Moving R25 million of goods from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban in one weekend to a centralised warehouse at Jet Park near Johannesburg International Airport was a task International Delivery Company marketing director Clifford Blackburn had doubts about achieving successfully.
But we did it in time for me to enjoy Sunday's lunch at home and see the Grand Prix on TV, says a delighted Blackburn.
The project was to gather goods stored by US company Procter and Gamble from warehouses in the three ports and convey them in one movement to Gauteng.
All told 30 vehicles were used to move 70 containers in a co-ordinated programme involving P&G logistics manager David Levin.
Maersk Line assisted with the loan of containers and the vehicles left points of origin at staggered times to ensure reaching Jet Park in series to assist with continuous and steady offloading. In the case of vehicles from Durban, these were delayed to avoid congesting highways at a time when holiday traffic was in full swing.
This type of transportation in co-ordinating movements from various sources has been tried by others from overseas in this country in the past without success, says Blackburn.
This time, with full South African initiative, it worked. The result: disposable diapers, after shave for dad, bleach for the washing and even the latest crackling plain and salted chips are now resting safely in the US company's Gauteng warehouse
