1. Inspections and Controls

Regulations and controls are becoming increasingly strict. Drivers, carriers and loaders must demonstrate immediately and on the spot, not only for insurance purposes, but also during inspections and arrests, that they are allowed to drive the vehicle or vessel, that everything is in order technically, the type of cargo may be transported, the weight of the load is not too high and whether the load is secured in accordance with regulations.

However, there is a lot of uncertainty about the quality and safety of cargo securing.

For shipping, inspections are often carried out on the basis of experience and damage resulting from faulty or incompetent cargo securing is not compensated.

For road and rail transport, the regulations for this have been tightened up considerably, particularly by Germany. This must comply with EN12195-2 (VDI2700).

However, how an audit determines whether the standards are being met has already led to many unnecessary problems and hefty fines.

To this end, Veltkamp offers customers the opportunity to:

• download product certificates
• download tensile tests of lashing and tensioning straps per batch
• make a choice from the various lashing systems and have the number of lashings required calculated on that basis

This complies with globally applicable government regulations, insurance conditions and requirements of internationally operating industrial companies, preventing discussions and ambiguities.

2. Optimization of inventory costs

The costs of warehouses and stocks are coming under increasing pressure. Costs that, however, also have a direct influence on the continuity of the business processes. After all, downtime costs even more.

Veltkamp therefore offers customers the opportunity to optimally manage both costs and risks.

By making long-term delivery agreements:

• stocks at the customer can be reduced and warehouse costs saved
• can be delivered directly and worldwide to various customer locations
• margins can be taken into account in the planned purchases
• composite and branded delivery for specific projects is possible
• products can be branded specifically for customers
• can respond flexibly to changing markets and projects
• the customer has contingency stocks at his disposal in the event of a calamity
• timely delivery and continuity are guaranteed

3. Calamities and Risks

In addition to the quality of the business processes, identifying and managing risks with regard to continuity is becoming increasingly important.
Certification bodies, insurance companies, financiers, etc. are increasingly demanding an inventory of possible risk factors and measures to prevent them or make them manageable.

Part of this is the rapid delivery of products that are important to maintain the continuity of processes.

Veltkamp offers customers the option of holding specific contingency stocks.
Agreements are made with regard to:

• the risk product range
• level of stocks
• location(s) of storage (worldwide)
• delivery time in case of calamities
• method of any urgent transport (e.g. air freight)
• additional products and/or services
• direct shipments to customers of our customers
• transport and customs formalities

4. Training

Problems in cargo securing are often a result of improper use of materials and the wrong way of securing.

This not only increases costs, but can cause cargo to slide, damage and even cause accidents. Often with major financial consequences and problems with insurers and property owners.

Veltkamp therefore provides training for both salespeople and end users, both at a Veltkamp location and at clients' premises. This training focuses on:

• clarifying application possibilities and what common mistakes are made in this regard
• salesmen's insight into the daily application problems of their customers
• principles of cargo securing and the different ways of securing
• the possible combinations of lashing with shackles and tensioners
• the practical use of lashing material
• the calculation of the number of straps and/or lashings to secure a load in accordance with the regulations

5. Customer Specific Products

From a marketing point of view and to prevent theft, customers want to label their products. Depending on quantities, this is possible by, among other things, printing:

• tension straps
• lashing and strapping
• dunnage bags
• desiccant

In addition, the plastic corner protectors can:

• be provided with a mark applied to the material
• be produced in the customer's corporate colour

All products can be provided with a customer specific:

• product/pallet packaging
• labelling