Trouble-shooting is part of the deal

For a road freight firm specialisng in cross-border transport since the 1970s, wisdom learned from millions of kilometres travelled between countries is worth a listen. One bit of advice offered by Sikelela Vilakati, managing director of Chrisilda Transport, is for operations managers of road haulage firms to be prepared to rush to the scene of an emergency. “You never know when something may happen, even on a route you drive every day for years without a problem,” said Vilakati, recalling how recently he had no alternative but to drop what he was doing and go to Maputo when Mozambican customs for some inexplicable reason impounded a truck. “Thank goodness it wasn’t perishables,” said Vilakati, whose main commodity to Maputo now is the importation of soft drink bottles used by Coca-Cola. From its base at the Matsapha Industrial Estate in central Swaziland, Chrisilda’s fleet of 34 cross-border trucks fans out to Lesotho to deliver food aid for the World Food Programme, as well as doing the regular Maputo runs. Trucks ferry goods daily to and from Johannesburg and Durban, and ply a plethora of other SA routes. Occasionally, a customer requests road service to or from Botswana. “It’s important to handle problems the moment they arise. You don’t make money if the wheels aren’t moving,” said Vilakati.