The first steps are being taken to ensure truck drivers have more time to do their jobs and spend less time sitting in queues outside depots following the expansion of the Australian Logistics Council (ALC)’s Retail Logistics Supply Chain (RLSC) Code of Conduct.
“I am pleased to reveal the ALC has incorporated Time Slot and Queuing Principles and Standards into the RLSC Code of Conduct audit process,” says ALC chief executive Hal Morris.
“The aim of these principles is to improve on-time delivery, Truck Turnaround Times (TTT) and compliance with Chain of Responsibility and safety requirements.”
“Retailers, along with transport and logistics providers, have been working proactively together to address these problems and I am proud that this positive step forward has been made to make a real difference.”
“The transport industry has long run up against long queues of trucks at dispatch and receipt locations and this will bite even harder with the soon to be introduced National Fatigue Laws that will class the time in the queues as driving time,” Morris says.
“Inconsistent time slotting and queuing practices has resulted in drivers waiting unacceptable time before loading or unloading, in some cases for many hours, leading to drivers exceeding their driving hours and also to unnecessary additional emissions, particularly from cold storage which must be kept running while waiting.
“This hits drivers particularly hard when they are paid by kilometre, not by the time spent at the wheel, thereby encouraging unsafe driving practices.”
“Industry has identified this problem and is now acting to fix it by ensuring a level of consistency across the supply chain with the introduction of these new time slotting and queuing principles and standards,” he says.
Under the RLSC Code of Conduct, signatories agree to implement best practice in an auditable framework.
The incorporation of time slotting and queuing principles and standards into the RLSC Code of Conduct audit framework has been endorsed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and the RLSC management committee.
“The RLSC Code of Conduct is proven to improve safety, performance and reliability, delivering benefits for business and its workers,” Hal Morris says.
“I urge all companies, including manufacturers, who have not yet joined the Code of Conduct to do so to gain these real benefits for their supply chains.”
The RLSC Code and the Time Slot and Queuing Principles and Standards can be found on the ALC website here.