Maersk focuses on door-to-door shipments

MAERSK LINE is currently undergoing
a process they refer to as ‘streamline’
in order to become more responsive to
customers’ needs.
For inland countries like Zambia,
this has led to the introduction of
Maersk Logistics which began its
operations in the country this July.
This means Maersk Zambia can offer
a complete service including pure
logistics and not just shipping to
its clients.
For Maersk the biggest export
opportunities in Zambia can be found
in the mines as they believe production
can only go up and therefore the
mines will always require logistical
solutions. Maersk has three vessels
sailing to the Far East every week, two
from Durban and one from Dar es
Salaam. Cargo from Zambia mainly
comprises copper, cotton and semiprecious
stones.
When it comes to imports, there
is at present an influx of project cargo
for the infrastructural expansion of
the telecommunications and other
industries. Combine this with the
mere fact that Zambia imports most
manufactured products such as
clothing, commodities and consumer
goods from the Far East, South America
and many other places, and the future
is looking very positive for imports.
Because Zambia is landlocked,
Maersk doesn’t only offer a service to
port but also an extended service right
to the client's door. It forms part of
the Mozambique cluster which has its
own trucks but also uses third parties
to transport freight to Zambia by road.
Beira is currently the preferred routing
but the company also uses the ports of
Durban, Walvis Bay and Dar es Salaam.
Rail service is on offer from Durban
to Lusaka, Kitwe, Chingola and Ndola
and back. This service is mainly
designed to attract high volume clients
that can move a number of containers
on a block train at one go and thus
have a same position report on all
their shipments.
Dar es Salaam and Beira are
serviced by truck into Zambia. Maersk
only offers a service to port in Walvis
Bay at present – there isn’t an inland
leg yet but the company is looking at
solutions for clients as they consider
it to be a very good corridor for cargo
from Europe.