Warehousing adds element of control

Just under two years since
its diversification into
warehousing, SA Inland
Logistics already has
expansion plans in its sights.
“We moved into
warehousing by default,”
SAIL director Gerald Naidu
told FTW.
“We were looking for yard
space for our vehicles as well
as office accommodation
in order to bring the entire
operation under one umbrella.
The warehouse happened to
be on site – and it’s been our
biggest growth area.”
For the customer, it’s a
question of providing an allembracing
service.
“We control the goods
from the time of collection
through to final delivery –
and that includes bringing
them to the warehouse,
packing, storing and loading
onto our long-distance
vehicles, providing a full
logistical solution. And
that’s what customers want
– someone to manage the
product under one umbrella.”
Warehousing was a new
field for SAIL. “Rail and
road transport was our
core business – and we
approached warehousing
cautiously. But we soon
got to grips with what each
customer wanted and it’s
proved to be a lucrative
growth area.”
The current facility
comprises 2 500 sq m with
offloading ramps able to
handle 80-100 containers
over a three-day period.
“The warehouse is designed
in such a way that it has
room for storage going up
– which means that we can
accommodate significant
cubic volume.”
Reflecting on 2011,
Naidu says the company
had an excellent year and is
expecting more of the same.
“If we come close to last
year we would have done
well,” said Naidu.
SAIL is looking at
acquiring more assets in
terms of trucks and trailers
and is currently working on a
dedicated long-haul fleet for
Johannesburg-bound traffic
along with a dedicated local
fleet. “This provides a good
balance for us, enabling
us to meet our clients’
requirements.”