A truck arriving at the wrong moment can turn an organised site into a collection of conflicting movements.
The supplier has a delivery address and a requested day. The site team has three trades working near the entrance and nowhere ready for the load. Both parties may believe the delivery is arranged, but the important details are still missing.
A delivery slot should describe how the arrival will work, not just when the truck leaves the depot.
Confirm the route and the receiving person
WorkSafe’s work-site traffic guidance emphasises managing risks around vehicles and mobile plant, including cooperation between businesses sharing a site. Booking a delivery is a practical point at which to coordinate those responsibilities.
Before arrival, confirm the appropriate access route, the receiving contact and the agreed unloading arrangements. Ask what vehicle is expected and pass accurate site information to the supplier. Restricted access, changing ground conditions or nearby public movements may affect the plan.
Do not ask a driver to improvise simply because the specified entrance is blocked. Stop and reassess the arrangements with the relevant people. A delivery deadline does not make an unsuitable manoeuvre acceptable.
Prepare the destination, not just the gate
Decide where the materials will go and whether that area is ready. A load deposited in the wrong place may need to be moved again, adding handling, damage risk and disruption to the work programme.
Coordinate other site activities around the movement where necessary. The people affected need to understand the arrangements, especially if they differ from the usual site layout. A traffic plan left unchanged while the project evolves may no longer describe the real conditions.
Where the movement involves public roads or footpaths, confirm the relevant arrangements with the appropriate road-controlling authority and competent advisers. A private site plan is not permission to occupy public space.
After a difficult delivery, record the specific cause. Was the load description wrong, the contact unavailable or the receiving area unfinished? Change the booking information for the next delivery rather than relying on everyone to remember the incident.
A reliable delivery slot ends with the load safely received in the right place. Treating that outcome as the purpose of the booking helps align purchasing, site management and the supplier before the truck arrives.