ITMS will manage truck flows into Durban port

ITMS is a fully integrated system to manage the information and truck flows of citrus into the Durban port. “It incorporates an internet-based information portal to book truck deliveries, administer the information flows, and capture the truck delivery timelines on the packhouse-truckstop-port facility chain,” said CGA’s Mitchell Brooke. “Added to that is a 24-hour transport management desk and multi-user truck staging zone – used for all trucks that are required to be staged prior to offloading. Also, 100% of the trucks are booked and this is advised to the depots, and the truck delivery times released to packhouses. “This basically means that the truck flows are managed to avoid congesting the port facility front gate.” For the staging zone, 25 000 sqm of suitable land – sufficient for 250 trucks – has been identified, located central to the N2/N3 inbound junction, and central to all the users’ facilities. It is to have fully equipped offices, 24-hr security, ablutions, canteen and the like, with the possibility of ambient storage and cross-docking facilities on the premises. There will also be a reefer (refrigerated) container pre-staging zone with plug-ins. “This is designed to be managed independently, and the site can accommodate crossindustry requirements,” Brooke added. “It’s a sustainable solution and is needed in the long-term. The possibility is that it could be a joint venture with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) who could roll out the concept.”