The Sunday Mail
Logistics firm Bluestar Logistics has acquired 10 state-of-the-art tipping trucks and trailers worth US$2,5 million from Scanlink, the local distributor of Scania trucks and buses, as part of its recapitalisation programme.
It is envisaged that the recapitalisation programme, which started at the beginning of the year, will help the business position itself for growth.
At the handover of the new equipment in Harare recently, Scanlink sales director Mr Collin Ruvangu said the new trucks would help the logistics company achieve its goal of becoming a competitive transport service provider in the region.
“As Scania, we have a facility where we provide our trucks and buses to different transport companies at flexible terms. Bluestar has been our partner for more than six years now and we believe these trucks will add efficiency to the company,” he said.
Bluestar Logistics general manager Mr Tafi Chakaingesu said the investment was expected to reduce costs and add efficiencies to the firm.
“We have looked at the profile of our customers and realised that customers’ needs always change. The trend now is for customers, especially those who move bulk cargo, to go for this kind of equipment,” said Mr Chakaingesu.
He added that side tipping trailers were efficient as they did not incur losses in transit, while there was also minimal labour in both loading and offloading cargo.
Bluestar Logistics is an indigenous logistics company formed in 1992 and over the last 15 years has become one of the largest players in the domestic transport industry.
It is also extensively involved in regional cross-border operations and Mr Chakaingesu said the company currently operated 45 vehicles.
The transport sector plays a critical role in socio-economic development through movement of goods and passengers.
Zimbabwe is strategically positioned to provide a gateway to markets within Sadc and beyond. While there have been some positive changes in the economy, most local transport service providers still face challenges that have resulted in a generally high cost of doing business. To mitigate these challenges, Government has embarked on surveys on major road trunk routes in preparation for a National Transport Master Plan to provide the framework for sustainable development of the transport sector.
