Author: StephanieR

This is the second in our mini-series on good habits to fight health hazards for Truckers, very appropriate at a time when Truckers are facing greater health risks than ever before. Without a doubt, Truckers are among the unsung heroes of our health and social services heroes at this time.

We at FAW, one of South Africa’s premier trucking manufacturers, recognise this and have created this series in the hope that in these times and beyond, our Truckers can heed this advice and maintain a high level of health and wellbeing.

COVID 19 has just added to the risk list

We have extensively covered the precautions required to prevent the virus from taking its hold on our Drivers, but as we mentioned in our last article, COVID-19 is actually just an additional risk. Even in normal times, they face the health risks of little sleep and exercise, bad diets, accidents, pollution and more.

Apart from ensuring you pack your own healthier meals and smoothies for the road, and get your flu injections, as mentioned in the first article, there are, fortunately, more precautions that can be taken…

Stay Hydrated

Water is probably the most crucial thing to put into your body when it comes to health. Drink good clean water regularly and abundantly. A daily intake of around 2 litres is recommended.

Don’t shirk on this – remember many health issues are as a result of dehydration and the body doesn’t tell you that you need water until you are sometimes already dehydrated. Keep a container with you and sip from it all day.

Avoid caffeine and stimulants.

Related to this is the over drinking of coffee and other drinks that contain large amounts of caffeine. Coffee dehydrates the body, and so if any is drunk, it needs always to be accompanied by a large glass of water.

Caffeine itself is a health hazard as it gives a feeling of being awake, which replaces the real need for sleep. Overuse of caffeine can also lead to anxiety, muscle breakdown, high blood pressure and digestive issues, to name a few.

The bottom line – one or two cups of coffee, or caffeinated cold drinks a day, accompanied by water, should be about the maximum consumption.

Sleep is vital

Related to that is that good, consistent sleep is vital and will prevent you from using stimulants to stay awake. Between shifts, use your time off to get good sleep. If you are driving at night, get into a daytime sleep cycle. Make the room very dark and a good temperature.

Whatever you do, avoid the Driver’s greatest risk – Accidents – by ensuring you are not ‘nodding off’ at the wheel. If you are, rather pull over and take a fifteen-minute ‘Power nap’ regardless of your schedule.

Exercise regularly

Another thing you can pull over (preferably into a safe area) to do from time to time – to wake you and help you to stay fresh, is taking a brisk fifteen-minute walk. Just getting some fresh air and breathing deeply is invigorating, improves your blood flow and heart rate.

If you just did this twice on every trip, you will be getting the required daily exercise to maintain good health – a half hour a day brisk walk! Truckers find regular exercising difficult, but you who sit all day and practice a high level of concentration. Need this more than anyone!

Life after COVID-19

These are not normal times that we are facing, but long after this virus has been overcome and our lives returned to normal, these health hacks will still be vital for any trucker to maintain their wellbeing

Also long after COVID-19 is just a distant memory, FAW trucks will always be the same great vehicles, built in South Africa for Africans and we, as a company, will still be there for our trucking companies and their drivers.

We offer Driver Training and great support for all our Trucking companies, so contact a dealer near you, or directly contact us, to find out about our training programs. We also have a wide range of great quality used and new freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which all come standard with competitive warranties and 24hr roadside assistance.

Remember, it just takes 30 days to get into these good habits to fight health hazards for truckers, so this time of heightened awareness of health and hygiene is the best time to put it into practice. Get started, good luck and stay healthy and stay safe on the road!

These are extraordinary times and our truckers; it has to be said, are some of the unsung heroes of those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. They, at great risk to their own health and well-being, continue to provide the essential service of shipping goods, no matter what and we salute you.

We have fairly extensively dealt with what truckers are facing directly associated with COVID-19, and have given advice accordingly, but facing this pandemic is not the only time that truckers have to deal with health hazards.

We have all learned that building one’s immunity and regular exercise are good ways to try to prevent Coronavirus, but let’s look realistically at the difficulties that Truckers face in that regard…

Health hazards Truckers face

• A lack of exercise generally due to long stints on the road
• Cramped spaces – not unlike airline travel, for extended periods
• Un-balanced and unusual sleep cycles due to shift driving
• Inhalation of unhealthy fumes – like diesel fuel
• Excessive stress through high levels of concentration for extended periods of time
• Generally an unbalanced diet, due to the visitation of too many ‘fast food’ truck stops

Add Coronavirus to this, and it becomes a pretty scary prospect. We all know how we feel after long spells of driving – now imagine how your health can be compromised due to these factors.

