Author:nick-poree
How to cost transport operations February 10, 2023 Operating a commercial vehicle? NICK PORÉE has some invaluable advice for anyone entering – or wishing to learn more about – the transport industry. One of the most critical factors for success in the management of transport operations is the cost calculation for owning and operating vehicles. Expenditure (current spending) does not give indications of the actual costs being incurred; operating costs increase over the life of a vehicle. Brakes, clutches, and tyres […]
Policy or Polly says? January 19, 2023 As we look forward to 2023, Nick PORÉE reviews the White Paper on National Transport Policy gazetted in 2021 by the Department of Transport (DoT), since it is an indication of future government intentions. The document parrots ill-defined, generalised policy prescriptions and intentions but does not offer any definite major improvements or clarity on implementation. It appears to echo structural nuances from the command framework of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition […]
Freight operations management demystified January 18, 2023 https://focusontransport.co.za/wp-content/uploads/speaker/post-17442.mp3?cb=1677567943.mp3 It is extremely challenging to manage freight transport. NICK PORÉE demystifies the process with some easy-to-follow pointers. The transport of goods is the part of the production process that takes place in the public space instead of inside business premises. The management of freight transport is challenging due to regulations pertaining to the vehicles, drivers, and operations designed to protect the infrastructure and ensure road safety. The management process is complicated by […]
Costs versus expenses January 18, 2023 https://focusontransport.co.za/wp-content/uploads/speaker/post-17437.mp3?cb=1677567938.mp3 In any discussion of “costs” we must make the distinction between cost and expenditure (payments and orders). Not recognising the difference is a major reason for the failure of new transport businesses, explains NICK PORÉE A new or quality used vehicle may run for some time requiring only payments for fuel and some servicing. It may seem to make a handsome profit. There are, however, costs of wear and usage that will only […]
Skills shortage could bring industry to its knees! December 15, 2022 It is becoming more and more difficult to find people with the skills to keep trucks on the road. NICK PORÉE warns that the transport industry could find itself in dire straits as a result. One of the most serious threats to the transport industry’s future (in all modes) is the increasing difficulty of maintaining and repairing vehicles and equipment, due to the decreasing availability of technical competence. The […]
Transnet: a tale of woeful ways October 28, 2022 The Transnet strike is but one of many reasons to shake one’s head in despair at the woeful condition of this state-owned enterprise, writes NICK PORÉE. Winston Churchill said of political inaction: “Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong – these are the features which constitute the endless […]
The road ahead: freeway or potholed track? October 5, 2022 From a country without roads to a country without hope. That’s the sad picture painted by NICK PORÉE in this fascinating article… Before 1652, there were no wheels or roads in Southern Africa. But freight transport developed rapidly from the small beginnings in the coastal colonies, with dependence on the ox wagon for the movement of goods. The growth of industries provided a continual motivation for improved transport. This was […]
Showdown looms in the ANC corral August 24, 2022 An analysis of the Transnet financial accounts provides gloomy reading, says NICK PORÉE, who believes that the prospects for transport in South Africa look equally dismal. The recent publication of the Transnet financial accounts has revealed that the entity has incurred significant further losses in the past year totalling about R5 billion, despite the innovative accounting which revalued the outdated, deteriorated, and often unusable assets. The process echoes the issues at […]
National irrationality August 4, 2022 South Africa is experiencing an economic crisis of devastating proportions, with little evidence of rational analysis or corrective action by the ruling authorities, warns NICK PORÉE. The continual appeals and recommendations by economists, industry, social activists, and opposition parties are being rejected in defence of an outdated and dystopian ideological model. Economic policy ignores the statistical evidence of the extent of the costs, decay, and collapse of almost all government services, including municipal, railway, ports, […]
South African economy under threat July 7, 2022 Freight transport volumes are a reliable barometer of the level of economic activity in industries or countries. NICK PORÉE warns that the freight logistics industry is becoming the most visible symptom of South Africa’s unrealistic economic policies. The near collapse of railways, inefficiencies of ports, and now the rapidly escalating barriers to road freight are having negative impacts on the economy. Due to the reliance on road transport, the current activities of […]
focusmagsa
