 420 tonnes of cargo along the course. When the Tour declares a winner in Paris on 20 September 2020, the company will have supported all 21 stages of the race.

XPO Logistics is responsible for ensuring that barriers, gates, course paint, furniture, audio-visual equipment and other supplies are transported from stage to stage according to complex requirements.

In 2019, event organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) awarded XPO Logistics a contract extension through 2024, ensuring that the logistics leader’s distinctive white trucks will continue to be a familiar sight at Tour Villages and spectator areas.

This year, XPO Logistics' support of the Tour is unique on several fronts. The race was rescheduled due to Covid-19, and XPO has worked closely with ASO to implement health and safety protocols based on guidance from the French Government and the Tour organisation.

All drivers will be given safety training on race protocols and will be equipped with masks, sanitising gel, disinfectants and a manual of safety procedures. A team of specially trained XPO staff and instructors will support the drivers at each stage.

In addition, for the first time, XPO Logistics will use two natural gas-powered trucks from its eco-friendly fleet for the final arrival at the Champs-Élysées finish line. The Euro 6 clean diesel trucks that XPO will deploy throughout the Tour, as well as the company’s use of alternative fuels, driver eco-training and organically sourced uniforms, will help ASO lower the environmental impact of the event.

“We’re thrilled to be marking four decades with the Tour de France,” said XPO Logistics Managing Director Transport – Europe, Luis Gomez. “XPO’s support of ASO is at a record level for this year’s race – we’ll have more trucks and drivers moving cargo more safely than ever before, with greener operations. Our service to the Tour is a source of pride for everyone at XPO.”

“In these demanding times, we have the best possible transport partner on our team,” said ASO Logistics Director, Jean-Luc Duplantier. “XPO’s commitment to health and safety has been evident since the start of their planning process five months ago. Their solutions have risen to the challenge, and we are once again bringing the Tour de France to over ten million fans worldwide.”

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