Some solid solutions

Fortunately, there is a lot of realistic advice we can give in this regard. This is taken from seasoned truckers who have faced and overcome these issues for many years and managed to maintain at least a reasonable level of health.

It is essentially about replacing these health hazards, one at a time, through forming good health habits. Forming a habit takes approx. 30 days so, just as we will all have formed healthier hand washing and other hygiene habits during the time of the lockdown, in the same period, Truckers can change their health habits.

It is quite a big subject, so this is only the first part, but here are a few good habits to fight health hazards for truckers…

Fight COVID through flu resistance

This is not one that is usually on the list, but at this time, we are being told by health authorities that getting a flu injection is a good idea and can assist in resistance to Coronavirus. We heartily suggest that trucking companies, or lone truckers, should ensure that all drivers (and other staff) have the advised flu vaccine injection ASAP!

Good nutrition builds immunity – and good health

It is said that ‘we are what we eat’ and not only does proper nutrition make for general good health, but it also builds a stronger immunity to viruses and other dread diseases. It may feel like a pain to have to pack a healthy meal for the journey, but it is probably the most vital first step to make to change from facing health hazards to good health habits.

Use whole wheat or rye bread when making sandwiches and include fruit and vegetables in your food offering. Plenty of vegetables and at least some fruit are the essential immune fighters – especially citrus fruits. So even if you only pack sandwiches, include tomato and lettuce and make a vegetable smoothie for the ride, plus a couple of items of fruit and nuts to snack on if they are in your price range.

The main thing is at all costs to avoid pies, fast foods and anything with a lot of sugar – like sweets and biscuits etc. Rooibos tea, 100% fruit or vegetable juice (watered down a bit) and plenty of water will all stand you in good stead and help to build immunity.

Some things never change

Yes, we are facing extraordinary times, but one thing that never changes is that FAW trucks are well built, strong vehicles built in South Africa for Africans and we, as a company, will always be there for our trucking companies and their drivers.

Contact a dealer near you or directly contact us to find out about our Driver training programs and our wide range of new and used top-quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which come standard with competitive warranties and 24hr roadside assistance.

Remember we have just touched the tip of the iceberg in this article, so do look out for Good habits to fight health hazards for truckers – part 2 – and in the meantime stay healthy and stay safe!

We are diverting from our usual series of ‘great trucking advice’ by taking a look at the many challenges that are facing truckers at this time. They really are our unsung heroes as regardless of this virus that is threatening so many lives, they need to keep trucking to deliver essential goods to us all.

Truckers are always faced with the danger of simply being on our roads and the inevitable accidents that can happen, but in these times, they face much more. They not only face the health threat of COVID-19 as they are not in lockdown, but out and about and being exposed to others, but they are facing certain other challenges too. Here are just a few of them…

Truck hijacking takes a COVID twist

One case of ‘COVID hijacking’ was reported in the news on the day that the lockdown began and the local report told of a brazen and somewhat hair- raising experience for the trucker involved. It went on to say in essence that “the robbers clothed themselves in ‘COVID-19 gear’ – a clear indication they don’t want to get infected with the dreaded coronavirus.

As a bonus, the mask and gloves shielded their faces while fingerprints were safely hidden inside the surgical gloves. Digital True North said on their Facebook page that the truck was forced off the road on the Friday at 15:54 just outside Rustenburg. They further reported that the driver was found unharmed and the truck was also found abandoned later.

One of the suspects was armed, and they were using a silver Mercedes Benz as their getaway car. It is not known if more suspects involved in the hijacking.”

Cross-border road transport restrictions

Truckers who go cross border are at this time also facing certain restrictions, and we thought our truckers might want to know these facts:

• All cross-border road passenger movements have been prohibited during the lockdown.
• Cross-border freight movement has continued to and from neighbouring countries

Drivers licence renewals

Vehicle testing centres and driver’s licence testing centres have been closed, but should your driver’s licence expire during the duration of the lockdown, it shall be deemed to remain valid until the end of the lockdown. The grace period of renewal is within 14 working days thereafter unless otherwise determined.

