Hauliers lambaste Transnet over escalating costs

Transnet port authorities
and terminal operators are
under fire as congestion
at the Port of Durban
persists and operating costs
escalate.
With container volumes
having already dropped
9% below target in March
and Transnet seemingly
unable to drive positive
throughput, port users –
and especially transporters
– are fed up.
“Many transporters are
not impressed with the slow
turnaround on the projects
that are on the table to address
the numerous challenges at
the Port of Durban,” said Sue
Moodley, chairman of the
Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association.
Speaking at the annual Road
Freight Association conference
in the Drakensberg last week,
she said too many operators
had already been forced to shut
down thanks to the ongoing
congestion at the port and
its impact on hauliers, while
many, in an effort to make ends
meet, were desperately seeking
new markets for business.
“Due to the cost of standing
time at the port, we find that
some operators are totally
avoiding the port,” she said.
Increased standing time was
pushing up costs, while the loss
of work and higher wage bills
were taking their toll.
“Due to the pressure on
Transnet from the harbour
carriers and other industry
players, we have eventually
been told that more straddles
will be made available to the
landside,” said Moodley. “But
one year later and the situation
is back where it was in May
2016. One can only then ask:
is the transport operator being
taken seriously?”
According to transport
operators the biggest
challenges in Durban
range from inadequate and
insufficient equipment on the
landside, to the inefficiency of
labour, while a lack of planning
sees trucks being held up for
hours.
“The spread of workload over
the towers 109, 202 and 205 is
not equal. We often find that
one tower is overloaded with
containers. They’re not on the
public road any more but the
problem has simply shifted to
the tower,” said Moodley.
Mzukisi Mbanga, manager:
capacity creation at Transnet
National Ports Authority,
called on industry to work with
the state-owned enterprise
to find solutions to the many
challenges.
“The approach to this
challenge is that we need to
address the problem as a full
supply chain involving all
the partners,” he said. “The
solutions lie in collaboration.
This is not just a Transnet
problem or a trucker problem.
We have to work together to
find answers to address the
challenges.”
Anthony Naicker of City
Logistics responded by saying
there had been no lack of
discussion about solutions
and alternative options to
date, but it was all proving
pointless as nothing was being
implemented to change the
situation.
Krish Maharaj of Freight
24 agreed saying while a
collaborative approach was
commendable, Transnet was
responsible for at least 80% of
the problems at the Durban
harbour – and the solutions
would not be found outside
of the organisation. “We
cannot collaborate about those
challenges that are inherently
Transnet. Fundamental to all
of this is that industry has to
stop accepting these problems
as the norm for operations in
Africa.”
Maharaj said there was
uncertainty over whom
Transnet considered its
customer. “Is it the shipping
line, the importer, the
exporter, the transporter? And
subsequent to that how do you
treat your customer? There is
no clarity.”
He said trucks were waiting
up to 24 hours to pick up a
single container in the port.
“If you’re lucky your client
will compensate you for your
time – otherwise you are
carrying that cost. Ultimately
it goes to the consumer.
Freight simply costs more
and the consumer has to pay
for it.”
He said in 20 years of
working with the port the
situation had continued to
deteriorate – exacerbated by
the constant management
changes within Transnet.
“Every new CEO comes in
with a new strategy and a new
approach and the inefficiency
just multiplies – leaving the
stakeholders in the freight and
logistics industry to bear the
brunt of it, including the cost.”
CAPTION
Logistics Consultant Derek Moe chairs a panel discussion on the congestion at Durban harbour with
Krish Maharaj of Freight 24, Mzukisi Mbanga of Transnet National Ports Authority, Sue Moodley of
Durban Harbour Carriers' Association and Anthony Naicker of City Logistics.