GlobalSupplier - Daimler

their fixed costs, and to share benefits if
they excel.”
Making the deal work. DCSA’s Commercial
Vehicle Division handled the logistics to get
the vehicles built, approved, shipped and
prepared for final delivery, while Daimler-
Chrysler Services arranged the finance for
the owner-drivers to buy the rigs.
Final preparation was handled by
McCarthy Truck Centre in Cape Town,
which will also manage all
scheduled maintenance according to the
service contract as well as servicing the
trailers to Lohr’s specifications.
Lohr, the leading European manufacturer
of autocarry trailers, customised the
trailers for South African conditions. In
order to comply with South African law, the
trailers had to be certified by the South
African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
Auto Carriers first involvement with BEE
came about when Portnet was looking
for tenders to handle the vehicles being
loaded on and off the ships using the East
London car terminal. They then entered
into a partnership with entrepreneur and
a long-time associate, Caiphus Khabana,
owner of 5 Star Road Transport.
Khabana is one of South Africa’s more
unusual businessmen. He started his
working life as a convoy driver, but left to
start up a delivery business.
Project
The Lohr trailers are the most sophisticated
in South Africa with air suspension to aid
with driving and safety.
They are perfectly matched to the air
suspension of the Actros 2535.
The Actros workhorses have been specially
modified for the trailers, and to the
business needs of the drivers. Each cab is
equipped with connections for telephones
and fax machines, as well as a sound
system, airconditioner and cruise control.
In addition, each has a single-piece lower
bunk, adjustable steering wheel and a full
complement of instruments.
Other equipment includes Mercedes-Benz’s
Telligent brake system with ABS and ASR,
16-speed Telligent gearshift, 800-litre fuel
capacity and extra headlights.
Each rig is also equipped with satellite
tracking, and a bar-coded trailer . The
dealers where vehicles are delivered are
The dealmakers for the historic handover of new Mercedes-Benz Actros autocarriers with specially designed
Lohr trailers (from left) David Tabraham (DaimlerChrysler Services), John Miller (McCarthy Truck Centre
Cape Town), David Taylor (Autocarriers), Liam Hickey (MVC), Christopher Briseul (Lohr France), Andy
Kamffer (MVC), Peter Wraight (DCSA Commercial Vehicles), and Peter Treibel (DCAG).
The future of transport
His excellent service and cheerful
disposition won him the support of a firm
of attorneys in Paarl in the Western Cape,
who helped him to buy a car carrier.
This was before the advent of democracy
or even BEE in South Africa.
Since 1996, Khabana had been putting
his carrier at the disposal of Autocarriers
on an ongoing “evergreen” contract.
When tenders were called, and BEE was a
requirement, Taylor approached Khabana to
form a partnership to bid for the business.
“It’s a straight 50-50 venture and he is
the chairman,” Taylor said.
“When we came to naming the new
company, all Caiphus wanted was that
the name reflect that the company was
the future of transport, so we called
it Future Auto Carriers.” The company
is responsible for the movement of all
vehicles from the DCSA East London
plant to the terminal and from the
terminal to the distribution yard, and
employs 12 people.
23
also bar-coded to enable a completely
accountable system from when the trailer
is loaded to when vehicles are off-loaded
at a dealership. DCSA can be informed
exactly where the vehicles are at any
given moment and can be notified of
delivery within 15 minutes of the load
being off-loaded at a dealership.
Helping to be helped. “The safest and
best route for BEE success is to encourage
suppliers to empower and develop small
business people to become suppliers,”
Taylor says.
Another minor example involved a window-cleaning
service that operated at Auto
Carriers’ Cape Town headquarters.
A former-employee who had left the
company a few months earlier, made
enquiries about available business opportunities.
Taylor’s response was to offer him
an old bakkie and helped set him up to
start a small window cleaning business.
The business has since blossomed into
an economically viable and efficiently run
business that services a number of offices
and blocks of flats.
“Empowerment needs assistance, but at the
end of the day the people involved have
to do it themselves. They must have a
workable business plan.
“I had a lot of help in life to get where
I am, and there are a lot of people in
this country who because of their colour
had been disadvantaged and need help. “By
helping people, you will also be helping in
growing your business.”