While several of its clients were glad to put 2009 behind them, United Maritime Logistics was able to ride out the recession with fairly stable volumes. “And we’ve already seen a change in the market since January,” says UML Johannesburg-based director, Corinne French. “LCL volumes are increasing and we expect that this will be the outlook for the year to come.” When you’re operating in a niche market that is volume-driven, you need to be responsible and look after aspects like service delivery, rates and, most importantly, communication, says French. But remaining competitive in a changing market is a constant challenge. All the more so when service providers are not up to speed. “The inadequate rail link between Durban and Johannesburg, which results in increased transit times inland, leaves one in a predicament which results in road-hauling of containers from Durban to Johannesburg at excessive costs. TFR needs to improve its service and delivery times,” says French. An encouraging development has been the growth in overborder traffic, of which UML has scored its fair share. “We have more and more requests to move LCL cargo overborder to our neighbouring countries,” says French. “These range from normal FAK commodities to personal effects – and since these are generally cross trade, cargo is terminated in Durban or Johannesburg and on-forwarded from there. As a result we have seen significant growth in our Durban volumes.” The company’s traditional southbound consolidation service for the South East/ Gulf region in the USA to South Africa has been going strong, says French. “We consolidate Memphis, Charlotte, Charleston, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Miami in Atlanta and then load in Atlanta a dedicated consolidation via Charleston to Durban. “This reduces the inland transit time compared to New York consolidations as well as offering our clients a better sailing time due to the routing of the southbound vessels calling on Charleston after New York. With volume permitting we are looking into loading a direct Durban container ex Houston in the not too distant future.”
