Managing safety risks on the road

How Cargo Carriers’ skilled and experienced team upholds the highest standards to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of dangerous goods

In certain concentrations, chemicals used in most products may be hazardous to humans and the environment. They are, therefore, handled in a safe and controlled manner by both manufacturers and end users.

Importantly, just as much emphasis is placed on ensuring the safe transportation and handling of chemicals on South Africa’s road network. This critical role is fulfilled by specialised logistics service providers (LSPs) that are committed to upholding the highest standards in terms of safety, health, environment and quality.

However, it is the way Cargo Carriers manages the risks associated with the transportation and handling of dangerous goods that differentiates the company from other LSPs, evidenced by a systematic approach to the recruitment, monitoring and evaluation, as well as continuous training, of its large team of drivers.

Cargo Carriers focuses on recruiting only the most competent drivers who all undergo thorough screening and selection processes. Just as importantly, performances are monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis to provide results that can be measured and audited.

This also informs the company’s focused training programmes, which are closely aligned to various job designations. For example, they range from defensive driving, awareness and first aid through to firefighting and Hazchem.

The company’s approach to the management of its large team of drivers is also a key differentiator. Daily briefings are held at branches where safety-related information, including route-risk hazards, is shared among drivers before they set out.

Drivers also attend de-briefing sessions after every trip. These provide an important forum for obtaining feedback of any constraints encountered on their routes, or at delivery points, and corrective action is then implemented. Moreover, weekly Toolbox Talks provide important forums for the sharing and documentation of experiences, improvements, successes and challenges.

In 2018, Cargo Carriers’ team of drivers covered millions of kilometres in delivering world-class logistics solutions to leading participants in various highly regulated industries. Intense focus is, therefore, also placed on managing fatigue, a leading contributor towards accidents.

Moreover, drivers undergo annual medical examinations to confirm their fitness for work. Importantly, these examinations also enable managers to support drivers who may be on chronic medication.

Some of the largest vehicle combinations in the world are permitted to operate on South African roads. The large carrying capacities and dimensions of these truck and trailer configurations have provided extremely high levels of availability and reliability, both significant contributors towards the continued migration of commodities, such as chemicals, from rail to road.

Cargo Carriers maintains that it is the responsibility of all participants in the local road-transport industry to ensure that only the highest possible standards are met and maintained when operating on the South African road network.