Sales drive pushes up WGS volumes

WORLD GROUPAGE Services has recorded ‘phenomenal’ growth in year on year volumes of FCL and LCL cargo on the US-SA route. That’s the word from sales director Alistair Heald who says there are several good reasons for the growth in volumes on the route. WGS, in conjunction with its partner Carotrans International, offers a weekly groupage and FCL (full container load) service into all four major ports in SA, based on premium direct carriers. “Carotrans is in the region of 35% up on FCLs and 30% on the LCL product worldwide,” says Heald, “due to a range of factors – the weakening of the US dollar against the major currencies, a shortage of container equipment which means that cargo previously moving in 20 foot boxes is now having to be shipped LCL, as well as a huge sales drive in the USA and SA.” And this despite the challenges faced by the SA importer in late 2007 and 2008, says Heald. “The escalation of fuel prices and oceanfreight increases on the USA route have tightened margins. And for the first time in 14 years the SA importer has had to contend with container and chassis shortages in the USA due to that country’s export boom. For us this has meant locating equipment from container pools in different states – forcing us to put on our thinking caps when it comes to the normal day-to-day movement of shipments in order to ensure we meet our customers’ deadlines.” WGS and Carotrans continue to conduct reciprocal USA/SA sales trips, says Heald, providing significant benefits all round. WGS also runs a weekly import groupage service from the UK into Durban and Johannesburg and has hinted at further developments in the year ahead.