Wholesalers and self-distributing retailers are taking aggressive measures to reduce fuel consumption trucking food from distribution centers to stores throughout North America, according to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Transportation Benchmarks 2008 report, which was released earlier this week. The chief reason is spiking diesel fuel prices, with these price increases driving up transportation costs to 1.84 per cent of sales for wholesalers in 2007, well above the 1.59 per cent figure in 2004... ...Read more »

Industrial action proposed by Tip Top truck vendors could have an extensive impact on Brisbane’s bread supply if it goes ahead. The Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) is due to discuss the possibility of a strike at a meeting this afternoon, with truck drivers increasingly worried about the impact of rising cost pressures on their incomes. About eighty drivers are likely to attend the meeting - mainly suppliers of supermarket chains Aldi, Woolworths and Coles. “Without an adequate... ...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 »

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 »