The cane harvest is in full swing supported by NSS.
NSS’ transport division has taken over the contract from Qube to haul molasses from Ingham’s Macknade and Victoria miIls.
There are five trucks running 24 hours/day delivering loads to Townsville port where the molasses is stored in tanks before being loaded.
Main image: Macknade mill
Staff member Sandy Scott had been running the Qube operation and was on hand to take a lead role in the transfer.
The mills were running at peak production keeping everyone on their toes NSS Logistics Manager David Vass said.
They scheduled two loads over 12-hour shifts David said.
It was a pretty straight forward job taking into account traffic, train derailments and maintenance to the trucks running on continuous rotation up and down the Bruce Highway, he said.
“There are a lot of things in the background that goes with it as well,“ he said.
“Like the reporting to the clients, making sure we start on top of the stock levels. Obviously if the mills reach a hundred per cent capacity, they can’t keep crushing the cane.
“We’ve just got to keep supporting the mills and make sure the molasses levels go the right way.
“We get a daily report every morning and afternoon, so make sure the levels are going the right direction. Going down and not up.”
Sandy’s contribution was welcome, David said.
“Sandy’s worked for NSS previously, she’s went across to Qube for a few years and now she’s come back to NSS, so she’s run the molasses before.
She’s experienced with it.”
NSS employs 21 drivers to help haul molasses during the cane harvest. The drivers were seasonal, some coming off the cane farms, David said.
Port of Townsville is the country’s leading exporter of copper and molasses, both of which are handled by NSS.