Truck drivers and transport operators dealing with Durban Port congestion have been given some important confirmation from Transnet, with the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) acknowledging that ageing infrastructure, equipment failures and operational problems are contributing to delays at the port.
The admission comes as long queues of trucks have again been reported around the Durban port precinct, including Bayhead Road, Umbilo Road, Sydney Road, South Coast Junction and Solomon Mahlangu Drive.
For truckers, this is not simply another port performance statistic.
It means more time sitting in queues, delayed deliveries, missed slots and increased operating costs.
The TNPA discussed the situation during an operational briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport this week.
According to the authority, Durban is facing several challenges, including ageing infrastructure, outdated equipment, deferred maintenance, shortages of critical spares and weak rail and hinterland connectivity.
The numbers also show that the problem is not limited to trucks waiting outside the port.
Up to July this year, Durban Container Terminal Pier 1 recorded an average vessel waiting time of 61 hours, while Pier 2 averaged 99 hours.
That matters to road freight because delays at the terminal eventually work their way down the logistics chain to the truck driver.
SA Trucker has reported on Durban’s port congestion before, including the major Bayhead Road rehabilitation project completed last year, which was aimed at improving traffic flow around one of the country’s busiest logistics corridors.
Yet the return of truck queues shows that fixing the road itself is only one part of the problem.
A smooth road cannot compensate for cranes that are unavailable, cargo that cannot move or vessels and trucks waiting for terminals to process them.
TNPA says it is now looking at further investment in Durban, including ship-to-shore and straddle cranes, while its wider “Reinvent for Growth” strategy is intended to improve port efficiency.
For truck drivers, however, the question is much simpler:
When will the improvements inside the port finally translate into fewer trucks waiting outside it?
Until that happens, the cost of port inefficiency continues to be felt on the road, behind the wheel and in the transporter’s pocket.
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