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PalletTrack is launching a viewing facility so that drivers can watch the loading of consignments onto their trucks. The £30,000 investment will be fully operational next week and has been designed to allow drivers to view the loading without any risk to their safety. Health and safety obligations at the pallet network prevent drivers from walking around the hub as they are at risk of injury from forklift and loading activities. Health and safety issues at distribution hubs have long been a concern  for the pallet network sector. PalletTrack, along with other networks, has banned drivers from walking freely around hubs, but without being able to walk around and view their trailers, "drivers are effectively signing for custody of traffic and condition of traffic when they are not present to view the actual consignments. It's a double negative", says Parkes.

With the new facility "we have been able to answer a problem that has been the bane of the networks", he tells Motor Transport. The purpose-built viewing office will house up to eight drivers at any one time. They will be able to view their load on split screen monitors showing both sides of the trailer. Four cameras will be on each vehicle when the loading takes place. A satellite feed into the network's scanning monitor will mean drivers can also see the live scanning of consignments. Parkes insists the use of the room will be mandatory for drivers and has now been written into PalletTrack's operational procedures,  sent to members this week. PalletTrack has 61 members and moves an average 3,300 consignments a night. Parkes tells MT that the network has held its track record of never losing a pallet since it began trading in 2004.