It's all about personal service

For Ka Go 2 Go and Cargo 2 Congo it’s
not about being the biggest.
“It’s rather about being the best and
offering the best service levels,” say brothers
Richard and Gary Hall – Richard heads up Ka
Go 2 Go while Gary is responsible for Cargo 2
Congo.
And when it comes to Africa, being the best
means knowing your way around, and having
the infrastructure in place and the people on
hand to ensure that if there’s a problem it’s
speedily addressed and dealt with.
Ka Go 2 Go was set up three years ago
through the buy-out of an existing company.
“At that stage we were running with
subcontractors and had only two of our own
vehicles,” said Richard.
The fleet has since increased to 20 vehicles
ranging from a 350kg bakkie to Superlinks –
and everything in between.
Four 10 tonners run an emergency express
service to the region.
“This year a lot of clients have been running
their stocks very close to the line and this can
have devastating effects should they have a few
simultaneous breakdowns and that's where we
come in – we can have vital goods cleared and
on the Copperbelt in two to three days,” says
Richard.
“We used to send one or two a month – that’s
now up to five or six.”
And while last year’s recessive climate
translated into a fairly slow year all round, this
year has been remarkable.
In fact April was the company’s best ever
month.
With volumes growing, the company has its
own expansion plans – among them to establish
a dedicated office in Lusaka. “We try to run a
dedicated vehicle to Lusaka once a week, and
are keen to increase the frequency.
“We’re also looking at extending our services
into Tanzania in the not too distant future.”
Ka Go 2 Go is clearly a company on the
move, and a big part of its successful growth
strategy is related to personal service.
“It’s our biggest drawcard,” says Richard,
“knowing the person on the other end of the
phone and having faith in his ability to move
your cargo quickly and efficiently.”
Another big drawcard is Ka Go 2 Go’s
distribution facility – Cross Loading – in
Chingola,
“Speeding up truck turnaround, reducing
damage to cargo and providing a more
streamlined operation for clients was the
motivation behind its launch – and our customers
are reaping the benefits,” says Richard.
Cargo 2 Congo built its business on project
cargo.
And four years since its launch it has built up a
fleet of 50 trucks – 40 triaxles and 10 Superlinks
– as well as a large subcontractor base.
While the recession led to a downturn in
project cargo business, it also created new
opportunities – for Cargo 2 Congo it was
diversification into consolidations.
And that’s taken off brilliantly, says Gary.
“A lot of clients who were sending two
truckloads a month now only have 10 to 20
tons of cargo on the floor – so to service them
and keep a few more vehicles busy we took on
consolidations.
“It’s been an excellent move and we’re
already seeing an increase in volumes.
“And it’s a service we will continue to offer
once project cargo picks up again.”
Gary is in full agreement on the success
formula for Africa.
“You need to know your way around, have
the right contacts on the ground, and the
infrastructure in place.”
Through its association with Cross Loading,
which has a mechanic on hand 24 hours a day,
any truck breakdowns can be speedily dealt with.
And that makes the difference if you’re
looking at mitigating delays.
In the end, says Gary, it’s all about service.
“When we started we were always going
to make sure that we did the basics correctly
before looking at expansion – and it’s a
philosophy that has paid off handsomely.
“Our loyal customer base is the best
endorsement that any operator could hope for.”