Freightmax sets ambitious targets

It’s not news that ongoing congestion remains the shipper’s headache at Durban port, but the real worry is that it may never end. “Prior to Durban creating an effective and high-quality truck staging facility, congestion was untenable. They have alleviated that over the past 12-18 months. However, construction of an additional area in Kings Rest has created a new single lane traffic bottleneck along Bayhead Road. Congestion has been very traumatic and resulted in many packing companies and export operators missing their vessels,” reports Brian Giddey, managing director of Freightmax. “We find the ports people receptive and good to work with, and they generate confidence when explaining to the public and operators how the construction will resolve things. Any other projects subsequent to this one that my cause further congestion are unknown moving targets,” said Giddey. In addition to the chemicals the company moves to Durban, which is Freightmax’s primary port, they are one of Transnet’s larger cross border rail shippers of sugar, grain, fertiliser, fuel and diesel. For general freight business the firm maintains a 70 000 sqm site near the docks, 20 000 sqm under roof, and the balance a hardened yard stand with empty and full container handling capacity creating a perfect Container Freight Station. The facility also receives bulk minerals such as chrome for containerisation and export. How efficient can the port get? “It’s an interesting question, because from a shipping line perspective, shortest possible quayside time is imperative. Of course, the slower they are in loading the vessel, the longer they have to pre-stack, thus occupying valuable space, and slowing down this throughput creates inconsistent traffic flows or surges,” Giddey said. This is all dynamically inter-related to speeding up ground vehicular traffic, and Freightmax’s experience has shown what optimally can be accomplished. “We would like to arrive at port, do the paperwork, and be out within an hour. That’s a rough benchmark, but we have on occasion done it in twenty minutes. It is definitely do-able,” Giddey said.