In 2021, M6T was contacted by a potential mining giant to assist with custom clearance and delivery of their shipment due to arrive in Durban during the Human Rights day long weekend. After hearing the customer’s requirements and understanding their needs, our team of experts began to take the necessary steps towards project success.
The client’s shipment challenge
As the shipment was due to arrive during the Human Rights day long weekend, this posed a large challenge for the client regarding their documentation. The client’s documents were still outstanding by the Friday prior to the long weekend, including the original bills of lading, this meant that the shipment could not be released by the shipping line.
The M6T solution
As the client’s supplier was based in Australia, and their shipment having been loaded in Shanghai, China, M6T needed to provide the client with guidance and clarification on the customs clearing and shipping procedure, and documentation requirements. With collaboration between the shipping line, supplier and M6T throughout the weekend, we managed to get the shipment released by the carrier. We then loaded the shipment from the Durban Container Terminal for delivery on the first business day following the long weekend (Tuesday).
With our fleet of 11 trucks, we were on-site in Middelburg by 06h00 waiting to initiate offloading procedures. Unfortunately, there were some challenges with the handling equipment due to the sheer weight of the containers which needed to be grounded before the unpacking, this meant a delay and therefore could not be completed on the same day. The M6T team were able to devise a solution, whereby the containers were to be left on-site for approximately one week to be emptied before we collected the containers and returned them to the shipping line’s Johannesburg depot.
Results
With the help of the M6T, supplier, and shipping line, the client was able to receive their shipment with minimal delays affecting their operations.
At M6T, we place customer experience at the heart of all our activities, to ensure a happy client at the end of each project. You can experience the quality in our customs clearing and freight forwarding services today, but contacting us at 011 397 1241 or emailing us at info@m6t.co.za
