On-board security keeps cargo moving

A spate of copper and cobalt thefts on the Copperbelt in 2009 led to the establishment of a specialist company responsible for providing security escorts for over 100 trucks a day. VS Cargo Security has expanded into providing abnormal load escorts and permits throughout Zambia. “Currently we also handle security for all fuel in transit by rail from South Africa to various destinations in the DRC,” says Sandra Valenza, managing director of VS Cargo. What started as an “addon service for clients” has developed into a fully fledged business on its own. Security is provided through a combination of vehicles on the road and uniformed security guards in the trucks. Both are tracked by satellite and monitored around the clock from the VS Cargo control room in Ndola. Information from the personal tracking device carried by the escort is fed through to the cargo owner to cross-check the data provided by the haulier’s system. All the vehicles are equipped to provide first response in the event of a breakdown or accident, and the personnel are trained first aiders. One of the surprise benefits has been a reduction in transit times, according to Valenza. “Whenever a driver decides to break from the convoy to, for example, visit friends on the way or to extend his stay at the border we get a call from the escort. In some cases transit times have been halved from 10 to five days,” she says. Having a uniformed escort in the cab also seems to help speed up transit through road blocks, she adds. CAPTION The VS vehicle and kit … all the vehicles are equipped to provide first response in the event of a breakdown or accident, and the personnel are trained first aiders.