Making road transport contractual chain orders or guidelines

We can consider making road transport contractual chain minimum standards after we receive an application or on our own initiative. See Apply for regulated worker minimum standards.

They can be made by an Expert Panel for the road transport industry.  

An application must specify who the order or guidelines will cover in the contractual chain. This includes the class or classes of persons covered. Class or classes can include an industry, sector or specific types of work.  

An application can be made for either road transport contractual chain order or road transport contractual chain guidelines, but:

• if an application is made for an order, we can decide to make guidelines instead
• if an application is made for guidelines, we can decide to make an order instead.

When we perform functions relating to road transport contractual chains, we must consider the minimum standards objective and the road transport objective.

Before making a road transport contractual chain order, we must:

• genuinely engage with the parties to be covered
• consult the Road Transport Advisory Group
• follow a consultation process
• have regard to the commercial realities of the road transport industry  
• be satisfied that making or varying the order will not unduly affect the viability or competitiveness of owner drivers or similar persons
• take into account any current or proposed road transport contractual chain orders and minimum standards orders, and
• take reasonable steps to ensure that the coverage of the order is clear.