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Business Fleet Africa
EDITION 22
FEBRUARY 2023
20
26
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
updated.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Editorial
Business
4 Growth following the great disruptor
6 The SA logistics sector ended 2022 on the
back foot
8 Turbocharging organisational effectiveness
Road Safety
10 Five essential pillars of proactive fleet
safety
News
12 Local News
16 Industry News
18 International News
In the headlights: HCV Fleet Vehicles
20 Pursuing smarter logistics
22 DAF Trucks end 2022 on a high
24 Mercedes-Benz Vans launches 517 Sprinter
Panel Van
25 Record year for Volvo Trucks in 2022
26 Hino extends reliability record at 2023
Dakar Rally
28 Fusion processing accelerates autonomous
bus development
29 REE Automotive names Microvast as
battery pack supplier
Supply Chain and Logistics
30 Supply chain disruptions continue
32 Artificial Intelligence could change the
future of business
Fleet Management
33 Demand for hydrogen expected
34 Prevention is better than cure
In the headlights: LCV Fleet Vehicles
36 Lexus UX receives upgrades
38 Haval launches affordable hybrid model
40 Mitsubishi expands Eclipse offering
41 Ford launches Ranger workhorses
Industry Sales
43 Toyota and Hino dominate LCV and truck
sales in January
44 Buyers Guide
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38
16
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Editor
Reuben van Niekerk
reubenvn@vodamail.co.za
082 837 8801
Editor-at-large
Suzanne Walker
suzanne.walker3@gmail.com
083 3789 664
Contributors
Roger Houghton
houghtonr@mwebbiz.co.za
082 371 9097
Publisher
Jacques Wilken
jwilken@mweb.co.za
083 299 7312
Road Impression Editor
Charl Wilken
cwwilken@mweb.co.za
083 297 1837
Advertising and Marketing
Charlene Kruger
charlene@businessfleetafrica.co.za
076 807 4613
© 1997 WCM Media CC
Disclaimer
While all reasonable precautions
have been taken to ensure the
accuracy of information supplied,
neither the editor, the proprietors,
nor the publishers can accept
responsibility for any inaccuracies,
damages, or injury which may arise
there from.
It is not all doom and gloom
President and CEO of Toyota Motors South Africa Andrew Kirby
predicts that in 2023 the total South African vehicle market will
sell 570 000 vehicles, including 375 642 passenger vehicles and 161 317 light commer-
cial vehicles. “This figure is based on how we see the market, coupled with what we
as Toyota can physically supply. If stock constraints weren’t a real factor, we would be
forecasting a total market of 580 000,” says Kirby.
Last year, Kirby had forecasted that 540 000 vehicles would be sold. However, a
totally unexpected challenge in the form of severe floods which saw production cease
for three months at Toyota’s Prospecton Plant in Durban put a damper on those plans.
This coupled with ongoing shipping delays at the Durban Port severely impacted Toyota’s
ability to reach its targets and influenced the entire industry. The result was that the
industry fell short of the initial prediction, selling 528 963 vehicles by December last year.
While the industry might have lost momentum, the majority of vehicle manufac-
turers are reporting record sales for 2022. Most manufacturers expect this trend to
continue and that 2023 will be another record year in terms of sales.
Commenting on this phenomenon, one industry expert believes that COVID-19
lockdowns actually had a positive effect on the commercial vehicle industry because
in South Africa these services were classified as essential and allowed to continue to
operate despite the various lockdown restrictions. The industry was forced to adapt
and has been continually challenged during the last two years and these challenges
have fortunately led to growth.
The continual growth of online shopping has certainly helped the industry maintain
momentum and there is no sign of that slowing down. In South Africa the total motor-
cycle market grew by 18,4% compared to 2021. Remarkably small capacity commercial
and commuting motorcycles and scooters such as those used for last mile deliveries
grew by 29.6%.
