Full truckloads moving on a daily basis

There will always be a niche in the market place for knowledgeable service providers working in African countries such as Zambia, says Tristan Tooms, operations team leader of FATS. A major player in road freight into Africa, the FATS team doesn’t limit its scope to particular products or cargo types headed for the landlocked country. “Mining has slowed down considerably as has project work in recent months, but Zambia still has a healthy economy and consumer goods and general supplies are still in demand.” According to Tooms the company is dispatching full truckloads on a daily basis while a consolidation service is on offer three times a week. “We have moved paper, steel, bitumen and precious metals to and from the Zambian region,” says Tooms. “The global meltdown resulted in the copper price dropping dramatically. Copper and cobalt, two of the major Zambian export products, were badly affected resulting in many of the mines cutting back on production, which in turn resulted in a lesser demand for consumables and mining equipment.” But, says Tooms, on the plus side, transport costs were reduced in line with the cutbacks and with lower fuel prices, customers and consumers have been reaping the benefit. “We remain committed to the Zambian market and have designed a new addition to our existing warehouses in Durban that will, on completion, double our available storage space for unpacks, repacks and the consolidation of cargo. This is an ideal hub for cargo destined for Zambia,” says Tooms. “As a landlocked country it relies heavily on the Port of Durban as a gateway for the export and import of cargo.” Tooms says the company’s clear understanding of the needs of Zambia as well as its experience in working in Africa ensure that customer needs are met. “One needs an understanding of the mechanics of Africa to do business on the continent. Fats is fortunate that we have this as well as a network of agents and partners acquired through the years who are all able to assist us.”