APM Terminals and AIP Foundation conducted truck driver road safety trainings at Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), which is located in the fast-growing market of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam. The terminal neighbors National Highway 51, a notoriously dangerous roadway on which vulnerable users, such as motorcyclists and bicyclists, drive alongside heavy container and truck traffic.

“Some of the most dynamic and high-growth areas for our business are in low- and middle-income countries like Vietnam,” Kevin Furniss, Vice President of Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Sustainability, said. “As container throughput increases at CMIT, we are committed to equipping our drivers with the necessary skills to be safe on the road, contribute to our communities, and best facilitate global trade.”

This new curriculum aims to make the CMIT-affiliated truck drivers, employees, and the community surrounding the international shipping port safe by promoting strong driving skills and defensive driving techniques. Three hundred truck drivers, health and safety staff, and sub-contractors from CMIT, a subsidiary of APM Terminals, attended the inaugural training.

“Like many of my fellow truck drivers, my family and I live close to the port,” Vo Tan Luc, a truck driver, said. “Improving my driving skills is going to help me keep myself and my wife, children, and coworkers’ families safe in our community.”

“We expect our agencies to continue making positive changes so they can gain experience to help them implement similar road safety activities in the near future” Mr. Tran Huu Minh, Deputy Chief of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said.

“Vietnam’s road safety issues are unparalleled in many parts of the world and the country loses an estimated 3% of its annual GDP due to crashes,” Mirjam Sidik, CEO of AIP Foundation, said. “Equipping industrial truck drivers with the knowledge to act safely when behind the wheel is a critical step in alleviating these losses and promoting stronger growth in the country.”

The Lifting Safety program was launched in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in December 2016 during a road safety knowledge exchange between truck drivers and primary school students