2022 was characterised by ongoing challenges including flooding and a severe
Transnet strike and for the industry to show growth despite these challenges is simply
incredible. One only hopes that more long-term effects such as rising inflation, interest
rates and overcrowded routes doesn’t stop this momentum from continuing.
Reuben van Niekerk
Editor
Editorial
EDITORIAL
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BUSINESS
The last three-years have brought with
them uncertainties on many fronts,
caused by a variety of geo-political
factors but what the last three years has
taught us is that the transport industry is
tenacious.
Industry experts believe that because
the transport industry was allowed to
continue as an essential service through-
out the pandemic and the disruptions
that followed operators were forced to be
adaptable and find new ways of problem
solving in order to continue to deliver a
service. The result is that the industry is
for the most part better off as a result
of this forced change. New vehicle sales
reflect this phenomenon with heavy and
medium duty commercial vehicle sales
growing by a staggering 27% year on year
between 2021 and 2022.
While Road Freight in South Africa
continues to grow, mostly due to the
ongoing decline of other transport sec-
tors, most notably Rail, doing business
in the modern transport industry is a
cutthroat environment that rewards
operators with extremely tight margins.
Unfortunately, it has, for the most part,
become a volume game. This means
investing in expensive resources such
as vehicles, drivers and fuel in order to
make a relatively small profit. Key to
running a successful operation is careful
control of all these resources.
Standard Bank Fleet management is
in its fourth decade of providing quality
Growth following
the great disruptor
BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | February 2023
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‘Our personal service
and commitment
provides customers
with invaluable
assistance in all areas
of fleet management
and we look forward
to continuing to
assist our customers
to grow in this
tumultuous market.’
February 2023 | BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA
WWW.BUSINESSFLEETAFRICA.CO.ZA
service and continues to meet the ev-
er-changing needs of South African fleet
operators, big and small, in a highly
specialised marketplace.
“Our personal service and com-
mitment provides customers with
invaluable assistance in all areas of fleet
management and we look forward to
continuing to assist our customers to
grow in this tumultuous market,” says
Derick de Vries, Executive Head of
Standard Bank Fleet Management.
Standard Bank have the ability to
structure fleet solutions that meet
individual customer requirements and
provide the support of specialists that
are familiar with the latest trends and
developments in the industry. Standard
bank’s fleet solutions and facilities are
designed to provide the fleet owner
with a full range of specialised products
to help control and manage their fleets
more effectively.
Standard Banks well established
Fleet Management Card offers a con-
venient way of paying for, monitoring
and controlling vehicle running costs.
This is due to the fact that each card is
issued to a specific vehicle and not to
a driver. This card is a convenient way
of paying for fuel, oil, services, repairs,
toll fees and tyres. A management tool
allows for effective control of financial,
technical and operational costs and
transactional information is provided
on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in
various formats.
Benefits include the fact that it is safe
and convenient and eliminates the need
to carry cash. Online authorisation at the
time of the transaction and reporting
of approved and declined transactions
ensures pro-active control of expenses.
Increased security protects against
any possible fraudulent transactions.
Vehicle running costs are managed by
comparing their performance against
benchmark statistics. The Standard Bank
Fleet management card also includes
several value-added services such as
roadside assistance, billed through the
fleet account.
Helping keep maintenance up to
date and costs under control is Standard
Bank’s Managed Maintenance offering.
Managed Maintenance is a unique main-
tenance monitoring system whereby
vehicle maintenance and repair costs
are managed by providing proactive
authorisations to merchants for services
and repairs or tyre replacements in line
with budgets set for specific vehicles or
in line with your fleet policy. All services
and maintenance are pre-authorised,
costs with merchants are negotiated,
and only authorised work paid for.
Payment options include a fixed monthly
payment or pay as you use.
