[News] There's no need to panic buy petrol

[Hugo Rune]

I walked past that one about 7am today and the queue was no more than half a dozen vehicles incl a taxi. I'm guessing 7am tomorrow might be even quieter

I think so. I drove past at about 11am, peak queue I imagine.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Sailing close to the wind is called Just in Time logistics. It's been used in all industries for years, gone are the days of huge stock holding. It only falls down when there's a rush on a product, whatever that product is. It could be bog roll, beer, building materials or in this case petrol. Fuelled totally by the inept BBC, who have an agenda these days of acting like a Red Top newspaper.

Name any product and we're only a sensationalist report away from a panic.

Next week, massive shortage on turkeys this Christmas as mass killings leads to carnage. Fox kills a few free range birds the reality.

I know, I have actually worked in the logistics industry. And 'just in time' normally works well all the time that the actual supply chain is planned, legislated, managed, staffed and protected .................. oh

But since it hasn't for the last 10 years and has worsened significantly in the last 12 months we can expect a whole series of these

I wonder what the BBC will single handedly decide to do to the country next

 

[Is it PotG?]

I know, I have actually worked in the logistics industry. And 'just in time' normally works well all the time that the actual supply chain is planned, legislated, managed and protected .................. oh

But all the time the supply chain isn't we can expect a whole series of these

Was that when you were headhunted, you must have been pretty decent?

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

How many forecourts do you think there are in the country? and how many of those have actually needed policing due to punch ups or whatever?

How many coppers would it take away from other, far higher priority area policing to accomplish this plan of yours?

And if they did and public safety was compromised, crime detection and solving levels dropped, etc... don't you think the very same people who would have ask for policing at forecourts would be the first to complain about their failing to provide their usual effectiveness in policing the country?

That argument is a bit like calling for police to be present at every pub up and down the country in case there is a punch up there, which is simply impractical

Surely better to respond to an incident if one arises as they would do with a pub, besides forecourts have very good cctv and will have evidence for a prosecution that the police could collect and use to prosecute without having to be there for the initial incident

Besides, forecourts are private businesses, shouldn't they manage themselves rather than need the Government or the police to jump in to manage them if they get busy?

Forecourts may be private businesses, but that private business is not responsible for the main roads, it would have been helpful, if the police did occasionally just come along just for 5-10 minutes just to give the staff some moral support, or even send a PCSO.

After all, when a crime has been committed, the police quite happily come to us to help them find cars that have driven by, and there has been an accident further down the road.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Was that when you were headhunted, you must have been pretty decent?

Still not got a job yet ? I'm happy to run my eye over your cv if you think it would help

 

[A1X]

However, 9 days later, with the issue still there, the Government having bought in their back up tankers and now the army, don't you get the impression that we have been 'sailing close to the wind' for a long time and this was always going to happen, it was just a matter of when ?
And, given that it is now widely accepted that this has been building over the last 10 years and then accelerated by Covid and Brexit, do you not think the Government should have maybe pre-empted the problem, rather than added to it

My suspicion is this was a perfect storm of factors which have been building up for a length of time and this was the spark which lit the fuse.

The issue we have is this country is hugely reliant on "just in time" delivery mechanisms. Which is not a problem at all provided there are no sudden spikes of demand which haven't been anticipated or any major blocks to the usual flow of goods and people. This is why we saw the bog roll / pasta / flour shortages last year, and where Brexit comes into play on top of the other long-standing issues.

 

[JC Footy Genius]

No



No - Forecourts and fuel deliveries to them are run by private businesses, why should the Government have been pre-empting a problem that has only been created by hysteria and nothing else. There was plenty of fuel to go around, so if everyone had continued as normal (as the Government requested) then we wouldn't have had this situation arise

Not sure what those criticising the Government would have wanted them to say instead? - yes there is a crisis, panic and buy every drop you can now even if it leaves those who provide critical services unable to get fuel to carry on providing those critical services

What has caused this more is the constant sniping by those with a political agenda, those who constantly have claimed that the country is falling apart, that everything will be in very short supply due to Brexit (so if someone hears of a slight shortage they fear it's the start of that prediction and panic) and also those who like to class the Government as liars and untrustworthy so when they do call for calm rational behaviour, then their message has already been undermined by those driving their liars / untrustworthy narratives and results in irrational behaviour and the need to keep their fuel tanks topped to the brim, even if they don't actually need it and it leaves others without

If someone claimed that there was a slight supply problem for any old product now, it's highly likely that the same irrational, selfish behaviour would lead to widescale shortages as too many of our society are just looking out for number one and have little interest in the greater good for society as a whole, we've seen it several times throughout this pandemic

Also worth pointing out if private companies and trade organisations were warning of shortages in a sector for some time there was an obvious solution ... increase wages and improve working conditions to attract more drivers.

