Dube airoad innovatively drives value for Kwazulu-Natal businesses

The ultra-efficient road transport of cargo is becoming an ever-more strategic component of today's fast-paced business environment and is central to organisations seeking a competitive edge in the delivery of value to clients.

Ms Anathi Qabaka, Dube TradePort Corporation's Transport and Logistics Manager, believes the Dube AiRoad trucking fleet offers business owners the edge they crave, providing exceptional transport services, refrigeration capacity and facilitation of customs and SAPS inspections.  

She continued "Our strategic location between the seaports of Durban and Richards Bay and adjacent to King Shaka International Airport makes us a major player in KwaZulu-Natal's multi-modal system, especially within the air-freight and break-bulk cargo environments."

Dube TradePort Corporation, is responsible for driving the development of Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone - Africa's global manufacturing and air logistics platform – which not only operates one of the most technologically-advanced cargo terminals in Africa, but also controls a truck fleet, ensuring the facility's ability to 'close the loop,' offering its time-critical customers a total air-to-road and road-to-air cargo solution.

Ms Qabaka said Dube AiRoad's expanding fleet comprised Euro 5 emission-compliant trucks - enabling the 'greening' of customer supply chains - including two sizes of refrigerated trucks for cold chain integrity.

"In today's business environment, where speed, agility and time-critical capabilities are crucial, Dube AiRoad makes sure of customer competitiveness in the national and global economy. We give customers flexibility - including refrigerated, palletised and ULD containerised capacity - within an uninterrupted supply chain."

"Our refrigerated trucks are critical to our fleet, given that KwaZulu-Natal - and Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone specifically - has been identified as a pharmaceuticals hub. Ours is a specialised handling entity, audited to ensure our support, handling and packing competence for such sensitive products. Our refrigeration ability affords us exceptional opportunities to grow," she added.

Dube AiRoad's cargo volumes have positively increased since 2014, when the trucking operation came into its own, which is a good indicator of the growth within KZNs cargo market. In the 2017/18 financial year alone, the service transported 2 million killos of cargo and is intent on further growing its import-export customer base.

"In a move to extend our growth trajectory and increase the value businesses offered to customers, Dube AiRoad has taken an unprecedented step in customer service delivery. We now facilitate the inspection and processing of cargo with Customs and the SAPS on behalf of customers. Through our expediting of the process, customers can minimize delays," said Ms Qabaka.   

Customs and SAPS inspections are official measures to ensure the safe import and export of cargo into and out of South Africa.

Through Dube AiRoad's intercessionary inspection assistance, it provides a meticulous and quick service, ensuring the safe and efficient handling of goods on behalf of customers, saving time and money.

Ms Qabaka concluded by saying “As an efficient, professional and world-class road freight distribution provider, our intent is to innovatively transform the logistics environment, delivering exceptional transport solutions in an ever-changing and always demanding business environment. Our goal is the effective implementation of absolutely seamless logistics, key to keeping abreast of customer demands.

‘Today's business leaders know that top-class logistics is a critical tool in creating value for customers. In this knowledge, we strive to continuously improve our professional logistics activities to make possible that value."