Kodiak records significant citrus logistics growth

Port of Durban remains a stumbling block ALAN PEAT IT HAS been a good season for grapefruit and orange exports, according to Colin Bowring, CEO of Kodiak Shipping, which, in what he terms a “very valuable” partnership with road haulier Truckit, moves citrus exports from the growing fields to the Port of Durban. Last year the operation was running 9-10 trucks a day, but this year the total has reached the 15-17 level – and that six days a week, Bowring added. Capacity-wise, that’s using a fleet comprising about 60% interlink vehicles with a permissible payload of 27 pallets of fruit, and 40% tri-axles with a 24 pallet capacity. The boon this year for Kodiak is that it has purchased some new extra-light Afrit trailers – with a payload of up to 30 pallets of fruit without any abnormal load permit required. “That’s given us extra capital earning capacity on routes, and has been a good find this year,” Bowring told FTW. “We’ve also designed a 14.6-metre tri-axle trailer on which we’ve been able to load 26 pallets without exceeding the permissible gross mass – and again gaining extra capital capacity.” Stumbling block But the Port of Durban remains a stumbling block in the fruit export logistics equation. “Durban harbour is a disaster area,” said Bowring, “with all sorts of construction work all over the place – all of which adds up to vehicle delays.” There have also been relatively long delays in off-loading vehicles at the port, which Bowring attributes to a misjudgement by the port authorities, and capacity inadequacies at the container terminal. “It’s probably because they underestimated the harvest this season (from April to about end September),” he added, “and don’t have the capacity to handle the flow of vehicles.”