Meet hazardous materials specialist Special Cargo Services

Special Cargo Services, part of the Special Cargo Group, has been a member of AYOP for several months now. Time to get to know this hazardous materials specialist better. We spoke with Commercial Manager Saskia Rijkaart-den Dikken about this unique family business.

Total solutions in reliable logistics

Special Cargo Group consists of three divisions – Special Cargo Services, Special Cargo College, and Isologic – which together offer a total solution for hazardous materials and air freight logistics. Special Cargo Services specializes in the preparation, storage, and transport of hazardous materials. “While we once started with air freight, we now serve all modalities,” says Saskia. “Our storage capacity is among the largest in the Netherlands, with specialized hubs in IJmuiden and Rotterdam’s Europoort for all classes of hazardous materials. Isologic focuses on the road transport of medical isotopes for the healthcare sector. We hold international permits for this specialized transport, and we recently opened a branch in Germany. Through Special Cargo College, we provide training and consultancy in the field of safety and hazardous materials.”

Special Cargo Group has offices in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Houston, and several training locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Saskia: “We serve clients worldwide. Because we work with hazardous materials every day, safety is always our top priority. It’s our most important core value, which we implement in everything we do—both internally and externally.”

Training Institute for Safety & Security

The combination of services Special Cargo offers is unique in the field, explains Saskia: “What makes us unique is that we not only work with hazardous materials ourselves, but also train others in the field. Through Special Cargo College, we train approximately 40,000 professionals annually – from warehouse staff and truck drivers to safety advisors – in hazardous materials logistics and civil aviation security. This makes us one of the largest training providers in this field. Legislation and regulations play a major role in this, so it is crucial that employees are well-trained. Our training offerings are also expanding, including internal transport, emergency response, pharmaceutical logistics, and security, including cybersecurity. We provide classroom training at our own locations in the Netherlands, in-house training at clients’ locations, and through a growing range of e-learning courses. We also recently opened new offices in Belgium, bringing our training courses closer to the market there.”

A Family Business with a Long-Term Vision

Special Cargo Group is a true family business. Saskia herself is a member of the Den Dikken family: “My father, Huib den Dikken, founded Special Cargo Services over 27 years ago, together with Hans van der Maat. The second generation has now taken over the company: my brother is the director, and I have ultimate commercial responsibility. Being a family business means we make choices that are more focused on the long term. We don’t focus on tomorrow’s returns, but on the impact on the next generation and how this can help them. That’s why we strongly focus on sustainable collaboration with our partners, customers, and employees. This is what sets us apart, especially in logistics,” says Saskia.

International growth and ambitions in the offshore sector

Offshore energy is a key sector for Special Cargo. Saskia: “We’ve been providing training for the offshore sector for years – particularly the oil and gas industry – and we see significant international growth potential there. For example, we have a large office in Houston (USA), the heart of the offshore industry, which we connect with clients in Europe and Asia through our Dutch locations. We recently visited Aberdeen with AYOP, another important offshore hub, where we held exploratory discussions about potential expansion. In November, we’ll also be exhibiting at the AYOP pavilion during the Offshore Energy trade fair – a great platform to profile our company and further strengthen our network.”

Sharing valuable knowledge and making new connections

AYOP membership helps Special Cargo expand beyond its own organization: “The network not only offers the opportunity to share knowledge and experience, but also to explore together how we address current challenges. That makes the discussions valuable and keeps us sharp,” says Saskia. We also see AYOP as a place where collaboration is born. We already collaborate with several members and continue to build new relationships through the network. This network is diverse, just like our customer base, and that makes membership interesting and inspiring for us. We look forward to further expanding our relationships and partnerships within AYOP.

• Do you want to know more about Special Cargo Group? Check out their member profile.