Road freighters can only grin and bear fuel price hike

GRIN AND bear it seems to be the way to deal with cross-border fuel price differentials. Says Frits Kroon of Frits Kroon Transport: “The easiest way to bear it is to use long-range fuel tanks attached to your vehicle and to fill up in the cheaper countries.” He says customs officials frown on loose fuel drums on vehicles, but are happier when the fuel tank is attached to the vehicle and it is clear that the carrier is not trying to import fuel for re-sale. According to Kroon fuel prices differ radically across SADC countries. “Botswana is slightly more expensive than South Africa, as is Namibia. Strangely, Zimbabwe, which sources its diesel from South Africa, has fuel prices that are about R1.20 cheaper than in South Africa, provided you buy from a private supplier.” Zambia’s fuel prices are extremely expensive, he says. “In Lusaka you can pay around R9 a litre, but by the time you hit the north of Zambia, it will be as much as R12 per litre. And when you’re buying fuel in the DRC, budget at least $1,45 (around R10) per litre.” Kroon says the way to get around this is to fill up all tanks at the very last possible fuel stop in cheaper countries, and use the long-range tank to complete the journey back to the same spot. His longrange tanks accommodate enough fuel for about 2 000km. And when petrol prices rise, it seems smaller operators have no choice but to accept it and hedge themselves in small ways against the price hike. “It’s just one of those things. The best you can do is fill all the tanks just before the price hike comes into effect,” he says.