Neutral consolidator CFR Freight is continuing to add muscle and skilled resources to its Durban team. Highlighting the importance of a presence in Durban, Nicholas von Flemming, group national sales manager, said the Port of Durban was a key national resource and users needed to be agile and adaptive, especially in light of the significant challenges to port users. “For us as the CFR Group, this has meant extra investment and resourcing of important strategic areas of the group. We have not only strengthened the CFR operational team but also that of our sister company ZacPak. This allows us to offer the client base the best service continuity possible.” The port has been under severe pressure over the past few years, dealing with equipment shortages and congestion. This has impacted logistics service providers around the country. “While we cannot change the situation with the port infrastructure, we can optimise how we inform our client base and the service levels we offer,” said Von Flemming. “There are some significant challenges for all users of the port, and achieving the desired throughput can be problematic. This is common knowledge, and despite some apparent governmental desire for collaboration, it will not be resolved in the immediate weeks and months to come. ”But, he said, there was a need to ensure customers were updated and service levels, despite all the challenges, were not compromised. This as ocean carriers battle to maintain schedule integrity in the face of global Covid-induced issues. “A significant concern is how f lexible and agile the port itself will be in coping with the scheduling changes,” he said. “As an NVOCC, we have seen the desire from clients for the quickest transit times wherever possible. This sometimes means rerouting cargo away from congested ports and global transhipment hubs.” Commenting on volumes, he said there had been a definite spike. “Pleasingly, our clients have welcomed the transit time and cost-saving benefits of our two new direct services – France to South Africa and Australia to South Africa direct weekly.” He said volumes, were not just on the rise on the export side. “Volumes have increased significantly into and out of Durban. This is driven by the demand and backlog of the current carrier challenges. Pricing surges favour the use of LCL for larger consignments, hence the positive ref lection on the pricing. We have worked diligently to ensure the integrity of the sailing schedules wherever possible to ensure the best levels of service continuity within our global networks.” While we cannot change the situation with the port infrastructure, we can optimise how we inform our client base and the service levels we offer.– Nicholas von Flemming
