‘Mine to furnace’ service for exporters

Two sister companies in the mighty Imperial Group have combined their muscle to offer the Southern African mining industry a full package of services right across the domestic and international export supply chain. As part of the deal, the warehousing and distribution specialist, Freightmax, ties together its rail logistics and general freight business divisions to offer mining companies bulk product rail movement from the mines to the port of Durban. “One of the advantages of using rail transport from the mine’s siding to our own siding,” said Brian Giddey, MD of Freightmax, “is that it gives the mining industry a better carbon footprint than using the alternative road transport mode.” At the company’s general freight premises – some 2.4-kilometres from the Durban container terminal (DCT) – these bulk products are stockpiled waiting for the customers’ export instructions. “At this stage,” Giddey added, “we can pre-load the containers (used for the international leg because of current cost advantages) waiting for the stacks to open.” This is where sister company, the clearing and forwarding (c&f) operation Megafreight, takes the stage. According to Durban branch manager, Paul Munn, the customer’s instruction for so many tonnes to be exported triggers a co-ordinated programme between Megafreight and Freightmax. “We get Freightmax to organise the appropriate tonnage,” he told FTW, “then we organise the booking of slots on the container ship, complete the customs and port documentation, then oversee the containers being loaded on to the correct vessel.” Munn also pointed out that, although clients normally handle the freight movement at the other end of the international leg, Megafreight – with its international network – is also capable of handling the cargo movement in the destination country. “Between our two companies and the group we have an awesome capability for completing both the domestic and international legs,” he said. “This allows us to offer clients a complete ‘mine to furnace’ service as far as their export needs are concerned.” Megafreight and Freightmax are currently moving large export tonnages of chrome, lumpy or fines, copper and manganese. This, they told FTW, is either from local SA mines, or crossborder from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. “The furthest,” said Munn, “is copper from the Copper Belt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).”