For Warren Erfmann,
CEO Africa DSV, there
are three defining
elements that have
shaped the logistics industry as
it is today – the advent of the
salesman, containerisation and
computerisation.
He recalls the early days of
the industry when clearing and
forwarding
agents acted
only when they
received a set
of documents,
and their job
was done
when
they
received confirmation that the
cargo had been railed.
All the agents belonged
to SASAFA (South African
Shipping and Forwarding
Agents Association), which in its
day was an extremely powerful
association, and virtually
without fail all clearing and
forwarding agents applied
the tariff dictated by
SASAFA. Agency was
7.1% of disbursements,
plus tonnage agency,
plus B/L fee, plus
documentation, plus
a disbursement fee
of 3%. Compare
that tariff to what
is being offered out
there today!
“There were
no salesmen and
there was virtually no movement
of customers from one agent
to another. In fact it was an
unwritten law that permission
would have to be obtained from
SASAFA for an agent to take
on another’s customer. Can you
imagine that happening today?”
“The introduction of the
salesperson was good and bad,”
says Erfmann. “Bad from the
point of view that they undercut
rates, which regretfully is still
endemic in our industry today
– but good from the point of
view that we suddenly realised
that there was something called
“service” in our industry.
“We finally understood that
in order to survive we had
to provide a value-added,
competitive service ... and
we started to think as freight
forwarders, not clearing and
forwarding agents.
“Whatever the future holds
we will always be in the people
business. Remember people move
freight – not trains, planes or
ships – they are merely a means
of conveyance.”
INSERT & CAPTION
It was an unwritten law that
permission would have to be
obtained from SASAFA for an
agent to take on another’s
customer. Can you imagine
that happening today?
– Warren Erfmann
