Posted By Lee Smyth Any tips for navigating the commercial and safety minefield when making deliveries to customers? We have a customer in an old site in a city centre that we have to deliver to by 44t lorry. Our carriers drivers are reporting back that access is extremely difficult. The customer isn't being very co-operative claiming that his staff are not allowed outside the premises for "insurance reasons" to aid the driver (I am well aware of the risks around even trained banksmen but can see no alternative). I've researched all the HSE advice on Workplace Transport but it seems a bit vague at the boundary between premises and public highway. Smaller vehicles are not an option as we utilise specialist self loading trailers) Thanks Lee

Posted By Lee Smyth Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. The product is paper being delivered to a regional newspaper publisher. We sent a sensible safety rep up with a 6am delivery yesterday to act as a mate. The feedback wasn't good. To access the site the lorry has to fully mount a pavement and reverse blind across a busy roadway. Seven pedestrians and 28 buses crossed in the 40 minutes our carriers vehicle was there, there is a bus depot next door so the pedestrian traffic is much higher around 7-9am. I've suggested we either deliver somewhere nearby and the customer arranges to shuttle the paper over using smaller rigid vehicles or we consider a very late night delivery when the traffic will be considerably reduced. Still not impressed by the customers total disregard, media moguls eh!

Posted By Alan Nicholls Hi Lee From your reply I can see your problem. Rolls of news print are not the easiest of things to deliver. I delivered for a time out of London with the finished product. Not the most helpful people in the world. Also rolls of paper to make cardboard boxes, oh joy. With the location of the drop my thoughts would be to arrange an early delivery time, say 2am The printers will be working 24 hours no doubt. Perhaps this may make them appreciate your predicament, night shift workers have always been more flexible with working practices, in my experience. You can but try. Hope it works out. Regards Alan N

Posted By Alan Nicholls Hi Merv I believe it makes sense, providing the customer is 24/7 working. Safe access is the main problem, poor lighting, and the usual not too helpful ones site like a tip obstructions and vehicles everywhere. Glad I am no longer on the sharp end, have had the dirty end of the stick on many occasions. Still miss it BUT not quite as much now. Regards Alan N

Posted By Merv Newman Lee, thanks for telling us about your change of policy. I've worked with both paper making and conversion sites. A two-ton or more roll can be a bitch to handle. Let's hope they have at least a clamp truck to off load the master rolls. Remember there was a news article a few days ago about a delivery driver who got lost, (GPS system) and reversed out of a narrow street damaging 6 or 7 vehicles in the process. £10 000 is nothing against the possible/probable damages. Well done. Merv