Freightmax sets ambitious targets

It’s not news that ongoing
congestion remains the
shipper’s headache at Durban
port, but the real worry is that
it may never end.
“Prior to Durban creating an
effective and high-quality truck
staging facility, congestion
was untenable. They have
alleviated that over the past
12-18 months. However,
construction of an additional
area in Kings Rest has created
a new single lane traffic
bottleneck along Bayhead
Road. Congestion has been
very traumatic and resulted
in many packing companies
and export operators missing
their vessels,” reports Brian
Giddey, managing director of
Freightmax.
“We find the ports people
receptive and good to work
with, and they generate
confidence when explaining to
the public and operators how
the construction will resolve
things. Any other projects
subsequent to this one that my
cause further congestion are
unknown moving targets,” said
Giddey.
In addition to the chemicals
the company moves to
Durban, which is Freightmax’s
primary port, they are one
of Transnet’s larger cross
border rail shippers of
sugar, grain, fertiliser, fuel
and diesel. For general freight
business the firm maintains
a 70 000 sqm site near the
docks, 20 000 sqm under roof,
and the balance a hardened
yard stand with empty and
full container handling
capacity creating a perfect
Container Freight Station.
The facility also receives bulk
minerals such as chrome for
containerisation and export.
How efficient can the
port get? “It’s an interesting
question, because from a
shipping line perspective,
shortest possible quayside time
is imperative. Of course, the
slower they are in loading the
vessel, the longer they have
to pre-stack, thus occupying
valuable space, and slowing
down this throughput creates
inconsistent traffic flows or
surges,” Giddey said.
This is all dynamically
inter-related to speeding up
ground vehicular traffic, and
Freightmax’s experience has
shown what optimally can be
accomplished.
“We would like to arrive at
port, do the paperwork, and
be out within an hour. That’s
a rough benchmark, but we
have on occasion done it in
twenty minutes. It is definitely
do-able,” Giddey said.