'Smart trucks' the solution to inland haulage dilemma

There is a place for trucks in the logistics future of South Africa, as a complement to rail transport, according to Iain Geldart, managing director of private company Bulk Connections, which manages two bulk berths at the Durban port. “Is the move to rail South Africa’s answer?” he asked. “I don’t think you can do bulk without rail. But there is still room for improvement [for rail transport]. Otherwise we wouldn’t be getting 250 trucks a day into the [Durban] port.” He said smart trucks, or the South African equivalent of Australia’s road trains, will become increasingly viable because these trucks are more environmentally friendly and kinder to the road infrastructure than conventional trucks. “Truck companies will become fewer and more focused,” he said. “If there is a future for road trucks it will be smart trucks.” One drawback of smart trucks for the bulk commodities is that they are comparatively smaller than conventional trucks. Nevertheless, the port of Durban is upgrading its facilities to receive both rail and truck consignments in the future. The port has just commissioned a new rotary tippler that turns and decants rail wagons in a matter of minutes. At the same time, the port remains capable of receiving over 200 trucks a day. The port is also making an effort to expand its capacity to receive and stockpile more manganese ore, Geldart said.