Accurate monitoring plays crucial role in reefer

REEFER CARGO is unlike any other cargo when it comes to timing and temperature, says Captain Brian Hawkins of Mainport Africa Shipping. Add to that the challenge of seasonal variations and it’s clear that round-the-clock service is a non-negotiable. “Which is why we are constantly aware of the need to remain close to our principals as they co-ordinate their shipments, and to monitor vessel activity on a 24/7 basis, so ensuring timely and accurate feedback,” says Hawkins, who reports consistent growth in the company’s conventional and containerised reefer agency. “We maintain an agency presence on board reefer vessels from arrival alongside to departure, with contact and regular reporting to head office in Durban, to our principals, as well as the local port agency office. This presence on board includes digital photography as required and as circumstance dictates.” Mainport has offices in the port cities of Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, offering port superintendence of cargo on the quayside, as well as reefer container loading supervision, depending on the needs of the principal and the shipper. “Reefer requires experience, and the principals we work with place value on our agency monitoring ability. It is vital to feed up-to-the-minute information to them on trucking delays, cargo temperatures, spillages, berthing prospects and so forth, enabling them to make decisions that count,” says Mainport operations manager Fiona Calitz.