Involvement now begins at design stage

More abnormal loads landed direct ex vessel KEVIN MAYHEW AS SOUTH Africa gears up for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, construction of new stadia along with other infrastructural improvements have seen a significant increase in the import of earthmoving equipment. Handling these breakbulk abnormal cargo loads requires specialist knowledge and expertise not only in terms of meeting dimension and weight elements but also in adjusting transport methods and using correct specialised trailers to minimise risk of damage to the machines. Manager of Durban-based Natro Freight, Carl Webb, says transport solutions for such cargo have steadily evolved in the 26 years that the company has been operating in the breakbulk, abnormal and project cargo field and they are being called on to handle more and more elements of cargo handling and delivery. “In the past we were provided with shipment details and proceeded from there. We are now increasingly being involved in projects from the design stage, through logistics planning, to site and construction planning. We recently undertook a logistics study on behalf of a client in Madagascar which involved much of this input, as well as the material handling studies once the cargo has arrived at the site. In this way we can assist in the entire logistics chain, making not only the client’s life a lot easier, but ours as well,” he said. He warns that there are too many transporters out there who assume that just because a driver has a code 14 licence he is qualified to secure a load onto a vehicle. “There is an increasing number of incidents where loads are lost or damaged through a lack of knowledge when securing them. “The majority of drivers only have experience in securing containers by twist-locks, and little or no knowledge of securing breakbulk cargo. Abnormal loads of course have their own peculiarities, and require even more knowledge and experience when being secured to the trailer,” he explained. A number of operators – let alone their drivers – are also not aware of the alternative abnormal routes that must be taken. He points out that there are additional problems with routes for abnormal loads as the secondary road infrastructure in South Africa is not in a good condition. There are some routes that have deteriorated to such an extent that they are no longer suitable for abnormal loads, which also needs to be taken into account when planning movement of such cargo. Many of the over-border roads have also deteriorated, making abnormal transport more difficult in these countries, he added. The ever-changing requirements in the harbours in South Africa have presented their own set of problems. An increasing number of abnormal loads are now landed direct ex the vessel, which requires close liaison between the client and vessel’s agent. Port restrictions are also an important factor. “We recently undertook a single shipment of some 48 loads out of Cape Town harbour, of which 30 were landed direct ex-vessel. It was a major undertaking to ensure that vehicles coincided with the vessel’s arrival and discharge plan. The port equipment planning schedules also require meticulous planning and co-ordination to ensure that vehicles are loaded timeously,” he said.