Through bill helps control costs

Companies are eliminating
the risk of paying demurrage
by making use of through bill of
lading (TBL) services, according to
Mesele Seyuba,
director of
Mediterranean
Shipping
Company (MSC)
Zambia.
Once a
container is
released from
Lusaka to the
customer, the
transporter’s
responsibility
is to have the
container loaded within 24 hours
and delivered to Johannesburg
within 10 days. MSC holds
the haulier responsible for any
demurrage due to delays, says
Seyuba.
“While merchant haulage –
where companies appoint their
own carriers – may seem to be
cheaper, there are hidden or
unforeseen costs which include
demurrage,” he says.
The shipping company offers
TBL services to all the ports
serving Zambia, with the majority
of exports moving through Beira
and Durban.
Companies
that want to
use their own
transporters
are given 10
days from the
release of the
container for
export to deliver
it to the stack
before incurring
demurrage.
With TBL
imports the demurrage
deadline is seven days from
arrival at the border point
of entry up to turn-in of
empty container unit to
MSC depot.
He adds that
MSC has taken the
strategic decision
to ensure that there
are always sufficient
containers on hand
in Zambia to meet the needs of
exporters.
The line has a storage facility
in Lusaka, and can deliver a
container to most destinations in
Zambia within 48 hours.
INSERT & CAPTION
While merchant haulage
may seem to be cheaper,
there are hidden or
unforeseen costs.
– Mesele Seyuba