Oman International Container Terminal (OICT) has officially launched its truck appointment system (TAS) at Sohar Industrial Port Company.
Following an announcement in November, the TAS was launched this month under the auspices of Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al-Futaisi, Oman’s minister of transport and communication.
The system will “revolutionise” the sultanate’s logistics industry and supply chains, said Albert Pang, CEO at OICT.
“TAS includes new roads and dedicated truck lanes and brings us a step closer to making the entire logistics system more efficient in terms of our own operations and our customers’ supply chains in Oman,” said Pang.
The appointment system allows truck drivers to schedule collection and delivery of cargo at the container terminal in advance of their arrival through either a mobile app, a dedicated website, or an interactive voice response number.
TAS will also allow Omani logistics companies to view peak periods and schedule their trips to the port accordingly. Moreover, it will enable OICT to better plan and allocate resources in real-time.
The launch of the system follows total investments worth $184 million made by OICT in the expansion of infrastructure at Sohar.
“We remain committed to building a modern container terminal that contributes to the overall efficiency of the port at Sohar. Part of this will be realised through reduced wait-times for drivers through TAS. We also expect to be able to identify trends and potential bottlenecks before they arise and take appropriate action,” said Pang.
TAS will be available for use immediately and will serve logistics companies linking up with some of the world’s biggest shipping companies, including United Arab Shipping Company, CMA CGM and APL, which operate out of OICT.
