Seafreight bags major share on airfreight cargo

The majority (56%) of shippers
polled in our recent survey
indicated that they had
switched, or were considering
a switch, to seafreight
over airfreight thanks to
technological advances in
ocean freight.
Gillian Ward, line manager
at Mitchell Cotts Maritime
in Durban, said: “Many
customers are leaning more
towards seafreight as larger
volumes can be moved at lower
prices.”
Johan de Wet, project
manager at FH Bertling
Logistics, agreed, pointing out
that his company had seen a
“marked shift” to seafreight for
international consignments as
well as a shift to roadfreight
for domestic and regional
deliveries. He attributed this
to the high cost of airfreight
and increasingly narrow profit
margins for shippers and
logistics operators amid an
ongoing economic slump.
Managing director of
Zambezi Freight Services,
Rodgers Phiri, commented
that seafreight lead times were
getting shorter as the lines
became increasingly efficient.
But there are many who
project a greater adoption
of airfreight going forward,
noting that in certain
businesses – such as retail –
“faster will always be better”.
Jean Nightingale, sales
executive at Dachser, told
FTW that with the drop
in airfreight rates the
logistics company had seen
“numerous shippers” making
the switch from seafreight
to airfreight because of the
shorter lead times. “This is
mostly in the +250 kilogram
weight class,” she said.
“International airfreight
is the only way to go,” said
Sallyann Moodley, logistics
officer at Group Five – a
manufacturing, engineering
and construction company.
Justin Naidoo, airfreight
controller at Sebenza
Forwarding and Shipping,
pointed out that airfreight had
one major advantage over all
other modes of transport –
time. “Flowers being grown in
Durban and smelt in Paris the
next day is the concept that has
taken over the world,” he said.