Industry calls for meeting with DoT over high cubes

Industry is working hard to secure a meeting with transport officials to discuss the lifting of a moratorium on the movement of high cube containers. According to Gavin Kelly, spokesman for the Road Freight Association, there has been no change in the Department of Transport’s stance on high cubes. From January 1 next year the movement of high cube containers in the country will be restricted to a height of 4.3m as per legislation. Measuring 2.9m, high cube containers, when transported on the back of a normal transport vehicle, exceed the height of 4.3m as prescribed by South African law and measure in at around 4.6m. A moratorium implemented in 2011 currently gives blanket exemption to all ISO containers where the overall height exceeds 4.3m. “There is no change on this issue,” said Kelly. Various industry bodies, including the RFA, have written to government in an effort to prevent the moratorium being lifted. Kelly said they were hopeful of an audience with the DoT to address the issue in person. Dave Watts, an industry consultant, said several organisations were pooling their efforts to address the issue, but no actual meeting had yet taken place or been scheduled. Commenting on the possibility of legal action, Watts said it was premature as no damages had been suffered as yet. “We hope to meet with the parliamentary standing committee on the issue,” he said. Industry has maintained that to meet government’s height restrictions new trailers will have to be purchased for high cube movements. This would cost billions and most transporters are not in a position to do this. According to Watts there are several solutions available. These include scrapping the current 4.3m height restriction and changing it to 4.6m. “Another option is to run the containers at the higher height but issue them with a permit – allowing this as we do for abnormal cargo,” he said. “If there is real intent to keep it at 4.3m then one could also opt for an approach where the current trailers remain but from 2019 all new trailers need to conform to the new height restrictions and that way phase in new equipment over several years.” While industry has varied perspectives on the issue, concern about the impact of this legislation is increasing. “We literally have a couple of months left and then what?” said one transporter. “I am not sure how the country plans to export its fruit if this goes through as it is all moved in high cube reefers.”