Some things don’t change

It’s at times like these that Drivers are glad to be driving solid, reliable new or used trucks like those found in the range available from FAW, built in South Africa for Africa. Regardless of any change or challenges, our standard warranties and 24/7 roadside assistance will keep the wheels of our FAW customers turning.

Contact us or go to our website to find a dealership near you and find out about our incredible range of tried and tested top-quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers.

There is no doubt that truckers, like medical workers and all those who provide essential services, are the superheroes of his time. Be proud and be strong – as these challenges, like all others, will eventually pass. Most importantly, be safe out there!

Truckers everywhere will certainly know by now about Corona virus, or the particular strain known as COVID-19 which is causing so much concern throughout the world. They are in a fairly unique situation too, because whereas many people have been urged to stay home and avoid as much human contact as possible, the trucking community as a whole have been urged to keep doing what they do, so people can still receive supplies.

It’s times like these that truckers can be proud to be the ‘life blood’ of commerce and they need to keep ‘rolling’ no matter what. Obviously they too are subject to contracting COVID-19, but they do have the protection of spending most of the time in the cab of their own vehicles and being away from other human contact for most of their working shift.

There are some precautions though that they are advised to take and in the interests of keeping our truckers on the road and our goods coming into the stores and warehouses, all trucking companies are advised to implement – and truckers advised to carry out – the following:

Don’t show if you are sick – This is not an invitation to take leave, but if you have any ‘flu-like’ symptoms like a sore throat, runny nose, regular sneezing or a dry cough or temperature, report in sick and report your symptoms on the phone to your Doctor so he or she can advise whether or where you can be tested.

Regular hand washing – Like anyone else, regular hand washing with soap and water is advised particularly after any contact with goods or people. Trucking companies, truck stops and garages are advised to provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers when regular facilities are not available. Truckers should keep some in their cabs for regular spraying.

Don’t touch your face – Regardless of how often you wash your hands resist touching your face, particularly around the eyes, nose and mouth.

Maintain your distance – At any point where you stop or engage with other people, keep a distance of about two meters from others. COVID-19 is not airborne, but can be passes via tiny droplets of spittle through the air.

Don’t invite passengers in – This is a practice generally frowned upon, but now absolutely vital, no passengers at all especially hitch hikers and unknowns.

Cleaning objects that are touched frequently – Objects that you touch or anyone else may touch, such as your steering wheel and gear levers, doorknobs, handles, railings, kettles, etc. should be cleaned more often than usual with regular disinfectants, or soap and water.

Keep tissues handy – For regular cleaning and to sneeze or wipe your face, keep boxes of tissues and encouraging their use for others too. Dispose of used tissues immediately. Keep a bin or bag in your truck for these and dispose of it at your next stop in a toilet.

Don’t share – In this case ‘not sharing is caring!’ Don’t share cups, glasses, dishes and cutlery on the road, or when at home. Be sure dishes are washed in soap and water after use.

Keep to the great outdoors – Truckers are blessed with the fact that they can be in the great outdoors when out of their trucks a lot of the time. Take your own food and stop at lay-byes, rather than at truck stops where there are other people.

For more information on the coronavirus/Covid-19 itself, here is just one site you can visit – https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/coronavirus.html

Keep trucking in the best there is

This article is just one on a wholes series of trucking advice brought to you by the company that really care about truck owners and Drivers alike – FAW. We have our own Driver training facility and for the last 25 years we have been supplying South African’s with a great range of new or ‘pre- owned’ affordable quality demo and low mileage used vehicles.

Contact us or go to our website to find a dealership near you and find out about our incredible range of tried and tested top quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which come standard with competitive warranties and 24hr roadside assistance.

We have been around long before the COVID-19 threat and will still be there for you long after it has passed – in the meantime, take care of yourselves!

This is the second article in what will now be an on-going series on great trucking advice. Trucking is a robust and sometimes tricky business. It requires a high level of professionalism by highly trained Drivers.

