At Ferry Express we maintain high standards when it comes to the caliber and well being of our staff, which in turn improves the quality of our service to our clients.

Our pursuit of excellence includes our uncompromising commitment to safety, and we believe by taking the best safety measures we will ensure that our clients valuable assets are delivered with little or no incident.

To our surprise and delight this commitment was recognized in the August edition of Truck and Bus magazine. Steve Wicks wrote an article entitled “Cold, harsh facts about winter”, and how he feels our country is not equipped for the harsh winters we have been experiencing in recent years…until he saw a Scania chassis on the R24 highway with one of our drivers at the wheel: “While out taking photographs for Truck & Bus I noticed a Scania bus chassis heading along the R24 towards the airport. Knowing that it has already traveled about 30km from Scania’s base in Aeroton, I took a picture. When looking at the picture I was pleased to note the exposed driver was equipped with decent gloves (I’d love a pair of Alpine Star gloves) and helmet, complemented by a proper rainsuit complete with boots.”

Last Monday our drivers and office personnel were treated to the trendy, new look, Ferry Express branded clothing. Pride is an understatement of the emotions our teams expressed as they walked out with their new company clothing to be photographed by our professional photographer, and the smiles on their faces said it all.

Senior Logistics Management:

We would also like to recognize and thank our colleagues, who have been part of the Ferry Express family for longer than five years, some have been with us for 17! Our workforce is indeed out greatest asset.

Ferry Express has expanded its secure vehicle storage to include a stockyard on the busy and sought after N3 route. The new facility, located 35km north of Pinetown (low humidity and beyond the rust line), accommodates up to 150 EHCVs and offers state-of-the-art security as well as close proximity to the N3.

“It is rare to find such an outstanding storage facility, particularly on this route,” said Deon Duvenage of Ferry Express. “We are pleased to have negotiated a long-term lease with the owner, enabling us to offer our clients convenient, cost-effective and secure storage on the main Durban to Gauteng route.”

To inspect this or the existing Ferry Express 500-vehicle facility in Gauteng, please email Deon at order@ferryexpress.co.za

A group of 14 drivers covered over 5000 km of rough African roads fighting off Malaria mosquitos, warm sub-tropical heat and rain to  Kampala, the capital of Uganda, during April.

From Pretoria, South Africa crossing several borders through 5 countries these vehicles were successfully delivered in only 14 days.

Countries and Towns they travelled through:
Beitbridge (South Africa)
Harare (Zimbabwe)
Lusaka, Mapika (Zambia)
Mubzi, Kahama (Tanzania)
Masaka, Kampala (Uganda)

Key factors that enabled the delivery of these vehicles in such a remarkable time and within budget were;

• The patience of our driver’s made sure that they had no major breakdowns, punctures, accidents and being pro-active in repairing small repairs ranging from air leaks to wire and plier modifications.
• Our client Interlogix Pty (Ltd) teamed up with the very best clearing agent South Africa has to offer and that ensured the correct and advance preparation of all documentation.
• Optimal route planning.

Listening to all the fascinating stories, our team won’t forget this trip any time soon, from friendly Tanzanians, helpful Ugandans to an expanse of water that looks like the ocean in Lake Victoria.

“The Gift of the Givers Foundation” is the largest disaster relief organization of African origin on the continent, they will move these vehicles at a more convenient time to one of their humanitarian relief sites in Sudan.

Fact Focus : Lake Victoria

(source: http://www.cichlidforum.com/articles/lakes_east_africa.php)

• Lake Victoria is bordered by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
• It has an area of 69489.38 square km (the size of Freestate province, South Africa).
• It is 402 km long at its greatest width, making it the world’s second largest freshwater lake, after Lake Superior.
• It also has an average depth of 36.5 m, with its deepest point reaching 76.2 m.
• Lake Victoria receives its water from many rivers, the largest being the Kagera.
• The lake then drains into the Nile through Owen Falls, where there is a man-made hydroelectric dam.

(source: www.arrivealive.co.za)

Drunk driving is one of the biggest threats to Road Safety in South Africa and this festive season it will remain an issue and a focus.

Drinking, even just one drink, will influence your ability to take action on the road. Staying safe on the road is not just concentrating on your driving but also on road conditions, other vehicles and pedestrians, signs and traffic lights.

Keep yourself and other road users safe by keeping to the law and NOT driving under the influence.

Stay safe on the road, always!

November is a busy month for exports as funding for Africa reaches its yearly peak. Scania, a major player in the export market with a firm foothold in southern Africa, is delivering trucks and buses to Zimbabwe. We have built a strong relationship with Scania over the past sixteen years, and will be undertaking this delivery for them. Prior to ferrying the vehicles across the border, the vehicles will be stored at our stockyard in Pretoria until all relevant export documentation is in place.

When travelling into countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique one must take preventative measures against diseases such as malaria and cholera.

Ferry Express health focus for November: Cholera

(source: World Health Organisation)

Cholera is a severe diarrhea disease characterised by a sudden onset of effortless vomiting and profuse watery diarrhea. It remains a global threat to public health and a key indicator of lack of social development. Recently, the re-emergence of cholera has been noted in parallel with the ever-increasing size of vulnerable populations living in unsanitary conditions.

The World Health Organisation lists the below as the key facts pertaining to cholera:

• • • Cholera is an acute diarrhea disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.
  • • There are an estimated 3 to 5 million cholera cases and 100 000 to 120 000 deaths due to cholera every year.
  • • It is easily treatable and up to 80% of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration salts.
  • • Effective control measures rely on prevention, preparedness and response.
  • • Provision of safe water and sanitation is critical in reducing the impact of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
  • • Oral cholera vaccines are considered an additional means to control cholera, but should not replace conventional control measures.

What should you do?

• • • Drink bottled water.
  • • Safe beverages include tea and coffee made with boiled water.
  • • Carbonated, bottle beverages, no ice.
  • • Clean/sanitise your hands.
  • • Eat food that is thoroughly cooked and is still hot.
  • • Eat only fruit you have peeled yourself.
  • • Avoid salads.
  • • Avoid food and beverages from street vendors.

Ferry Express is excited to do yet another cross border transfer. This week a team of drivers are collecting 6×4 Truck Tracktors in Walvis bay (Namibia) that will be delivered to Gaborone (Botswana) within 24 hours.

We handle all clearing procedures and documentation with nominated clearing agents, fueling of vehicles and do a thorough check before departure.

We wish them a safe journey. Our hands on approach to all deliveries ensure that our clients assets are taken care of and that all risks are managed throughout the delivery process.

SA has recently experienced very cold weather and heavy snowfall in the Eastern parts of our country.
As the weather would have it, 3 of our drivers on their way back from a national delivery got stuck for 24 hours in Volksrust as many other travelers who also got stranded due to the road closures.
Apart from some areas that got turned into a picturesque landscape warnings were sent to all road users to be extra careful and to try and postpone their trips until the roads are cleared and safe to travel on.
While children were building snowmen and throwing snowballs, our countries truck drivers got a serious test of capability and driving skill.