The benefits of having such a
program in place include technical
advice from industry specialists, no
unnecessary parts are fitted and no
unnecessary work carried out. Standard
Bank’s specialists ensure that the correct
prices are charged for parts and labour
rates are negotiated as volume discounts
are obtained. A tax invoice is produced
on a monthly basis ensuring hassle free
VAT claims, warranty and policy claims
are made where applicable.
“Whether this growth trend in the
transport industry sustainable is yet to
be seen but customers can rest assured
that Standard Bank’s bespoke and
flexible fleet management solutions will
give them the best chance of success,”
concludes de Vries. BFA
BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | February 2023
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TRANSPORT AND FREIGHT INDEX
The South African logistics sector, as
measured by the Ctrack Transport and
Freight Index, took severe strain during
December, clearly still reeling from the
aftermath of the crippling Transnet strike
in October. With all the commercial
ports affected at the time, extensive
backlogs were created, while the eco-
nomic damage subsequently spread to
other sub-sectors, such as Road and Rail
Freight as well as Storage and Handling,
all of which declined notably in the last
three months of 2022.
Air Freight was the only sub-sector
of the Ctrack Transport and Freight
Index that managed to record growth in
the fourth quarter of 2022. The Ctrack
Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI)
declined by 3.5% on a monthly basis in
December, following monthly declines
of 1.9% and 2.3% in November and
October, respectively. On an annual
basis, the Ctrack Transport and Freight
Index ended 2022 only 2.9% higher than
a year earlier, which was a long way from
the 13.7% yearly growth rate recorded
as recently as August 2022.
“The South African logistics sector
was showing great promise and on track
for a record year, but unfortunately,
a continuous barrage of unforeseen
external factors stopped that from hap-
pening,” says Hein Jordt, Chief Executive
Officer of Ctrack Africa.
The detrimental impact of the
Transnet strike on the logistics sector is
most evident in the fact that five of the
six sub-sectors of the Ctrack Transport
and Freight Index declined notably on a
quarterly basis during the fourth quarter
of 2022. The Sea Freight, Rail Freight and
Pipeline sub-sectors of the Index were
hardest hit with double-digit declines,
while Air Freight turned out to be a ben-
eficiary of the other sub-sectors’ demise.
Overall, the Ctrack Transport and Freight
Index declined by 7.5% during the fourth
quarter, the worst quarterly decline since
June 2020, when the economy was still in
the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking back at 2022, the worst per-
forming sub-sector of the logistics sector
was indeed Rail Freight, which declined
by a notable 22.4% year on year. While
the impact of the Transnet strike was
a dominant factor in quarter four, the
further implosion of Rail Freight during
2022 has been a long time coming. The
ongoing underperformance of the rail in-
dustry, due to large-scale theft of copper
cables, insufficient maintenance, lack of
locomotives, corruption, derailments
and vandalism on freight trains, is per-
haps the most concerning development
of the year, given the ongoing negative
impact on the economy at large.
Companies in many sectors of the
economy have recently been reporting
that inadequate rail capacity and lack of
service delivery have been hampering
factors in production, trade and growth.
According to StatsSA’s Land Transport
Survey, payload for Rail Freight transpor-
tation had reached its lowest level since
2008, when data was first reported, and
now accounts for only 11.2% of total
freight according to the latest data point
recorded in October 2022. This ratio
reached a high of 29.5% in January 2015.
