RMS Compliance Chief to Target Distribution Centres

RMS Compliance Chief, Paul Endycott has set his sights on distribution centres right at the top of the supply chain in terms of compliance enforcement with road transport law.

Those distribution centres belonging to big-name transport clients are in the sights of the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) as they work to enforce chain of responsibility.

Mr Endycott explained that the department would target centres making sure that people at the top of the supply chain are complying with chain of responsibility legislation, through ongoing inspections for the next year.

In an article on OwnerDriver.com.au, Mr Endycott spoke about a south-west Sydney facility inspected by RMS earlier in the year.

“Inserting ourselves into distribution centre allows us to tackle management, senior board executives and influence compliant behavioural changes all the way from that boardroom table to the driver’s seat, which is important for saving lives,”

Source: http://www.ownerdriver.com.au

He also discussed the RMS’ plan to continue targeting distribution centres, having already visited 20 since mid-2014. Mr Endycott explained:

“Since the middle of last year we have targeted and visited 20 distribution centres including…Woolworths, we’ve been to Coles, we’ve been to Australia Post, Star Track and a range of others.”

Source: http://www.ownerdriver.com.au

Earlier in the year at a transport safety summit, Mr Endycott explained the RMS’ strategy to focus on distribution centres rather than individual trucking operations. Mr Endycott stated:

“It’s the only way we can get engagement – right from the top and it’s branched out to catch everybody that is going there or has been there,” he says.

“Our focus – and I’ve been very vocal in what our focus will be – for the next 12 months is clearly distribution centres.”

Source: http://www.ownerdriver.com.au

RMS officers have discovered a number of prevalent issues during their crackdown on distribution centres, including fatigue management. Mr Endycott stated that at one major distribution centre a linehaul truck driver trying to rest had to keep moving around every few minutes to avoid oncoming traffic.

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Improvement notices have been issued against centres inspected but Mr Endycott said the RMS is not concerned with pursuing legal action, he explained why…

“It’s not about taking them to court in some instances, it’s about getting a quick fix. And when we walk out of there it doesn’t just end with, ‘we’ve been and there may be a few chats to the staff there’,” he says.

Source: http://www.ownerdriver.com.au

He explained it’s about seeing improvements and the process moving forward more than taking legal action. If you tell the executive in charge that they are personally responsible with what RMS officers discover, they are more motivated to get things moving in the right direction. Mr Endycott went on to explain:

“We have what’s called the ‘No shit chat’ with the executive. They are dragged in, sat down and told that they are personally responsible for everything that we have discovered on the day and of course then the process starts to move forward.”

Read more at: http://www.ownerdriver.com.au

Last week RMS issued a warning to distribution centres that they needed to take responsibility for ensuring that the trucks leaving their sites are fully compliant.

Those executives who try and gain an unfair commercial advantage at the expense of compliant businesses are of particular interest to the RMS.

Ensure everyone at your distribution centre knows how to comply with COR laws, visit http://www.coraustralia.com