Humanitarian food aid keeps trucks busy

CONSOLIDATORS PLAY a vital role in saving the lives of people caught up in the region’s humanitarian crises. World Vision and the World Food Programme continue to award tenders to veteran consolidator (established 1991) Professional Consolidators, whose subcontracted fleet of 300 vehicles is augmented by the 42 trucks of its parent company Four Way Haulage. “WFP operates on a tender system. On each occasion we put in our bid, and are called upon to move grain. Right now we have a large operation into Zimbabwe. We pick up from Durban or silos in Gauteng, depending on the tender,” explained Professional Consolidators MD Vincent Davy. As a long-established firm that moves all types of goods throughout SADC, the company has acquired knowledge of regional countries’ markets and transportation challenges. The firm moves polymers in granular form to factories throughout SADC, and packed lubricants (oils and greases in bottles for consumer use) into Zambia, along with mining chemicals into that country. Many of the firm’s trucks are hazchem. compliant. Congestion spots that are currently troublesome involve Zambia, including the Zimbabwe border posts of Chirundu, at the Zambezi River, and Livingstone. “But that is nothing compared to the delays at the Zambia side. They are very severe and it is a concern for us,” Davy said. To expedite matters, pre-clearance of goods is standard procedure, so documents are with border post customs officials before a truck leaves the Jo’burg depot.