In an industry governed
by two
fundamentals
– time
and distance
– creating a
culture where
all role-players
acknowledge these
two
fundamentals and act
accordingly is a major
challenge, says Paul Cunliffe,
managing director of 4PL.
COM Logistics Cape.
“Time is probably the
biggest enemy,” he says.
“Trucks reach offloading
sites, where they are often
held up for hours offloading.”
The result, says Cunliffe,
is that either the
operator is too late
to re-load or the
driver is
pressed to drive
longer hours to
reach his next
destination
as part of
the
service
offering.
“We
all know
what this
results in – driver fatigue
which ultimately leads to
unnecessary accidents,
another cost.”
This, in light of the planned
truck ban, will just be
exacerbated, he said.
“We have to work together
across the road and rail
platforms and create an
environment where there
are benefits for all and
where we all acknowledge
the importance of time and
distance,” says Cunliffe.
He says bureaucracy is
another challenge that affects
rail in particular.
“In our 24/7 world,
decisions need to be made
in an instant. That is not
always possible in the rail
environment. There seems to
be a big emphasis on seeking
a “silver bullet” type solution
to all of this and less effort
is made for smaller cargo
owners,” he said.
Operating across both
road and rail, Cunliffe and
his team have built up good
relationships with Transnet
Freight Rail over time and
this has helped to address
some of the challenges.
The 4PL Group currently
has container and bulk
volumes on rail, which are
increasing significantly every
year. Its flagship project is the
railing of export citrus reefer
containers from the Tzaneen
area to Durban and Cape
Town.
“We started this service
four years ago and have
grown it by over 550%
to date. We have entered
into a three-year volume
commitment agreement
with TFR whereby they
have committed additional
equipment, allowing us larger
volumes.”
The company, says Cunliffe,
recently also acquired an
interest in a transport
company in KwaZulu-Natal
in line with its strategy of
providing a one-stop solution
for its customers.
“This acquisition gives us
the ability to provide a road
transport service for hazardous
cargo, consolidated freight,
container de-stuffing and
warehousing at our facilities
in Durban, Johannesburg and
Cape Town,” he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
We recently acquired
an interest in a
transport company in
KwaZulu-Natal in line
with our strategy of
providing a one-stop
solution.
– Paul Cunliffe
