As the demand for transporting breakbulk and agricultural machinery via pure car truck carrier (PCTC) vessels rises, the need for specialised expertise in handling these diverse cargo types is becoming increasingly apparent. PCTC vessels, designed specifically for the transportation of rolling cargo, were witnessing a surge in utilisation, necessitating enhanced skills in managing loading and discharging operations, Jamion Govender, operations manager at Polaris Ship Agencies, told Freight News.This uptick underscores the importance of trained professionals to ensure efficient and safe handling of goods during transit.According to Govender, locally, there is a push for the importation of more affordable electric vehicles, while the company is also seeing a slight increase in the importation of agricultural machinery for farming."Numerous space constraint challenges are still faced in the ro-ro port terminals in South Africa for receiving and dispatching vehicles," he said. "This often leads to longer port stays for carriers. Another challenge is that several terminals only have a single berth, meaning carriers are delayed, waiting at anchorage if a vessel is already working alongside the port. Labour issues within terminals also continue to pose challenges, leading to delays."Govender said that due to the considerable importation of cars by the USA and Europe, the terminal and port facilities far exceeded South Africa's current capacity. "These terminals are equipped with numerous berths for deep-sea carriers, larger warehouses and more parking spaces, alleviating the bottleneck effect constantly impacting our local log i s t ic s cha i n."Asked about opportunities in the vehicle sector, he said global automakers had started to negotiate with their headquarters about rolling out the manufacture of electric vehicles in South Africa due to new tax incentives announced by the minister of finance in February of this year. "In future, we expect further tax incentives for buyers of these electric vehicles manufactured in South Africa," he said. "As with the positive uptrend for vehicles globally, I believe the automotive sector will continue with steady growth. With ongoing investments by automotive carriers, it shows the commitment and logistics strength required to manage the growing trend for transportation of these manufactured vehicles."
