City Deep-based Jacobs Container Depot has extended its hours and now operates on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week. The company, a division of the Jacobs Group, has also beefed up security and is in the process of applying to offer a bonded facility. Martin Grobbelaar, branch manager for Jacobs Inland Logistics, told FTW that the 24/7 move was introduced to improve truckers’ turnaround time and help them cut down costs. “The transport industry is under increasing pressure and we believe this will up our clients’ competitiveness,” he said. Security has also been upgraded with new “state-ofthe- art equipment” and an off-site monitoring centre. “The off-site centre provides an extra fail-safe option should anything affect the on-site security at the depot,” said Grobbelaar. He added that while the facility offered a 24/7 service, it was recommended that transporters arrange to pick up full containers during working hours for security reasons. He said the container depot capacity was currently 5 000 TEUs, offering container storage, container handling, repairs and repositioning of containers. The facility now also offers undercover container de-stuffing and unpacking. The bonded warehouse facility will open by the end of November this year, said Grobbelaar. INSERT The 24/7 move was introduced to improve truckers’ turnaround time and help them cut down costs. – Martin Grobbelaar CAPTION Transport companies can now pick up shipping containers at the Jacobs Container Depot on a 24/7 basis. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl
