Talk at the table was of doing the right thing. Big impacts on the sector opened the event with context set by three govt departments, who talked clean air, congestion and diversity.
Employment law guru Melanie Stancliffe reviewed cases in the express sector on the Taylor theme, while the opening came from the lens of a retailer; John Lewis spoke about the links back to the customer and corporate social responsibility.
The round table was about code of practice: drafting the terms, setting the headlines, discussion across a pre-set draft highlighted from networks, regionals and nationals, ‘It’s about doing the right thing.’
Tracey Worth took the fellows line-by-line down the draft titles and frank discussions flowed across the table. It was a real hands-on for fellows only to talk drivers, delivery, returns, consolidation practice, vehicle fuel, work times, route schedules, focus back to the customer, fulfilling what the customer wants. How do we deliver inside a social responsibility?
The sector scored an importance ladder for code of practice values; doing it right, clean air, health & safety and employment status took the top four slots.
Joint 1st - Ethical best practice & Environmental best practice
2nd- Health & Safety
3rd- Employment status
Driving out the detail of the first draft, the round tabled gelled exceptionally well, setting the context for the discussions, DfT, Phil Martin raised cycle issues: using phones on the move and cycling on the pavements. Clive Wanstall TfL spoke clean air solutions with fewer journeys and Oliver Lord GLA asked for a vision to actively phase out diesel.
The code of practice should be a set of values that set apart the companies in the industry.
IOC chair, Carl Lomas raised the powered two-wheeler issue; complete a CBT and you can work before you have even taken the Highway Code theory test.
Tracey worth asked, ‘Are we signposting the next generation workforce with the Express sector staircase?’
During the IOC Taylor review, express and courier operators unanimously asked IOC for a code of practice. At the heart of the code will be a clarification to all parties of the status of employment and an understanding of that status between the parties.
IOC fellows network in frank discussions on code of practice
Detail at the table for code of practice
Heads of industry August 1st, it’s in the detail...
The August 1st heads of industry has measured the sector. Fellows completed blue worksheet forms to vote and feed back the codes of practice line drafts; what was in, what was out, what needed edit. The material is extensive and the work has begun to summarise and select. The event all mixed in with an exceptional set of briefings to set the context. A ‘Doing it right' draft is expected to launch at the National Courier Awards Oct 9th. The IOC is delving into the detail; what the fellows want. Fellows' reports are in the pipeline on the headline topics, watch this space.
Each presentation has been summarised for fellows.
Doing the right thing for Congestion - Clive Wanstall TfL
A context of congestion and road space for an express code of practice.
Impact of weight of traffic in the seven am peak is huge and a lot of it is panel vans.
TfL have worked on re-timing models for congestion, but when the first choice presented to the client is to tick the 'nine AM# box, that’s what the majority do. They then may not be at home and returns block more. Does some of the answer lie in educating the client, or is it the retailer’s responsibility to offer a more sensible delivery promise?
All these were questions at the Code of Practice roundtable on August 1st where one hundred thousand vans talked solutions.
Clive spoke passionately about the increase in population density in London - more deliveries, congestion ever building. With reduced journeys, could we go full circle and get back to present day by 2041 in line with the Mayors Transport policy?
It will take an express sector code of practice to commit to some of the solutions.
Clive,
Mayor’s Transport strategy goal is for 80% of journeys to be on foot or public transport by 2026 and reduce peak by 20% for freight congestion. Following that number-set with the forecast population growth would bring us to a balance similar to today in 2041. Key issues are impact of delivery and service trips, weight of white van traffic, peak at 7am for freight is huge for white vans.
Ian Wainwright had already identified in recent years,
not all white vans are delivery, there is a growing service industry out there - from ice cubes to air conditioner servicing.
Clive went on to brief the round table of fellows on the new TfL toolkit for the cycle superhighway and spoke about portering scheme for final mile van deliveries. He explained traffic data on the LRNs was improving and the step to in-cab GPS systems was getting more accurate all the time. TfL freight department re-structure was explained and the broader platform of contacts.
Clive closed,
How can we work together to reduce trips in morning peak?
Click here for the TfL Congestion power-point, numbers and vehicles in the peak hours.
Document links
GLA Clean Air
DfT Diversity and cycle couriers
Irwin Mitchell, review of sector employment tribunals
