Following the recent listeriosis outbreak in South Africa there is renewed emphasis on ensuring the integrity of the cold chain from origin to destination, says Renald Hite, co-founder of Walvis Bay-based Camelthorn Freight Forwarding.
It is one of the few companies specialising in the clearing and transport of frozen food from suppliers around the world to customers in Namibia and neighbouring SADC countries.
Customers are increasingly asking for monitoring systems that provide a printout of cargo temperatures during transit, he says.
In order to reduce dwell times and to improve service levels Camelthorn has invested in its own container truck tractor, side loader and trailer.
“Clients no longer have to wait for handling equipment to arrive. We can now lift, move and reposition containers ourselves,” says Hite. The faster reaction time also helps transporters, whose trucks can turn around faster, he says.
It also means that the refrigerated cargo in which Camelthorn specialises is on the road sooner. A combination of refrigerated trucks and refrigerated containers is used. Depending on where in Namibia or SADC the customer is, the truck may be equipped with a generator to power the reefer.
