Parking costs
An analysis of data from the Districò platform, carried out by the Federtrasporti research center, indicates that the average time spent by Italian drivers on loading and unloading is 4.35 hours. This means a loss of at least 15% of the time that could be used to cover more kilometers. This also has financial implications. Experts estimate that the entire road transport industry in Italy loses about €3 billion a year. In Poland, we face with a similar situation.
The issue of delays in loading and unloading has far-reaching consequences. It is rare for the driver to be able to pause or rest during this time. This translates into fewer hours on the road and, therefore, financial losses.
Many trucking companies use about 75% of the time that drivers should spend on the road. The correct threshold is now 90-95%.
Beniamin Matecki, TSL Market Consultant
Each day of the driver’s work means certain costs – salary, vehicle leasing, etc. If we make an appointment with a contractor for loading at 8:00 a.m., and we manage to do it only around 6:00 p.m., then we lose a day financially. Regular customers try to compensate for such situations, at least partially. Unfortunately, this is not a market standard. Therefore, if we suspect that there may be problems, we make a simple economic calculation – it is better to take a load for less money than to waste time.
Marek Woszczek, LogConcept Ltd.
Lack of proper planning and synchronization between incoming and outgoing goods in warehouses, shortage of docks and personnel to handle vehicle flow, rigidity of time slots and lack of agility in managing the documentation of departures and deliveries of goods are factors influencing long waiting times.
All of this has a very negative impact on transport companies and their drivers and is a critical point for improving the efficiency of the transport chain. The loss of waiting time means that the entire planning of the transport company is ruined, which affects drivers and the entire chain because it means being late for other services.
On the one hand, this situation generates losses for the transport company and puts drivers in a difficult situation. They are often forced to wait in places without proper sanitation and must constantly change their driving and break schedules to continue working in accordance with the regulations. Frequent downtime also makes it difficult for drivers to balance work and family life.
José María Quijano, Secretary General of the Confederación Española de Transporte de Mercancías (CETM)
Loading and unloading times – where to look for solutions?
In Spain, it was decided to solve the problems of loading and unloading at the legislative level (by changing the law). Under the 2009 regulation, updated in 2022, the carrier can claim compensation from the sender if the waiting time for the described activities exceeds one hour (counting from the moment of arrival). The prohibition of the driver’s participation in these processes is also regulated by law. The amounts the carrier can claim are clearly defined – €40 for each hour of downtime and €400 for the first day.
Similar solutions at the state level were introduced by Portugal in 2021. The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry has published a guide to good practices, but as everyday life shows – without specific regulations, it doesn’t make sense.
There are doubts, however, whether action at the government level is the most appropriate direction. Especially since, as Maciej Wronski, president of the TLP Employers’ Association, says, the legal standard cannot be zero-one. Otherwise, someone will always be harmed. In the case of the Spanish market, for example, the new regulations have proven to be a major challenge for shippers.
The law alone will not solve everything. And even if lawmakers come up with a perfect plan, there is still the question of enforcement – will a small entrepreneur who depends on steady orders file a lawsuit because of delays?
The same with the issue of loading or unloading by the driver. Often, the person driving the vehicle is the best judge of how to distribute the load so that it does not exceed the axle load. The important thing is that his involvement is reflected in the documentation.
Building a business relationship based on trust is essential. We are all part of one ecosystem that can function smoothly if we seek to understand each other’s interests.
Maciej Wroński, President of the Employers’ Association Transport and Logistics Poland
Fix and ready digital tools
Lack of faith in top-down solutions causes companies to try to find their own way out of the situation. For example, through fixes.
The simplest solution to facilitate loading and unloading planning is fixes. Specifying the exact time, however, is only beneficial for carriers that are able to plan their own drivers’ work well. It is worth remembering that the first three weeks are a struggle for the transport company to cover tolls, leases, etc., and the last week determines the margin. Thus, it matters how many of those hours/days are spent on the road and how many are spent waiting. Parking costs.
Beniamin Matecki, TSL Market Consultant
Specifying the exact time does not solve all problems, but it definitely helps. Fixes are the most popular solution used by shippers and carriers.
