Demand for containers to Zambia unprecedented

Keeping up with the supply of
containers to the Zambian freight
market has been an ongoing
challenge, says Aileen Ryan, marketing
manager of Celtic Freight.
“Summer rains, pilferage, security,
cargo control, ease of packing... these are
all reasons for cargo to be containerised.
Celtic Freight has been hard pressed
to turn its container fleet around on its
Zambian service. The company has some
180 containers in its owned fleet, but
is doing everything possible to turn this
stock around to have available containers
in Durban and Johannesburg for clients’
use,” says Ryan.
“The usual reasons for containerising
cargo and the added demand stemming
from the shipping lines’ lack of flexibility
and high demurrage charges on over-border
containers have added to our customers’
requirements. Prior to Christmas we
simply could not keep up with demand and
unfortunately had to turn away bookings
simply because of we didn’t have enough
containers – all the worse because we had
truck capacity to actually move this cargo.”
But Celtic has caught up and containers
are again available for Zambian cargo,
she told FTW.
Celtic offers a service to the forwarding
industry where it unpacks shipping line
containers under customs supervision at
its Durban depot into owned containers.
This means Durban turn-in is achieved,
the desperate time constraints are
alleviated and the cargo is still delivered to
Zambia containerised.
“Forwarders have enjoyed the benefits
of cargo being removed from port, the
shipping line box turned in and the final
payments sorted out with their customer.”