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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
JUNE 2017
34
Logistics giant Dachser continued to
grow in fiscal year 2016, generating
consolidated gross revenue of around
€5,71 billion – representing a consolidated
revenue increase of 1,7% on the previous
year. The number of shipments rose by
2,4% to 80 million, and tonnage by 2,4% to
38,2 million tonnes. The growth was driven
by European overland transport as well as
food logistics.
“Despite the volatility of the global
economy, we were able to maintain our
stable market position through organic
growth at the previous years’ levels, while
simultaneously developing solutions for
tomorrow’s market,” says Dachser CEO
Bernhard Simon.
In the Road Logistics business field,
which accounts for 75% of Dachser’s
total revenue, the European Logistics (EL)
business line profited from the company’s
consistent export strategy, which resulted
in a 2,4% increase in net revenue to
€3,5 billion. Shipments and tonnage
increased by 2,2 and 2,3%, respectively.
“Our country organisations have benefited
all around from the strong demand for
cross-border transports in the European
single market. As far as the exchange of
goods is concerned, Europe is and will
remain stable and closely interconnected,”
comments Simon.
Meanwhile, the company has increased
the volume of its planned investments
from €125 million in 2016 to €177
million in 2017. The main focus of these
investments lies on expanding network
locations, IT systems and research and
development. “We are intensively studying
all aspects of the logistics solutions of the
future and the extent to which they can be
digitalised. Dachser has launched group-
wide innovation processes at numerous
levels in order to maintain its pioneering
role in the industry,” says Simon.
The logistics provider has also invested
in the expansion of its contract logistics
services, creating more than 350 000 m²
of additional warehouse space providing
room for over 300 000 pallets in the past
two years alone. Dachser can thus now
offer its customers over two million pallet
spaces in almost 200 warehouses on four
continents.
b
Dachser on a sound growth path
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS NEWS
Dachser has increased the volume of its
planned investments from €125 million in 2016
to €177 million in 2017.
Recently, the South African transport
minister controversially pointed out that the
sentences for drunk driving may be too light,
and that drivers who are responsible for
causing accidents while under the influence
of alcohol should be treated in the same vein
as murderers and rapists. While a harsher
penalty may seem to be a deterrent, will
it really curb the number of drunk driving
incidents in South Africa?
In South Africa, the legal limit for what
constitutes as ‘over the limit’ is already rather
strict, at .24mg/
ℓ
for private vehicle licence
holders and .1mg/
ℓ
for professional vehicle
drivers in possession of a Professional Driving
Permit (PDP) licence, such as taxi, bus or truck
drivers. This is significantly lower than that
of many countries, such as the UK, yet we
are still seeing higher rates of drunk driving
incidents and accidents than the UK does.
In countries such as the UK, drunk driving
is frowned upon – and not just by the police,
but by a person’s peers. There is a stigma –
a general air of disapproval – attached to
getting behind the wheel of a car when a
person has had more than a drink or two.
This negative social perception of drunk
driving means that people simply do not
let each other drive when they have been
drinking. This is the kind of social perception
we need to generate in South Africa, in order
for our drunk driving statistics to start falling.
Creating an environment in which drunk
driving is seen as a negative thing starts
with education, from a grass roots level. If
driving drunk, or any other alcohol influenced
behaviour, is perceived as a bad thing and
the “cool factor” is removed, right from
when people are first introduced to the idea
that alcohol causes drunkenness – often in
primary school already – then, it stands to
reason that people would better get behind
anti-drunk driving and sober designated driver
campaigns. More visual educational drives
around the effects and consequences of drunk
driving should be effected at schools, in a
similar vein to those talks and presentations
given on the risks and dangers of narcotics.
Imposing harsh penalties in a country
which does not yet have a mindset geared
towards sober driving habits may seem like
the answer, but it can be seen as a short-
term fix with deep consequences.
Rather than implementing new, harsher
penalties in reaction to the rising number
of drunk driving incidents, those in power
could benefit greatly from strategising with
the private sector to develop awareness
and education campaigns, while enforcing
an attitude of accountability among our law
forces.
We already have strict legal drinking
limits in place, with appropriate penalties,
however these are not always enforced as
well as they should be. South African law
enforcement agencies should also be held
accountable for the part they play in keeping
drunk drivers off of our roads.
In the United States of America, in
an attempt to reduce police brutality
claims and enforce accountability, police
forces have successfully implemented a
technology whereby police officials where
a vest mounted with a live stream video
camera which they are unable to remove
or operate themselves. This ensures that
police forces adhere to their code of conduct
and leaves no room for misunderstanding
or misappropriation of rights – both for the
officer and the alleged offender.
If implemented locally, a similar technology
implemented could well ensure that police
forces are not only effectively enforcing the
law, but also protects them against abuse
and false claims, for both drunk driving
incidents and more.
Harsh penalties could help to engender
a feeling of fear of the consequences of
drunk driving, but are unlikely to reduce
the number of incidents without the
magic trio: awareness or education about
the effects of drunk driving from a grass
roots level; a feeling of responsibility for
our own actions generated by a negative
social perception of drunk driving; and
enforcement of the law.
b
Changing the mindset around drunk driving
By Rhys Evans, Director at ALCO-Safe