 

[WATFORD zero]

These responses have certainly got me thinking

Underlying problems in the supply chain

or

BBC plot to bring the country to a standstill and undermine the Government

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

There is no doubt that it was triggered by this original report on the BBC, and probably made worse by the fact that BP and Esso refused to release the actual facts and insisted on sticking to 'a handful' and a 'small number'.

BP has warned it has had to "temporarily" close some of its petrol stations due to a shortage of lorry drivers. The oil firm said only "a handful" of sites were affected by the fuel supply issues, which have led to a lack of unleaded and diesel fuel.There are around 1,200 BP branded petrol stations around the UK, of which 300 are operated by BP themselves. The company said it was working hard to address the issues.

Esso said that a "small number" of its 200 Tesco Alliance retail sites have been affected. "We are working closely with all parties in our distribution network to optimise supplies and minimise any inconvenience to customers. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience," a spokesperson from Esso added.

However, supermarket Morrisons, which operates 338 petrol stations across the UK, said it was not seeing any similar issues at the moment.

Co-op runs 130 petrol stations in the country, and said it has a "full complement" of fuel delivery drivers.

Tesco also said that they have a "good availability of fuel" and both Sainsbury's and Asda said there are no current issues in their fuel supplies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58645712

However, 9 days later, with the issue still there, the Government having bought in their back up tankers and now the army, don't you get the impression that we have been 'sailing close to the wind' for a long time and this was always going to happen, it was just a matter of when ?
And, given that it is now widely accepted that this has been building over the last 10 years and then accelerated by Covid and Brexit, do you not think the Government should have maybe pre-empted the problem, rather than added to it

That's because of just in time deliveries, they are arranged by the fuel company/retailer, not by government, panic buying initially caused the shortages, this means more sites need more fuel as people chase what's available.

It will take time to sort this out, but you can not have drivers sitting around waiting for excess sales to get them to work. Each station has a capacity of storage and when that storage is used up in one day rather than the average 3 there lies the problem.

The situation will improve and everyone can help, by thinking if they really need the fuel they are buying, topping up £5-£10, unless that's all your finances allow, is pointless. Storiing fuel in cans in the garage is also pointless, and buying fuel to cut you grass is plain stupid let it grow, allow as many people as possible to fill up, then things improve.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

However, 9 days later, with the issue still there, the Government having bought in their back up tankers and now the army, don't you get the impression that we have been 'sailing close to the wind' for a long time and this was always going to happen, it was just a matter of when ?
And, given that it is now widely accepted that this has been building over the last 10 years and then accelerated by Covid and Brexit, do you not think the Government should have maybe pre-empted the problem, rather than added to it

Sailing close to the wind or using Just in Time (JIT) logistics which originated in Japan in the 1970's and is now widely used across the globe but that won't stop those with an agenda from blaming the Government here for any supply issues currently faced by our industries

We as a consumer demand cheap goods, so JIT allows companies to keep costs down and pass savings on - again not sure why that too is the Governments fault or how they get blamed for that?

So how exactly have the Government added to the problem that some are experiencing in their own supply chains? - Such as a global shortage of computer chips? caused by manufacturing of new chips slowing or stopping as the pandemic hit and a fall in demand, coupled with covid safety measures leading to reduced numbers being needed and so produced. Fast forward to closer to now, and a lot of manufacturing has started up once again and demand for parts skyrockets but suppliers struggled to keep up with this global demand as they simply have gone from almost a standing start to 100% in no time at all - again how is this caused by our Government and what should they have done differently to avoid this global phenonium? - should everyone run out and buy as many items as they can which need computer chips to somehow alleviate the shortage (as they have done with fuel, which clearly worked so well)

Yet people will still tell you it's all down to Brexit, the Governments incompetence and so on as it suits their fictional narrative and their political agendas

 

[beorhthelm]

Sailing close to the wind is called Just in Time logistics. It's been used in all industries for years, gone are the days of huge stock holding. It only falls down when there's a rush on a product, whatever that product is. It could be bog roll, beer, building materials or in this case petrol. Fuelled totally by the inept BBC, who have an agenda these days of acting like a Red Top newspaper.

Name any product and we're only a sensationalist report away from a panic.

Next week, massive shortage on turkeys this Christmas as mass killings leads to carnage. Fox kills a few free range birds the reality.

when panic buying sets in, it doesnt matter if you run JIT or a buffer of supply on site, you'll just run out a little later then move into Always Too Late logistics. forecourts have been drained of 5-6 days of fuel in about the same hours, so the supply cant keep up. unless there's massive surplus and redundancy in the system this is inevitable in a extreme demand shock.

shortage of turkeys make a great headline, we dont have more than 1 (or 2) and there's alternatives, so unlikely to be a real deman shock. pigs in blankets may be a more serious issue.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

These responses have certainly got me thinking

Underlying problems in the supply chain

or

BBC plot to bring the country to a standstill and undermine the Government

Or thirdly, an opportunist moment for those with a political agenda to be able to jump onto something and blow it well out of proportion in support for their own political cause (Brexit, anti Government, etc)

 

[WATFORD zero]

when panic buying sets in, it doesnt matter if you run JIT or a buffer of supply on site, you'll just run out a little later then move into Always Too Late logistics. forecourts have been drained of 5-6 days of fuel in about the same hours, so the supply cant keep up. unless there's massive surplus and redundancy in the system this is inevitable in a extreme demand shock.

shortage of turkeys make a great headline, we dont have more than 1 (or 2) and there's alternatives, so unlikely to be a real deman shock. pigs in blankets may be a more serious issue.

