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.”