We know from facilitating our own Driver’s training program that good truckers take great pride in their ability to deliver any load safely and whenever possible – on time. We hope, therefore, that this series is helpful. Much of it will not be new to trained Drivers, but one never knows what can be learned from others.

Safety first

The lives of the Driver and everyone he encounters on the roads is the primary concern of every capable and conscientious trucker. These are a few safety tips – basics really, but those which could be refreshed from time to time to ensure you stay alive and accident-free.

1. Be Alert

 There is a great reason this is the number one tip – it is the most important. To ensure one is awake and alert at all times should be the first consideration of every Driver. Be aware at all times of who’s in front of you and behind you.

Plan an escape plan for any eventuality, do you have enough area of the road around you to take evasive action? Are you fully awake and capable of remaining so throughout the journey? If not, plan to stop and refresh yourself and stick to your Driver schedule, which should allow for enough rest.

2. Be alone – Whenever possible

 Short and sweet – avoid heavy traffic whenever possible. Try to arrange to be as alone on the road as often as you can.

3. Be weather-wise
   

Knowledge of weather changes and continuously checking the weather conditions facing you on the journey is all part of proper trip planning. There is no excuse not to either, with many useful weather apps available on all phones.

It goes without saying, when there is rain, fog or any other form of more reduced visibility – ensure you increase your following distance. Trucks are long and heavy vehicles that can take a long time to stop in wet conditions!

4. Be delivery smart

If you are not familiar with the delivery depot or truck stops for that matter, take the time to pull over and take a few minutes to do a walkthrough to know what any possible hazards may be there. Will you be able to park safely without getting parked in?

Will you be able to turn around when you’re done and avoid reversing? Statistics show that many safety records are blemished by truckers striking objects when changing. Don’t let it happen to you!

5. Be rested

All it takes is some regular stops at lay-bys on the road to refresh yourself a little. Get out and take a walk around your truck – this also gives you a chance to do a quick safety inspection – Check your load.  Look for soft tyres, air leaks, check under the truck for any fluid or oil leaks.

Be a great Driver and get the trucks that keep you safe – and keep you going

FAW South Africa has some of the most reliable and toughest vehicles on the road, all with great warranties, enabling every trucker and trucking company to have ‘peace of mind’ on and off the road.

With the purchase of any new FAW truck, we also offer Driver training, which is available upon customer request. Should a customer determine that a particular driver needs additional training for optimal output on a vehicle, FAW is always happy to oblige.

We hope you have found this article on great trucking advice – Safety tips – Part 1 useful and informative and that you will watch this space for part 2. Contact us if we can be of service to you be careful out there – Happy trucking!

This is the second article in what will now be an on-going series on great trucking advice. Trucking is a robust and sometimes tricky business. It requires a high level of professionalism by highly trained Drivers.

 

We know from facilitating our own Driver’s training program that good truckers take great pride in their ability to deliver any load safely and whenever possible – on time. We hope, therefore, that this series is helpful. Much of it will not be new to trained Drivers, but one never knows what can be learned from others.

 

Safety first

The lives of the Driver and everyone he encounters on the roads is the primary concern of every capable and conscientious trucker. These are a few safety tips – basics really, but those which could be refreshed from time to time to ensure you stay alive and accident-free.

 

1. Be Alert

 There is a great reason this is the number one tip – it is the most important. To ensure one is awake and alert at all times should be the first consideration of every Driver. Be aware at all times of who’s in front of you and behind you.

 

Plan an escape plan for any eventuality, do you have enough area of the road around you to take evasive action? Are you fully awake and capable of remaining so throughout the journey? If not, plan to stop and refresh yourself and stick to your Driver schedule, which should allow for enough rest.

2. Be alone – Whenever possible

 Short and sweet – avoid heavy traffic whenever possible. Try to arrange to be as alone on the road as often as you can.

 

3. Be weather-wise
   

Knowledge of weather changes and continuously checking the weather conditions facing you on the journey is all part of proper trip planning. There is no excuse not to either, with many useful weather apps available on all phones.

 

It goes without saying, when there is rain, fog or any other form of more reduced visibility – ensure you increase your following distance. Trucks are long and heavy vehicles that can take a long time to stop in wet conditions!

