Gauteng, South Africa-based Cargo Carriers has been awarded two major contracts by Afrox, the country's Africa's largest supplier of gas and welding products.

Under the contract, Cargo Carriers will take the lead for the distribution of oxygen and nitrogen produced at Afrox's Witbank branch, and CO 2 from the Naledi branch in Sasolburg.

Apart from meeting the requirements of Afrox's Safety, Health, Environment & Quality (SHEQ) policy, there were several reasons for Cargo Carriers being awarded 50% of Afrox's business, not least of which was the company's commitment to the training of drivers and technicians at its new multi-million rand training facility in Sasolburg.

Another factor was Cargo Carriers' ability to communicate seamlessly with the Afrox scheduling centre. The carrier reports to Afrox's scheduling centre every three hours, indicating exactly where its trucks and their cargo is located. This is done on a 24/7 basis, and allows Afrox to accurately schedule its distribution timetable and manage its customer relationships more precisely.

The other two contracts were awarded to two other seasoned transporters. The reason Afrox opted to appoint three different logistics companies was to bring more stability and reliability to its distribution capabilities.