Abnormal load specialist plans fleet expansion

Abnormal load specialist Frits
Kroon is upbeat about the
year ahead with business in
December and January showing
positive signs.
“We’re expecting a very good
year,” director Frits Kroon told FTW,
and are planning to expand the fleet
to cater for the expected increase in
volumes.
“We only started feeling the impact
of last year’s recession in June/July,
but by December volumes were
picking up and we’re very positive
about the year ahead.”
The company’s specialised fleet of
lowbed abnormal trucks caters mainly
for the mining industry.
“The yellow metal industry is our
major focus – and the recession we
felt was mostly related to the fall in
the copper price and its impact on the
mining industry.
“But by December things were
already looking up.”
The company adapts its transport
routes to suit the types of cargo and
the bridges and ferries that can be
used, and for the most part there
are few complaints about border
efficiency.
“Our biggest gripe is the cost of
Zambian permits. They’re not difficult
to get – just very expensive and
there’s little hope of a change to the
status quo.
“If we move goods to the DRC we
go through Zambia – to route through
Angola is not worth our while.”
And according to Kroon, transiting
borders is generally smooth going. If
the paperwork is up to speed, things
usually go without a hitch.
It’s largely about experience and
knowing the route.
Frits and his wife Tanya frequently
travel to Zambia.
“The more often you go there the
better you get to know the problems
that lie ahead.
In Botswana and Zambia the roads
have been significantly improved, in
his view, and a strong police presence
during the recent December holiday
period provided a welcome boost for
law enforcement on the roads.