The truck driver shortage has become critical in South Africa and FleetWatch intends addressing this issue with the same aggressiveness and innovative thinking as it did in forming Trucking Against Aids back in 1994 – which developed into the highly successful Trucking Wellness programme.
The problem of not having enough professional drivers to man the industry has been identified for many years but there’s been too much talk and not enough action around finding solutions to ensure the industry does not flounder down the line due to a lack of drivers – which is sure to happen if no action is taken.
FleetWatch is thus kicking off a long-term action plan with a golf day in partnership with Tiger Spares and the wider industry to raise funds for the initial training of four to five youngsters who will be taken under the wing of George Kilian, a professional truck driver and trainer of many years now fully employed by ELT Commercials. These youngsters will be sourced from both rural and urban areas and will be trained from scratch into professional truck drivers.
This is not a one-off. It is the start of a long term plan to attract youngsters into our industry and has many facets associated with it – including the eventual formation of a fully-fledged Truck Driver ‘University’ to make South Africa an international centre of driver excellence.
We urge everybody involved in the trucking industry – come and play golf, enter a team or two, or sponsor a hole. Be part of putting more skilled drivers on the road.
FleetWatch did it for the industry with Trucking Against Aids where over 600 000 people have gone through the Trucking Wellness clinics; we’re still doing it for the industry with Brake & Tyre Watch where over 500 trucks have been tested and over 1 000 traffic officials trained. Now let’s do it for the industry with truck drivers!!!
For further information contact Eva on 011 794 2490/1 or email eva@fleetwatch.co.za