Self-reliance is key for Botswana truckers

Successful transport operators in Botswana have to be selfreliant, says Gerald van Zyl, managing director of Bolders Transport. “One would not survive otherwise as the areas covered are vast, very rural and with no support systems.” With trucks travelling some 1000km to the Zambian and other borders, maintenance is especially important, says Van Zyl. “The only real centres where truck repairs are performed are in Gaborone and in Francistown. It takes time to reach a broken-down vehicle, see what is wrong and then get the part to fix it. It is important that operators are able to deal with such crises efficiently and quickly.” With a round trip from Gaborone to Kasane or Maun being in the region of 2000km, it can easily become a logistical nightmare should anything go wrong. According to Van Zyl, continuous vehicle maintenance is paramount even though roads in the country are considered to be in extremely good condition compared to other neighbouring countries. “The government has been very committed to upgrading and repairing roads, with major work currently under way on the road between Gaborone and the Thlokweng border post.” Van Zyl says planning is just as important for operators as they need to ensure they always have enough fuel and are able to meet deadlines on time.