 

4. Be delivery smart

If you are not familiar with the delivery depot or truck stops for that matter, take the time to pull over and take a few minutes to do a walkthrough to know what any possible hazards may be there. Will you be able to park safely without getting parked in?

 

Will you be able to turn around when you’re done and avoid reversing? Statistics show that many safety records are blemished by truckers striking objects when changing. Don’t let it happen to you!

5. Be rested

All it takes is some regular stops at lay-bys on the road to refresh yourself a little. Get out and take a walk around your truck – this also gives you a chance to do a quick safety inspection – Check your load.  Look for soft tyres, air leaks, check under the truck for any fluid or oil leaks.

Be a great Driver and get the trucks that keep you safe – and keep you going

FAW South Africa has some of the most reliable and toughest vehicles on the road, all with great warranties, enabling every trucker and trucking company to have ‘peace of mind’ on and off the road.

With the purchase of any new FAW truck, we also offer Driver training, which is available upon customer request. Should a customer determine that a particular driver needs additional training for optimal output on a vehicle, FAW is always happy to oblige.

We hope you have found this article on great trucking advice – Safety tips – Part 1 useful and informative and that you will watch this space for part 2. Contact us if we can be of service to you be careful out there – Happy trucking!

We are now embarking on a new series called ‘Great trucking advice’ which will be conveying useful information to truckers and truck owners alike on many subjects. Some, like this article ‘Great trucking advice – the slow lane,’ will be to do with rules of the road, many will be on safety tips, some about trucking etiquette, some on finances and some on general subjects within the logistics industry.

The slow lane

There is a lot of controversy and even some confusion surrounding the use of the slow lane – or that portion over the ‘yellow lines’ on the highways of South Africa. It is well known that this portion of the road is designed to allow emergency vehicles to pass in the event of jammed traffic or accidents, and yet it seems to be expected for Truckers, due to their generally slower speed, to stay within this lane to let others pass.

“When in doubt” we always say, refer to the experts and the law, so let’s take a look at what they have to say on the matter.

The law

Applicable to trucks and motorists alike is that the yellow line lane may never be used as a passing lane on any highway! There are, according to Regulation 298A of the National Road Traffic Act, some exceptions however with regard to driving in or stopping in the yellow line lane in certain circumstances. These are:

• In the case of breaking down on the highway, one may pull over to clear the road of the parked vehicle
• You may also pull over into this lane if you need to stop for a medical or other emergency
• You may in exceptional and genuine emergencies like rushing someone to a hospital, use this lane, but with extreme caution
•         On the highway, only emergency vehicles may use the yellow lane to pass others.

Single lane carriageways

There are clear exceptions to these rules on a single lane carriageway however and this is where truckers need to be aware that they may well be expected to use the slow lane to give way to others. After all, particularly in busy times like on public holidays this eases congestion on the roads and simply makes sense. Even so Truck Drivers do this as a matter of courtesy and are definitely not legally obliged to, particularly if they sense any sort of danger in doing so.

Even if they do choose to do so – there are legal specifications as to when they should definitely not – and this mostly has to do with visibility. Truckers may not pull over to the slow lane when:

• It is night time. As visibility is less at night this is only accepted as a daylight practice
• There is less than 150 metres of clearly visible road ahead of you. Truckers may not drive in the yellow line lane when on a blind rise, or when there is rain, fog, or any other visual impairment
• There is any chance at all of endangering another life.

 

In essence motorists need to understand that truckers in fact have the clearest vision of what lies ahead on the road. It is for you the truck Driver therefore to be courteous, but never compromise anyone’s safety to do so – including your own!

Get the trucks that keep you safe and keep you going

FAW South Africa have some of the safest and toughest vehicles on the road all with great warrantees and optional service plans, enabling every trucker and trucking company to have ‘peace of mind’ on and off the road.

Contact a FAW dealer near you to check out our latest fantastic range of top quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which all come standard with competitive warranties and 24hr roadside assistance. FAW trucks are proudly built in South Africa for Africans – so contact us if we can be of service to you.

We hope you have found this article on ‘Great trucking advice – the slow lane’ useful and informative and that you will watch this space for many more. Be careful out there and happy tru

Starting a trucking business, as we pointed out in the first part of this series, can be profitable, but like any business, it is not without potential pitfalls. There are always certain risks, and in logistics, there are the additional risks of accidents etc. If however, you set up, complying with all the necessary procedures and choosing the right vehicles, the risks can be greatly minimised.