If the BBC go after Pigs in blankets, then we don't stand a chance

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

If the BBC go after Pigs in blankets, then we don't stand a chance

i'm more concerned with Pumpkins

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I know, I have actually worked in the logistics industry. And 'just in time' normally works well all the time that the actual supply chain is planned, legislated, managed, staffed and protected .................. oh

But since it hasn't for the last 10 years and has worsened significantly in the last 12 months we can expect a whole series of these

I wonder what the BBC will single handedly decide to do to the country next

The co2 crisis was nothing of the sort, again just rubbish put out by the media.

Yes there are shortages of all sorts of products currently. Due mostly by lack of staff producing them. Businesses on furlough etc. All we hear is so many people now WFH. That's fine for keyboard tappers but not for those that make things. The ramping up of production, the high demand of products especially in building has led to huge shortages.

Staff shortages is also creating a perfect storm. Few youngsters are prepared to work in manual jobs these days, there's hardly any young draymen delivering beer for instance. It is causing a huge issue where the average age is over 50. These people are suffering, not only working long hours but their bodies are falling apart. It's the same for lorry drivers, farmers, brick layers and so on. Our manual workforce is ageing and there's no new blood.

Successive governments have failed in enticing school leavers into manual jobs, it really started with Blair's vision of sending everyone to university. Once a degree is achieved in whatever? they only ever see a nice clean job is suitable in a nice air conditioned office (now a desk in the bedroom).

Some will say the pay for manual work is poor, it isn't for many industries, it's normally the way society view them. The horrendous blue/white collar divide is still very much alive.

 

[beorhthelm]

These responses have certainly got me thinking

Underlying problems in the supply chain

or

BBC plot to bring the country to a standstill and undermine the Government

i wouldnt subscribe to a plot, cock-up over conspiracy etc. however, you've read the original story where this was a BP issue and no mention of the root problem, industrial dispute with the drivers at one site. maybe if they'd informed there was a reason for BP forecourt shortage, or didnt report the minor story as a headline lunch time national news item, newspapers wouldnt have run stories of rationing the next day, this wouldnt have triggered the public rush to fill up.

 

[WATFORD zero]

i wouldnt subscribe to a plot, cock-up over conspiracy etc. however, you've read the original story where this was a BP issue and no mention of the root problem, industrial dispute with the drivers at one site. maybe if they'd informed there was a reason for BP forecourt shortage, or didnt report the minor story as a headline lunch time national news item, newspapers wouldnt have run stories of rationing the next day, this wouldnt have triggered the public rush to fill up.

Maybe because BP didn't mention it in their statement ?

The company said it was working hard to address the issues. Supply chain delays had been "impacted by industry wide driver shortages across the UK" and that the company was working hard to address the issues, BP said in a statement. "We continue to work with our haulier supplier to minimise disruption and to ensure efficient and effective deliveries," the company added.

Were Esso's issues dispute related, as they were also having similar problems ?

 

[vegster]

isn't walking a beat just an outdated notion of how policing should be carried out?

We are in a far more modern age, where tools and technology are now used to better serve the community

Police are now far more mobile than ever before, thanks to a large fleet of police vehicles being available to them, it makes it far easier for them to travel to any event or incident that may need someone to attend rather than the old fashioned approach of walking down a street and hoping you were in the right area at the right time should something happen

It certainly reassured the public and people would get to know the local officer and pass on thier concerns about people or incidents. Now if you are a victim of a crime you either ring 999 and they eventually come out, take notes and give you a crime number or direct you to the 101 service where they take notes, and give you a crime number and nothing happens. Recently there has been incidents of anti social behaviour in our road, the police know the address, the neighbours who complained know the address but everyone up and down the road has been given a reporting form to keep a diary of the incidents so, we seem to be doing the polices work !

Indeed, the police are more mobile than ever before, the only trouble is they don't stop to do anything !

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

Were Esso's issues dispute related, as they were also having problems ?

yes, it was all part of the same dispute with Hoyer, but only effected a handful of service stations, mainly the Tesc express/Esso Stations.

 

[zefarelly]

I wish. I bought a new car last weekend, I haven’t seen it in nearly a week as it only made it as far as my parents place and has been stuck there ever since (had to get the train back home) waiting for this nonsense to die down. Hopefully can go and get it on Monday and then stick some fuel in it.

I do wonder where all the petrol has gone . . . . maybe its the lids . . . . its all evaporated