UK supermarket chain, ASDA, has named PD Ports (PDP) as the country's Most Outstanding Carrier of the Year for 2009.

Operator of the North-eastern port of Teesport, PDP's win largely stemmed from the success of its Logical Link initiative, a new service launched in January 2009 to ship goods destined for northern markets into Teesport - home to a 360,000 square-feet ASDA distribution centre.

Designed to reduce operational costs and minimise the adverse environmental impact of ground transport, Logical Link has already helped ASDA save 1,265,459 road miles - enough to make three trips to the moon and back.

"There is without doubt, a continued and vital need to reduce the amount of freight transported by road from southern UK ports but which is destined for the north of the UK," said PDP's Jerry Hopkinson. This award further cements the benefits our customers can achieve."

Tesco and Wal-Mart have since opened distribution centres longside the ASDA facility with much the same objective.