Freightmax invests millions in ‘full-spectrum’ facility

The general freight business
unit of the Imperial Logistics
group company, Freightmax,
has recently carried out
a multi-million rand
refurbishment of a Durban
port-side container freight
station (CFS), according to
MD Brian Giddey.
“This,” he told FTW, “was
designed to enhance the
Freightmax national presence
and the core activities of
supply chain management,
the national linehaul fleets,
and the separate rail logistics
division.”
It means that the company
is able to offer customers a
full spectrum of transport
logistics services from this
one harbour-side depot,
according to GM Jacques
de Villiers.
“It’s a 70 000 m2 site, which
comfortably accommodates
3 000 TEUs and 50 000
tons of bulk minerals,” he
told FTW, “located only
2.5-kilometres from
the Durban container terminal
(DCT).
“It has everything a
port user could want in
containerisation, cargo
handling and port container
transport services.”
In the lengthy list of
services, De Villiers
highlights that the CFS is a
customs-licensed container
depot for uncleared full
container load (FCL) overstays
and customs examinations and
offers FCL depot storage and
empty (MT) container depot
services (including container
wash bay and husbandry
facilities).
It also has two
weighbridges, a 17-wagon rail
siding, a 22 000 m2. high-bay
undercover warehouse, OS
and SOS bond stores and has
a certificate of acceptability
to handle and store imported
foodstuffs.
“We’ve also got both road
and rail facilities,”
De Villiers added, “with a rail
logistics division to handle
that function, and a fleet
of 30-ton capacity sliding
skeletal combinations for
container transportation
by road.”
Security, meantime, he
described as “state-of-the-art”
with the whole depot overseen
by CCTV surveillance
systems.
“We have a primary aim,”
said De Villiers. “And that is
being able to offer extremely
cost-effective containerised
port logistics solutions.
“Our target is to be
one of the lowest overall
cost-per-ton service providers
in Durban, whilst exceeding
customer expectations
and service delivery
requirements.”
Freightmax has also been
designed to cater for the
challenges associated with
large volume just-in-time (JIT)
deliveries of export orders.
Said De Villers: “Given
our close proximity to DCT
and the major MT container
depots, the risk of late arrivals
and short shipments is
minimised.
“Also, transport operators
do not have to queue outside
the facility on public roads,
and we have a dedicated FCL
express lane which ensures
one of the fastest truck
turnaround capabilities in
the port.”