Extended working hours save time and money for Edgin customers

Shipping lines don’t load and
discharge cargo during office
hours.
Which is why Transnet
Port Terminals has repeatedly
called on its customers to help
facilitate the fluid movement
of cargo by introducing more
flexible working hours.
Cape Town-based Edgin
Logistic Solutions has risen
to the challenge and since
November 1 the company has
introduced 24-hour working
hours at its full container
storage yard.
By working in tandem with
the Cape Town Container
Terminal, which operates on a
24-hour basis, customers can
avoid peak hour congestion
for pick-up and delivery
of cargo with the facility
opening from 06h00 on
a Monday until 14h00 on
Saturdays. Sunday trading
remains unchanged on an “as
needed” basis.
“The response has been
extremely encouraging,
from both existing and new
clients,” says director Dave
Johnson. “Of particular
interest has been our offering
to act as an extension of the
port for the turning in of full
export containers,” he added.
“A number of transporters,
in particular those travelling
long distance from
Johannesburg, Bloemfontein
and Port Elizabeth, are
dropping their full containers
with us during the busy
daytime hours, and we’re
taking them into the port
when city traffic and the
terminal quieten down after
10pm. At a discounted rate
of only R600 for the whole
service (lifts, storage and
transport) many long distance
truck owners realise it’s far
better to get their expensive
rigs turned around in ten
minutes and heading back
upcountry than to join queues
in the port.
“Average turn-around time
for a standard container turnin
at the port from our yard
late at night is an impressive
26 minutes per round trip,”
he said.
The company has recently
had requests for the same
service for import containers,
but the handover of CTO
documents needs to be
resolved first.
“Our reliability has also
been enhanced with the
acquisition of a second reach
stacker. We now have the
capacity to run two machines
when handling large
volume container dispatches
into the port, and more
importantly our down-time
due to machine breakdown or
routine maintenance is greatly
reduced.”