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Robert Keen’s Column


BIFAlink


BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 391973. VAT Registration: 216476363)


Director General Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Executive Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Executive Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Training Development Manager Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Administration Controller Jane Robinson j.robinson@bifa.org


Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Robert Keen, Robert Windsor, Mike Jones, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Pawel Jarza


Regional Consultants to BIFA Scotland and the Borders Len Hobbs: bifa.scot@gmail.com Northern Ireland Carson McMullan: carsonconluce@aol.com Midlands and the North Paul Young: youngyes@aol.com London West and the South West Colin Young: young_colin.t21@btinternet.com Anglia, London East and the South East Paul Newman: paul@pnauk.com


Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.


December 2017


Award entries hit high standards – again


Only a few weeks to go now until we host our Awards lunch in January at our usual location, The Brewery, in central London. This year I was panicking as just a week before the closing date for entries we were well below the number of submissions to make a decent competition, but as is often the case they all poured in at the last minute.


I am now confident we can stage the usual great event in January, but it seems to be


getting tougher with the number of awards ceremonies having increased in the past few years. Remember that our awards are totally straight, with the submissions being judged by independent people. As usual we hear some great stories from BIFA


Members and it is really difficult to choose finalists when all of the entries are of such a high standard. You may think “everyone always says that”, but it is the case, and it is especially difficult with the Young Freight Forwarder Award as it is a personal effort.


The introduction of the new 2017 edition of the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions (STC) has gone relatively


smoothly with few questions received here at the Secretariat. The main question we have been asked is whether the new Standard Trading Conditions (STC) need to be adopted immediately, to which the answer is that you can switch whenever you want although we do need all BIFA Members to switch within a year, so you should all be using the 2017 edition by September 2018. The reason for this is that when a potential customer sees the BIFA logo on a letterhead, stationery or advertising, it is an indication that all BIFA Members have the same minimum standards regarding their contractual terms and liabilities. Of course, you have the right to make a private contract with your customer and accept certain changes such as increased liability, but the BIFA STC and the minimum requirements should be at the heart of any agreement. BIFA has published guidance on making logistics contracts on our website and, of course, if you do negotiate any changes you must keep your liability insurer informed.


It was good to see that the most expensive UK road tolls are to be scrapped. The Severn Bridge crossings


into Wales will be free from the end of 2018 and credit is due to our friends at the RHA for their persistence in this matter. As a forwarder, I used to visit a major account in Cardiff regularly in the 1990s, and then a few years ago I had to repeat regular crossings of the Severn when my daughter chose Swansea for her university education, so I have experience of this particular issue and the costs involved.


Again, my thanks to the BIFA Members that I have recently visited. Whilst I am based in London I do try to get


to all parts of the UK every year. It is always good to be in touch with the membership and witness first-hand the great things our industry does. A special mention to Sylvia Fleming of Extrodinair who I visited a couple of years ago. Extrodinair are the first UK freight forwarder to achieve SeMS phase two, and as Sylvia said to me, “not bad for a wee independent company at Edinburgh Airport”.


Finally, season’s greetings to you all. In my time as a forwarder at Heathrow we used to need elastic walls in


the import warehouse at Christmas with a couple of weeks’ of freight backed up! I am still reminded by older individual Members of the Institute Christmas Carol Service that used to be held. If you want a Christmas Carol Service in Central London with a reception at Skinners Hall, then as usual we are carrying information about the Mission for Seafarers event at St Michael Paternoster. Check on page 5 for more information


Robert Keen Director General


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