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The transport company VCHD Cargo continues its cooperation with the largest Search & Rescue volunteer rescue organisation in the Czech Republic. This year’s support from VCHD Cargo enabled the Czech SAR Team volunteers to purchase sophisticated automated external defibrillators.

The Czech SAR Team is an independent SAR (Search and Rescue) association. It was founded in 2019 and its main focus is searching for missing and lost persons across the Czech Republic using ATVs and other equipment available to its members. Since 2021, according to the Integrated Rescue System Act, the association is part of the Integrated Rescue System as an “Other component of the IZS”. In cooperation with it, it cooperates not only in searching for people in inaccessible terrains, but also helps in natural disasters such as floods, forest fires and others. In addition, there is also an URBAN Team within the association, which specializes in searches in cities and other built-up areas.

This is the third year that VCHD Cargo has supported the volunteer rescue organisation, the first initiative coming from a company employee who is himself a member of the SAR association. “We see the importance of volunteer work and the members of the Czech SAR Team convinced us of the importance of their work,” explains Ing. Petr Kozel, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VCHD Cargo a.s., and adds, “They regularly search for lost children, seniors or other vulnerable groups of people free of charge and are involved in many other areas, for example, they helped in South Moravia after the tornado in 2021.”

The Czech SAR Team has conducted 113 searches, 28 technical interventions in partner communities, 23 recoveries and 1 humanitarian deployment. It can be called upon by any major component of the Integrated Rescue System and relatives of the person being searched for. The team’s departure to the incident is within 60 minutes from the time of reporting (unless the team is already at another intervention).

In October this year, the transport company VCHD Cargo conducted an internal survey of the satisfaction of its employees, especially professional drivers, with Scania vehicles, which have a significant presence in its fleet. The results of the survey showed a high degree of satisfaction with the brand and both partners agreed at a joint workshop to strengthen cooperation in the coming years.

VCHD Cargo’s fleet currently has 240 trucks of various brands. Among the so-called “heavy” trucks of the N3 category, Scania is one of the three most represented brands. And because VCHD Cargo considers the opinion of those who come into contact with the vehicles on a daily basis to be important, it conducted an internal satisfaction survey. Over 300 employees took part – professional drivers as well as fleet managers and fleet engineers. The survey showed a high level of driver satisfaction with the brand, and respondents particularly highlighted the excellent gearbox with its superior ease and speed of shifting in both directions, as well as the service relief brake (retarder). On Scania vehicles, drivers also appreciated the clear and easy-to-use on-board computer and the swivel rear axle, which makes the vehicle easy to handle even in smaller spaces and causes significantly less tyre edge wear. The large windscreen and optimally sized mirrors are also an advantage, and last but not least, respondents appreciated the comfortable beds. In addition to optimising vehicle maintenance and repair costs, the challenge for Scania, according to VCHD Cargo, should be to shorten delivery times, which remain long even after the so-called ‘chip crisis’ has been dealt with; however, all brands show this trend.

“The survey has shown what we have known informally from drivers for many years – that Scania vehicles offer them a high level of user comfort and also provide sufficient facilities for their demanding work commitments away from home, on long-distance routes,” says Ing. Petr Kozel, CEO and Chairman of the Board of VCHD Cargo, adds: “We place high demands on our vehicle technology, especially in terms of the reliability of individual brands and the cost of operation, repair and maintenance. We also demand a high standard of service from our contractors in the area of vehicle repair and maintenance, not only in the Czech Republic and at weekends, as is usual, but also throughout Europe and at any time of the year. And in this respect, we consider the Czech Scania dealership to be a first-class premium brand.”

VCHD Cargo currently has almost 90 Scania vehicles in its fleet and its drivers have driven 40 million kilometres with them over the past four years. Representatives of the VCHD met with representatives of Scania’s European and Czech dealerships and exchanged their experiences in a joint workshop. “VCHD Cargo is an important customer for us, and we very much appreciate the openness and proactivity with which they conducted an internal survey with valuable insights,” says Stefano Fedel, Scania’s Executive Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing, adding, “Our industry has entered an era where success is closely linked to how we can use the information and what services we can offer based on it in cooperation with our trusted partners. By using the data available, we can tailor everything from financing and insurance to preventive parts replacement and driver services to the individual needs of each customer.”
The average age of the VCHD Cargo fleet is approximately 3 years and all vehicles meet the strictest emission limits according to the EURO 6 standard.

The transport company VCHD Cargo has been awarded the AAA Platinum Excellence certificate by the prestigious Dun & Bradstreet agency and thus ranks among the 0.1 percent of TOP companies in the Czech Republic that achieve this award. The certificate with the highest possible rating confirms VCHD Cargo’s financial stability, healthy financial conditions and business conduct. According to Dun & Bradstreet’s statistical predictive model, the company has met the most stringent criteria for evaluating economic entities continuously for five years and ranks VCHD Cargo among the most trustworthy companies in the Czech Republic.

For nearly 200 years, Dun & Bradstreet has leveraged the power of data, analytics tools and data solutions to help its clients and partners grow and prosper. It is a leader in business-critical data and analytics and employs more than 6,000 people worldwide. Dun & Bradstreet’s data and insights are valuable at all stages of a company’s business cycle and in all economic environments. Dun & Bradstreet certification is proof that its holders are making beneficial use of their inputs and effectively turning them into quality products or services. The rating’s stringent criteria guarantee the exclusivity of the companies that are eligible for the award. Only a small percentage of Czech companies achieve the highest level of the award. “The AAA Platinum Excellence certificate, which assesses the risk and financial health of companies, confirms that VCHD Cargo meets the strictest criteria for economic entities,” says Ing. Petr Kozel, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VCHD Cargo a.s., and adds, “for our partners it is an independent proof that they are dealing with a proven company of the highest quality.”