‘Revolutionary’ Skiptainer pilot begins

In a move that could
revolutionise the movement of
bulk products by rail, logistics
innovator ICM Group has begun
trials on its new ‘Skiptainer’
solution that could change the way
rail is managed in South Africa.
The prevailing consensus among
industry sources is that South
Africa’s reliance on road – due to
the inability of rail to provide an
efficient service – is driving up
costs.
The Skiptainer, which is a
combination of a skip and a
container, is easy to fill and
empty, easy to load and offload
and can be transported on a
flatbed rail wagon.
“The core focus at the start will
be the minerals business, but once
we get it into the market it will
take on a life of its own,” says
ICM Group CEO Kiall Marsh.
And customers have embraced
it with enthusiasm. “It has
significant impact on their
business – it means they can get
to clients who don’t have a rail
siding and it allows us to provide
clients who can’t get enough bulk
rail capacity with the capacity
they need.
“It also has a double-edged
effect – the environmental impact
of taking trucks off the road and
the commercial impact in terms of
reducing supply chain costs.”
A number of units have been
manufactured, trialled and
marketed to some major clients
who have given the company
letters of intent in terms of
utilising it.
ICM is however working with
Transnet Freight Rail on the
project and will only launch once
all the processes are in place.
The company has commissioned
500 units, of which 80 are already
available.
“Our initial maths estimates that
cost saving will be in the region of
30% - which is substantial.”
The Skiptainer is the latest in a
string of innovations introduced
by the company, most recent
among them the G-Track system.
Described as a fully autonomous
remote monitoring system, it
enables ICM to track movement
of cargo during handling and
transportation, tracking not only
the precise location of the cargo,
but every bump and vibration on
all three axes.