New service package ramps up exports to US

Despite one of the most challenging years for the airfreight industry, the airfreight division of independent groupage operator CFR Freight is flying high. “The volcano which grounded so many international flights, coupled with the port strike and then the Fifa World Cup all combined to impact on available capacity,” general manager – airfreight, Dave Graham told FTW. “But despite the difficulties, our growth in Gauteng has been exceptional. “Regionally Africa is huge for us,” says Graham, “and textiles is our fastest growing product to the US – a lot of it moving out of Lesotho.” “It’s a market we’ve been able to penetrate because of our service, aggressive marketing and rate structures,” says director, Peter Schmidt-Loffler. “We have implemented a new US tariff, with reduced rates and nameday consol services out of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta,” said Graham. Technology is also playing an increasingly important role in service levels and product offerings, he added. “We have a web-based tariff engine in place which many clients are now using. “And we recently introduced an automated quotation system which enables us to get a quote to a client within minutes of telephonic confirmation. We’re also in the process of developing a track and trace system that will be available within the next few months.” Graham also believes that the dedicated airfreight sales team and customer service desk are playing a key role in the division’s growth and ability to overcome the many challenges facing the airfreight industry at present. “The airport is highly congested, so to get cargo lodged in time is a challenge. “Roads are also an issue at the moment – we’re having to allocate additional time to do collections and deliveries because the trucks spend so much longer on the roads. “On top of that, main deck capacity is under pressure and rates are increasing in anticipation of the yearend peak season.” But despite the challenges, Graham is confident of the outlook. “No-one really knows what kind of peak season the industry is going to have, but we know that CFR is going to have a great one!”