The Malta Delivery Fleet Operators Association was set up in January this year to bring order to an otherwise fragmented sector that had grown rather organically, and quite quickly, for its own good. Just six months into the organisation’s lifetime, and the association is already expressing cautious optimism about the changes underway, driven by a commitment to bring long-needed structure and fairness to the industry.

The association brings together some of the largest delivery fleet operators on the island; namely WFDM, Atanas Fleet, Ateam, Twenty17, and Ferruggia Fleet who collectively employ approximately 500 people and serve major clients such as BOLT and WOLT. These operators form the backbone of Malta’s delivery market.

However, beyond the numbers and the logistics of the sector lies a complex landscape of rights, obligations, and evolving standards.

A spokesperson for the association had no issue acknowledging that matters may have been handled better in the past, due to lack of regulation and a positive enthusiasm for a growing courier industry.

“Lack of regulation and an overzealous operation, driven to provide an excellent service to its clients, may have led the industry to develop rather organically. In certain instances, couriers worked longer hours than desired, leaving some of them somewhat exposed,” the spokesperson explains.

However, the association is determined to set a bar of quality that protects all the players along the chain of the entire industry. “We are not merely reacting to enforcement, we want to guarantee a reasonable quality of employment for all our team members, while providing a competitive service to our clients,” he adds.

According to Maltese Law, couriers must be employed with a company and cannot be treated as contractors or self-employed individuals, as they are entitled to receive a wage beyond commissions.

With the help of the General Workers Union (GWU), Malta’s largest workers union, the association has started to address the elephant in the room and actively work towards a harmonised industry.

“It is in our interest to run an industry where all workers are happy and treated within all parameters provided by the law. Even though we may not agree on every single point, the GWU and the association have found broad alignment on the essentials, which augurs very well for the future,” the spokesperson notes.

Considerable consensus on how the sector ought to operate already exists, even if certain details remain a work in progress.

The association is also thankful for the forthcoming welcome it has received from client companies that ultimately use its services.

“We were pleased by the excellent feedback we received from the large delivery service providers operating in Malta, who have shown immediate appetite for improving matters. They welcomed us and showed us immediately that they wanted to join our drive to take the industry to the next level, something which filled us with more resolve in our mission.”

Together with the platforms, fleet operators are now striving to balance supply and demand more responsibly. While improving working conditions considerably, this would also contribute directly to safer roads in Malta.

Part-time drivers continue to play a vital role, helping fleets meet demand during peak hours such as weekends, holidays, and evenings.

“Looking ahead, we want our association to represent the sector as widely as possible. That is why we are actively looking at onboarding the remaining fleets to establish a consistent standard across the board. This process also aims to ensure everyone in the market complies fully with obligations, reinforcing a level playing field. We believe that it is only through collaboration and forming a united front, that we can guarantee an industry that we can be proud of,” he expounded.

From its end, the GWU, represented by Kevin Abela, confirms that while some malpractices persist, these latest efforts have shown an admirable drive by the association, and a will to do things properly, as it exerts the right kind of pressure.

By setting a higher bar, the association together with the GWU hope to push the entire industry toward greater fairness and professionalism.