Chemicals and machinery are big business on Zambia route

GROWING DEMAND for capacity to Southern and East Africa is reflected in the growing number of inquiries at Reddy Cargo Services. “We are getting calls every day,” says MD Arnold Reddy, “and despite expanding our current fleet we have a limited number of trucks available.” But the one-directional nature of the trade, with limited back loads to South Africa, poses its own set of problems, says Reddy. The company moves three to four superlink breakbulk loads a week to Zambia, each carrying 34 tons of mainly chemicals and machinery from South Africa. Currently on their way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania are 10 to 15 tri-axle loads of construction materials for a cellular telecommunications company, each weighing 20-22 tons. The company moves 2-3 loads a week to Mozambique and 3-4 loads to Zimbabwe for southern African clients, as well as periodic loads to Malawi. Ten new trailers and five new horses have just been added to the 48-strong truck fleet.