A cross-border clearing
service that reduces
border delays and
cuts transit time and
corruption is gaining traction in the
trucking industry.
“It’s a win-win situation for the
cargo owner and the transporter,”
says Broughton Amiss Consulting
(BAC) managing director Broughton
Amiss who saw a gap in the market
and launched the service three years
ago. He has since seen exponential
growth in volumes.
“With the advent of customs
modernisation, we can preclear the
cargo before it reaches the border
and provide the trucker with a point
to point service on one invoice.
Effectively a one-stop service, which
is what the industry wants.”
Depending on the number of
borders to destination, a truck
driver could require three different
currencies and have to wait at each
border for the entry to be completed.
“Through preclearance, a five-day
journey to Namibia can be reduced
to just three days,”
says Amiss, “and
that means a truck
is able to do more
trips – allowing
the transporter
to sweat the asset
and to do another
load – and that’s
the value we
bring.”
BAC is not
in the business
of owning trucks but rather
facilitating speedy transit. And
through relationships with crossborder
agents, the system is further
streamlined.
“We can forward export entries
to border agents who will preclear
into the next country, and at final
destination we have relationships
with other agents. The success we
have achieved is by offering a service
that no-one else
offers. We do an
entire solution
for the customer
and he gets one
manifest.”
Through the
use of smart
technology, entries
can be framed
while the truck is
in transit to the
border. “We ask
our partners to print the entry and
give it to the driver, who then crosses
the border without delays.”
Statistics tell the growth story. “In
2015 we did 2000 road entries, last
year this had doubled and this year
we’re expecting to reach 8000.”
Amiss launched the company 18
years ago as a customs bond store
facility for retail stores at OR Tambo.
This has morphed into a onestop
solution offering
collection, transport and
delivery to the bond
store – all on a single
invoice.
“In the logistics
game there are
always multiple
people. The
one-invoice
solution has
been a game
changer,” says
Amiss.
Through preclearance, a
five-day journey to Namibia
can be reduced to just
three days.
– Broughton Amiss
