A live portal, which enables freight companies to advertise available space and central repository while matching logistics needs to reputable transport suppliers, has been launched, attracting blue chip logistics companies.

Logistics Directory CEO Lelanie Prinsloo highlighted in a statement on Friday that a primary reason for launching Logistics Directory was to be the first to market in educating consumers around the various aspects of logistics by simplifying logistics across the board, while presenting the logistics industry with a businesses opportunity to fill trucks, underused routes and cargo aircrafts.

The website would provide access to door-to-door, terminal-to-terminal and import and export solutions to freight and logistics companies.

Companies that had already signed up included South African Airways Cargo, Barloworld Logistics, Airlink Cargo, Imperial Cargo Solutions, DCB Logistics, Triton Express, Grangold Logistics, Value Logistics and Lovemore Bros.

“As a consumer, when having to find a logistics solution for transporting anything from your household content from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, a retailer looking to move frozen strawberries from Cape Town to Orange Grove, or moving an engine from Steelpoort to Vereeniging, the arduous task of not only finding the right supplier, but contacting them for quotes and following up, starts,” Prinsloo explained.

She added that the directory eliminated hours online or on the phone reaching a logistic company that met certain needs.

“In addition to our A-Z directory, we offer an exciting Live Site where customers can check for daily specials from logistic companies and get freight moved at a discounted price,” Prinsloo added.

Once on the site, users could select specialty slots for their logistics needs, including courier services for packages between 0 kg and 10 kg, express freight, catering for packages between 10 kg and 10 000 kg, automotive freight, transport for 10 t to 36 t, abnormal freight, refrigerated trucks, e- commerce, hazardous freight, furniture removal, warehousing and distribution, international freight forwarding and airfreight.

Users would enter the type of goods they needed to transport, the freight’s current destination, arrival destination and click the search button, enabling Logistic Directory to suggest suitable logistic suppliers to meet their specific needs.