Containing ever-increasing
costs remains a major
focus for transporters in
Botswana, says Kevin Lees,
managing director of Truckhire.
“Being a landlocked country,
just about all of our freight moves
on road. Logistics costs remain
extremely high and containing costs
is high on the agenda.”
This is not always an easy
task, he said, as transporters are
continuously faced with increased
costs – be it new permits or fees
that have to be paid or the everincreasing
fuel price.
“Also delays at the ports and the
border posts have a major impact as
standing trucks waiting to be loaded
or to cross into a country are not
making money.”
For Lees it is therefore important
to ensure that operations are
efficient.
“Our costs continue to rise but it is
becoming more difficult to recover
the costs as rates just don’t hold up.
Finding ways of keeping costs down
is therefore central to remaining
viable in this highly competitive
industry.”
He said in Botswana, where more
and more small operators were
opening businesses, it was becoming
more difficult.
“Cheap but old trucks from
the UK are being dumped in the
market. These grey import trucks
mean it is easy for someone to start
up a transport business – and as
they carry limited overheads rates
are driven down, impacting heavily
on the market.”
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Kevin Lees and Amogelang Bagele Basoli of Truckhire ... focus on efficiency.
