Sasol Technologies, South Africa's second largest industrial undertaking, employs 28,000 people

all over the world and is one of the market leaders in the field of coal gas liquefaction for the

production of gasoline and components for the chemical industry. On a visit to the Japanese

producer, the African project division of Kuehne + Nagel inspected the two enormous reactor

components under construction (a bottom section weighing 419 tonnes and measuring

approximately 22 x 9 x 9 metres, and a 252-tonne upper section measuring 18 x 9 x 9 metres)

and examined the shipping possibilities at different ports on Japan's west coast. It soon became

clear that due to shipping capacity restraints, it was necessary to book a suitable ship as soon as

possible although shipping was not scheduled to take place until mid-2009. At the end of 2008 a

task force team was put together with members representing the customer, the maritime carrier

and the haulage company. It also included representatives of a company specializing in route

analysis and road clearance for heavy load transport, and a consultant for the calculation of the

required trailer configuration based on the maximum allowed road load of 27.5 kilonewtons. In

February 2009 the preparations were held up by an unexpected event. Without prior

announcement the Ministry of Roads and Works started to upgrade a part of the route from the

port of Richards Bay to the site. Since no alternative routes were available in South Africa, it was

decided to transport the reactor through Swaziland where a route was found which could be

suitable - if certain repairs and modifications were made. At the border with Swaziland, where

power and telephone cables had to be raised, the passage of the imposing convoy blocked the

customs post for all other traffic for no less than six hours. Further challenges were presented by

bad weather, which resulted in two days of delays, and a 13 per cent gradient for which five

additional prime movers had to be hired

Answer all the below questions base on the case study.

After four weeks of "highly eventful" overland transport, the reactor parts reached their

destination safely and on schedule - to the complete satisfaction of the customer and to the great

relief of the Kuehne + Nagel South Africa project division team. Hence, the challenges face by

the project team handling material for their importation was rigid. Discuss 5 (FIVE) challenges

and solution that the project team face while handling the shipment movement.