Let the present government learn from the past

FOR MANY years FleetWatch has tried, in many different ways, to elevate the status and image of our truck drivers. Although we have enjoyed a large measure of success in our aims - even so far as to being recognized by many operators and the unions for our proactive stance on this issue - there is still a long way to go. It is thus we, along with some like-minded partners, have embarked on an innovative project to draw attention to the plight of South Africa's truck drivers. The cover story, which starts on page 11, details the project and we urge you all to read it, think about what we're trying to do and then act to affect improvements in whatever way you can within your sphere of influence. And if that sphere extends only into giving a friendly wave instead of angry curse at the next truck driver you see out there sharing the road with you, then so be it. That wave is positive and it's enough. If you can go further, then please do. Go as far as you can to implement change. 

The reason for us throwing our weight behind championing the plight of the truck driver is, I must stress, not motivated by some philanthropic, bleeding heart-type sense of purpose. Sure we are of the opinion that the truck drivers of South Africa have never been afforded the true recognition they deserve. They have never been widely recognized for the vital role they play not only in keeping the wheels of our economy turning but also in enhancing the lives of each and every South African. It is a fraternity we believe has been - and still is - taken for granted, and that irks us. However, there is a more pragmatic reason for us pushing for wider recognition of the driver as a professional person. It lies in the simple fact that South Africa is suffering a driver shortage that is getting worse and worse, especially given the fact that our driver ranks are being depleted as a result of HIV/AIDS - and no new entrants to talk about are being attracted to the profession. It was many years ago - in fact soon after FleetWatch was launched - that we warned that AIDS would have a devastating effect on the trucking industry if left to run its destructive course without interventions. We were right. Given that the role of the truck driver is crucial to the well being of any country's economy, this is serious stuff we're talking about. However, the seriousness of the situation has still not been fully recognized and acted on, not by many operators and certainly not by Government who I think has never given a second thought to what a truck driver shortage would do to the growth prospects of this country. 

Let me point out to our Government that although we have thankfully left the apartheid era way behind us, they can learn one big lesson from the previous Government regarding the stance that should be taken on the trucking industry. Although for entirely the wrong reasons, namely to entrench the apartheid system, when the previous government saw sanctions coming, it acted fast to put in place infrastructure that would ensure the wheels of the economy would keep rolling - albeit it only internally. They put in place the Atlantis Diesel Engines facility which would ensure that farm tractors, road graders, commercial vehicles and military vehicles would keep rolling. The ADE facility manufactured many thousands of engines for many thousands of vehicles and it certainly served its purpose during its tenure. Of course, when sanctions were lifted, ADE closed it doors as it was no longer needed. The wheels of the economy would once again be serviced from overseas suppliers. The point is that the previous Government saw the trucking industry as an essential sector and gave it priority attention when implementing their dumb policies. They realized that nothing would happen without the trucks being able to roll. Admittedly a lot of their thinking was motivated by military needs but the commercial sector also came into the picture. Thank goodness that's all gone now and the supply side of the industry is now healthier than it has ever been before. What is not healthy, however, is the driver shortage facing the industry. The long term effects of this will, to quote a well known member of the previous government since we're talking of them here, "be too ghastly to contemplate". Despite this fact - and please take it as a fact - the terrifying thing is that no-one in government is taking any action to prevent the sure chaos that is coming our way. We need to raise the image of the truck driver so as to attract newcomers into the industry and a focused concerted effort is needed to do this. Thus our project which we have embarked on - ironically using the same facilities built by the previous government to test their military vehicles. The purpose of Gerotek then was to spread chaos. Our use of it is to prevent chaos.

But it's not only the government and general public who pay scant regard to our truck drivers. Many transport operators themselves still treat their drivers as expendables and this despite the fact that it is those same drivers in whose hands the assets of the company - often worth millions of Rand - are entrusted on a daily basis. Many operators would argue that this is not true but here's the litmus test: Your customer needs his goods urgently. The rig is loaded and the driver, on conducting a pre-trip inspection on his vehicle, finds a number of faults with which he is not happy. Does he have the authority to prevent that rig from leaving the depot until the faults are fixed, or is he told to ignore the faults and just deliver the goods? Be honest in your answer Mr Operator! Please just be honest. Then act on your answer, whatever it is, to affect improvements. It's in your own long-term interest to do so. Most important is that it is also in the interests of your drivers who really are your main assets. Not so! Well read the story on page 11 combined with what we'll be publishing in our next issue and then make the judgement call. And we'd love for you to tell us once you've made that call. 

Patrick O'Leary
Managing Editor