The logistics industry facilitates the movement of resources across the supply chain by providing a variety of freight transport and forwarding services, with road transport being one of the most prevalent facilitation methods in the industry. Road transport is an integral part of driving economic prosperity to remote regions, it allows for trade and investments to flow across economies and create further business opportunities.
Egypt’s current national road network is concentrated around the main ports and Cairo and spans 65,000km with potential to expand tremendously. Cairo continues to be the entry point to two Trans-African highways, being a geographical hub between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The first highway runs along the African coast until Dakar, Senegal and the second covers the entire continent to Cape Town, South Africa but remains underutilized due to road limitations in Sudan. Currently, Egypt’s 1.5 million+ licensed drivers have great potential to increase their trips’ efficiency, service area and number of trips with better infrastructure and access to the aforementioned roads.
Road transportation is facilitated by a key stakeholder of the economy: the truck driver. In Egypt, the highest category of driving licenses, dubbed the professional first license, is awarded to the drivers that complete the required tests to demonstrate their ability in operating a truck or a lorry. Truck drivers are invaluable part of the ecosystem, as all business now rely on an input or material within their manufacturing process or final output that will have been delivered by a truck driver. The food and beverage (F&B), construction, and healthcare are a few sectors where the on-time cargo delivery is integral. Construction raw material transport is essential to building homes, communal spaces, business and workplace headquarters that are utilized by all members of the economy. The F&B industry requires the transport of various types of perishable goods, transported at a daily cadence to sustain nutrition and support food supplies. Truck transport supports the health industry with medical supplies deliveries, hospital equipment, and pharmacy stock among many other essential industries.
Truck drivers are an essential part of the economy. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), truck drivers should be on the road a maximum of 70 hours a week and should then take off a 34 hour reset. The increasingly high demand for goods, amplified by an increasing use of ecommerce platforms following the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in the need for truck drivers. A global shortage of truck drivers has been widely observed over the past several years. According to the Financial Times, “Keith Newton, secretary-general of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport International, said members in Australia and central Asia had reported heavy goods vehicle driver shortages of 20 per cent.” Logistics companies now face a challenge in balancing truck driver’s health and time on the road, with fulfilling delivery needs of the market. Many truck drivers globally work using recap hours, a system that allow the driver to work a rolling 70 hours over eight days and allows them to bypass the 34-hour reset. Long hours and sleep deprivation can often be can often contribute to traffic accidents and put drivers at risk as they continue to manage their livelihood by driving longer distances.
Naqla’s focus on the trucker driver means assisting them in growing their business, reducing overhead costs and maintaining a safe and desirable working environment. NAQLA Store is also another avenue in alleviating financial burdens of drivers, and allowing them to utilize payment plans rather than work excessively to maintain their trucks and ensure they can account for any unplanned financial commitments. Optimize the logistics of your supply chain at competitive prices with Naqla. Work with a company that cares about its truck drivers and get your quotation today or join Naqla’s fleet here as a driver!
Stay tuned next week to hear about “The Truck Driver: Health and Insurance”
