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Stand up to supermarkets
Page 66
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They cost the transport industry millions with their inefficiency and
yet Austin Caulfield sees few
operators trying to hold regional distribution centres to account...
0 n a recent Radio Five programme a truck driver was making a justifiable comment on a wellknown supermarket's regional distribution centre:Ile gist of the story was that he had been held up for so long that he was unable to drive home for an important commitment.
I could truly sympathise; a similar thing happened to my own driver. Last week he had driven to the RDC and after waiting four hours was told to leave and carry on to his return journey. But one of the unloaders placed a pallet across the dock leveller and his trailer deck, so that if he pulled forward the pallet and its content should crash to the floor.
He was held up for more than another two hours because he was unable to complete his journey. I had to send a car and spare driver to relieve him.
This is just one of the thousands of tales that !could relay about unwarranted delays caused by supermarket chains — not one of them is exempt. Not only are these companies creating distress among food producers and farmers, they are trying to control the companies that deliver to them.They penalise drivers for being late or too early.
The supermarket RDCs are costing the haulage industry millions and they don't seem to care. In the past I have tried to contact all the major directors at their head offices by phone and fax but they never return your call. The people running the RDCs can talk about new IT projects and plans for improving this and that, but none of them can do the basic job of getting a vehicle unloaded in a reasonable time. And will things improve when the Working Time Directive comes in? Don't bet on it. We've all heard the excuses — short of space, short of staff.computers off-line.
I cannot believe that in the year 2004 it is not possible to unload a vehicle to a timescale. Maybe a few directors should go and shop in their own store and wait for hours at the till to see how it feels.
Trucks are blamed for traffic jams, accidents and pollution. It is, in fact, so bad that maybe it would be better if there were no wagons on the road at all.
The do-gooders would love that for a week, but then what? The country simply wouldn't be able to function there would be no food on the shelves or fuel at the pumps. So don't be afraid to stand up for the haulage industry and talk to the supermarkets.
Try to negotiate with them that you will be tipped within two hours of your delivery slot or you'll leave and bill them £50 for each hour wasted, and follow it up.
Maybe my rant will prick a few consciences and provoke a response. But I doubt it. •