The Covid-19 pandemic has not got in the way of Highway Junction, South Africa’s top truck stop situated in Harrismith alongside the N3, starting off Transport Month 2021 by showing its appreciation to the many thousands of truck drivers who use this facility as a safe and homely haven throughout the year.
“Prior to Covid-19, we would start Transport Month by holding a big Driver’s Day event at Highway Junction creating a carnival type atmosphere with various stalls, blaring music, competitions and a host of other activities. Last year we were unable to do anything due to strict Covid-19 lockdown regulations but we were not prepared to miss saying thanks this year,” says Ben Deysel, chief executive of the Highway Group.
Although on a much scaled down version, the show of appreciation and thanks took place on October 1st in the form of each driver being given a free meal along with various gift hand-outs from different sponsors. The accompanying photographs show some of the scenes on the day.
“We have a tremendous relationship with the truck drivers who regard Highway Junction as a home-from-home and we wanted them to feel special – simply because they are. These guys keep the wheels of our economy moving and yet they seldom get the true thanks they deserve,” says Deysel, adding that all staff were on hand interacting with the drivers to make the day as special as possible.
Talking about a home-from-home, during the July unrest, Highway Junction truly did act as a safe haven for around 700 truck drivers who were parked there for up to six days. This was the period during which the N3 had been closed due to the riots and while South Africa looked on in horror at the mayhem in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, these truck drivers were safe.
“During that time, we had extra armed guards including a full dog-squad patrolling the perimeters to keep the drivers, their trucks and our facilities safe. We never stopped serving meals and went out of our way to keep them protected and safe,” says Deysel.
A testament to theirs efforts is given via the fact that during those horrible days of unrest, Highway Junction did not experience one single problem. It truly was a safe haven for drivers.
FleetWatch salutes Highway Junction, not only for their effort as mentioned above, but for always going out of their way to make truck drivers feel extra special.
