Major progress in transformation at Cargo Carriers

Cargo Carriers has increased its BBBEE score from a Level 7 to a Level 4 logistics service provider in the past four years, marketing director Andre van Vuuren told FTW. The logistics and supply chain industry is placing increased focus on transformation and the company’s long-term plan has been to raise its BEE score, not just for the sake of compliance, but in order to win more business and create a greater capacity for growth, he said. “In order to do this, years ago Cargo Carriers formed a BEE committee to launch the company into a new age of compliance.” The reason for the increased score has a lot to do with skills and enterprise development programmes, as well as a commitment to social development in the communities in which the company operates, said Van Vuuren. “The company promotes education, training, employment equity, and the creation and mentoring of small businesses in order to make a lasting contribution to the industry. These programmes have been put in place both for compliance and the overall good it does for the business and for the country.” Skills development was by far Cargo Carriers’ most improved score, rising from 5.6 in 2010 to 15, the maximum amount of points that can be awarded. “In terms of equitybased empowerment,” says Boitumelo Choche, group audit and risk manager, “we have set up and now support a number of ownerdriver businesses, and have established several industryfocused and empowered businesses with previously disadvantaged industry participants.” Through various social development programmes, the company achieved the maximum of five points in the socio-economic development section of the scorecard. This was done through a contribution to HIV testing and mobile clinics for all staff.