Page 34 - Logistics News - Issue 02 - 2024

D RIVER SAFE T Y

Prioritising fleet driver safety

By Duma Ngcobo, Chief Operating Officer at Tracker

The escalation in business vehicle-related crime means that businesses should adopt
proactive behaviours that could help mitigate vehicle theft, cargo theft and, above
all, protect drivers.

he convenience of e-commerce transactions drivers safer. Telematics tracking, paired with stolen
during and following the upheavals of COVID-19 vehicle recovery services, has traditionally formed the
T has catalysed South Africa’s embrace of cornerstone toolkit for fleet managers concerned about
online retail and fuelled a substantial contribution business vehicle crime. The increasing sophistication
to heightened activity within the nation’s freight and of vehicle-related crime, however, and the violent
logistics sector. As reported by Mordor Intelligence, the nature of this crime enacted upon drivers, prompts a
industry’s 2023 value of R402-billion has a projected re-examination of priorities.
upward growth trajectory to around R590-billion by 2029.
It is not unusual, for instance, that cargo can be
Grocery delivery services have expanded in response more valuable and desirable in criminal circles than
to growing demand. According to Statista, the number of the transportation vehicle itself, hence the escalation
users of grocery delivery services is expected to reach in opportunistic business vehicle hijackings that
7.8 million by 2028. This, in turn, adds more vehicles, compromise the safety of drivers. Not only is it
including motorcycles, onto South African roads. necessary for fleet managers to have line of sight of,
and recoverability services for, cargo trailers and asset
Paired with South Africa’s predisposition to vehicle tracking of high-value freight items, but driver safety
crime, the escalation in the presence of delivery vehicles must also be factored into an overall fleet solution.
on our roads has given rise to an elevation in hijacking
incidents. Criminal elements are increasingly focusing Additionally, South Africa’s challenged road network
their attention on courier and logistics vehicles involved is proving to be a substantial factor in overall logistics
in the transportation and delivery of goods purchased considerations when it comes to driver safety. Not only
online. have trucks replaced trains on long-haul routes due to
decaying rail infrastructure, resulting in more heavy-duty
According to Tracker’s Vehicle Crime Index (VCI), vehicles and their drivers exposed to criminal elements,
hijackings still dominate at a national level, accounting but these same drivers are also increasingly exposed to
for 55 percent of all national vehicle crime incidents, the probability of accidents occurring on their routes.
with business-owned vehicles almost twice as likely
to be hijacked than stolen. This also compromises Here are some additional fleet management tools
the safety of drivers, off the back of cargo and vehicle and tips that can help ensure the safety of drivers and
losses suffered by fleet managers and logistics vehicles and the preservation of cargo:
businesses. • Use the geofencing feature on telematics platforms
to demarcate safe or unsafe zones for your fleet of
Fleet managers in South Africa should consider a vehicles. If a vehicle leaves a safe zone or enters
combination of options within their overall solution to an unsafe zone, a notification will alert you to the
combating vehicle and cargo crime and keeping their possible danger.

32 NO V E MB E R/D E C E MB E R 2024 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a