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Customers must be realistic on deadlines: Lovel

VTA boss says customers must set realistic deadlines in the wake of severe weather and flooding

December 15, 2010

Customers and operators are being told to set realistic deadlines for truck drivers in the wake of severe weather and flooding which is affecting parts of the country.

Victorian Transport Association (VTA) CEO Philip Lovel (pictured) says customers need to factor in delivery time extensions and that operators need to warn drivers to be careful when carting goods.

He says any customer or operator that puts pressure on a driver to take risks will be accountable for any accidents.

“We have heard that customers are complaining about poor delivery times. This [is] not on if they are not taking account of any extenuating circumstances caused by poor weather conditions,” Lovel says.

The weather over the past few months has been some of the worst for decades.

“Everyone seems to think that the freight industry is not affected. Well, guess what, it is.”

Lovel says the VTA has advised drivers not to take risks by driving through flood waters and to check all freight roads before proceeding.

Flood alerts were issued last week for the central west of NSW due to flash flooding and gale force winds.

Drivers had to find alternative routes as ran blocked 31 roads and highways in NSW.

The inclement weather forced Ron Crouch Transport to temporarily relocate its Wagga Wagga operations after heavy rain lashed the region.

“It’s a record rainfall for Wagga Wagga, we have never had this much rain for the month of December,” Ron Crouch Transport Managing Director Geoff Crouch told ATN last week.

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