TFR commits to beefing up communication

Transnet Freight Rail has
committed to radically
enhancing its track
and trace feedback to
customers increasingly
frustrated by lack of
credible information
on the status of their
containers.
“From next week we
are going to revisit the
track and trace process
to ensure that we are able
to verify every train that
leaves Durban – and that
includes train number,
wagon number and the
like, and supply feedback
on a three-hourly basis
on where the cargo is
along the route,” executive
manager of TFR’s
intermodal business unit,
Wiseman Madinane, told
guests at a Safmarine
breakfast in Johannesburg
recently.
Customers at the
function were vocal in
their criticism of the current
lack of information flow.
“We experience immense
frustration in getting the
right information in a
reasonable time and we need
the information now,” said
one.
Madinane acknowledged
that it was essential
for TFR to beef up its
communication.
“You will see some
progress from next week,”
he said.
“Whether it’s good or
bad news, we need to let the
customer know.
“We have a lot of systems
that enable us to check
up to wagon level where
it is between Durban and
Johannesburg but we cannot
drill down to container level
without manual intervention.
“We will try to find a
stop-gap until we have the
systems in place to get that
information at container
level,” he said.
Several TFR customers
complained that there was
no proactive information
flow.
“We will get to a point
very soon where if you have
not been contacted about
your container it will mean
your container is not on
rail. But we want to take
it further – to give you the
status of your container at
any given time between
Durban and City Deep.”
In terms of TFR’s
customer care procedure,
queries must be
acknowledged within four
hours and responded to
within a day.
Madinane acknowledged
that TFR was currently in
‘limited’ communication
mode.
“But we’ll get it right –
our hearts are in the right
place.”