Experts in ADR
Romanian Transport Company of the Year 2011 - Continental
For Klacska, the safety notion isn't only a theoretical one, but it has rules, applied every moment, because when you do exclusively ADR transport, you could face the unpredictable at any moment.
The way from 3 vehicle combinations in 2003 to 100 in 2011 is based on high quality services, according to the general manager of Klacska Romania, Andrei Dorobantu, who underlined the importance of applying the company management to all the levels of the company, of the way the drivers work and of the used method. "The customers who, years ago, avoided to invite us for auctions, are convinced now that there is a high need in this field for safe and high quality services and they are coming to us, due to the trustworthiness and continuity we offer to our customers. We gained contracts the last couple of years thanks to the applied standards (not only on paper) and to the modern specialized fleet. For instance, in 2007, most of the oil companies imposed the use of electronic meters with compensation at 15 degrees for the fuel deliveries. Then, in 2009, we were the first company in this field in the country which started to use a new tank fleet with electronic gauge (stick type) for monitoring the transported volume, at the request of another customer. In addition, certain oil companies request new technology, during the contract", explained Andrei Dorobantu. He added that, regarding the maintenance of the fleet, the oil companies require the proof that this is made correctly. "There are periodical audits. For instance, we have internal group audits, audits on the quality standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SQAS), as well as audits from each customer. Such an audit from the customer can last for several days and the volume of information includes all the departments, not only the transport one. Usually, we have closed transparent contracts, with an open book calculation", continued he.
Constant in the driver training
According to the general manager of Klacska Romania, in the dangerous goods transport there are some very important aspects: ensuring a working schedule for drivers which would allow them to be rested, a periodical training and a strict control. "According to the specific of the contract, we chose an extremely flexible schedule for the drivers: one week they are working, one they are resting, to respect the working schedule according to the Code of Labour, to be in accordance with the AETR and to be rested. We are also organizing periodically training on ADR subjects and also general transport subjects in each location we are operating in all over the country." In addition, there are quarterly meetings with the drivers who are serving each contract, to keep them posted with the requirements of the customers. "Usually, the drivers are specialized in each type of contract. There aren't many that could "jump" from a contract to another. Each customer feels safer to know that he has his own driver, familiar with the procedures, with his products and his locations. This is why there are a lot of customers who are asking that the drivers who are working their contracts to be certified by them. The ones who are driving cryogenic gases, they won't drive fuels, for instance", added Andrei Dorobantu. Thanks to the specialization on products and equipment, there's no longer about ADR professional driver generally speaking, but about "gas driver" or "fuel driver" etc. In addition to the fact that they have to be very good drivers, the specialized ones have to know how to manipulate the installations at the loading locations, as well as the installations of the tanks, to unload it. A driver who is specialized on a fuel tank doesn't know how to load or unload a gas tank. "We are analysing, concluding and taking measures together regarding the incidents, accidents within the company, within the group or within the industry, to be able to avoid them in the future", mentioned he.
Champions of control
But for maintaining the activity within the desired limits, the control is vital. The divers benefit from a system of bonuses or penalties in accordance with certain indicators (KPI=Key Performance Indicators), such as the accidents, the speeding tickets, the fuel consumption, contamination, if they wear the protection equipment or not or if they are using the mobile phone while driving... "We are doing unannounced controls in traffic or in different locations, to check a series of aspects, starting from the documents of the vehicle, the documents of the driver, to the stand and the behaviour of the driver and the appearance of the vehicle. In addition, from time to time, we are monitoring the drivers with our own employees or with a company of private detectives. The monitoring team follows the same truck for several days, and then they are making a report. I don't have the time any more to do it, but when I meet with a Klacska truck somewhere in Romania, I stop to talk with the drivers. I believe that I have a good relationship with them. The drivers don't leave us unless it's about serious disciplinary problems", showed the general manager of Klacska Romania, underlining the fact that probably the rate of incidents and of the safety rules infringement is the lowest in this company.
In addition, the safety counsellor must do a monitoring of 15-20% of the fleet monthly. Thanks to the new monitoring system through GPS, which is mounted on all the trucks in this period of time, the control will be made easier. "Over one third of the fleet is now monitored through the new system, starting from the speed, to sudden braking, speed in curves, fuel consumption and positioning. For the speeding over the legal limit, the driver is getting a warning. If he gets 2 warnings for the same thing in 6 months, he's fired", declared Andrei Dorobantu.
On the other hand, the best drivers can be rewarded, and these rewards can even be awarded monthly, if they are found all right during a traffic control. "We are paying our drivers above the market average. And the salary was never late, not even with a day. They are the people we are working with and they are our business card", underlined the general manager of Klacska Romania. "We are not a company for which the profit would come first no matter what. For us, the safety of the life and of the goods has priority. The driver has in his job description a paragraph which mentions that if the life of the driver and the integrity of the vehicle and of the merchandise are put at a risk, he has the right to refuse the ride or to refuse to continue", added he.
Confirmation on the market
The evolution of Klacska Romania on a pretending market could have a word to say about the importance that the management of the company is giving to the precision of the services. "We had a great evolution. We started our activity in the fall of 2003 with 3 vehicle combinations that were working exclusively on the segment of fuel distribution for OMV Romania. In 2006, we closed a distribution of cryogenic gas with Air Liquide Romania, in 2007 we won 2 biddings for fuel distribution, one for AGIP and one for Petrom and in 2009 we added MOL Romania to our portfolio. Also in 2009, we expanded by taking over the activity, the employees and the actives of the Groupe Samat France SRL, and in 2010 we started the bitumen deliveries and we won a bidding for supplying the airports with aviation fuels. In 2011 we closed a contract for cryogenic gas transport with Messer Romania", concluded Andrei Dorobantu, showing, also, his optimism regarding the future.
Andrei Dorobantu, general manager Klacska:
"We are present all over the country, and our fleet is defined on zones and contracts, according to the area requested by the customer. All is concentrated around the loading points."
"This year, we bought 25 new vehicles. We are doing fuel, cryogenic gas and bitumen transports".
"Starting from the 1st of September, a hot line for complaints against the undisciplined drivers became operational."
Radu BORCESCU
radu.borcescu@ziuacargo.ro
Publicat in revista Ziua Cargo din September 2011
