Shippers opting for one-stop supplier

Companies shipping freight

between South Africa and

Namibia are reducing costs

by working with transport

suppliers that have the

resources to handle all their

needs.

“It is interesting to see that

more and more customers

now require a single

transport service provider

who provides a single point

of contact in order to better

manage their transport

cost and to ensure greater

flexibility,” says Charles

Lowe, manager of Pro

Parcel.

This includes courier,

consolidated and full load

distribution.

Pro Parcel Distribution

provides consolidated freight

services, mainly between

South Africa and Namibia.

The distribution network

from Johannesburg,

Cape Town and Durban

links every Namibian

town through a huband-

spoke supply

network in Windhoek,

Oshakati, Tsumeb, Walvis

Bay, Mariental and

Keetmanshoop.

There are five deliveries a

week to all major Namibian

destinations, and to the

smaller towns at least twice

weekly, according to Lowe.

The company is part of

the FP du Toit Transport

group, and having the added

resources of the group has

helped it grow its market

share during the current

downturn, according to

Lowe.

FP du Toit is one of the

only companies in the

region to offer the full

range of transport services

– from courier through to

cross-border haulage and

materials handling.

“We are seeing the same

trend in cross-border

transport, where companies

are opting to work with a

single haulier rather than a

multitude of transporters,”

he says.

Lowe is confident that

volumes will return.

“We are focusing on the

movement of commodity

prices in anticipation of a

recovery.”