We are being told we now have to ' live with COVID' but the lack of government planning is quickly exposing the flaws as to how we are to 'work with COVID'.

Unless some fundamental measures are put in place, the ramifications could become catastrophic.

Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) and the Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) have made contact this week with NSW and Victorian governments seeking access to adequate testing solutions for the sector noting instances whereby members (including freight forwarders, warehouse and depot operators) have received alerts from health regulators regarding people who have checked in at their premises testing positive.

This could be hundreds of drivers coming in onto these sites daily.

Furthermore, many members are facing the predicament of having significant numbers of staff in isolation requiring tests to determine if they are safe to return to work.

Given the pressure on our industry as a whole to keep supply chains open, it is essential that rapid antigen test (RAT) kits are made available to the logistics sector. Ideally these would be subsidised or offered free of charge to cap spiralling compliance costs.

In parallel to our advocacy with government, FTA/ APSA also again engaged with the Australian Financial Review this week and note the publication of an article Supply chain crunched as up to half of truckies isolate (afr.com) outlining concerns raised by executives of ACFS, Lovatt Transport, Coles and Woolworths.

We trust the genuine threat of grocery store shelves being empty will prompt faster resolution.

FTA/APSA will keep members up to date on pertinent developments.

Paul Zalai - Director FTA | Secretariat APSA | Director GSF

SUPPLY CHAIN CRUNCHED BY COVID OUTBREAK