Road feeder service gains increasing approval ‘Internationally accepted handling facilities a priority’

KEVIN MAYHEW WHILE DURBAN may not be a direct international freight destination for many airlines, there is a need to improve freight handling facilities to align with internationally recognised norms. Udo Moss, general manager of Airline Cargo Resources (ACR) – which is fast getting its operating levels to European standards - believes that it is a key to success. It is particularly relevant to his company which introduced a trucking service to and from Johannesburg to provide international airlines with a freight service in and out of Durban from its premises in Reunion. This overnight road freight run handles cargo for 25 international airlines. “Our growth of nearly 50% in the last year reflects the acceptability of our road feeder service concept introduced over the past three years. We believe this acceptance results from many of the elements we have built in to make our warehousing, palleting, security and other factors meet particular international benchmarks,” says Moss. ACR – which recently clinched yet another agreement to provide services for British Airways – is also finding increased potential in providing its service to freight agents. The company, which is based just a stone’s throw from Durban International Airport, and uses only its own rollered trucks, packs pallets to international air freight levels in Durban for easy relocation to aircraft. Modern CCTV surveillance technology monitors its loading and offloading processes. ACR offers a similar service out of Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.