The IOC Q4 heads of industry table was a red-hot agenda rich in breadth for final mile operators.

Employment Rights Bill - Melanie Stancliffe on worker rights &status.

Age challenge at door.

TfL on pedicab vehicle regulations.

Nigel Milton spoke freight via Heathrow & future.

DVSA speaking new theory test with cardiopulmonary resus.

Top Challenges - forecasting a changing peak - productivity

Jewel in the crown of the IOC fellows' diary has become the heads of industry round tables - free of charge, a free lunch, a network and natter before a formal agenda. Proximity of Peak on the lips of every fellow, the change we are seeing in Peak and the challenges of predicting and forecasting in a moving landscape of demand and delivery.

October agenda was very rich in a variety of all things delivery to door, from compliance to legals and vision for future. It has become a quarterly must-not-miss and October was a full table with standing room only. Quarter of a million vans represented, with a variation from local SME to regional and national, both next day and same day. A wealth of fellows exchange knowledge, skills and behaviour at Guildhall. There was a special VVIP visit by Alderwoman Alison Gowman who welcomed IOC to this year's Lord Mayor's Show parade with a float group entry of zero emission light category vehicles that is set to place the sector in the green eyes of the world. Add a book launch, ‘History of the Express Final Mile’ and the agenda knocked out bite-size chunks from worker rights, worker status, age challenge at door and largest freight airport in the world with an insightful focus on future M25 log jam change for south access to the airport.

Cross docking on a double scale as Phil Reed talked rail roller cage interchange for London to Scotland in six hours, then the Thames River for fast parcel from the East to the London Wharfs by electric. Cardiology and theory test got a big welcome from DVSA. TfL explained pedicab consultation and vision for future of the light category vehicles.

The opening round table challenge request delivered productivity and forecasting variation in Peak change as top discussion points.

Fellows at table focused the sector challenges in the lens of Q4 Peak.

Achieving productivity while delivering change in a land of variation.

Peak – forecasting change in a variation of demand.

Legislation – Govt change – right to work.

Variation of visions for next year.

Getting a balance between same day, next day, pallet and networks.

Green 4.25t first-year MOT range from depot for O Licence.

HGV Recruitment.

There was a secret launch and fellows added the autographs, but more of that next week!

Fellows said, ‘I found it extremely insightful.’- ‘Relentless delivery of relevance’ - ‘Really enjoyed it and took a lot away from it’ – January 27th in the diary’

Melanie Stancliffe – employment rights from day one

A teaser of next week's report - headlines from expert logistics lawyer Melanie Stancliffe keynote. - Worker status – change in the employment rights bill.

Explaining the impact of ‘The new employment rights bill’
Look at your risk assessment for harassment
Review your recruitment process and probation period.
Dat one unfair dismissal rights.
Day one right of sickness absence.
Tribunal period (3 months today) change to 6 months.
A new govt agency to look at minimum wage and holiday period pay.

Remember zero hours. - Zero hours contracts carry fewer issues.

More than zero hours carries a great deal more complexity.

Worker rights is missing from the political agenda today, if someone is in your kit delivering your routes they will be seen as your employee.

Kelly Moss dealing with age challenge at door

Amends to legislation to allow digital proof of age and consultation suggestion for mandatory age check on delivery. Kelly Moss WSTA.

Govt concern that minors are accessing alcohol via distance sales and delivery companies.

Today proof of age must be a physical, paper-based document but this is due to change by Christmas this year.

Suggestion included via consultation published last year that the way to stop minors being delivered alcohol is to make proof of age at the door compulsory.

The context. At the end of last year, after a public consultation, the Home Office announced their intention to permit the use of digital proof of age for alcohol sales. Within the same consultation they included suggestions for mandatory age checks when delivering alcohol, to ‘tackle the issue of remote sales’. Although this is not being actioned at this time government have committed to looking at this in the future.

What does this mean for the express sector? As proof expands to include the option of paper or digital, the express sector will need to ensure they have appropriate technology to validate digital proof of age.’ Visual validation of digital proof is not possible.

What would compulsory age check at the door mean for the express sector? Currently age check at the door is not needed if the sale is made to an adult. If legislation is changed to make age checking at the door compulsory this would mean an age check at two points – one at the time of the sale and on delivery. The consequence being that deliveries must always be to a person who is over 18.

Kelly Moss asks IOC fellows for their thoughts on the potential implications for their businesses should proof of age be made compulsory on delivery. What impact would this have, what would this mean for your business and the sector in general? Are you willing to provide information to support the retail sectors objections to this, should the government start investigating this in the future? To clarify, retailers do not object to age verification for alcohol, they simply want a choice as to when age verification is done – either at the time of the sale or on delivery, not both.

Kelly Moss asks IOC fellows for protocol and actions needed for age challenge at door

City of London Alderwoman Alison Gowman, road safety expert welcomed IOC green to Lord Mayor Show

Ambassadors for sector. Showcasing Express logistics clean air in the Square Mile for new Lady Mayor Dame Susan.

Gallery at network and natter