Based on an annual analysis, payload for
The South African logistics sector
ended 2022 on the back foot
Aug-14
Aug-15
Aug-16
Aug-17
Aug-18
Aug-19
Aug-20
Aug-21
Aug-22
Feb-14
Feb-15
Feb-16
Feb-17
Feb-18
Feb-19
Feb-20
Feb-21
Feb-22
Nov-14
Nov-15
Nov-16
Nov-17
Nov-18
Nov-19
Nov-20
Nov-21
Nov-22
May-15
May-16
May-17
May-18
May-19
May-20
May-21
May-22
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
2,9%
13,7%
4,3%
Graph 1 Ctrack Transport and Freight Index % change on an annual basis
CTRACK & ECONOMISTS.CO.ZA
Ctrack FTI sectors change on a quarter ago
Pipeline
-21,2
Sea freight
-18,2
Rail freight
-17,5
Storage
-9,2
Road freight
-4,0
Air freight
4,2
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
10
Graph 2 Ctrack Transport and Freight Index components (% change on the previous
quarter)
CTRACK & ECONOMISTS.CO.ZA
February 2023 | BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA
WWW.BUSINESSFLEETAFRICA.CO.ZA
Table 1 Change in Ctrack Transport and Freight Index in December 2022
Percentage change between
Rail
Road
Pipeline
Sea
Air
Storage and
handling
Ctrack Freight
Transport Index
December 2022 vs December 2021 (y/y)
–22.4%
16.2%
–6.2%
–13.3%
7.8%
–11.7%
2.9%
December 2022 vs November 2022 (m/m)
–11.9%
–1.5%
1.5%
–4.0%
0.2%
–6.2%
–3.5%
Quarter to December 2022 vs. Quarter to September 2022 (q/q)
–17.9%
–4.0%
–21.2%
–18.2%
4.2%
–9.2%
–7.5%
Note: The row highlighted in blue is the main Ctrack Transport and Freight Index values used.
Source: Ctrack and economistscoza, TNPA, StatsSA, SARS, N3 and N4 toll concessions, ACSA, ACOC, IATA.
Rail Freight transportation has now been
declining for five consecutive years,
with little hope for a turnaround of this
situation soon.
The obvious beneficiary of this
dismal reality has been the Road Freight
sub-sector, which, on average, accounts
for approximately 84% of total freight
transportation in South Africa. The num-
ber of heavy trucks on both the N3 and
N4 toll routes increased compared to a
year ago, while the Road Freight payload
for the country also showed continu-
ous growth throughout the year. The
Road Freight component of the Ctrack
Transport and Freight Index increased
by 16.2% year on year in December,
the 21st straight month of double-digit
annual growth rates recorded.
The Sea Freight sub-sector of the
Ctrack Transport and Freight Index
declined by 13.3% during December
compared to a year ago and declined on
a monthly (-4.0%) and quarterly basis
(-18.2%), reflecting the negative impact
of the Transnet strike on ports’ activities.
Overall, container handling in the country
recovered somewhat after declining by
a significant 58.7% on a monthly basis
during October, however, by the end
of 2022, it remained 28% below the
September 2022 pre-strike level. In addi-
tion to container handling, general cargo
handling was also negatively impacted by
the strike and has only partially recovered
in the past two months, confirming fears
that it will take the industry months to
recover from the crippling strike.
The Storage and Handling sub-sector
of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index
remained under pressure for most of
2022, with a trend of declining inventory
levels evident, followed by the Transnet
strike that just made matters worse. The
Storage and Handling sub-sector declined
by 11.7% in December compared to
a year ago and declined on a monthly
(-6.2%) and quarterly basis (-9.2%).
The transport of liquid fuels via
Transnet Pipelines (TPL) increased
somewhat in the past two months, with
the Pipeline sub-sector of the Ctrack
Transport and Freight Index increasing
by 1.5% on a monthly basis, however
still tracking 6.2% lower in December,
compared to a year earlier.
The Air Freight sector turned out
to be one of 2022’s star performers,
a combination of ongoing post-Covid
recovery and, in the last quarter, also
a beneficiary of the logistical troubles
created by the Transnet strike. The Air
Freight sub-sector increased by 4.2%
on a quarterly basis and was the only
sub-sector to experience growth at
7.8% higher in December, compared to
a year ago. The stellar performance of
Air Freight helped to soften the impact
of the Transnet strike on the overall
performance of the Ctrack Transport
and Freight Index considerably.
