STAFF REPORTER - WALVIS BAY
Walvis Bay Salt Holdings, in partnership with Unitrans, has commissioned four new performance-based standards (PBS) vehicles, or smart trucks, to move salt from its processing plant south of Walvis Bay to the port.
The new trucks became operational on 18 July. In total, five new trucks will be introduced.
Every year Walvis Bay Salt Holdings (WBSH) transports in the order of 600 000 tonnes of processed salt to the port of Walvis Bay for export to international markets.
The new fleet of smart trucks will replace the previous fleet of 10 interlink trucks, reducing the number of daily trips by nearly half to fewer than fifty.
WBSH managing director Andre Snyman said the introduction of the new trucks was aimed at promoting safety, innovation and efficiency in transport.
“Together with Unitrans Namibia we are the first company on the continent that has embraced this new A–double PBS transport technology; now we are bringing this to Walvis Bay,” he said.
The trucks were designed and built by AFRIT in South Africa, a BUD Group sister company of Walvis Bay Salt, and boasts a payload of 64 tonnes compared to the 34 tonnes of the current interlink trucks.
Apart from a drastic reduction in the number of daily trips, the new side-tipper trucks also offer other benefits including less load bearing on the road, better turning, less spilling, and a higher rollover stability.
Earlier this year, WBSH sponsored the upgrading of the road surface at the intersection of Nangolo Mbumba Drive and 5th Road in partnership with the town council of Walvis Bay.
WBSH, through its various subsidiaries, is the largest producer of sea salt in sub-Saharan Africa.
Apart from its strategic location with direct access to principal international shipping routes through the Port of Walvis Bay, the company’s focus on efficiency of logistics has been central to its success in the southern African market.
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