Reliability trumps rates in transport game

Keeping ever-increasing costs at bay while improving delivery times remains the challenge for the consolidation industry in Botswana. According to Rudi Nagel, business development manager for Express Cartage, a Gaboroneheadquartered business that provides consolidation transport services to hundreds of retailers throughout Botswana, competitive pricing, on-time collections and deliveries, documentation management and constant feedback are key for customers. “Most retailers in Botswana source their supplies from South Africa and the cost of this transportation directly impacts the cost of products,” said Nagel. “Keeping these costs down is a critical element of all retailers’ supply chain strategies, which is evident from the high number of express cross-border transporters in Botswana.” But reliability is the game-changer, in his view. “The loss of a sale could impact revenues far more than a cheap and nasty rate. I believe retailers’ thinking is becoming more focused on quality and reliability which forces service providers to go the extra mile,” said Nagel. The company has significantly increased capacity to handle higher volumes from South Africa to Botswana and has also improved its clearing process to reduce unnecessary delays. “The greatest challenge faced by any cross-border transporter is border delays,” says Nagel. “With an average of around 40% of all time and resources consumed by border procedures and standing time at the borders it’s crucial for express service providers to continuously streamline operations to maintain their competitive advantage.” CAPTION Most retailers in Botswana source their supplies from South Africa and the cost of this transportation directly impacts the cost of products.