Hauliers at odds with terminal manager over delay complaints
Despite statistically
backed evidence
of serious delays
at Durban
container terminal (DCT)
Pier 2, according to terminal
manager Errol Edward,
“there is no substance” to
these complaints.
This he based on the
truck staging times over the
previous week, which showed
an average turnaround time
of 60 minutes on August 1,
35 mins on August 2 and 43
mins on August 4.
This was contradicted by
Mitchell Brooke, logistics
development manager of the
Citrus Growers' Association
(CGA). He told FTW: “The
operational statistics which
are collected daily show
that the average total truck
volume handled through
the terminal on a daily basis
has decreased by as much
as 30%, with the average
total turnaround time for
the trucks that are staged at
roughly 300 minutes since
June,” with the worst average
being roughly 600 minutes.
“Most transporters are
only able to achieve one
container load a day and
they are complaining bitterly
that the low productivity
is having a huge impact
on their financial viability.
The transporters are at
the stage of threatening to
blockade the entrance to
DCT if the productivity is not
improved.”
When we put all this
before Kevin Martin,
immediate past-chairman
of the Durban Harbour
Carriers’ Association
(DHCA), he utterly rejected
Edward’s statement.
“I find no reason to
disagree with Mitchell
Brooke,” he said. “Also, these
staging times quoted by
Edward bear no resemblance
to reality. The TPT figures
are purely the time taken
from when the trucks finally
enter the terminal gate
to when they leave after
loading/unloading their
container. They take no
account of the hours spent
queueing on the road waiting
to get into ‘A Check’ nor the
anything up to 18 hours they
might wait in ‘A Check’.”
And, if the figures were
really as attractive-sounding
as Edward suggested,
Martin asked: “What’s
been the meaning of all
the emergency meetings
we’ve been having with TPT
about the excessive delays
at DCT? And all the DHCA
members who have been
threatening that boycott of
the terminal because of its
poor productivity, are they
wrong?”
And Edward’s piece of glib
public relations (PR) was
also contradicted by a recent
statement released by Brenda
Magqwaka, TPT’s KZN GM
for operations (containers).
She pointed out that
DCT had experienced a
breakdown of cargo handling
equipment, in particular
with their straddle carriers.
“Unfortunately,” she added,
“the reliability of such
machines led to unforeseen
breakdowns and delays
in processing of landside
traffic.” And this “TPT was
aware had been contributing
to congestion issues of late
on Bayhead Road (the only
access road to DCT)”.
And Magqwaka also
made a point about the two
measures that TPT had
implemented to address this
challenge of having to utilise
its older machines for longer.
The first was the hauler/
trailer combination which
came on stream on June
19, along with augmenting
equipment capacity at
the stacks and behind the
quayside cranes.
Also, TPT has been
looking to boost the technical
and operational capabilities
of the terminal through
reinforcement of resources
from other container
terminals in the Eastern and
Western Cape.
“Therefore,” Magqwaka
added, “we envision achieving
stability by the end of August.
In the medium term, we are
accelerating the procurement
programme to replace our
aged equipment fleet, which
has gone on tender.”
But, until or if this
miracle actually takes place,
things remain as Brooke
said: “The wheels seem to
have fallen off the bus this
year with regards to the
operations at DCT Pier 2.”
CAPTION
Truck turnaround times at DCT a bone of contention.
