Limited skills a challenge for project industry

There is no school for the handling of project and abnormal cargo – and that means anyone taking on this specialised sector will either sink or swim. “There are a number of new players entering the market who say they are specialising in projects,” says Carl Webb, managing director of PLM, a project and abnormal cargo logistics management company. “The biggest problem for the industry is getting people willing to put in the necessary effort to gain the experience. The only way to learn is to actually do it. Hands-on experience is the only way of gaining the knowledge required to undertake projects effectively.” But with very few youngsters coming through there is a problem with continuity in the industry, says Webb, and this relates to both the transport and clearing industries. Sunil Kalu, business development manager for APL, says experience in the project cargo field will result in an organisation not only having a Plan B, but also a Plan C and a Plan D. “Most of one’s time is spent planning, and experience means being able to foresee any problems long before the cargo starts its transportation journey. There are so many variables that have to be taken into account – it is not an easy industry in which to gain experience because mistakes don’t come cheap. There is therefore very little room for error.” According to Alwyn Nel of Kingfisher Freight Services, the very specialised nature of project cargo demands that it is handled by companies that have the staff, dedication and knowledge available to take on the task. “Due to the high demand for specialist knowledge, many companies have started to shy away from this as they have limited manpower with project experience.”