Transport roleplayers put their heads together
If it was not for the transport industry, and road freight in particular, our economy would probably have come to a standstill long ago.
Our once-mighty rail infrastructure of years back is but a shadow of its former glory and has also, I believe, lost the respect of a dynamic and industrious economy.
Industrious may well not be the correct word though, when one considers the state of unemployment and the rest.
But yes, lets not cloak ourselves in doom and gloom. There is much to be grateful for and from which we can, if we put our minds to it, rise to the occasion to create a booming economy.
One methodology is to interact, network and take hands to support all those who exhibit an attitude of creating win-win and added value.
This certainly, I suspect, was part and parcel of why the organisers of a Transport Indaba held at Kwanyoni Lodge just outside Mbombela, made the effort.
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The format of allowing each participant a 15-minute slot to introduce themselves and/or the services they offer, created an awareness of what is available and how one can possibly benefit from employing some of these services and products within your own transport business.
It was the second time in six years this indaba was held. I am of the opinion though, that there are still many opportunities within this format to extrapolate even more value for all involved.
It is common knowledge that downtime and the price of diesel are probably some of the most important elements transporters have to manage.
Add to this the increased risk of hijackings, which incidentally are on a serious rise in Mpumalanga (as per Danie Day and Associates), and one can understand why companies have begun to also focus more on the most sophisticated technology they employ – the driver!
According to Richard Timm of Mix Telematics, there are a whole host of driver-monitoring and support systems available that will, not just improve productivity and security within a fleet but also enhance driver health and responsibility.
Statistics show that most commercial accidents are the result of driver error. This then makes it imperative that operators employ competent and responsible drivers.
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If they don’t, expenses in terms of repairs and public liability may well become a crippling expense within their business model.
Another crippling effect of accidents is the containment and clean-up of spillage after an accident, according to Terrance Fynn of Spill Tech.
Gaining accreditation with Road Transport Management Systems is another initiative which aims to up and maintain a higher level of service delivery within the industry.
It is fast becoming a vetting criteria for companies that employ transporter fleets to move their goods.
“Based on the response and feedback from participants, we will most certainly do it again in 2019 and, it will be bigger,” said initiator and organiser Handre van Graan from X-Sun Transport.
