Irish wait on Tesco bids
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• Hauliers in Ireland face an uncertain rime as they await a pre-Christmas Tesco announcement on the winners of its distribution tenders for the Republic.
Tesco is to switch distribution to its nationwide chain of 78 supermarkets to three central depots and has invited distribution tenders for two of them. It already operates one company depot at Tallaght, West Dublin.
Tesco bought Quinnsworth, then the second-largest Irish supermarket chain, in 1997, The former Quinnsworth outlets have up to now been taking direct deliveries from suppliers.
Earlier this year Tesco switched all fresh fruit distribu
tion to the shops to just one distributor. The change to central distribution will mean job losses on the delivery side. But some hauliers hope they will get work as sub-contractors.
Tesco confirms there is already a mix of in-house and contract hauliers delivering from the company's distribution depot in Tallaght.
E One thousand Irish truckers are asking people to phone and say what they think of their driving performance, aiming to reduce road accident figures. The IRHA campaign, Safety is our Goal, will include stickers on trucks giving a freephone number and a recognition code for the truck.