Rates drive transport industry, but delivery is vital

With importers and exporters feeling the economic pinch, there is increased emphasis on price in the domestic transport industry, to the detriment of standards and service delivery, says Nadir Moosa, managing director of Onelogix Projex. “Quality and service no longer mean much in today’s reality and there are so many new entrants to the market who lower their rates just to get the business. To retain our competitive edge, we have to ensure that we offer exceptional rates as well, but back that up with superior service delivery,” said Moosa. The company has adopted a four-pronged approach – focusing on growing its fleet of trucks, offering a cargo handling service, investing in technology, and growing its in-house skills base. “The challenges of operating a road transport operation in this current economic climate have made us very focused on growing and developing our key strengths in an effort to remain profitable,” he said. The company is aggressively marketing itself to new clients but is also “working around the clock” to retain its current customer base. “Reliable, fast, costeffective and safe delivery is non-negotiable in this competitive climate,” Moosa said. Meeting service delivery demands requires having the right staff with the right skills, he believes. Onelogix Projex has put a learnership programme in place to groom school leavers for a career in the transport industry. “We also drive skills development internally and made a significant investment in staff study bursaries in the 2012/2013 financial year,” he said. The company has also invested in tracking and monitoring technology (including DriveCam) which allows it to minimise its clients’ risk. “Technology systems around the industry are going to play an increasingly important role as clients demand more control and ongoing feedback,” he said. CAPTION Nadir Moosa … ‘significant investment in staff study bursaries.’