Cargo Carriers has assisted Lafarge (one of its customers) in establishing a B-BBEE owner-driver scheme. Lafarge saw an opportunity to develop an owner-driver scheme based on increased volumes of its bagged cement products in the Free State, Northern Cape, and North West Province and approached Cargo Carriers for assistance.
Cargo Carriers introduced its own owner-driver initiative in 2003. “Owner drivers are contracted directly to us by means of a service agreement and we assist them with everything,” says John Sprenger, Cargo Carriers, owner-driver manager.
“We source the business opportunity, provide our own management system, mentorship and training until the owner-driver is self-sufficient. This enables us to claim for preferential procurement and enterprise development.”
To further increase its B-BBEE rating, Lafarge owner drivers appointed black females, either spouses or girlfriends, as their business partners. This allows Lafarge to claim at three different B-BBEE levels: preferential procurement; enterprise development; and ownership, with more points being attained for having black females as part of the ownership structure.Cargo Carriers appointed its own drivers for the Lafarge project as strict selection criteria are enforced. One of the key conditions for participating in the Lafarge scheme is compliance with the rigorous Lafarge South Africa safety standards for driving and maintenance of the vehicles. Moreover, drivers underwent intensive training covering contractual issues, operating parameters, accounting matters, budgeting, business management and communication.
“We believe our owner-driver scheme is a win-win initiative. It is about a continuing partnership in which the drivers are empowered to determine their own success and future with the concomitant benefit of increased productivity and enhanced service levels,” says Tim Nelson, Lafarge Cement’s supply chain manager.
“The Lafarge owner-driver initiative proves that the provision of supply chain solutions can go beyond the obvious areas of application such as performance and safety. This is what happens when innovation meets B-BBEE and the results are truly transformative,” says Sprenger.
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