Road freight is one of the most common modalities for pharmaceutical distribution in the UK and overall, much less complex than air and ocean transport.
The process will differ slightly depending on if your freight is leaving the UK or travelling domestically. The arrangements for domestic transportation are more-often conducted in-house, with the shipper subcontracting the haulage directly, whereas for exports, a freight forwarding agent is generally brought into play.
Let’s map the high-level process for road freight (domestic):
Road freight (export) differs slightly in that a forwarder is usually utilised to arrange the booking and facilitate the customs clearance and CMR/T1 form completion:
Temperature control during road distribution is relatively straight forward providing you use temperature-controlled vehicles for the duration of the transportation process. There are some risks to consider and mitigate. Vehicle mapping, ensuring the set-point is correct (prior to loading and ensuring proof of temperature can be maintained throughout), and continuity plans in the event of vehicle breakdown.
By far the biggest risk to pharmaceutical products during road transportation is security.
There are multiple opportunities for criminals to hijack vehicles, break in during driver rest hours and divert large quantities of medicines from the pharmaceutical supply chain. Whilst the air and ocean cargo environments are heavily regulated, the road industry is wide-open to opportunistic theft, and routings should be taken into consideration. Areas with theft trends should be avoided, vehicles should be sealed using tamper-proof seals, locks and alarms, and NEVER use curtain-sided vehicles.
Hauliers with security accreditations such as TAPA-TSR should be considered to ensure a high standard of security is maintained, and an ongoing audit programme of the haulier should take place.
Audits should take into consideration procedures for driver rest stops:
Are they instructed to park in well-lit authorised areas, covered by CCTV?
Are their trucks alarmed?
Is GPS tracking available?
What is the hauliers process for reporting theft?
Does the haulage company have a quality management system in place, such as ISO 9001?
What training have they received for the handling of pharmaceuticals?
The next biggest risk within road freight (export) is incorrect customs or shipping paperwork.
If the paperwork is incorrect, the freight can be exposed to unfavourable conditions for much longer periods of time. If you have a truck set to a controlled temperature, and customs authorities take longer to inspect the product, or the product gets seized until the paperwork is corrected, the risk of temperature excursion increases massively.
Not only that, but you will be charged huge demurrage fines for every day the authority in question holds the product. Fines can reach into the thousands, and you will be liable to pay before the product can be released.
Know your customs requirements! They differ per destination and it’s your product, your declaration.
Your freight forwarder will complete the paperwork based on your instructions and can only advise; they cannot instruct. Customs requirements can differ per destination, so make sure you check before arranging your shipment. Small inconsistencies in paperwork can cause huge snags – such as using the generic drug name on one form and the patent name on another, so ensure staff completing have the required knowledge level.
If we can help further your understanding, provide supply chain consultancy, help you in creating route risk assessments, bespoke lane profiling, we have the expertise and we’re here to help.
Get in touch! You can call us on 0330 133 0920, email us on info@ukgdpassociation.co.uk, or use the contact form on this site.
Useful Links
The Global Supply Chain – Air Freight
The Global Supply Chain – Sea Freight
Continue reading with these related articles from the GDP community.
Guidance
In today’s pharmaceutical landscape, GDP compliance is no longer a back-office responsibility - it’s a make-or-break factor that can elevate or collapse your distribution credibility. UK wholesalers, distributors, and pharmaceutical outlets are...
Guidance
The pharmaceutical industry, while dedicated to healing and well-being, has a significant environmental footprint. From manufacturing to distribution, the processes involved consume considerable energy and resources. As sustainability becomes an...
As the pharmaceutical distribution landscape continues to evolve, ensuring compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) remains paramount for UK wholesalers. With increasing regulatory scrutiny and the complexities of modern supply chains,...