Companies reinvent themselves to support growth

Transporters are having to re-engineer themselves in order to ensure that shippers enjoy the full benefits of improved efficiencies by the authorities along the route as well as the port and shipping lines, according to Henrique Valle, general manager of J&J Transport. The introduction of direct calls by a number of shipping lines is helping to reduce total transit times from the hinterland to the overseas markets, and is putting pressure on truckers to improve their productivity as well. “We are working hard at continuing to identify and eliminate any other internal and external bottlenecks through a process of constant improvement,” he says. J&J’s Human Resources department is focusing on identifying and recruiting young talent and supporting employees through training. Valle and other transporters using the route also stress its advantages from a security perspective. “We have never had a truck hijacked. In fact, we have never lost a load of copper on the route,” he says. This is due to a combination of the nature of the route, as well as the security precautions put in place by J&J. All its trucks are under constant satellite surveillance, and are monitored in the group’s operations centres throughout the region. Valle is confident that the corridor – and J&J – has the capacity to handle growing volumes. “We are ready and hungry,” he told FTW.