Triton Express has achieved a significant milestone by being the first company in the express freight sector to be awarded certification as an accredited Road Transport Management System (RTMS) operator. The handover of the certification, covering all divisions of the Triton Express Group which includes Triton Express, Triton Linehaul, Triton Supply Chain Solutions and Cryogas Express, was made mid-May by the RTMS National Steering Committee in Johannesburg.
Serving more than 2 500 customers nationally, Triton operates from 13 branches in South Africa’s major centres and five cross border branches located in Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The RTMS certification process is an industry-led, voluntary self-regulation scheme that encourages consignees, consignors and operators engaged in the road logistics value chain and transport sectors to implement a vehicle management system that preserves road infrastructure, improves road safety and increases the productivity of the logistics value chain.
The scheme also supports the Department of Transport’s National Freight Logistics Strategy. Transport operators who invest in becoming RTMS accredited are recognised for their commitment to responsible business and benefit from improved safety, compliance and risk management.
“As an active member of the local road freight industry, we wanted to ensure our company continues to play a critical role in growing the South African economy by obtaining an RTMS certification and we are proud to be the first company in our sector to achieve this accreditation,’ says Eric Corbishley, joint CEO of Triton Express.
To achieve certification, Triton Express was required to interpret the RTMS standards, produce an RTMS manual that summarises the various processes, policies and procedures that are implemented in the company to assist with the self-regulation of the SANS1395 standard, and ensure that the regulation of the departments and divisions within the group meet compliance standards.
Corbishley says that the requirements governed by these standards were developed to ensure that all participants achieve the same standard of compliance in the industry.
“It was an extremely involved process as all requirements had to be documented in a systematic and structured manner. The company was then assessed and audited on these standards based on our documentation and processes, as well as vehicle inspections and the standard of our organisational sites such as depots, workshops and accommodation facilities.’
According to Corbishley, the RTMS certification process has reaffirmed the company’s pledge to driver wellness by ensuring the continual improvement of their driving conditions – on and off the roads – with the best possible training, wellness programmes and fleet management.
“Additionally, we are also focused on reducing our carbon footprint on the environment. Cryogas Express, in conjunction with Triton Express, has embarked on a Go Green strategy to reduce our CO2 footprint. Although there is no legislation requiring road transport companies to implement an environmental policy, we felt it was right from a moral and ethical perspective. Our Environmental Policy will apply to all areas within the Triton Express Group and its subsidiaries, as well as all employees.’
