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The trend among large transport operations to hand over the ownership of their vehicles to their drivers has met with varying degrees of success. A common cause of failure in the owner-drive arena is the absence of sound business skills and financing support to purchase new vehicles. Attending the hand-over of twenty Mercedes Benz Axor mixers and Atego tippers to ready-mix concrete and aggregate giant Lafarge, Paul Collings discovers how the company has succeeded in empowering hundreds of previous employees (drivers) and new BEE transport operations. 

Len Yarlett is the regional manager of Lafarge's East Coast operations that encompasses an area stretching from East London to Richards Bay and inland to Pietermaritzburg. "The decision to start selling company vehicles to employees began in the late 80s," says Yarlett. "The rationale was to optimise transport expenditure and increase productivity of our mixers. We now have 114 mixers working on a daily basis in the region, all privately owned." 

Yarlett points out that sub-contracted LODs (lorry owner-drivers) own the truck tractor but not the mixer, which belongs to Lafarge. "It's a structure that ensures we have a reliable fleet," he says. "I currently have 20 LODs on contract with fleets ranging from one or two vehicles to fifteen. A fleet of twelve vehicles is perfect for me, not too big so that the tail starts wagging the dog and not too small that the operation struggles to sustain itself."

Loyalty
The deal was put together by Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicles, DaimlerChrysler Services (Mobility Solutions) and the NMI/DSM Riverhorse Valley dealership. According to Kobus van Zyl, director - sales, DC Services: "We've sold close to 100 vehicles for Lafarge this year. We supplied their first owner-driver with a new vehicle several years ago and it's been a very successful relationship based on the Mobility Solutions 'all-in-one' package. We finance the deal ourselves and structure the package in such a way that payments match the driver's income stream. It's a very hands-on approach that helps the operator manage the business."

One of the LODs present at the hand-over was Sanjay Ramadhar of Southbound Trucking who operates 15 vehicles for Lafarge. "The demand for concrete has increased dramatically," he says. "The construction sector is booming and obviously there's a demand for more mixers and tippers." 

Ramadhar says his company only runs Mercs and has had a close relationship with both head office and dealership representatives of MBCV for 15 years. "There's a very high wear factor on mixers," he says. "Lots of idling and gear changing take their toll so we service our vehicles once a month." The reason for the longevity of the relationship is "because they've proven themselves over time not to let us down," he says.

Training
Running a fleet of readymix trucks is not a simple exercise, explains Yarlett. "Drivers need to be trained how to handle concrete, to recognise different grades, how to recognise a 'slump', as well as how to negotiate the terrain found in typical construction sites. Readymix is time critical and a quick response to breakdowns is crucial to prevent the concrete from setting and spoiling. We put all drivers through a two-week in-cab training course and a further induction programme. We also run annual refresher courses. The Lafarge livery is prominent on all the trucks and in keeping with our corporate image, we supply drivers with uniforms and hard hats. We also have an annual driver competition."

Monitoring
The operational management of the trucks rests in the hands of Lafarge. All trucks have two-way radio communications with the Lafarge control room co-ordinating the movement of concrete and aggregate from plant and quarry to site.

"A mixer carries six cubic metres of concrete and we aim to have each truck carry 24 cubic metres per day with an average return trip being 22 kms," says Yarlett. "The vehicles are also fitted with an on-board computer which records driving patterns, idling durations etc. We explain to drivers that these units are not there to act as policemen but rather as 'silent witnesses' that can clear them of blame in the event of an accident."

Building together
Yarlett has been in the readymix game since the 1960s and clearly knows what makes an efficient concrete transport operation.

"When demand for our products increases," he says, "we build from within with our existing LODs. With Mobility Solutions as a partner, we can continue to empower our transport operators by assisting them in expanding their fleets and giving them a steady stream of work."

It's all working for all.

Kobus van Zyl, Richard Mantengu (The Three Musketeers transport), David Bufton (sales manager Riverhorse Valley dealership) and Len Yarlett. Mantengu, who hails from Alton near Richards Bay, recalls how in 2002 he was working as a labourer, cleaning out the mixer drums at the local Lafarge depot when he and his two close friends (together known as 'The Three Musketeers') were given the opportunity to become owner-drivers. They started with two trucks and now run a fleet of six vehicles and employ five drivers servicing projects such as a Basil Read civil engineering contract at the Richards Bay harbour. "This has certainly transformed my family's life but I haven't allowed it to go to my head," he says. He adds that his son, Bongiseni, who already has a heavy-duty driver's license, is currently studying accounting so that he can help in administration of the growing enterprise.

Mixer units courtesy TFM

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