Specialised equipment fights road overload bogey

USING THE right equipment for the right job is the way to beat the problem of overloading in the road transport of containers, according to Kevin Martin of Durban-based Freightliner Transport.
And, he told FTW, although it costs you more, you could end up with a big saving if you do it the right way.
With the advent of the Bayhead Road weighbridge in Durban - an "all-seeing eye" on the only access road to the container terminal - professional transporters have had to revisit trailer design to stay legal, Martin added.
"The spin-off from this exercise has been that pro-active clients are now having their containers transported on trailers that have been designed for the current market and beyond."
But a surcharge is applicable on upgraded equipment - so how is a saving achieved?
"Quite simply," said Martin. "Containerised cargoes should be treated the same as breakbulk cargoes. That is, how much does it cost to move per ton of cargo, from source to client?"
This, he added, because most of the current equipment on the road can only legally carry containers with a 20-ton payload. But the new equipment will allow the shipper to go up to the ISO (International Standards Organisation) rating of 23-t - a recommendation based against the right loading procedure and equipment, right cargo, and right road transport equipment being used.
Get all that right, said Martin, and your 23-t loading will allow you to carry your 1 000-t of cargo in 43 containers - as opposed to the 50 required at 20-t per box.
ThatÕll save you the shipping rate on seven boxes - plus the savings on terminal handling charges, transportation, documentation and the like. And, Martin reckoned, this will be a lot more than the extra charge for specialised equipment.
"The good news," he added, "is that this
up-graded equipment is becoming more freely available so users can shop around for the best rates."