The midnight hour
Page 31
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CM has read the code of practice for quiet night-time deliveries several times, but the only way to know how these deliveries work is to get out there and see for yourself
Words and images: Colin Barnett Devised by the Noise Abatement Society and the Freight Transport Association (with the backing of Transport for London), the code of practice for quiet deliveries is a detailed best practice guide. But how well does it work in reality? The only way to really know how quiet, night-time deliveries work, is to get out there and see for yourself. So at 2am, midway through the second week of the Olympics, we roll up to Gist’s dedicated Marks & Spencer (M&S) food DC at Hemel Hempstead. Our task for the night is to accompany a delivery to M&S’s Simply Food outlet on Earls Court Road, just one block away from the eponymous exhibition centre and venue for the (non-beach) volleyball competition.
Our guide for the night is driver Owen Scarlet, whose shift starts at 2am. By the time we arrive and sign in, the 61-reg Mercedes-Benz Axor artic, plated for 38 tonnes, but running nowhere near that with its bulked-out lowdensity load, is checked over and waiting for CM by the depot exit. Our cargo is 31 units of assorted roll cages and trolleys of stacked trays. Each unit is listed on the vehicle’s load manifest, while every tray has a label in clear text for quick reading backed up by a radio-frequency identification tag for definitive stock control. Thanks to rescheduling for the Olympics, this is the second delivery of the night. A load of frozen food was delivered earlier before our mixed ambient and chilled load.
Noise reduction plans for the journey started before the truck left the yard, with the route being changed to avoid residential areas. Joining at J8, we stay on the M1 right to the southern end, following the North Circular across an almost deserted Hangar Lane gyratory down to Chiswick, then along the A4 to Earls Court Road. The only hold-ups are the occasional red light and, even with the cruise control set at 52mph on the M1, we turn into Earls Court Road well ahead of schedule.
Code of practice
Each truck and store has a copy of the relevant parts of the TfL code of practice, modified to incorporate the correct Gist and M&S terminology. Compliance began a short distance from the destination, as we pull over in a predominantly commercial location to turn off the fridge motor. We then move into position outside the shop where, despite our early arrival, the shop team is ready and waiting. The shop is normally open to the public from 8am to 10pm but, because of the increased demand resulting from the Games, this is extended from 6am to midnight. However, behind the scenes, the shop is staffed around the clock for cleaning and restocking.
Ensuring that essential kit is never forgotten, each store carries a set of tail-lift safety guards. These are soundproofed by the simple and effective way of covering the chains with rubber hose. With these in place, transfer of the load, two or three trolleys at a time, begins. Our driver’s task is to load the tail-lift and lower it to the ground, where the shop staff take over for the short trip across the footpath and into the store, where other workers, including the manager, set about breaking the trollies down and restocking the shelves, starting with the fast-moving takeaway food section.
About 30 minutes into the delivery, there is a bit of excitement as the Menzies newspaper delivery man arrives, silently pushing his barrow across the road from the nearby side street where his Sprinter is parked.
Noise awareness
Although we are aware of noise emanating from the truck, what noise there is, is quickly drowned out by the noise of every passing car and bus – of which there are a considerable number, despite the early hour. All of the efforts to minimise noise from the delivery are negated by the nearby presence of a street cleaning crew, whose large trailer-mounted diesel-powered engine roars under load every time its pressure washer is activated.
Throughout the delivery process, it is clear that noise awareness is continually on the minds of the team. There are no raised voices and the transfer from tail-lift to shop door is carried out as smoothly as possible. The general noise level produced is so low that the gentle clinking of boxes of wine bottles is noticeable. The nearer the front of the trailer the load gets, the more that a gentle rumble of roll-cage wheels on the non-slip trailer floor is noticed. But our only negative comment relates to the reloading of the empty roll cages and stacked trolleys, which rattle noticeably as they are pushed across the footpath.
About 90 minutes after our arrival, the tail-lift is gently folded away and, as dawn breaks, we start the return journey before any significant traffic builds up. With the on-board telematics silently advising base that we have turned off the M1 and into the geo-fence, we are soon scanned back into the depot, leaving us searching for the breakfast that will satisfy a hunger fuelled by the sight of all those sandwiches.
Silent delivery? No, not quite, but not far off. n
● For more information on quiet deliveries, sign up to attend Commercial Motor Live, where the Quiet Delivery Depot will spread best practice lessons. Go to www.commercialmotorlive.com
IT’S NOT JUST NOISE
Night-time delivery issues aren’t just noise-related – unwanted lighting can also cause disturbance to others. Trucks used to park with hazard lights on during nighttime deliveries until a resident complained that the flashing lights were distracting, so the policy now is to use parking lights and a couple of large traffic cones.