Mozambican truckers are 'doing the logistics'

With rail infrastructure lagging, it is the trucking companies which are moving the Mozambican economy forward by “doing the logistics,” says Galbo Ismael, operations manager at Matola-based Lalgy Transport. Lalgy is one of the biggest truck operators in Mozambique, with its roots going back to 1989, at the time of the civil war. Ismael remembers having to travel in convoy with armed escorts when venturing outside of Maputo when he was a truck driver as recently as 1995. “We were driving in areas where there were essentially no roads as the infrastructure had not been maintained because of the war,” he says. “Now that the roads have been rehabilitated, there are different challenges.” “There is a problem with speeding as the roads are now too good and the trucks too powerful,” he says. Lalgy is tackling the problem through ongoing driver education and the monitoring of vehicles on the roads. His understanding of the critical role played by trucking companies such as Lalgy is therefore based on experience from the ground up to the point where he is responsible for the daily movement of over 400 trucks operating the length and breadth of Mozambique and into neighbouring states. Lalgy has branches in Beira and Chimoio, which serve the two main transit routes through the ports of Beira and Maputo. The Lalgy fleet includes tippers, tankers, flat decks, low beds, and skeletal units. All vehicles are tracked live by satellite, and scheduling and planning is done through a centralised system. Web-based software enables the company to position vehicles optimally for contract work. Lalgy also supplies and operates dedicated fleets for long-term projects. The company has fleets moving coal from a number of mines in Tete to Beira. For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the wheels never stop turning. According to Ismael, Lalgy has evolved from being a trucking company to “doing the logistics” by taking responsibility for the full trip, from loading to unloading and distribution at the destination. This includes offering warehousing through a sister company. “Customers kept asking if we could store their goods once they reached their destination, so one of the members of the Lalgy family started a warehousing operation,” he says. This enables Lalgy Transport to focus on the logistics of road haulage. The company continues to be among the pioneers operating revived or newly-opened routes in Mozambique, and is now active on the Nacala Corridor, which connects Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. The fleet includes specialised trailers which are used to carry 18 metre pipes for the gas pipelines being laid in the north. INSERT & CAPTION Now that the roads have been rehabilitated, there are different challenges. – Galbo Ismael