Finding fumeiyo

The Japanese phrase “fumeiyo yori shi” is composed of the words 不名誉 (“fumeiyo” meaning “dishonour”), より (“yori” meaning “more than; rather than”), and 死 (“shi” meaning “death”). So, death before dishonour. This was a phrase that sprang to mind when JIM WARD encountered some foreign visitors who struggled to comprehend local criminal habits.

It’s not only difficult clients, perishable loads, accidents, and remote breakdowns that grind people down in this industry, it’s also striving to hold onto your precious assets – a struggle we take for granted. Running distribution every day, it’s easy to forget how deeply crime permeates ordinary life.

When I used to chat to European transporters at overseas events, they were always astonished at how much additional equipment – unnecessary in other countries – is fitted to commercial vehicles here. We need anti-theft wheelnuts, anti-siphon fuel fillers, shielded fuel fittings, panic buttons, cut resistant tarpaulins, load body cameras, vehicle tracking, opening alarms, bulletproof cabs, drive cams, and chains around spare wheels. The list is long, costly, and load related.

Despite these challenges, South African operators continue offering efficient, client-focused service, even though vehicles continue to be stripped and our legendary potholes ruin wheel alignment, fracture rims, and break springs. This is just part of our road transport landscape, an environment that fosters unforeseen consequences.

The poor state of security sometimes comes with surprising consequences. When I interviewed local drivers about a new fleet of modern trucks that were comfortable, spacious, and powerful, at times they had a surprising complaint. While they appreciated the performance, they complained about the roof linings turning black when they cooked on gas burners in the cab!

The old trucks had high roof (sleeper) cabs. If they cooked outside, they would be robbed. So, at night, for security, they cooked their meals in the cab, using gas stoves. As a result, even the fancy new cream-coloured roof linings all had large sooty stains on them. Cooking in-cab on open flames was an activity the stylish European cab designers had never considered as they sipped their decaf almond latte, but it’s a normal part of life here. Food available at truck stops is pretty awful, and many drivers prefer cooking for themselves at night (even in a brand-new truck). Another unforeseen consequence of crime…

I used to visit a vast, modern parts distribution centre for spares meetings. This highly automated facility supplied all SADC dealers and suppliers supporting the brand (a leading overseas manufacturer). It had been a greenfield site, and its complexity and size demanded frequent visits from architects, engineers, and multinational directors.

These visitors, mostly leaders in their respective fields, required an interpreter, and during one such site visit, a heated argument developed between them and the young interpreter. It became embarrassingly evident that there was a sharp disagreement concerning the area where export spares would be secured in a lockup, prior to being loaded into cartons and onto trucks.

The issue was the elaborate access controls, turnstiles, and biometric scanners required to prevent theft and unauthorised entrance to the lockup. The delegation felt this was superfluous, wasteful, and unnecessary expenditure. The difficulty was that no phrase or expression existed in their language that the interpreter could use, to explain the incomprehensible idea of “theft of employer’s goods by an employee”.  This act was so shameful and unheard of,  that she couldn’t explain or translate such dishonesty. It was something alien; the visitors couldn’t comprehend it and they suspected the translator misinterpreted the plans. The meeting broke to caucus and cool off.    

It required the diplomatic intervention of a South African parts manager to pour water on the fire. His age, experience, and demeanour provided concrete reassurance, and he quietly explained that regrettably, such things did happen here, and that one simply could not allow all workers unhindered access to components after they were drawn from stock and were in transit. Spares and components would disappear on a grand scale.

There were crestfallen, shocked faces in the room. The delegation reluctantly accepted this possibility… eventually… but not before expressing their collective sorrow. To them, the act was dishonourable and inconceivable. It tarnished their brand to hear that employees would ever steal from their parent company: a distressing experience for all, but an everyday experience in the business of South African trucking.