Ctrack TFI and GDP growth
The December 2022 Ctrack Transport
and Freight Index finished at 111.6,
representing a notable decline com-
pared to the September performance
of 120.7, signalling that the transport
sector’s lack of performance could
have had a negative effect on economic
growth during the fourth quarter. As a
minimum, the transport sector will likely
underperform compared to the other
sectors of the economy, in contrast to
its outperformance in Q3. The negative
impact of the prolonged Transnet
strike will put a damper not only on the
transport sector’s contribution but also
the broader economy’s performance in
Q4, given linkages to other sectors. In
addition to the strike’s impact, the on-
going challenges of harsh load shedding,
the high cost of living, high production
costs due to high fuel prices and rising
wage demands, and elevated interest
rates, the list of challenges for the South
African economy remains extensive.
“The South African economy needs a
functioning logistics network amidst all
of the economic woes currently plaguing
our country, and all stakeholders should
unite to address the obstacles in the
industry,” concludes Jordt. BFA
Jan18=100
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
Ctrack & economists.co.za
Rail freight
Road freight
Jan-18
Jan-19
Jan-20
Jan-21
Jan-22
Jul-18
Jul-19
Jul-20
Jul-21
Jul-22
Apr-18
Apr-19
Apr-20
Apr-21
Apr-22
Oct-18
Oct-19
Oct-20
Oct-21
Oct-22
Graph 3 Rail vs Road freight payload (Index: Jan 2018 = 100)
CTRACK & ECONOMISTS.CO.ZA
Business Fleet Africa spoke to Brand Pretorius, doyen of the
Motor Industry in South Africa and author of In the Driving
Seat, to get practical steps on speeding-up efficiency in
organisations.
Global scientific research proves that organisations in all eco-
nomic sectors suffer from wasted effort. Precious resources are
not deployed optimally because of a lack of focus and synergy,
which undermines effectiveness because there is no alignment
between corporate and personal objectives. So how does a
business leader act to correct this?
Compliance versus commitment
Often, staff do not identify with their employers’ mission, strate-
gy or objectives and fail to see how their contributions affect the
overall vision. They work because of their financial needs, and
there is no commitment, only compliance.
How can effectiveness be accelerated?
Organisational effectiveness is a prerequisite for sustained
profitability, high employee and customer satisfaction levels,
and market share growth.
“During my business career spanning almost 50 years, I
experienced first-hand the positive impact of a high level of
organisational effectiveness. Two case studies come to mind.
Firstly, the significant increase in Toyota’s market share from
12% in 1975 to 30% in 1995. Simultaneously Toyota moved
from number seven in customer satisfaction to number
one. The second case study is McCarthy Retail. It was
declared technically insolvent in February 2001 and
successfully turned around over three years,” explains
Pretorius.
“In both cases, a critical success factor was a
substantial improvement in organisational effec-
tiveness. The methodology I developed over the
years is illustrated in Figure 1, titled The pyramid
of organisational effectiveness,” says Pretorius.
Eleven practical steps to make a giant leap
Pretorius explains the essence of these
leadership steps in organisational
effectiveness.
Step 1 – A unifying, compelling
and inspirational vision
“The following truth can be found in
the Bible: ‘Without vision, people
perish’. It also applies to organ-
isations. The best definition
of vision I have come across
is ‘seeing victory before it
exists’,” says Pretorius.
A prerequisite for a vision to inspire universal commitment is
that the realisation of the vision should deliver meaningful ben-
efits to the people who have to make it happen. He continues
to say that during the early eighties, the vision at Toyota SA was
market leadership through satisfaction for all.
“We knew that ‘best in class’ stakeholder satisfaction lev-
els would, over time, deliver market leadership. At McCarthy,
when we were staring bankruptcy in the face, our vision was
‘Save McCarthy’. Failure would have meant thousands of job
losses, leading virtually all 10 000 employees to embrace
the vision”.
The vision should be ambitious and inspirational. Steve Jobs,
the late founder of Apple, provided the world with an outstand-
ing example of such a vision: “We are going to make a dent in
the Universe!”
