FleetWatch Online - 42-Carrying the Can

The Dangerous Goods (DG) supply chain involves a host of players including manufacturers and consignors of Dangerous Goods/substances, forwarding agents, shipping personnel, customs and traffic officers, rail and road transport, and ultimately consignees who receive the cargo. Truck transporters of DG in South Africa are the 'thin edge of the wedge' in our country's logistics chain. They carry dangerous cargo on our famously dangerous roads and as a result, are shouldering the risk and responsibility of getting the load safely to its destination. One such operation is Nieuwstadt Freight, a Gauteng-based haulier of DG around the country. It's managing director, Bill Nieuwstadt, believes the burden of responsibility on DG truck transporters is excessive and needs to be re-examined, writes Paul Collings.

When one thinks of DG truck transport, the first image that springs to mind is one of a fuel tanker, resplendent with all the necessary placarding and safety equipment. The reality is, according to Allan Nienaber of Haztranz (DG consultants to Nieuwstadt Freight), "bulk hazardous materials like fuel make up only 20% of the DG transport market. The majority of DG trucks out there (about 80%) are carrying packaged dangerous goods/substances."

Liability issues
For Nieuwstadt, the fact that it is the transporter who has by law the responsibility to carry environmental insurance on DG loads is grossly unfair. "First of all, there's no clear understanding in the Road Traffic Act as to who is liable for a DG spill. Inevitably, it's the transporter who gets nailed with the clean-up bill and the fine when most of the time, it's the consignor who has loaded sub-standard containers that leak or break. The burden of this insurance should be shared. Consignors and consignees need to come to the party and shoulder liability for environmental rehabilitation. Carrying it alone is killing us!"

Nieuwstadt Freight’s admin manager Karl Dennevill (above) has to go to great lengths to get DG vehicles accredited with the necessary fire permits. His boss, MD Bill Nieuwstadt (right), stresses the need for a national standard on DG documentation to negate the plurality amongst local authorities in this regard.

Turning blind eyes
Another grave concern to Nieuwstadt is the manner in which DG legislation and enforcement plays out in reality. "We play by the book and spend great amounts of time and money to be 100% compliant but what with all the confusion surrounding DG legislation, non-compliant operators are being allowed to run. They cut costs and therefore cut their rates, doing serious damage to our market share."

As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the lack of cohesion and consistency in DG law enforcement not only makes compliance difficult but also serves to demotivate would-be compliant operators. "The Road Traffic Act is a national statute but we have local authorities with their own standards and regulations regarding everything from DG vehicle fitness, loading rules and route parameters," says Nienaber. "There are only a handful of DoT accredited fire stations around the country where DG vehicles can be checked and authorised. This means trucks have to travel vast distances to get permits, which is a costly exercise."

Take no chances
The confusion, double standards, bribery and general ignorance that characterises DG transport regulation at present is allowing operators to take 'calculated risks' and haul product in non-compliant vehicles, says Nieuwstadt. "There's a good chance that if they do get stopped by a traffic inspector, they'll get away with it. If a multiload placard doesn't do the trick, a couple of blue bank notes might. The truth is, when an accident or DG incident occurs, those non-compliant transporters will go to the wall. Basically, when it comes to DG transport, the legislation is there for a very good reason. My advice to all DG truckers is - comply or die."