Investment in people and
systems is helping to keep
freight moving along the
Beira corridor, according to
Vikram Singh, general manager of
J&J Transport in Harare.
“We have used the past year to
improve our current systems and
structures rather than to grow the
business in size,” he says.
The Zimbabwean-registered
company has been able to leverage
the investment made by the
Beira-based J&J group to offer
warehousing and depot services in
addition to haulage.
Zimbabwe-based traders and
shippers are served by a number of
warehouses in Beira, including an
inland dry port.
Operated by Independent Beira
Logistics Terminals and Services
(IBLT&S), the facility offers a
range of value-added logistics
services for in-bond imports and
exports through the port of Beira.
“We are facing a difficult
economic situation with falling
commodity prices, resulting in
a drop in volumes and therefore
increased competition due to a
smaller market
“We are however addressing
these challenges through
investment in systems, such as the
J&J Freight Management System,
and Magic Eye, a state-of-the-art
tracking system that grants clients
full visibility, as well as the training
and development of our staff in
order to raise our service levels,” he
says.
The prognosis is that the logistics
sector serving Zimbabwe will
come under increasing pressure as
commodity prices continue to fall
and regional currencies devalue.
J&J’s tracking system, Magic
Eye, combined with the company’s
freight management programme
allow clients to fine-tune their
inventory for imports and to time
exports for optimal arrival in Beira
ahead of the stack date.
All trucks are fitted with satellite
tracking, “providing us with control
and clients with the visibility at all
times,” he says.
The client is able to view the
location of the truck carrying the
cargo at any time during the course
of the trip.
J&J Transport provides
transport and logistics services on
the Beira Corridor, specialising
in international transportation
between Mozambique, Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Malawi and the Eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) with a fleet of around
1 100 trucks.
“Our trucks have flatbed or
drop-side trailers allowing loaddependent
flexibility.
“As a company, we are continually
evaluating our performance,
identifying areas for improvement
and raising our standards."
CAPTION
J&J's Beira facility.
