Providing quality transport solutions to South Africa
Wardens Cartage was started in 1977 by the Naidoo family in Sea Cow Lake, Durban. Since its founding, the company has grown into a major bulk transporter in South Africa. The company started with Bala Naidoo as a driver who ventured into buying his own vehicle. Since then, the company has expanded from one truck to a fleet of trucks and throughout the years its business has grown exponentially.
Pragasen Govender, Business Development Manager for Warden’s Cartage, says, “In the beginning the bulk of the business was furniture removal. As we evolved into transport we started doing break bulk transport and in 1991 and 1992 we broke into tankers.” From there, the company became one of the preferred transporters for tankers and liquid bulk.
Services and projects
To date, the company services medium and large corporate companies in South Africa and neighbouring countries. It transports ethanol, acetone, petrol, diesel, white spirits, jet fuel and mining solvents. “Currently we are geared up for transportation of fuel and petrochemicals so we transport primarily fuel for companies such as Shell and BP,” says Govender.
Not only does it encompass transportation services, but it has a washbay, workshop for maintenance and repairs, a tire bay and truck parking facilities. “The truck tractors are serviced and repaired by the dealer agents of the respective vehicles. The tankers and trailers are serviced and maintained at Wardens Cartage by specialist outsourced companies,” states the company’s website. Daily, vehicle checks are done by Warden’s Cartage before the vehicle is released on the job.
The company is fueled on the concepts of health, security, safety and the environment. The environment is a major factor for the business and Warden’s Cartage puts a strong emphasis on this aspect. “We try to work with that vision and work on emissions control, making sure that our environment is protected including our immediate surroundings,” says Govender. “We plant a lot of trees and are trying to make sure the community is aware of the importance of recycling.”
Not only is the environment extremely important to Warden’s Cartage but the integrity of its services and maintaining a quality product for its clients is crucial to its ethos. “We make sure the integrity of the product is maintained as spillage of products can damage the environment,” says Govender.
The company hopes to see itself as a synergy of business and environment. “We want to come to a situation where we are a preferred transporter not solely because of our service but because of our actions towards the environment,” says Govender.
Staff training
Wardens Cartage’s dedicated team of staff members from its management to its drivers are all trained extensively. “It is a leading BEE compliant company that recognizes that its “human assets” are its most vital resources and is therefore committed to ensuring that all employees receive appropriate education and training,” states the company website. Govender notes that all drivers go through stringent training to ensure the products integrity and safety.
With a full-time skills training consultant and a human resources department, staff members are all part of a training program. “Internal and external training is encouraged and staff attend training programs regularly. The management team is headed by Naidoo who ensures that Wardens Cartage complies with strict national and international standards in areas of safety, environment and good business practice,” states the company website.
Social responsibility
The Wardens Cartage family believes in the value of contributing to the community and is committee to social responsibility. The company has worked on a number of diverse community projects over the years. It has sponsored a two day golf tournament for six consecutive years at the Papwa Sewgolum Golf Course. Wardens Cartage also donates monthly to the Divine Life Society in Reservoir Hills and has helped in the structural development of various religious buildings. “At the FNB Diwali Festival, Wardens provided a truck for one of the Diwali procession floats,” states the company website.
Govender notes that every month the company embarks on social responsibility. “We have a monthly feeding scheme program in the area that we are situated. Last year we threw a Christmas party for a charity. We had a big party, provided them with lunch, activities and gifts,” says Govender.
Goals and future plans
The company wants to expand property wise but business wise Wardens Cartage is happy with its status and the amount of trucks it controls. “We can afford to buy a lot of vehicles but we want to provide effective and efficient transport. We’d rather have a smaller amount of trucks and be able to control it and offer a good service to our customers,” says Govender.
Govender notes that the company’s goals include providing effective and efficient transport solutions with short notice. He says, “When we commit to a product quantity to be transported, we maintain that level at all times without sacrificing our quality levels. We don’t take any short cuts and everything is done in a proper way.” The company’s success is due to this mentality and it has worked hard for many years providing these efficient transport solutions without sacrificing quality levels and maintaining environmental integrity.
