Fair social partnerships and standards

In our line haul business – from the dispatch of the goods from a client’s warehouse to the local distribution centre – we cooperate solely with external contract partners. In line with our Hermes Code of Conduct, we also have a duty of care towards the employees of our contractual partners. Here, we rely on long-term cooperations with our suppliers and are involved in a number of initiatives.

Among other things, Hermes is a founding member of the FairTruck initiative, an independent and nationwide initiative for the fair treatment of professional drivers which aims to enhance the image of the profession and the appreciation of logistics services. Founded in 2016, the initiative is committed to fair pay, and to the training, safety and health of professional drivers. It also promotes campaigns that conserve resources.

For the first time, the "FairTruck" seal defines high working standards for the industry. By agreeing to the FairTruck Code, we have committed ourselves to complying with the above standards and have acquired the FairTruck license.

In order to regularly check compliance with the principles laid down in a code, the Logistics Initiative Hamburg has created a platform in which professional drivers have the opportunity to evaluate the information provided – anonymously for the FairTruck partner – or to complain about infringements via an Internet portal or via smartphone app. A permanent or serious breach of the criteria by a seal-bearing company can lead to seal being withdrawn.