Freight consolidation company CFR Freight has achieved “great success” with over-border road freight services which run from Durban to Johannesburg and on to neighbouring countries.
And while road freight presents several external challenges, the company has learnt to carefully manage these to ensure ongoing operational efficiency, according to company MD, Martin Keck. One of these challenges was congestion at the Port of Durban which was often exacerbated by a huge influx of containers that arrived at the same time, explained ZacPak MD, Willie Nel.
He said the only way to deal with this was through “constant communication to client and role players” as well as by introducing flexibility around the resources deployed. “Our proximity to the port and the warehousing facility at our ZacPak Durban depot helps our customers save on turnaround time.”
He said, the ability to de-stack and utilise volumetric transport to move cargo to final destination was key to achieving operational efficiency. Road freight manager Hilton Tait added that CFR’s road freight division was working closely with ZacPak to offer cross-docking solutions for over-border services to alleviate issues around empty container turn-in costs - and over-border container deposits, reducing any potential demurrage.
He said that over-border volumes were picking up, particularly for mining and infrastructure development in neighbouring countries. Nel added that road infrastructure was an ongoing concern, coupled with the volatile fuel prices which added to cost pressures.
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Cross-docking solutions for over-border services help alleviate issues around empty container turn-in costs. – Hilton Tait