Subhead: Step 2 – A mission must create the context
that gives meaning, direction and coherence
“The mission should provide a platform for organisational
effectiveness and efficiency. It should give unity of purpose
and encourage team members to fly in the same direction and
in formation. It should prevent a lack of focus and fragmented
effort. In my experience, mission statements should be short
and straightforward so people can memorise and internalise
them,” elaborates Pretorius.
The value created in the different stakeholder categories
should be defined and explained to all staff. Mission ac-
complished will only happen should success be achieved
on a ‘balanced scorecard’ basis,” says Pretorius.
Step 3 – Inculcate shared values
Pretorius says that values determine behaviour and
lay the foundation and glue that keeps people
together. “Values that become ingrained shape
the organisation’s culture, and are far more
powerful than stacks of policies, rules and
regulations”.
“Examples of values I believe in are
honesty, sincerity, caring, respect for all
people, acceptance of responsibility,
teamwork and excellence in everything
you do. Organisational leaders should
personify these values. Their example
has to shine the light of value-based
behaviour as values are the soul of
an organisation. The right values
should seep into the organisa-
tion’s bloodstream and become
part of the organisation’s DNA.
Successful businesses are
vision-led and values-driven”.
BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | February 2023
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BUSINESS
Turbocharging organisational effectiveness
The Pyramid of Organisational Effectiveness
Fair rewards
Results
Behaviour and Action
Performance Management
Policies, systems and processes
Aligned Personal Objectives
Corporate Objectives
Right Strategy
Shared Values
Mission
Vision
February 2023 | BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA
WWW.BUSINESSFLEETAFRICA.CO.ZA
Step 4 – Implement the right strategy
“Considering that we do business in
an ever-changing world, strategies are
re-aligned continuously, we live in the
‘never normal’. Ongoing disruption due
to the accelerating pace of technological
innovation is a given. Conventional five-
year strategic plans have become obsolete.
Flexibility and agility have become critical
success factors,” adds Pretorius.
“The ability to position one’s business
to remain relevant, competitive and
viable has become extremely challenging.
Maintaining a reasonable level of organisa-
tional effectiveness in this VUCA world has
become progressively more difficult”.
Step 5 – Appropriate corporate
objectives
Identifying appropriate corporate
objectives and its successful implemen-
tation will convert strategy into reality
over time. Avoid an overreaction to new
developments, and apply discipline to
prevent instability.
“In my experience, corporate objec-
tives should only be reviewed bi-annually.
These reviews should be done objectively,
focussing on fundamental trends only.
When McCarthy was insolvent, we in-
vested all our time and energy over three
years focusing on five key objectives.
The power of stability and focus was a
revelation. At Toyota SA, we remained
committed to the brand promise of
Everything keeps going right, Toyota, for
20 years,” Pretorius points out.
Step 6 – Aligned personal objectives
“Deploy every ounce of intelligence,
every drop of energy, every bit of knowledge and experience to
increase the probability of attaining corporate objectives. Every
team member should be convinced that individual contribu-
tions are of critical importance, everybody should understand
the big picture and how they fit into it. All team members
should accept co-responsibility for the successful execution of
the strategy,” says Pretorius.
Step 7 – Supportive policies, systems and processes
Policies, systems and procedures should enhance organisa-
tional effectiveness, Pretorius explains. Outdated IT systems, in
particular, can be obstacles rather than enablers. Cost-effective
utilisation of technology is imperative; the Internet, digitisation,
big data analytics, robotics and social media can make an
enormous difference and it is important to regularly conduct
system and process audits.
Step 8–Effective performance
management
“The acceptance of personal accountabil-
ity is critical. Relevant and measurable
objectives, signed off by both parties,
represent the nucleus of an effective
performance management system.
Reviews should be done bi-annually, and
outcomes should include recommended
personal development plans. Honour
the principles of transparency, respect,
openness and fairness, or performance
management will demotivate or alienate
team members,” explains Pretorius.
