New data released by Netstar, the vehicle tracking and recovery firm owned by JSE-listed Altron, shows clearly the massive impact of last week’s riots on South Africa’s trucking industry.

Netstar said three major clients, which it declined to name, lost more than 613 000km in delivery miles in just five days – the equivalent of travelling around the world 15 times.

The telematics data, for the period 10 to 16 July, shows these clients’ ability to deliver goods across the country fell by more than 74% when compared to the previous three months’ data.

“Between these three clients, nearly 30 000 delivery trips were cancelled or delayed,” Netstar said in a statement. “Commercial clients were the hardest hit in KwaZulu-Natal, with more than 78% of transport vehicles being unable to travel during the protest action,” it added.

“Although Gauteng was severely impacted initially, with nearly half of all trucks standing still, Netstar’s clients in the province were able to recover faster, losing only 15% of their delivery capacity.”

Signs of recovery

The industry started to show signs of recovery towards the end of last week, with the average number of trips returning to near-normal levels, except in Kwa-Zulu Natal, which suffered a net loss, it said.

Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West were the least affected by the rioting and looting.

Netstar MD Pierre Bruwer said: “The trucking industry is the lifeblood of our economy as it plays a critical role in getting goods to market and keeping the wheels of trade turning. We are hopeful that the situation will return to normal and that drivers can return to work safely.” — © 2021 NewsCentral Media