Project specialist upbeat about future growth

While 2009 signalled the start of the downward economic spiral, project work is all about long-term planning which can’t be stopped once it’s on course. For project transport specialist PLM, which launched in March last year, business was on a roll until January, and while there’s been a definite dip since February, managing director Carl Webb is upbeat about future growth. The company offers a diversified service, specialising in projects – a field in which Webb has notched up some 27 years of experience. “At the moment we’re busy with a Sasol project, mostly involving abnormals and superloads which are a key area for us. “In January this year we did four 200 ton pieces for Sasol – two generators and two turbines for its power generation programme,” Webb told FTW. There were also 60 loads of accessories, both normal and abnormal. The planning starts months in advance, says Webb. In this instance the cargo, which was imported from Germany, had to be moved from Richards Bay to Secunda. “As with all project shipments, the route and all the structures have to be surveyed to ensure they are capable of taking the weight – and the vehicles are planned accordingly. “We check out the site access, sorting out the sequence of arrival, monitoring the ships and making sure the vehicles are alongside to receive the cargo, and arranging the police escorts.” Project cargo is a complex business, but in Webb’s view one of the biggest challenges is coordinating traffic officer escorts. “They’re generally unreliable and there’s limited time to travel. And while you’re trying to get the load to the site, there’s cranage waiting at a huge cost.” In a recent instance, a ship awaiting export cargo had to wait a week to berth because the police escorts didn’t pitch up as arranged, said Webb. “And the cost of a ship standing for a week is significant.” Exports are also part of the mix, with shipments currently moving to Madagascar. Privately owned, PLM has offices in Durban and Johannesburg. It is non-asset based, outsourcing its transport needs to a range of reputable transport providers.