If the question 'is the road transport industry in a healthy state' is asked of anyone involved in road transport today, the answer will most probably be NO! But how many who voice such an opinion pause to consider the reasons? Jack Webster, FleetWatch correspondent on legislation and a man who had been intimately involved with this industry over the past 40 years, puts forwards his views.

Get back to basics... keep legal and safe on the road

It has been said, and it is true, that there is no commodity in use today which has not at some time been transported by road between source and destination whether as raw material or a manufactured product. Leading on from this, it is also true that a healthy road transport industry makes for a healthy general economy. If it be true that the industry is not healthy, then surely it is time to examine the reasons why and to inject some cure for the sickness!

Transport, any mode, can be likened to the human body, if it is looked after and treated well it will perform efficiently and successfully, but if neglected and not cared for, will become sick and unable to perform the services expected of it.

Prior to the deregulation of the transportation of goods by road, the permit system was blamed for the high cost of the conveyance of goods by road but by the enactment of the Transport Deregulation Act (Act No. 80 of 1988), this reason was eliminated, and yet now over 10 years later, other reasons are being advanced as to why the Road transport industry is not in good shape.

It is therefore pertinent that some of these reasons be analysed with a view to finding solutions and regaining the health of the Road transport industry.

Firstly, it is an accepted fact that no industry can function efficiently and successfully unless it has rules, regulations and standards which must be respected and observed by all involved, and enforced.

Since the deregulation of Road Transport of goods by road, control shifted from a commodity and quantity system to a qualify system (RTQS) which was intended to improve the quality of the Industry, but it is no secret that it has proved a dismal failure.

The roadworthiness of vehicles is generally at a low ebb in spite of vehicle testing stations being graded and registered and vehicle examiners certificated and registered. But it is well known that there are many cases where certificates of roadworthiness are issued without the vehicles being examined or even presented at a testing station.

Industry not blameless

But the industry is not blameless. There are many operators who do not accept their responsibility to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy condition.

Maintain vehicles and keep roadworthy!

Enforcement of the roadworthy standards hardly exists in spite of the Road Traffic Act providing for the cancellation of an operator's registration if his vehicles are frequently found to be unroadworthy, and this can be done administratively without going to court and securing a conviction - but it is never done and what is the result? - Accidents, often fatal, caused by unroadworthy vehicles.

Furthermore, after an accident, the cause is so often attributed to "the brakes failed" or "a tyre burst", but a full technical investigation is seldom ever carried out.

Driving licences and professional driving permits are also a cause of concern and again fingers can be pointed in all directions.

The new codes of licences were designed to eliminate forged licences and the PrDP was to be an improvement on the old PDP but as long as there are drivers who are prepared to "buy" a licence and officials who are prepared to "sell" licences and PrDPs, the game goes on, and operators are not exercising enough care in checking the validity of their drivers' licences.

A further cause for concern is the hours which drivers work and again the responsibility rests with both operators and drivers - the operator needs to get maximum utilisation of his vehicles and many operators push their drivers to drive for long hours and work many days without a break, and drivers welcome the opportunity to earn more money as they are paid according to how long they work and how many kilometres they drive. This situation leads to driver fatigue which is a major cause of accidents involving the human element.

Control that fuel

It has already been said that a healthy road transport industry makes for a healthy general economy and that the cost of road transport materially influences the real cost of most commodities. Therefore, the cost of operating a road transport operation becomes a major issue and the recent exorbitant increases in the cost of diesel fuel is blamed for the high cost of road transport. Sure the cost of fuel has a significant influence (around 32% - and rising) on the total cost of an operation - the operator does not control the price of diesel fuel but the operator and the driver can control how the fuel is used.

A typical example will explain: Two seven-axle Interlink combinations travel from Durban to Johannesburg, each carrying three six metre ISO containers. The gross mass of No. 1 combination is the legal maximum of 56 tons and the maximum road speed is 80 km/h, giving an average of 60 km/h for the 10 hour trip, and the average power demand is 130 kW.

The second combination is overloaded and the gross mass is 65 tons (16% overload) and the maximum road speed is 100 km giving an average road speed of 75 km/h for the 8 hour trip, and the average power demand is 195 kW.

The difference is 65 kW and the difference in average road speed is 15 km/h. The difference in the payload is 43 - 34 = 9 tons. The distance travelled is 600 km : Durban - Johannesburg. The cost of diesel fuel is R3.37 litres.

It is now possible to calculate the fuel cost of the two combinations. (Fuel consumption is given in litres/100 km). (Refer Table 1)

An important ingredient is training... needed for a complete recovery

It must be emphasised that these figures are theoretical. The specific fuel consumption is taken from the full load power curves, as part load curves are not available. But the figures are relative. Using the same formula, it can be shown that the position in terms of the cost of fuel per ton carried if the payload remains at 34 tons and the speed is increased to 100km/h (75 average) the cost of fuel per ton carried would be R35.6/ton and, if the speed remains at 80 km/h maximum (60 average) and the payload in increased to 43 tons, the cost of fuel will be R27.30

These figures reveal the negative effect of speeding on economical fuel usage. The advantage of overloading is theoretical and is only apparent if the speed is controlled.

This exercise only considers the fuel and the effect of speed and load, but there are many other costs which increase when speed and loads increase, and if all these were considered and action taken we would have a much healthier and safer road transport industry, our roads would suffer less damage and with the goal posts level, operators would not be cutting each others throats by tariff cutting and to get the Industry back into a healthy situation, the essential medicine is people and to keep in step with the times the most important ingredient is training, and training in road transport is highly specialised.

South Africa is most fortunate in that it has available the most modern "tools of trade", vehicles, legislation, infrastructure and potential. What is needed for a complete recovery is trained personnel.

The Government is striving to play its part in promoting legislation for recognition of qualifications and skills development and the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) is now getting involved in promoting training.

All this adds up to two remedies which could bring the road transport industry into a healthy situation.

1. The industry must itself become involved in more self-discipline and voluntary compliance with prescribed rules, regulations, standards, etc as is the case in many overseas countries such as Germany, the United States and Britain.
2. The Authorities are responsible for not only making the rules and regulations, etc but also for fair, and consistent enforcement of the legislation that they introduce.

This means a combined effort on both sides in order that this important industry may serve the purpose that is so vitally necessary in the interests of all.