Durban efficiency promotes accurate planning

Durban is a port that works well –
and that translates into accurate
planning for a transporter.
So says Cobus Marais, operations
manager in Durban for Celtic Freight.
“Because the port works so well, one
can plan accordingly. There are no
delays that affect the client, and we can
use that as a marketing tool.”
Marais says it also goes a long way
in guaranteeing reliability as one can
be assured of correct arrival times and
schedule changes.
“With that information in hand, we
can accurately pass on information to
the client who is always aware of what is
going on and what can be expected.”
Celtic Freight deals exclusively with
transport going through to Zambia.
While also returning with goods, Marais
says it is important to be able to tell
clients where their cargo is at any given
time. “A lot of our Zambian clients
import cargo from overseas. Having this
cargo arrive at a port that is efficient
and that works well with little or no
delays is important as it will still take
another two weeks after arrival before
the cargo arrives in Zambia – delays
become costly and inconvenient.”
And with a landlocked country such
as Zambia there is much dependency on
imported goods.
According to Marais the Durban
operation of Celtic Freight was set up to
assist with all the import containers that
the company handles. “We also operate
an unpack service – either in our own
containers or we will dispatch the cargo
as breakbulk to Zambia, depending on
the commodity.”
The company specialises in
unpacking to reduce costs to the
consignee, an important aspect of
service delivery.
“We must offer services that are
suitable for our market and that meet
our clients’ specific needs otherwise we
would end up no different from anyone
else,” says Marais. “It is all about
efficiency and reliability.”