The Federal Government’s decision to make Queensland the host state for a national heavy vehicle regulator will help steer transport regulation in the right direction, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said on Friday. Under long-awaited transport reforms, the Government has proposed national regulations to streamline safety and improve productivity in the heavy trucking industry, which is critical for allowing transport operators to get products on to supermarkets shelves. The... ...Read more »

Australia’s State and Territory leaders are urged to endorse new reforms today to streamline the nation’s transport and logistics networks and provide greater efficiencies for the food and grocery industry, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has said. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) will consider a range of recommendations on national transport regulation reforms, endorsed by the AFGC and Australia’s transport leaders, including the establishment of a single... ...Read more »

The Transport Workers Union, the leading union for truck drivers, has reported that they plan to hold demonstrations every fortnight until the major retailers respond to their requests for better pay. Hundreds of truck drivers participated in a strike at the Woolworths outlet in Rosehill last Friday morning and this followed a protest at the Woolworths store in St. Clair two weeks previously. On Friday they walked from the racecourse to the supermarket for a speech by union reps before stopping nearby... ...Read more »

The planned two-week national truck stoppage, which began at midnight, has already led to panic amongst some consumers but appears unlikely to lead to major food supply shortages. Mick Pattell, a spokesman from the National Road Transport Forum – one of the organisers of the shutdown, hopes the public gets behind truck drivers and is keen for government action. “Hopefully the government will come to the table fairly quickly and not allow this to happen to the public,” he said, according... ...Read more »

The organisers of next week’s trucking industry shutdown, which could have a significant impact on food supplies, should abandon their plans if they cannot guarantee the safety of drivers who are not involved, according to Trevor Martyn, Chairman of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA). The organisers of the shutdown have previously indicated that the two week strike could have wide-reaching implications, with the supply of food and fuel to be limited. The group, calling itself the National... ...Read more »

Truck drivers are planning a nationwide two-week strike that could limit the supply of food and fuel. Requesting better pay and conditions, the organisers, led by the Australian Long Distance Owners’ and Drivers’ Association, are asking truck drivers to strike for two weeks from July 28. One of the transport company owners, Peter Schuback of Queensland’s Hervey Bay, said that the stoppage would highlight the impact the economy would be subjected to if the industry was to... ...Read more »

Forty UK food and drink companies yesterday pledged to make fewer and friendlier food transport miles, signing up to the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Environmental Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport. The FDF believe this is yet another step forward by the food and drink manufacturing industry towards making a real difference to the environment. The signatories, including some of the biggest household brands in the world, have committed to using the ten point checklist in order... ...Read more »

In a move believed to be a world first, 37 of the UK’s leading food and consumer goods companies yesterday announced a major transport collaboration that will significantly reduce the environmental impact of transporting food and groceries in the UK. Initiatives such as sharing vehicles and more efficient warehousing will result in the industry saving 48 million miles of travel by the end of 2008 alone – equivalent to removing 800 lorries from Britain’s roads – and conserving... ...Read more »

The ‘chain of responsibility’ could be about to become more stringent, with new laws to be introduced in NSW to crackdown on companies setting unrealistic deadlines. If the legislation is passed, businesses, which promote unsafe driving practices by enforcing impractical targets, will be charged and/or fined. The NSW initiative follows the nationwide introduction of the ‘chain of responsibility’, which came into force in 2005. This legislation was introduced to ensure that... ...Read more »