The lifting of a moratorium on the movement of high cube containers could add a worrying new dimension to the already incendiary issue of the employment by SA trucking companies of foreign drivers.
From January 1 next year the movement of containers at a height of 4.6m will be outlawed. With more than 80 trucks already torched due to the fury of South African workers over the employment of foreign drivers, the issue of high cubes will only make things worse.
This was one of the conclusions of a power panel at the recent Road Freight Association (RFA) conference held in Kleinmond in the Western Cape. “Most of the SADC countries have legalised the movement of high cube containers at 4.6m. It is only South Africa that is keeping to a 4.3m height,” said RFA spokesman Gavin Kelly.
South African law stipulates that containers moved on the back of a truck may not exceed a height of 4.3m. Measuring 30cm longer than a standard container, high cubes come in at around 2.9m when transported on any of the current trailers in use. A moratorium giving blanket exemption to all containers where the height exceeds 4.3m will be lifted in January 2019.
The SADC agreement, however, ensures that foreign licences are recognised in South Africa. Practically it means that any SADC-registered and licensed vehicle and driver moving through South Africa may legally do so at a height of 4.6m even if the country’s legislation requires a height not exceeding 4.3m.
“There is a very real danger in this situation,” said Kevin Martin of Freightliner Transport. “Local drivers are already up in arms over foreigners and now we are going to allow those very foreigners to drive at heights of 4.6m but not us. What happens when South African operators decide to register their fleets in southern African countries rather than opt to buy a whole new fleet of trailers?”
Panellists participating in the debate agreed that it was necessary to approach high cubes and their movement realistically. With local operators having to comply with local legislation, but foreign licensed vehicles exempt, many operators attending the conference said from a cost perspective it would make far more sense to register vehicles in Zambia or Zimbabwe rather than locally.
“Can you imagine how this would play out with local drivers who are already burning trucks because of foreigners? This is a recipe for disaster,” said one truck operator who preferred not to be named. “I think this entire thing has not been thought through and government’s insistence on 4.3m has nothing to do with anything other than them not wanting to back down to industry. This will see everyone affected negatively rather than us working towards a solution that is practical and actually speaks to world trends.”
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Any SADC-registered and licensed vehicle and driver moving through South Africa may legally do so at a height of 4.6m even if the SA limit is 4.3m. – Gavin Kelly
