Imperial Logistics enters abnormal cargo market

Imperial Logistics has established a new company to focus exclusively on the abnormal cargo market. Branded as Imperial Abnormal Cargo, the company is headed by Hennie Swanepoel, formerly a director and co-owner of Transvaal Heavy Transport (THT).

The company officially started operations on August 1 this year and has since then moved heavy machinery and mining equipment for clients such as De Beers, Anglo American and Joy Mining. These abnormal consignments were both local and cross-border to Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Imperial Logistics houses 53 operating companies that service a large number of industries in Sub-Saharan Africa including, among others, the FMCG, petrochemical, steel, paper, timber, manufacturing, construction, engineering and mining sectors.

“The company is always looking at ways of expanding and improving our services offered to clients in the various industries,” says Dougie Truter, Imperial Logistics’ marketing director.

Truter further explains that although Imperial Logistics has always provided a wide range of logistics solutions to the mining, manufacturing and engineering industries specifically, heavy machinery and abnormal load deliveries had been outsourced until recently.

“With the establishment of Imperial Abnormal Cargo we are now in the position to offer companies in these industries with a single point of contact and a complete supply chain solution from within the group,” says managing director, Hennie Swanepoel.

The many companies operating under the Imperial Logistics umbrella moreover offer inherent synergies, which they are able to exploit to optimise their services to clients.

Using the mining industry as an example, Swanepoel explains: “After delivering the machine that excavates the raw materials, we can supply the tippers to move the raw materials for processing. From here we are able to move the processed product to a warehouse, after which we’ll distribute it further down the line right through to the final product at the final point of distribution.”

According to Swanepoel clients also benefit from Imperial Logistics’ in-house clearing and forwarding expertise.

“Any client that buys an 18 million rand machine wants it to be on site and working as quickly as possible. To this end, Megafreight Services - a company with more than two decades’ experience - handles the clearing and forwarding for our clients. This expedites the delivery of imported or exported machinery as it eliminates delays at the borders,” he concludes.