Consistency and managing risks to ensure service levels are helping Quality Airfreight Services and Road Specialists to continue to grow. They are also the reasons behind the company keeping its name, although airfreight has been replaced by a fleet of over 20 Mercedes Sprinters, two eightton trucks and a 15 metre cool truck, running six days a week between Cape Town and Windhoek and Gauteng and Windhoek. “We started 14 years ago as an airfreight company between Cape Town and Windhoek, but the needs have changed,” says Steve Leukes, the Windhoek-based partner who opened the Gauteng-Namibia route six years ago. Learning – often the hard way – as the business has grown, he and partner Gary Slamet have built their success by focusing on what they do best – transporting goods between Cape Town and Gauteng and Windhoek. At present, the exception is the cool truck, which takes fresh fish from Walvis Bay to Gauteng and returns with dry goods ranging from spare parts to glass, clothing, computers and ships’ spares. The company offers a full pick-up and delivery service between the centres, with contracted couriers in Gauteng and Cape Town having their own dedicated areas. “We decided to use contractors because we wanted to empower some of our employees. “We offered them vehicles and dedicated routes because we were convinced that this would result in increased service levels.” Leukes says it was decided to use a fleet of Sprinter-type vehicles, which can take up to 2.3 tons, rather than a single 24-ton truck, because of the greater flexibility the smaller vehicles offer. They can leave at different times, and then double as delivery vehicles in town when needed. Space on the vehicles is sold at wholesale prices to other South African and Namibian couriers who prefer not to run their own fleets. At the border, the trucks are met by representatives from the company’s own clearance agency. Having this facility at the border post means that any problems can be sorted out quickly, ensuring that there are no long delays, he says. All cargo is fully insured as part of the fee. “We found that insurance was the last place you wanted to save. We also found that many shippers tried to save on insurance, which was fine until there was a loss. So, we decided to include insurance in the package to provide everyone with peace of mind,” he says. Having the smaller vehicles has also made it possible to offer a Saturday delivery service for products such as flowers, emergency mining equipment and vehicle parts, which was needed in Windhoek. As for the name. “We have a good brand, and have built the company from zero to one of the top two volume-wise on the routes we operate,” he says.