The right behaviour and action
“Effective organisations have people
who follow the correct principles and
values. They also have a bias for action
and, consequently, get things done. There
is a sense of urgency, and big and small
promises are kept. However, one has to
Zoom out, envision the most likely future
environment and reposition one’s busi-
ness to ensure sustainability. Scientific
research and quality strategic thinking
are the critical success factors”. Pretorius
says the only defence mechanism is
an uncompromising adherence to the
right principles and values like integrity,
fairness, consistency, compassion and
justice.
Step 10 – An obsession with results
“It is about delivering best in class results.
Top-performing organisations have
a performance culture and are super
competitive and single-minded in their
quest to be the best”.
Step 11 – Reward fairly
In the final analysis, most people ask: “What is in it for me?”
Pretorius says that effective organisations have an abundance
rather than a scarcity mentality. They celebrate achievement
and reward accordingly. Appropriate rewards motivate and
encourage excellence. If you want to have an effective organi-
sation, you have to close the loop.
In conclusion
“An integrated approach is vital. You cannot be selective when
it comes to the implementation of your action plan. It is all or
nothing, be brave because the rewards are substantial.”
“The eleven action steps aren’t theoretical but very practi-
cal. If implemented correctly, it can transform organisations. I
experienced the favourable impact personally at both Toyota
SA and McCarthy,” concludes Pretorius. BFA
High levels of
organisational
effectiveness
transform the world
of work and lead to
substantially higher
levels of engagement
and commitment.
Superior productivity,
performance and
results follow.
Organisational
effectiveness is the
best predictor of
sustainable success!”
FLEET MANAGEMENT
At most companies’ fleets represent a
sizeable asset register and managing a
fleet effectively and efficiently is critical
to a company’s bottom line and, like
every other strategy, it comes down to
getting the foundations right.
South Africa has an inordinately high
number of road crashes with an average
of forty people killed on our roads daily.
The statistics for business fleet owners,
too, remains stubbornly unacceptable
whether it is looking at major, fatal
crashes or annoying bumper bashings.
Apart from the devastating loss of
lives for which one can never attach a
rand value, there are many other op-
erational costs associated with crashes
that need to be factored in, including
increased downtime, cost of repairs,
vehicle procurement or hiring of re-
placement vehicle, as well as screening,
hiring and training of new drivers. With
the current economic slump, these costs
need to be avoided where possible.
International research as well as
first-hand experience has shown without
a doubt, that there is no substitute
for a comprehensive company fleet
safety programme that looks at the
driver, the vehicle and environment in a
holistic fashion.
An average annual reduction of up-to
20% in fleet operation costs can be
achieved by the implementation of the
following five essential pillars:
Management buy-in
The single most important element that
can make a significant difference to any
strategy is the buy-in and support of top
management. This safety culture must
go beyond paying lip service, with fleet
safety actively embraced and promoted
across the company 24/7.
Management needs to allocate
sufficient resources for training,
monitoring, incentivising, recognising
and evaluating company fleet drivers as
a vital and extremely valuable link in the
chain. Unless management prioritises
the importance of this critical function it
will remain a tick-box exercise and staff
members across the line will place fleet
safety on the back burner.
Develop a comprehensive fleet
safety company policy
The development of an effective
company fleet policy is one of the most
important foundations of a pro-active
fleet safety programme. Carefully craft-
ing such a policy will pay off handsomely
in more ways than one and will be
relevant for years to come. A fleet safety
policy that is not regularly reviewed and,
worse still, not properly implemented,
is of little use. In order to be effective,
it needs to be a living document that
responds to the needs of a growing fleet.
A comprehensive fleet safety or trans-
port policy should cover various aspects
of driver fitness, vehicle fitness, correct
documentation, loads management,
Five essential pillars of
proactive fleet safety
BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | February 2023
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