RFA rolls out range of useful ‘value-adds’

Starter kit available for new entrants JOY ORLEK THE ROAD Freight Association is in the process of reinventing itself to provide a far wider range of services, appealing particularly to the needs of smaller operators. “Until now SMMEs have not been given the opportunity to get into the industry. A lot of them are keen, but don’t have the necessary information. “We have put together a starter kit which provides information on access to finance, information on business principles, different types of contracts, and a range of other useful and practical information,” says acting CEO Sharmini Naidoo. “We don’t provide them with contracts, but we facilitate linkages through our business portal which was launched earlier this year. Essentially it’s a load-matching facility that gives members access to available business.” SMMEs have been a key focus of the association, which has seen more than 85 emerging operators joining up between June 05-06. Its current membership stands at 530 companies. “We get between 8 to 10 SMMEs joining us every month and we hold weekly workshops to introduce them to our services. There’s a lot the RFA can offer that smaller companies would not be able to access on their own – for example medical insurance, short term insurance and funeral plans which are a lot cheaper because we are able to utilise our collective bargaining power to negotiate better rates.” On an operational level the RFA has a lot to offer in terms of costing. “It’s something smaller operators often don’t understand. We provide a costing schedule which is used by various operators for various purposes. “Some use it to negotiate increases while for others it provides information on basic cost elements of different vehicles. “Ten honours students are currently researching the model, incorporating factors like tyre prices, trailer prices and vehicle prices, and a new document will be launched in due course.” Industry training is also a key focus. “We’ve just run a dangerous goods course which was very well received and have had an enormous response to our upcoming wage agreement seminar. A risk management course is also planned for September.” These are not only useful add-ons for its members, but also revenue-generating. “The lobbying doesn’t generate income but it is our core offering. The challenge is how to generate revenue, and that's the fine balancing act we face."