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Transaction Carriers (TAC) is a fast-growing cross-border cargo transporter, running a fleet of around 220 Scania and Volvo mechanical horses across Southern Africa. As the company scales, it is not only focused on managing today’s operational complexity – it is already laying the groundwork for a more self-sufficient future.
When TAC hit a major growth spurt in 2022, the pressure quickly followed. The fleet was expanding, operations were scaling fast, and the company needed to match that growth with structure. To bring order to the growing complexity, TAC brought in a senior operations consultant with a clear goal: stabilize the procurement process before it started costing time and money.
Furthermore, the growth did not just mean more vehicles – “it meant more moving parts across the board: more technicians, more workshops, more stock, more admin, all contributing to a larger complexity that needed to be managed”, said TAC’s senior operations consultant.
In 2022, they used Freeway to manage 130 mechanical horses and around the same number of trailers. Currently, the number of mechanical horses they manage with Freeway is almost double that at 220, with a similar expansion in the trailer fleet.
Based on the success of a leading Zimbabwean haulage company, where well-established Freeway systems were already in place, it was obvious TAC would require the same kind of structure to stay ahead.
Inspired by the Zimbabwean haulage company’s successful refurbishment and remanufacturing model, TAC is now working to implement a similar approach in its own fleet.
The concept is simple but powerful: when a vehicle reaches the end of its usable life or simply can’t be sold, it’s broken down for parts. The team opens a salvage job card, strips the asset down to nuts and bolts, and returns every usable item to the shelves. Using these salvaged parts, components — gearboxes, engines, transmissions, and more — are rebuilt wherever possible and given a second life.
TAC is moving into a more digital and accountable
system with Freeway, helping TAC strengthen its foundations
According to TAC’s consultant, “The remanufacturing model used in Zimbabwe helped reduce maintenance part costs to essentially zero, and now we’re planning to implement that same model at TAC.”
TAC’s first focus was on procurement: stabilising how parts were sourced, tracked, and replenished.
They have begun setting up dedicated spaces for rebuilding major components, starting with transmissions and engines from out-of-service vehicles. The goal is to gradually reduce dependence on OEM full-maintenance plans and shift toward internal maintenance and refurbishment – powered by data, stock visibility, and smart salvaging.
TAC has chosen Freeway as the digital solution to make this process possible. They use it to track the lifecycle of parts and vehicles – from brand-new, to salvage, to rebuild, and eventually to redeployment – cutting costs and building resilience in an industry that demands both.
“Freeway replaced an outdated procurement process that relied heavily on ERP and manual tracking, which lacked the detail and control needed at TAC’s scale. With Freeway, the team automatically gets parts re-order suggestions based on actual usage and supplier lead times, tracking which brands perform best by price and reliability. It then creates a preferred supplier list for better consistency and pricing, and reduces downtime by holding the right parts, in the right quantity, at the right time”, said the TAC consultant.
TAC is steadily moving into a more digital and accountable system with Freeway, helping TAC strengthen its foundations – ensuring the systems behind the scenes grow with the business.
For further information visit www.freewayfleet.com or email nicholas.stacey@freewayfleet.com