The 4 cornerstones of starting a trucking business articles should assist you and get you steering a clear path to success. This is primarily about starting a trucking business in South Africa, but many of the principles are applicable anywhere.

The 4 cornerstones.

The essential 4 cornerstones to ensure you lay a solid foundation are:

1. 1. Set up – Having a great business plan and covering all the bases
2. Funding – Ways to raise start-up and on-going capital
3. Compliance – Having the right licenses and permits to operate legally
4. The vehicles – Hire or buy? – and what to buy

In this second part, we will cover the last 2 cornerstones.

1. Compliance

Firstly it is necessary to register the business. You can get a step by step guide on how you register your business at www.cipc.co.za

Then there are 2 other primary compliance requirements:

Obtaining the right business licences and permits

It would be an excellent idea if, as a Manager or Owner of the business, that you try to get a National Certificate in Professional Driving. This qualification gives you not only driving skills but offers an extensive range of skills appertaining to running the business including Customer relations; financial planning; freight loading; occupational health and safety and many more.

It is advisable to do background checks and hire only qualified professional Drivers. They must have a heavy-duty licence – code 10 to 14. Drivers of the following vehicles must hold a license card, endorsed with an appropriate PrDP:

• Heavy goods vehicle, loaded or empty – (codes C1, C, EC1 and EC)
• Taxi or other vehicle carrying paying passengers (e.g. an ambulance)
• Bus above 3 500 kg GVM – (codes C1, C, EC1 and EC)
• Bus or minibus with seating for more than 12 including the driver

Finally, the driver must be responsible, of sober habits and at least 25yrs old. You also need permits for the type of load he is carrying. Check this with CIPC too.

2. Vehicles

Choosing the right vehicle is critical. Ask a few important questions:

Does the vehicle accommodate the needs of your cargo? If you are transporting perishable items, for example, you would need to consider a refrigerated compartment.

Is buying or leasing equipment a better option for your new business? We believe that continual leasing means you never build the assets for your own business. Instead, if you can be financed, consider purchasing the vehicle. You can then, in your downtime, lease that vehicle out yourself.

If buying, should you buy new or ‘pre-owned’? Remember that you have this option and you can get good deals on affordable quality demo and low mileage used vehicles from manufacturers like FAW that will serve you and your business well.

Get the right trucks for the job

Remember that FAW trucks offer any trucking business the best possible option if they choose to purchase new or used vehicles.

Contact us or go to our website to find a dealership near you and find out about our incredible range of tried and tested top quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which come standard with competitive warranties, 24hr roadside assistance and are built in South Africa for Africa.

We certainly hope this series on The 4 corner stones of starting a trucking business will give your business a solid foundation and remember as you build it to partner with FAW, who will be with you to help you grow – in this new decade – and beyond!

Well, it’s not only the start of a new year but the start of a whole new decade. What better time to bite the bullet and get that trucking business that you have always wanted finally up and running.

It can be profitable, but like any business, it is not without potential pitfalls. There are always certain risks, and in logistics, there are the additional risks of accidents etc. We believe, however, that where there is a will, and the right actions are taken from day 1, there is always a way to succeed.

We hope this small 2 part series on the 4 cornerstones of starting a trucking business will assist you and get you steering a clear path to success. Obviously, this is essentially about starting a trucking business in South Africa, but many of the principles are applicable anywhere.

The 4 cornerstones.

The essential 4 cornerstones to ensure you lay a solid foundation are:

1. 1. Set up – Having a great business plan and covering all the bases
2. Funding – Ways to raise start-up and on-going capital
3. Compliance – Having the right licenses and permits to operate legally
4. The vehicles – Hire or buy – and what to buy

In this first part, we will cover the first 2 cornerstones.

1. Set up

As with any business, it is essential to have a ‘Business plan.’ From day one, decide what type of business you want to have. Will it be a small contained business with one or two vehicles – or are you aiming for a fleet and big business in the long run?

Will, you mostly hire free-lance Drivers, or would you prefer to hire permanent staff over which you believe you will have more control. Will you outsource or handle your own administration, finances, project management, marketing etc.?

