‘Booking system will not prevent theft' - Saaff

After a truckload of steel plate was stolen from The Point in Durban harbour, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has tried unsuccessfully to blame clearing agents and transporters for their lack of security systems, according to Carl Webb, MD of Project Logistics Management and arepresentative of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) on abnormal cartage at the port. “They have, therefore, introduced a vehicle booking system that has resulted in additional costs being incurred by the industry, and escalating already high logistics costs,” he told FTW. “But it will not prevent a repetition of the problem.” TPT will not acknowledge that they have an in-house problem, he added. “The booking system will obviously not solve the issue; the same as private vehicles not being allowed into the terminal has not stopped incidents of injury and death in the terminal,” commented Webb. At the time of the theft, truckers who talked to FTW said that it was clear that the incident was an inside job. “But,” said Webb, “TPT would not hear of it. They only reluctantly agreed to a meeting with the client (and later with ourselves) when the client had done the investigation and discovered the stolen cargo himself. “They did even less to prevent the other stolen cargo from being removed from the site to avoid discovery.” From the Saaff point of view, this hesitance in investigating the incident in-house has been disturbing, and TPT’s promises to keep them in the loop have not been kept. This led to an appeal being made to Zeph Ndlovu, TPT GM for KZN operations. “There was other cargo identified at the scrap yard, where TPT security and SA Police Service (Saps) were in attendance – but they apparently could not do anything to identify the cargo,” Webb told Ndlovu in a communication. “It is clear that by this time there will be no trace of this cargo.” He added that there was a need to understand what action was taken by TPT security to identify or secure this cargo, as it clearly originated from the port. “I can understand that they felt intimidated, but they could either have insisted on additional Saps support, or obtained an urgent court interdict." “If I report this to Saaff, they will obviously be concerned that no effort was made to identify and secure the cargo.” Webb was also adamant that TPT’s changing of the system (to a booking system) will not stop the theft. “Urgent identification and prosecution of the guilty parties,” he added, “will demonstrate a resolve from TPT management, which will discourage further theft. “It is interesting that TPT alluded to the fact that the clearing agents and transporters are responsible for the theft and mismanagement in the terminal. This typical knee-jerk reaction is to firstly blame others, and then to punish TPT’s clients by introducing a system that will not only make it impossible to operate within the terminal, but also will not provide a solution to the problem.” Webb also pointed out that, regardless of the details on a loading order (LO), the lack of cargo management presently in place will result in further theft. At the moment, he insisted that anyone can load anything on to any vehicle without TPT being aware of the cargo loaded, and for which they issue a gate pass, regardless of whose name is on the LO. “I proposed a system over a year ago,” he said, “which was implemented brief ly and with success and improvement in productivity, but it soon fell into disuse through a lack of will from management to enforce the system.” Webb was also dismayed that no further information has been forthcoming as promised – and this some three months later. “I still have nothing to report back to Saaff membership regarding the security of their cargo, other than the fact that they have been further inconvenienced with an additional booking requirement that will not solve the problem.” INSERT & CAPTION It will not prevent a repetition of the problem. – Carl Webb