Project specialist adds Richards Bay in-port facility

With the acquisition of a 2 800sqm handling and storage yard in the busy Richards Bay port, heavy lifting and plant relocation specialist, Vanguard, has extended its in-harbour capabilities to complement the multi-axle service it already offers from all harbours in the SADC region and Mozambique. According to Bryan Hodgkinson, Vanguard’s managing director, this fully fledged, secure and operational yard enables the company to offer its clients a complete turnkey transportation solution, including harbour offloading and reloading, route surveys, road clearance and permits, as well as on-site offloading and rigging. Added value benefits of having storage capacity at the harbour include not having to obtain road permits or abnormal clearances from the quayside to the storage yard and lower mobilisation costs, as trailers and prime movers can be on stand-by while waiting for ships to dock and the cargo to be offloaded. Through a network of sub-contractors and an in-house freight management division, Vanguard is able to handle multiple cargo at any time, and is equipped to handle both heavy and lighter loads. With an onsite fleet, Vanguard will be able to offer more cost-effective port handling facilities. In addition, the company can manage the transportation from the harbour to various sites in sub-Saharan Africa. As a specialist in long-distance haulage of complex cargo, Vanguard owns an extensive fleet of multi-axle and self-propelled modular trailers. Able to handle on-site cargo loads exceeding 1 300t, the fleet can easily be reconfigured to meet specific requirements.