Big Bend | Mhlume | Simunye | Malelane | Heavy Hauliers Zimbabwe

Cargo Carriers which marks 47 years of operating in Swaziland, is the largest transporter of its kind in the region. Cargo Carriers initiated cane transport operations in the Swaziland Sugar Industry in 1961, and later followed on from this successful platform into launching similar operations in KwaZulu-Natal and Mphumalanga (Malelane) regions.

The company operates from 3 registered depots strategically placed throughout Swaziland, (Big Bend, Simunye, Mhlume) and currently transports in excess of 3 million tons annually into the respective mills.

Cargo Carriers Sugar Division currently operates in excess of 160 units. The management within the division has been in the industry for many years and has always been pioneers of changes in the related processes associated with the Sugar Industry.

Cargo Carriers diversified operations include mechanical harvesting, infield loading, infield transport, direct deliveries and cane cutting. Further operations include the transport of potable alcohol, bulk sugar, bagged sugar, molasses and fuel.

The company is committed to Swazi Empowerment by sub-contracting certain work to smaller local transporters, thereby implementing management changes and also merging new business opportunities with the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, as well as introducing driver ownership schemes for existing employees.

In the sugar cane industry, we have developed simulations of existing processes to analyse constraints, equipment requirements and ideal scheduling patterns.

Branches

Big Bend

Situated in the southern lowveld region of Swaziland, this branch has a variety of operations including, cane loading, mechanical harvesting, infield haulage, haulage from field direct to mill and zone to mill, bulk sugar transport and general goods transport.

Where compaction limitations are critical, Cargo has introduced specialised equipment with high floatation tyres, operating with 1.8 bar tyre pressures infield.

In line with mill requirements, Cargo transports all finished products ex mill to both internal and external markets. These products include bulk sugar, bagged sugar, molasses and alcohol.

An improved cane haulage system design has reduced field compaction.

Ground tyre pressures have been reduced in the Cargo Bell (above left) and the high floatation tyres of the Cargo rig (right) with good results.

The reduction in ground tyre pressures should also have a positive effect on cane yields in the long term.

Mhlume

This branch was established in 1963. This branch has primarily handled cane operations but over the years has seen various operations such as bagged & bulk sugar. With the new development of small growers in the Komati Basin, growth of cane operations took place in 2003 with the development of a Swazi Empowerment Company called Lugubhu Carriers, similar to the project fist started in the Mpumulanga district, Buhle Betfu.

The Head Office of the division is also sited in the Mhlume region, and from here all administrative, marketing and human resource functions are controlled.

Simunye

This branch was situated on the estate in 1980 at the time of inauguration of the mill itself and is responsible for the transport of cane. Here the concept of seventeen “road trains” is utlilised to deliver the cane from zones to the mill.

In creating operational efficiency and client service, ISO 14000 was successfully implemented at the Simunye branch and other branches have subsequently upgrading to this status. A new development in management control, has been the introduction of the "transponder" system and this has resulted in the inclusion of loader monitoring processors with other managements systems, such as “FREDD”.

Simunye Cane Shuttle System

Cargo Carriers developed what is locally known as the “dolly system in an attempt to address the client’s agronomic needs infield, with small payloads, and yet provide maximum capacities on haulage to the mill.

Seventeen (17) ton capacity, high roll bin trailers are taken into the field drawn by tractors. They are loaded and taken to a zone where they are hitched together in combinations of three and hauled to the mill by road haulage truck tractors. A fifty one ton combination is hauled to the mill thereby reducing cost.

Simunye Mechanical Harvesting

A company was established in 2007 as a subsidiary to Cargo Carriers Swaziland (Pty) Limited, duplicating previous successful initiatives taken by the company in Big Bend in 2001. This came about as a result of Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporations drive for the protection of the environment and production of Bio fuels for the mill.

Malelane

Cargo Carriers has been involved in the emerging cane farmer’s haulage since the start of the first project Ngogolo in 1983.

This branch is located near the TSB Mill and this location is of strategic value for future developments and growth as it is situated on route to the main Maputo Corridor road.

This branch also encompasses a satellite branch at Komatipoort Mill.

In line with company strategy, we are pleased to announce the formation of the first empowerment initiative in Cargo Carriers by the establishment of Buhle Betfu Carriers.

Heavy Hauliers Zimbabwe

This Zimbabwe based company become operative in 1998 when a contract was signed with Triangle Estates to transport 165 000 tons annually from the Mwenezana Estate to the rail siding at Mbizi.

This operation today has expanded to 230 000 tons annually.

This operation deploys six unique designed “land train” units to deliver this total volume, which has resulted in this operation being highly successful.

Specialised Equipment

Dual Hauler - multi-purpose vehicle has been specifically designed for the transportation of fuel as well as dry bulk cargo.

Swaziland branches have been by far the most successful and consistent dual hauler branches which transports fuel from Durban to Swaziland and back hauls sugar in bulk bags.

Transport of finished products ex mill to both internal and external markets include bulk sugar and downstream products such as alcohol and molasses.

Transponders

Adding value to the client’s in-and-outbound supply chains.

Transponders - this system tracks vehicles for management visibility from multiple operating sites to add value to forecasting and resource planning.

Finite capacity scheduling - dynamically scheduling the inbound sugarcane supply chain resources in meeting mill demand vs the harvesting plan as the objective to minimize “Burn-harvest-to-crush” delay within the most optimum deployment of resources.

-  This is a first of a kind initiative in the industry and attracts wide interest.