Road safety, BBBEE, green issues, strike season and the loosely worded consignor/consignee legislation are just some of the highlights of this year’s Road Freight Association (RFA) Convention. Themed “Truckcentricity”, this 3-day event takes place at Champagne Sports Resort, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal from Sunday 24 May to Tuesday 26 May 2015.
RFA Convention is a major highlight on the road freight industry calendar and is the largest gathering of decision-makers in the industry. Its main objectives are to afford members and other industry role-players an opportunity to meet informally, network, gain new knowledge and debate industry-related matters. It also provides a platform for updating the industry on new legislation that could severely impact operations if left unattended.
This year’s exciting conference line-up includes:
- Keynote Address by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga MP.
- An Analyst’s View on the Bond Market Downgrade and the Stability and Volatility of our Labour Market by Aubrey Matshiqi, political commentator and columnist for Business Day and Engineering News.
- The BBBEE Sector Code for the Road Freight & Logistics Industry: The RFA is a signatory to the BBBEE Sector Code (Transport Charter) for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry and has been in negotiations with the Department of Transport (DoT). The Charter is expected to be published in mid-June and will replace the current Charter.
- Panel Discussion: Practical implementation of the Consignee/Consignor Legislation: With the legislation coming into effect at the end of January much concern is being felt by operators, cargo owners including warehouse and logistics providers and the industry is not really sure how enforcement will take place. More importantly, the loosely worded legislation poses more of a conundrum, as insurers and legal folk still have to unravel its intent and figure out how it must be enforced.
- Meeting Supply Chain Expectations by Kate Stubbs, Executive: Marketing at Barloworld Logistics. Businesses are transforming at all levels because the rapid pace of change leadership and the ability to manage change while leveraging key emerging opportunities is the key finding in the latest Supplychainforesight survey. The study revealed that most organisations are poorly equipped to handle major market shifts and adapt accordingly. The improvement of service levels to customers remains the foremost supply chain objective.
- Road Safety – the cause & prevention of Accidents: The recent spate of accidents involving trucks has prompted a major outcry, with the Department of Transport (DoT) now looking to impose stringent laws on the trucking industry. As a result, the reputation of the industry is in tatters and the Association has identified road safety as a key issue that needs to be addressed at this year’s conference. The Convention programme will include a panel discussion on road safety, comprising Stan Bezuidenhout, Forensic Collision Homicide Reconstructionist: IBF Investigations and Patrick O’Leary, Editor and Publisher of Fleetwatch.
- Greening the Trucking Industry – Lessons from the USA by Anthony Pete Giorgianni, Transportation, Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Officer: U.S. Embassy Pretoria. Carbon taxes, climate mitigation, Desired Emission Reduction Outcomes (DEROs) and carbon budget are all set to change the way truckers do business. The Clean Fuels Bill has still not been finalised and yet sadly the truckers are still expected to reduce emissions and pay more taxes without any cost-effective and viable solutions in sight. To add an international flair to the conference, we will have an official from the US Embassy sharing some insight on possible solutions for truckers.
- A Brave New World – Findings from Frost & Sullivan’s Report by Mani James, Operations Manager: Frost & Sullivan Africa Operation. Frost & Sullivan has pinned down the top mega trends that will influence and shape the world in the coming years, according to the findings sustainability was one of the major trends that shaped human, organisation and government behaviour in the last decade. The top four trends include: urbanisation-city as a customer, smart is the new green, future of energy and w-mobility.
- Impact of the Power Crisis on the Road Freight Industry by independent power consultant Doug Kuni. From clinching the title of Global Power Company of the Year (MWP) in 2001, Eskom has slid spectacularly to its ‘Junk Grade’ status in 2015. Doug will outline key developments over recent years, highlighting how load-shedding is impacting on the road freight industry.
