Having spent 17 years working for ¹[one of the biggest logistics company in South Africa] I have no hope of getting rich anytime soon, in fact, I have not seen a driver who successfully saved and managed to buy a truck.
The pay is just that you can eat, cloth and pay rent.
All this can change if the government #PutSouthAfricansFirst by chipping in to take over these struggling big logistics companies.
Here is how
Negotiate to buy off ²[Imperial Cargo, Barloworld Transport] to mention just a few, and take over their contracts.
Make the fleet, owner-driver deals to give a chance for us South Africans to benefit while keeping the work going.
I am one of those people who think that foreigners have taken our jobs but not to the extent that I blame them.
The government is to blame for not protecting or preserving some areas of the economy for citizens only as other African countries do and even overseas.
If I am given an opportunity to be an owner-driver, I promise you, in less than a year I will have bought another truck and create a job for my brother.
BEE not BBBEE
Forgive me if this will sound segregatory but I know you will understand it’s just my opinion and I am entitled to air it.
It is not a lie that the Road Freight industry is dominated by the white and Indian owners.
If you look into it, it’s not because they are very good at the business more than us but just that their businesses run in the family.
An opportunity that arises is given to a close family member. We don’t have family members in logistics so how do we compete.
Why I think it works
Bigger companies always struggle more when the economy takes a deep, this is not the case with smaller companies.
When a company has a fleet of 100 trucks it requires for it to employ more permanent employees to ensure the smooth running of the business.
Read also: List of trucking companies that have either retrenched employees or closed down due to Covid-19
That is the first problem that, supporting owner-drivers will address, it creates owners, not employees.
Employees only come as a bonus later when the business grows.
For how long should we fight for employment, we want ownership opportunities.
The government should take this as a kick start for a revolution of the trucking industry.
Given that the trucks are there already and contracts available, it is a no brainer.
Imagine the government making a thousand plus owner-drivers from the Barloworld Logistics fleet.
Risk
It is definitely a risk worth taking for the government because with proper monitoring of the BEE businesses, out of the thousand more than 750 may successfully keep their businesses running and give an opportunity for the upcoming drivers.
This will address the problems with my fellow local drivers who think that foreigners are taking our jobs.
I want to employ not to be employed.
¹name of company removed
²listed companies have either closed shop or intend to exit logistics according to information already in the public domain
This is a user-submitted article, the views of the author do not necessarily mirror those of SA Trucker.
