International shipping chaos as high cube containers are banned on South African roads
Published: January 6, 2010
The South African Department of Transport has banned the use of international standard high cube containers for road transportation due to safety concerns. The authorities have implemented the ban in order to prevent bridge accidents. Transport operators who do carry high cube containers as road freight will face fines or will risk having their trucks impounded by the South African traffic police. High cube containers can now only be transported using expensive low bed trailers which are difficult to get hold of. Other transport operators are being forced to unload and re-load goods into suitable vehicles in order to comply with the new law.
The new regulation is causing congestion at ports, particularly in the Port of Durban. The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) and the Road Freight Association (RFA) have made urgent appeals to the South African government against this new ruling. Currently, high cube containers account for over 50% of all containers transported within South Africa.
International shipping chaos as high cube containers are banned on South African roads
The new regulation is causing congestion at ports, particularly in the Port of Durban. The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) and the Road Freight Association (RFA) have made urgent appeals to the South African government against this new ruling. Currently, high cube containers account for over 50% of all containers transported within South Africa.