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Past Issues

June 2005

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TRITON’S livery is very striking on the new Isuzu fleet.  TRITON’S (main pic) new warehouse at Longmeadow is designed around 1st world express-freight principles with an eye on future growth.

When there have been so many road transport failures and margins appear to be so thin without double-digit inflation pushing profits along, why is it that some companies are still growing and enjoying road transport? Ask any bank - it's one of the most competitive and risky enterprises for investment. There have been some spectacular, headline-grabbing failures in the past few years and many smaller bankruptcies that one never hears of. "So what makes the difference between failure and success in trucking," asks FleetWatch correspondent Dave Scott who finds the answer in Triton Express?

Success is far more than a 'juicy' rate and large cash flows that reliable new vehicles create. Just-in-time (JIT), just-in-sequence (JIS) and proof of delivery (POD) are a few key drivers of sound road transport operations in today's world. This means that the trucks we see are purely a physical delivery mechanism for a much bigger picture that has many important competencies surrounding a fleet. It's all about what management guru, McKinsey, described years ago as the 7 key business 'S' factors - strategy, systems, skills, structures, staff, style and shared values.

Style and shared values are essentially the ruling culture but today you must add an 8th 'S' factor - software. All successful businesses rely on robust software in today's world. In fact, it's sometimes difficult to define whether the IT business is a predominant competency or the original operations that gave birth to a company.

But of course, it all starts with attitude - a capital A. If one looks back at great trucking companies and current operations that remain at the cutting edge, a hands-on entrepreneurial spirit started it all. In most cases, transport starts off with an owner-driver and a few second hand vehicles - like Ernest Pieterse of the Southern Star Group.

Southern Star ferry operations began with a few drivers and a VW Kombi with Ernest personally driving his Kombi through all weather conditions for a few years. Or even Des Bolton, who drove his first truck that still remains in its glasshouse at Cargo Carriers. Triton Express is no different today - it began in Durban in 1987 with a bank overdraft, 10 poorly maintained trucks and a challenge to turn the business around in six months or go bust. Sounds familiar doesn't it? That's where attitude (A) kicks in.
 

Culture - unseen - is the key
The focus is on fuel, tyres, drivers and transport's operational details to the extent that culture is very often overlooked. Culture is the outcome of an attitude that flows from the top. "It's what we do," as somebody said, "when there's no one there to tell us what to do." That's why some fleets are permanently dirty - it's just culturally acceptable. 

First impressions are lasting. Triton's 8000m2 Longmeadow warehouse, the biggest of nine branches, is spotless, including the over 110-strong truck fleet. Everyone is well dressed and everything about the operation suggests that they really try to adhere to the promise of goods delivered intact, an absence of pilferage, statements on time, and proof-of-delivery (POD) with every single delivery. And corporate bodies please take note that Triton's switchboard opens at 07h00 every day- that's customer accessibility for you!

A back-to-basics campaign at Triton is forcing managers, wearing 'back-to-basics' T-shirts, to spend a day in every aspect of the business and share their findings with each other. In transport it's the basics that really count, so a culture of attending to the fundamentals and not the nice-to-have issues has a very positive effect. 

A Triton customer-centric culture is developed through VOC groups - 'Voice-Of-Customer'. Customer complaints are logged while missed collections are recorded, analysed and action taken. The objective is to treat customers with complete transparency using track-'n-trace systems that allow Triton to inform clients up-front of any consignment delays. This has a knock effect on Triton's suppliers that expects service and goods to be delivered to the same standard that Triton provides its clients.
 

A clearly definable strategy
How many transport operations have a clear strategic intent? Is it a case of general cargo and doing a bit of everything? It's not like that at Triton - they're strictly not into dangerous goods (DG) as their time-driven business has no leeway to fiddle with the complexities that DG laws impose. Transport's kiss of death is to be a little bit of everything to everybody - it simply translates into the lowest tariff. 

Triton defines its business as 'express freight', meaning that they in 'time sensitive' goods but not the parcel business. At a transport rate exceeding 24 000 unit deliveries every month, with an average consignment at 250kg, Triton moves six million freight kilograms monthly - impressive stuff! And they don't want to run cross-border because of the irrecoverable delays that transporters experience. Nor does Triton deliver to chain store groups, the cause of massive time losses with idle trucks waiting to discharge cargo. Time is indeed precious.

It's clear - the strategy is time management at Triton. In fact, time management, IT skills and transport operations are all so strong they almost seem to overlap to vie for dominant position in the company.

"Don't chase turnover at the wrong rates," says Eric Corbishley, joint MD. "Rather, chase client service. And it's got to be consistent service at that. Anybody can deliver by 08h00 on the first or second promise but to match this day in and day out is the challenge. And when you cannot match your promises, keep your client informed."

Fleet strategy is aimed at maintaining a low average age profile. Line-haul artics are run up to three years and 750 000kms while local freight carriers come up for replacement in four years. The outcome is a very reliable fleet. The addition of 12 new N & F-Series Isuzu - the first Isuzu trucks at Triton - gives effect to this strategy. 
 

 

Make people count for something
The biggest hooey in today's corporate world is the statement that 'our people are our greatest asset'. It's unavoidable that corporate change, restructuring and survival will cause staff casualties but aside from that, it's how people are treated, communicated with and recognised that at least acknowledges the 'people asset' factor. I have seen really competent trucking people being treated with impersonal disdain in companies that needed to retain the services of their staff cast-offs. People count well behind managed accounts that make shareholders happy.

In South African transport, drivers seem to be the last in the food chain but not so at Triton. There are incentives linked to fuel usage, cleanliness and tyre maintenance. And there are large bonuses awarded for reaching 1 and 2 million kilometre accident free targets. Truck driving is a respected and well paid job at Triton - in terms of Employment Equity, the split is 50/50 black and white drivers. The atmosphere at Triton is that people actually want to work there.

Triton is also not blind to the AIDS threat and is assisting its staff in managing the pandemic. The good news is that they are not experiencing AIDS related deaths but health issues are coming through in terms of absenteeism.

The entrepreneurship spirit that Triton's joint managing directors Roger Lees and Eric Corbishley brought to road transport in 1987 has survived the worst inflation, economic and political climates that can be thrown at a South African road transport company. It's generally accepted that joint leadership situations are known to fail and this one thrives. Why? A culture of trust and enduring friendship between Triton's leaders combines with a division of expertise that allows Lees to concentrate on administration while Corbishley focuses on operational excellence. The two partners also keep abreast by attending the Annual Council of Logistics Management convention in the USA.

What is it that makes for consistent success at Triton? It's not the trucks or the tariff, the hardware or the software but the culture. It sounds so soppy and intangible but it's true. The chief executive of South West Airlines in the USA was once asked if he did not think that his amazingly successful business was very vulnerable as anyone could copy it. His retort in a few words was worth noting: "Anyone can copy my prices and the visible aspects of my business but I defy anyone to copy my culture!"

So you can be successful, but...