The customer has an active presence in Africa, providing relief supplies to various humanitarian partners to fulfil their missions rapidly and effectively.
In the past, the UN agency has worked closely with Maersk and sought our ocean and inland transport services on termly contracts as well as on ad hoc basis.
The challenge
The customer needed safe transport of emergency cargo from Cameroon to Brazzaville in neighbouring Congo In 2017, the customer needed safe and swift transport of emergency cargo such as tents and kitchen equipment from their Douala global stockpile in Cameroon to Brazzaville in neighbouring Congo, where the relief materials were urgently required.
In the past, the customer had been moving the relief material as breakbulk cargo. This had resulted in much loss and damage.
The transport of goods to Congo would require multi-modal logistics in the form of trucks and barges. The roads to Brazzaville through Ouesso and other remote locations were difficult due to the rainy season. The traditional barge route was also not employable. The safe transport of the goods was of prime importance.
The Maersk solution
For cargo transportation, the local teams designed a tailor-made solution. Maersk deployed a convoy of 11 trucks and two barges to move the equipment from Douala port in Cameroon to Brazzaville in Congo.
To navigate the demanding roads, Maersk employed skilled drivers who drove safely and confidently. The trucks were also equipped with GPS systems, thus ensuring round-the-clock tracking and visibility.
There were stretches on the route that were unmotorable. For these sections, the local teams plotted an ingenious route that was safe and reliable. However, to pass along this route, Maersk had to deploy barges in two legs.
Maersk used SOCs for the operation and was locked with Maersk seals To ensure cargo safety, Maersk used SOCs (Shipper’s Own Containers) for the operation. These were locked with Maersk seals. By using SOCs, Maersk was replicating a solution that had been employed earlier for a different UN agency in Chad and the Central Africa Republic. This measure ensured that the shipment stayed safe on the long and treacherous routes on land and river.
The result
Maersk was able to overcome the logistical challenges and the cargo was delivered safely in 31 days.
The UN agency was elated at the way the operation was executed and Maersk won praise for innovation and speed. The solution was the first of its kind and was able to build capacity on the route between Doula and Brazzaville.