In our network, a time slot is booked. Punctuality is within 30 minutes in both directions. This gives the driver a one-hour window in which to schedule his arrival When that happens, it typically takes up to two hours to unload, pick up the documents and leave.
We can put the on-time arrival rate at 80%. And to be fair, the remaining 20% is split equally between late drivers and the challenges we face at any given time. It is important to remember that from our side we have many elements to manage: store orders, warehouses, our own drivers and external parties. Sometimes one detail can cause delays, even if you plan everything perfectly. That’s why we are investing in new distribution centers that will increase storage space and improve throughput, which will certainly improve our operations, especially on Fridays or during holiday peaks, because the most important thing is that we all respect each other’s time.
Dawid Sadecki, Jeronimo Martins Polska S.A.
To manage time slots more efficiently, some companies opt for more advanced solutions, such as the Dock Scheduler. This tool not only facilitates communication between all the parties involved (logisticians, warehouse, carrier), but above all, it allows resources to be planned in advance and warehouse capacity to be managed. The delivery schedule management system developed by CargoON can reduce waiting times by up to 70% and allows flexible operation and adaptation to the current situation, such as unexpected situations on the road and the resulting late driver.
We have reduced the number of cases where all trucks arrive at the same time. Waiting times have been reduced and warehouse efficiency has improved. Before the implementation, the planning department was overloaded with deliveries, but the Dock Scheduler helped them organize the work. We have also reduced the number of phone calls to the company, which used to get a lot of calls from carriers asking about loading and unloading.
Ronny Sauer, DAWN
Source: Dock Management, CargoON
We have reduced vehicle handling time by 40%, we have consistent communication and information flow within the organization. Thanks to the fact that 80% of the deliveries are booked the day before, we can realize the set schedule of the warehouse.
Justyna Lusztak, Boryszew Group
Source: Dock Management, CargoON
Another type of digital aid is Goodloading, which helps plan the distribution of goods on the vehicle, which is extremely helpful for multiple loads of different sizes.
The use of solutions such as the Dock Scheduler or Goodloading is gaining importance. TLP and spotdata research shows that one of the three main areas of change that businesses plan to make in the TSL market is “Digitization and automation of drivers’ work (e.g., loading and unloading).”
Verification is a must
Not all companies choose to cooperate by setting exact loading/unloading times, or use technology to help. So how do you decide if it pays to take on a particular freight? This is where verification plays an important role. Especially when selecting loads on the spot. In this area, the Trans.eu Platform comes to the rescue, where the option to give ratings and opinions on contractors is available. Using this feature, you can share your experience of working with a particular contractor and indicate which companies are the most reliable and trustworthy. Ratings and comments are public and can be viewed by any user, even before negotiations begin.
Sometimes the delivery or loading address is not given in the order, which is the first sign that the sellers may be another middleman and do not know the customer, or for some reason deliberately do not want to give the address in an effort to hide the resulting problems.
The same applies to waiting times for loading or unloading. If they extend – the regular customer is able to pay compensation. In the case of random contractors that do not have a developed relationship with the customer, it is very difficult. And in a situation where we carry out transport through freight forwarders, we have to expect that they may take some or all of the profit resulting from the downtime. Therefore, verification is key.
To thoroughly verify a company, we first look at the ratings on Trans.eu. We also look for reviews on the Internet and look at the location and Google search ratings. This information gives us a gateway for possible withdrawal of the order.
Marek Woszczek, LogConcept Ltd.
Key takeaways:
How to handle loading and unloading times?
- 👉 Verify your contractor thoroughly;
- 👉 Use fixes and dedicated tools;
- 👉 Plan your driver’s work well (routes, loading and unloading places);
- 👉 Discuss additional days to work with the driver (e.g., every other Saturday) to make your company more flexible.
What can you expect from contractors?
- 👉 use digital tools to facilitate your planning and communication;
- 👉 extend facility operating hours and increase the number of employees dedicated to loading and unloading;
- 👉 increase the number of dock doors.
