Toll combats scheduling days after WA floods cut off routes, but customers will face higher delivery costs
By Ruza Zivkusic | March 23, 2011
The flood-stricken Kimberley region in Western Australia has thrown freight schedules into disarray, adding up to 48 hours extra to delivery times.
Toll Holdings’ depot in Western Australia is taking two days to deliver goods to the Kimberley after floods cut off roads in the region.
Manager Eric Crane says drivers are travelling there each day to deliver food and essential services.
“Out of Perth we can’t come up the Great Northern Highway and after last night’s rain at Warmun that will prolong that,” Crane says.
Customers are also affected, with Crane saying delivery costs could more than double.
The Kimberley region has experienced one of its biggest wet seasons on record, with the monsoon activity expected to continue.
Crane says Toll is doing its best to meet customer demands but that the weather conditions are beyond its control.
“It is costly and we have to pass that cost on to the consumer,” he says.