The truck booking system for transporters to collect containers at the Port of Durban, which Transnet swears by, continues to provoke vexatious criticism from harbour carriers who claim it is inefficient and time-consuming, often causing truck drivers to wait 24 hours before loading cargo.
But a message posted yesterday on social media by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) serves to create the impression that a pilot phase of new initiatives to assist carriers is bearing fruit.
In the message, Durban Terminals chief executive Earle Peters says, following an outcry by transporters about booking systems issues, the state-owned company (SOC) is proud to report significant progress around introducing improvements.
“We’ve adopted and piloted a new truck-booking system,” he says, and have “seen some solid success after the implementation of the new truck booking system. It’s been one month now and we will continue with this pilot”.
Peters adds, “The new truck booking system aims to cater for all transporters. We will continue working on the new truck booking system until we unanimously agree on what works for all transporters.”
He also says that Transnet is grateful for the collaboration they have received from harbour carriers and is looking forward to improving on what has already been established with the truck booking system.
However, comments posted by transporters in response to Peters’ message expose the disconnect that private-sector role-players have complained about for some time – that Transnet is completely out of touch with the public mood about trade impediments by the same logistics SOC that is supposed to facilitate freight.
For the sake of respecting people’s privacy and business interests, the following comments are reprinted anonymously. The link they’re taken from is at the bottom of this post.
- This pilot booking system has only caused frustration and problems for transporters. There have been no improvements. Please post the turn around times for a vehicle from the time the booking is processed and time gated out (cargo released). The problem is Transnet and their inefficiency. The booking system is just a way to throttle the amount of vehicles they can service. They service fewer every day.
- You guys (Transnet) have failed us as transporters. Stop telling the media what they want to hear. Tell them what they need to know. Tell them how transporters (during your pilot phase) have sat for 24 hours at because your pilot phase is failing. You have incompetent staff running an economy-driven business. You have machines that break down more often than normal. Your staff just don't have the passion to work at TPT except to enjoy the benefits. On September 20 you boasted on how an employee, Siyanda Kweleta, broke his own record of moving 61 containers an hour. Maybe you should also set their salaries based on targets and watch how you would support transporters and not have backlogs like we do every single day.
- This (Peters’ message) is totally not the full story, as we as the transporters are facing tremendous challenges in securing appointments for the last month. In recent news, our trucks are parked off due to not being able to obtain appointment slots since Friday, October 11. Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2 must speak the truth and not cover up their ongoing issues internally.
- The truck booking system is not working for transporters. Withdraw this statement and apologise to transporters what a f-up it is to pick up containers from Pier 2. Management is hiding behind this failed system. Truck turn around is now at over 20 hours. No food, water, toilets etcetera for drivers. It’s a violation of human rights.
- This article is totally misleading. You, Mr Peters, are lying to the public regarding the pathetic service transporters are receiving from DCT. The booking system needs to be abolished. Transporters are to bear the cost of demurrage and penalties incurred due to the lack of service from your facilities. Drivers are stuck for over 12 hours with no ablution facilities. How is this fair? Are there any morals for human rights? Stop reading from a piece of paper and engage with the transporters to find the real truth.
- TPT this pilot project is a failure and the booking system as a whole has failed to yield any results. On average 10 slots per tower is opened every four hours when there are 300+ trucks waiting for bookings (because of) RTG breakdowns combined with lazy staff with no accountability whatsoever. We as transporters stand for days without bookings yet we have salaries, diesel bills etc still waiting to be paid by month end. How do we survive?
Among this, the general gist of comments posted following Peters’ message, a solitary person, supposedly in his defence, said he did “engage with the transporters before you have made these statements.”
At the time this post was prepared, Freight News counted at least 19 comments from industry, all slating Transnet’s attempt to vouch for the truck booking system.
WATCH: Transnet message