Perhaps a list of costs that will be incurred will help to get an idea of what kind of initial and on-going funding you will require. Take all these into account:

Administration and Accounting – the cost of handling this

Office supplies and on-going cleaning etc.

Premises – Hire or purchase of business premises and include garage facilities for vehicles

Advertising and marketing

Hire or purchase of vehicles

Servicing and maintenance of vehicles (This may be initially included in some deals with reputable truck dealers if you are buying new vehicles)

Registration and certificates, petrol, tolls, traffic fines and parking costs

Drivers hire or salaries

Think long and hard about this to ensure you cover all the bases in your proposed budget and establish firm, clear goals for the business, in the short and long term. This is all part of the ‘Business plan’ – and ensure the inclusion of precisely what profit margins you predict, to make your proposal to funding sources as attractive as possible.

2. Funding

Having established our business plan and cost structure, you will, most likely, need to raise some form of funding. If you have the luxury of doing so, always look for assistance from family or friends, who may offer interest-free loans, but remember your commitment to them is just as great as obtaining formal finance.

You other options then are to:

Form a conglomerate of family, friends, and small investors to all input a smaller amount, until you have your required capital. This is called ‘Crowdfunding.’

 

Appeal to bankers for a business loan

 

Appeal to any local ‘small business’ start-up funding association

 

Talk to an ‘Angel’ investor. In this case, it is better to ensure it is an investor with knowledge of and experience in your industry

Get the right trucks for the job

We will cover this more extensively in the ‘Vehicles’ cornerstone in part 2 of part of this article, but remember that FAW trucks offer any trucking business the best possible option if they choose to purchase new or used vehicles.

Contact us or go to our website to find a dealership near you and find out about our incredible range of tried and tested top quality freight carriers, truck tractors, tippers and mixers, which come standard with competitive warranties, 24hr roadside assistance and are built in South Africa for Africa.

Make 2020 your best year ever as you get your new trucking business off the ground and let FAW partner with you all the way to the top!

The South African trucking industry has long been the most advanced in the transport and logistics sector for Southern Africa. Still, just as major trucking role players like FAW manufacturers and distributors have already spread their footprint into the rest of Africa, we believe many others will follow in 2020.

Investors see trucking as a burgeoning industry throughout many parts of Africa, and the new decade will open up many financial opportunities for the key industry role players.

The Financial point of view

In a still relevant PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) article released a few years ago, Klaus-Dieter Ruske, PwC Transportation & Logistics Global Leader had this to say: “As Africa has risen to prominence as an investment destination over the past few years, so the role of transportation and logistics has taken on greater significance.”

He went on to say in the same report “Whether moving resources off the continent or bringing goods and services into its burgeoning economies, Africa’s future growth and development will depend on the quality of its infrastructure and the efficiency of its transport networks.”

Did we pull it off?

South Africa had to take the lead here, and their input was so vital. Even though we were ranked the “best logistics performer on the continent,” according to the 2013 Logistics Performance Index, we still today reduce the strength of our infrastructural capabilities with generally low projected annual financial growth.

Some other African countries, however, have shown high projected annual growth, and it is based around this that investors and role players have continued to grow this vital industry throughout the continent. 

Has significant change taken place?

Even back then, Ruske warned that “Smart investing in Africa means investors need to understand key regions and local markets. If they decide to expand in Africa, they will need a solid long-term strategy. The continent needs better transport infrastructure, more connectivity across borders and an improved business environment to reach its potential.”

The FAW example

We believe South Africa, in partnership with neighbouring territories, have greatly achieved this and will continue to do so going into 2020 and the next decade.

FAW is committed to ongoing expansion into the emerging markets of Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia and Botswana to entrench FAW Vehicle Manufacturers SA (PTY) Ltd as a major distribution hub for trucks and parts on the African subcontinent.

As an industry, we believe we can continue to grow, and FAW will continue to be one of the transport and logistics industry role models in the future. Contact us or visit a dealer near you, whether you are here …or somewhere in Africa, as we keep growing.

Have blessed holidays – and be safe on the roads! We need you all to help us continue to spread our African footprint in 2020 – and beyond!