As a business 3T have been continually monitoring the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) through a number of Government, media and industry sources. In the event of the UK Government moving into the next phase of their Action Plan we are ready.
In preparation we have enhanced our internal Business Continuity plan to prioritise the provision of a sustainable resource solution for front-line planning, systems and operational activities.
In the event of nationwide restrictions being placed on public and workspaces we can advise that all 3T staff have the capability and facilities to work from home. Further, to ensure that communication links remain unaffected under circumstances where our clients are employing a similar ‘work-from-home’ policy, we will expand on our current standard channels to match your preferences, (e.g. Skype, Teams etc). Should events unfold such that our first line operational and support functions become depleted, our pre-trained management tier personnel will take up position(s).
Throughout this period we will continue to maintain increased levels of communication with our carrier partners. Any reported issues or situational changes that may impinge upon our clients’ service will be immediately escalated through to you together with options for resolution or containment. Similarly, we have already been advised by a number of our clients regarding immediate changes made to local site protocols and how these affect driver arrivals. In some cases, sites are already refusing access to drivers that have recently visited designated ‘red zones’ (China, N. Italy etc) but more typically drivers are required to complete a medical questionnaire prior to entry to the site. We can assure you that the information provided has been directly communicated to our carriers and planning teams alike, and we would kindly ask that you keep us updated on any further procedural changes effecting future carrier collections and/or deliveries.
We would advise that increased turnaround times at points of collections or delivery may on occasion impact on route timings and cause arrival delays. Our operations team are prepared for this eventuality and will of course keep you advised and manage all issues if and as they occur.
As things stand today, we have no reported issues with carrier availability, however, should future developments impact upon driver numbers, 3T are in unique position to offer alternative service options from our wider carrier network. Under an extreme scenario we must however advise that labour shortages may trigger temporary price increases across the market. Once again, our planning and operations team will work with you directly to offer alternatives, prioritise traffic and optimise planning with a view to ensuring that any potential cost and service impacts are kept to an absolute minimum.
So far, European traffic movements under our management have not been affected in any way, this despite certain operational restrictions and controls having been set in place, including Italy’s containment protocol. We will continue to monitor the situation and advise of any potential impact across all of our managed territories.
Further updates will be communicated via our website: https://3t-ltg.com/knowledge-centre/
At any stage, should your operating circumstances or requirements change, we would kindly ask that you notify us at the earliest possible moment via your 3T account lead.
Potentially there are challenging times ahead for us all, however I am confident that by working together effectively we will be successful in delivering the best possible outcome to you and your customers.