“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
