Some call it an art, some call it a science.
Moving cargo from origin to destination may seem simple enough, but when faced with the myriad factors that need to be considered, one could be forgiven for wanting to lie down and wish it all away.
Route optimisation, currency cover, tariff determination, Customs regulations, packaging requirements, marine insurance… Who needs this, right?
Berry & Donaldson, one of South Africa’s largest private owned logistics companies has been helping our importers and exporters navigate the labyrinth that is international freighting for over half a century.
We keep it simple. If you’re our client, we take the hassle and worry away from you so you can focus on running your business – think of us as your own logistics department.
Rather than dealing with the hefty multinationals and their faceless operators, we deal with people who understand that for us, our clients are our partners. Together we can make your freighting and warehousing requirements as seamless and as cost effective as you could ask for.
Services:
INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDING
Be it airfreight or sea freight, full containers or part-containers, breakbulk or perishable cargo, for your importing and exporting needs we have it all covered.
In over our fifty years of operating, we have carefully built a network of owner-managed agents worldwide all of whom share our family business way of thinking. Our Forwarding Department has all the experience in dealing with international logistics operators and our indent monitors make sure your cargo is safely delivered to its destination, keeping you in the loop all the way. And, because we deal in such large volumes of cargo, we are able to negotiate the best possible rates from shipping lines, airlines and other freight forwarding associates.
CUSTOMS CLEARING
Critical to both importing and exporting is the necessary evil that is Customs Clearing. Unfortunately, the sea of regulations, codes and paperwork that one has to wade through can cost you time and money if it isn’t done right. Timeous and accurate entries is key to the smooth clearance of cargo through Customs.
Our dedicated, experienced and highly knowledgeable Clearing department makes sure that all the correct paperwork is done for you. We pay your duties and taxes on your behalf, confirm all required authorisations and our systems ensure that you are kept abreast of the status of your shipment throughout the process.
WAREHOUSING & TRANSPORT
We have both bond and free store warehousing facilities available in all the major centres across SA. We offer a ‘pick and pack out of bond’ services as well to help you manage your cash flow by only drawing the stock that you need as well as a local transport solution through our fleet of trucks.
For more info visit the Berry & Donaldson website.
I always take a closer look when I see shipping containers being repurposed into something liveable, which Zackary South has more than ticked off.
As the cost of buying property surges, so too do the ways we look to maximise our money and also minimise our impact on the environment.
The world’s first commercial autonomous voyage has been completed with success along the coast of Japan.
Around 80% of the world’s traded goods are transported in shipping containers across the sea.
Shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis had a fascinating life, and dated some of the most famous women in the world before his death in 1975.
The ‘tiny living’ movement, where homes are usually constructed using old shipping containers, has been growing in South Africa for the best part of three years.
In the world of shipping, there’s usually no such thing as an inexpensive mistake. If you mess up you tend to mess up on a monumental scale and there’s no hiding.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is edging ever nearer and Qatar has built a number of new stadiums. One stands apart from the rest for its unique design.
Bryan Boyle, a second mate merchant marine, takes us on a tour of all the intricate mechanics that keep the ship moving, as well as the crew and officer’s living quarters.
In recent years, the shipping industry has been grappling with ways to reduce its environmental impact.
The Yara Birkeland isn’t your average cargo ship, with the potential for its movements to be powered entirely by three onshore data control centres.
Five months after the Ever Given container ship blocking the Suez Canal became the most popular meme on the internet, it returned for a shot at sweet, sweet redemption.
I’m just going on gut feel here, but I think this is the earliest in the year that Christmas has ever been mentioned on 2oceansvibe. There is a solid enough reason, though.
Taking six years to complete, the home comes with a Japanese garden and tea and meditation room, as well as an outside kitchen and your own orchard.
As we learnt recently via a blockage in the Suez Canal, when things go wrong in the shipping world, they can go really, really wrong.
When the Ever Given plugged up the Suez Canal for close to a week, the global economy’s reliance on shipping routes was clear to see.
If you stacked the 146 million cartons of citrus fruit exported side-by-side, the line of cartons would be equal to the height of 4,4 Mount Everests on top of one another.
Shipping containers on a path to destruction give new meaning to the old saying: “The bigger they are the harder they fall”.
The challenges posed by climate change could make traditional farming methods difficult in the future, and that’s where The Cube comes in.
The eco-friendly Ceiba is a little like Noah’s Ark, but for shipping containers, and it’s hoped that the vessel will cross oceans without the use of any fossil fuels.
The world’s shipping industry is looking at ways to decrease its carbon footprint, and nuclear-powered ships could be a promising option.
For reasons that may forever remain a mystery, Boeing has patented an odd plane that effectively sucks up shipping containers.
Container ships are one of the safest ways to move cargo, so it’s great that the industry is looking at greener ways to get the job done.
It’s a luxury hotel, in the middle of a vineyard next to an old oak tree. It’s also made entirely from shipping containers.
Shipping containers can be used in a number of imaginative ways, some of which you’ve probably never considered.
Elon might attract most of the attention, especially with SpaceX’s recent successful launch, but Kimbal can definitely hold his own.
Developers are turning old shipping containers into beautiful micro apartments, and they’re clearly popular around the world.
Dramatic footage shows a container ship colliding with a crane and another ship at a port in South Korea.
Congrats – your business is off the ground, killing the competition, and has the potential to go global. Now what?
The shipping industry is finding creative ways to swap out the old ways of doing things for new, greener options.