Infrastructure overload pushes up transport costs

The continuous growth in freight operations – but not infrastructure – is just one of the frustrations faced by the road freight industry every day. According to Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager for the Road Freight Association (RFA), while the improvements to the Gauteng freeway are welcomed, one must understand that this is only one province and that it is an upgrade and not growth. “No new roads are being built and the same can be said for rail. Not a single kilometre of new rail has been laid for years – in fact, rail has been ripped up. There is no real interaction between rail and road yet in South Africa, which adds to the frustration.” And until rail can take its rightful place in the movement of freight, South Africa remains reliant on trucks that in turn, are reliant on infrastructure being upgraded, maintained and improved. Kelly says the lack of infrastructure is just one of the reasons for the rising cost of transportation. “Logistics are costing more – be it in the form of toll roads, fuel levies, taxes and duties. Also the efficiencies and delivery times play a role in cost because, simply put, if a truck is standing it is costing money.” Kelly says for this reason issues around delays, whether at ports or borders, must be addressed. “The average cost of a truck standing – depending on the load – is in the region of R2 000 to R3 000 an hour. The average waiting time at a weighbridge is 45 minutes, but it can also be two to three hours. On the Zimbabwe route there are three of these weighbridges and all of this impacts on the bottom-line.”