Growth in mining cargo through Beira

Greater efficiencies in the
port of Beira combined
with investment in
heavy lift equipment
and an increase in the number of
lines calling at the port have helped
support the growth in miningrelated
cargo moving along the
Beira Corridor, according to Richard
Tiddy, group commercial manager
of J&J Transport, which is one of the
biggest hauliers on the route.
J&J group services include
transport, warehousing, and
container packing and destuffing.
“We are constantly making
improvements to our services,
leading to faster vehicle turn-around
and shorter transit times, improved
security, and better on-line tracking
of consignments.
“Our objective is to provide a
seamless supply chain from the mine
to on board the vessel.”
The company works with the
mines to contain costs.
“We are constantly looking into
efficiencies, working 24/7 to avoid
delays and to reduce costs, with
savings passed on to our clients.
“We are working with customers
to align the
procurement
and export
departments
to take
advantage of the
round-tripping
of vehicles, which leads
to greater efficiencies and
lower pricing.
“J&J is also experimenting with
packing, bagging and/or
handling solutions
for bulk materials to
help exporters reduce
costs,” he says.
According to Tiddy,
the main mineral exports
through Beira are copper
and cobalt.
Imports of chemicals are
down due to the lower output of the
mines in the sub-region.
The downturn is also changing the
business model of the mines.
“We are seeing increased demand
for custom-built warehousing, so
we are busy constructing additional
facilities in Beira to cater for the
individual needs of customers.
“We are also developing our
Lusaka yard.
“In addition to paving the area,
building a warehouse and upgrading
the workshop we have acquired a
reach stacker capable of handling
both full and empty 6m and 12 m
containers.
“This gives our customers
increased flexibility in their
planning,” he says.
Looking ahead, Tiddy says
J&J will “continue to improve
systems such as electronic data
interchange (EDI) and tracking
while maintaining our reliability and
quality.
“By keeping logistics simple for our
clients we are able to provide what we
believe to be the most cost-effective
service on the Beira corridor,” he says.