Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the transit time from Beira to various destinations?

A. Geographically, Beira is the preferred route for transport of cargo to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Eastern DRC. It is thus no surprise that transit times will be shorter than using a transport option via Durban. Our transit times are estimated. There are various factors contributing to total transit time, such as border delays, weighbridge congestions, release from port or other 3rd Party controlled areas. As a rule of thumb the following:

Beira to Lilongwe : +- 2 days

Beira to Blantyre : +-2 days

Beira to Harare : +- 1 day

Beira to Lusaka : +- 5 days

Beira to Copperbelt : +- 6 days

The above is the travelling time, and does not include the time taken by the consignee for final clearance and payment of relevant duties and taxes.

Q. Do you do transport from any other sea ports?

A. Not yet. Future development may demand that we consider a 2nd and even 3rd sea port to operate from.

Q. What is the maximum load limit per truck?

A. In Mozambique and Malawi, the load limit per tri-axle trailer is 30MT. Zambia and Zimbabwe do not weigh the total cargo weight, but use a per axle formula to determine whether a truck has been over loaded. More information is available from the transport ministries of the respective countries.

Q. Why can you not load 34 MT like South African Transporters?

A. Majority of transporters operating to/from South African operate super-links/interlinks. Super-links and Interlinks are illegal in Mozambique. These trailers also by nature have additional axles, meaning that the gross weight is spread over more axles, and thus less load per axle.

Q. What is required to move my cargo in transit through Mozambique?

A. For most commodities you will require a Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice and a Packing List to allow transit clearance through the various countries. Some commodities may also require a certificate of origin.

Q. What charges will be incurred in Beira port and at the final destination?

A. J&J Transport charges only for the transport. All other charges are determined by the shipping lines and/or their respective agents at the origin and destination. Please contact the respective shipping lines directly.

Q. Can J&J transport handle customs clearance?

A. Unfortunately not. We are a transport service provider, and we are good at it. In order to maintain our level of service to our valued customers, many of which are in the Clearing and Forwarding business, we will focus on our core business. We do have a very close working relationship with many agents at all locations, and can gladly refer you to a reliable and efficient agent.

Q. How will I know when to expect my cargo once loaded?

A. All our trucks are fitted with state of the art satellite tracking, independent of cell phone networks. We also believe on proactive and constant communication. If required we will provide you with daily tracking updates on your consignment

Q. Why does the Zimbabwean Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) require an Ocean Freight Statement if my cargo is not destined to Zimbabwe?

A. Duties in Zimbabwe for imported goods is determined by ZIMRA on the CIF value declared. Cargo transiting through Zimbabwe, though not subject to duties, must move in bond. The purpose of the bond is to ensure that should the cargo find it's way into the Zimbabwean market, ZIMRA will be able to collect the applicable duties from the bond agent. The same CIF value should thus be used to determine the hypothetical duty used in the calculations. There is no strict format to follow, but the below example is widely accepted.

" To Whom it May Concern

We, "VERY GOOD PRODUCTS" hereby confirm ocean freight for imported goods covered by Bill of Lading "ABCD123456" was paid as follows:

Shipping Line : "Shipping Line"

Load Port : "Load Port"

Discharge Port : "Discharge Port"

Ocean Freight : USD 2,300

Sincerely,

The Boss "