DAFF officers will inspect consignments five days a week
Arrow Transport Logistics and Quarantine Services has opened up its Altona-based ‘rural tailgate’ service to the market.
It is the first tailgate facility based outside of the wharf precinct, Arrow Transport states.
Authorised officers from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) will be on the site between 7.30am and 12pm from Monday to Friday, with a possibility of extending the inspection hours based on demand in the future.
“The decision to invest in the new tailgate facility was brought about by the sheer number of containers they were delivering to rural destinations in both sideloader, semi and more recently 40’/40’ A-double combinations,” facility owner Craig Webster says.
“Our decision to invest in the facility was to offer our existing customer base a true end-to-end service, providing accurate delivery windows to rural destinations through, by controlling turning around times in our own yard.
“With the facility working extremely well, the management team with the support of DAFF are now extending this service to external carriers.
“It is our long-term plan to open the facility as early as 5.30am, offering country carriers the ability to get in and out of Melbourne prior to having to battle peak-hour traffic.
“By turning them around within 30 minutes, this then ensures we do not impact further on there already challenging driving hours.”