“We focus solely on the
SA-Zambia route because the
quality of your service drops
when you lose focus,” says Yogesh
Kuntawala, managing director
of Celtic Freight Zambia.
The company, which has
grown into one
of the largest
logistics,
trucking and
distribution
companies in
Zambia over
the past 15
years, continues
to invest in
order to sustain
service levels
and to ensure that the Durban,
Gauteng to Zambia connection
remains competitive.
We have continually invested
in newer trucks and new
trailers,” he told FTW, “so that
we continually try to improve
our down time.”
Celtic started investing in
trucks around 10 years ago
when “we realised that in order
to get logistics right you need
to be your own master on your
trucking,” he says.
With its
own f leet
Celtic is able
to offer a full
door-to-door
delivery and
distribution
system within
Zambia.
LCL or truck
load, freight
from South
Africa is consolidated at the
company’s facilities in Gauteng
and then hauled to Zambia
where it is deconsolidated and
distributed throughout Zambia
by Celtic.
There is always a demand
for smaller loads as Zambian
companies focus on cash f low
and gain confidence in the
ability of Celtic to deliver on
time out of South Africa, he
added.
“When you source from South
Africa you do not need to order a
full container load as you do out
of China or Europe,” he says.
Kuntawala points out that
there are minimal savings from a
freight perspective between full
container loads and breakbulk.
“You are paying per ton
kilometre either way.
In fact, you may save because
you are not paying for the
container, which on its own
weighs 2.2 tons,” he says. With
this in mind Celtic has made
the commercial decision that
wherever physically possible
consolidation cargo is packed
in a container at no cost to the
customer.
INSERT & CAPTION
Wherever physically
possible consolidation cargo
is packed in a container at
no cost to the customer.
– Yogesh Kuntawala
