A new digital truck booking system is planned for Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) at Pier 2 as part of efforts to address congestion and improve cargo movement, according to terminal CEO Javier Lancha.
The proposed change would be accompanied by increased rail evacuations, changes to yard operations and a longer-term equipment refurbishment and procurement programme, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said.
The plans were outlined during a joint briefing at the port on Friday involving Creecy, Lancha and Transnet chairperson Solly Letsoalo.
The terminal’s migration to the Navis N4 operating system has been followed by severe registration backlogs, truck delays and lengthy vessel waiting times at anchorage.
The transition had caused widespread disruption for logistics operators, truck drivers and port workers, Creecy acknowledged.
“We support this important movement, but we are concerned about the dislocation that it has caused and the frustration that it's caused for the logistics industry, for truck drivers, and in fact for workers here at the port itself,” she said.
The existing truck appointment system would be replaced with a modernised digital booking framework, Lancha said.
“The truck appointment system, as it's perceived today, will be renewed and completely changed,” he said.
Engagement with trucking associations would begin next week to identify specific requirements before the proposed system was rolled out, he added.
Increased rail evacuations were intended to provide relief to truckers struggling to secure booking slots and reduce landside congestion, Creecy said. Transnet Freight Rail services between the terminal and the Bayhead back-of-port facility would increase from two to three trains daily to approximately five.
A hybrid operating model had also been agreed for the terminal yard, she said. This would supplement straddle carriers with internal haulers, reach stackers and empty container handlers to move cargo more efficiently.
Alongside these operational measures, an equipment overhaul programme was under way, according to Creecy.
Three straddle carriers had been refurbished during September. Refurbishment of a further 10 was scheduled to start in December, at a rate of two a month, she said.
Work on seven quay cranes was expected to begin in November, with each crane taking 50 days to complete. A further 12 new straddle carriers were expected by July next year.
Immediate investment by terminal partner International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) amounted to R737 million, rising to R1.2 billion over the next two years, Creecy said. The investment programme included 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes for the south quay.
More structured communication with terminal customers was also planned, she said.
Formal customer engagement meetings involving Transnet leadership and ICTSI’s DGT management were scheduled for Thursday to establish daily operational reporting and regular weekly updates on available truck bookings.
Engagement with organised labour would follow this week to improve communication across the terminal, Creecy said.
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