CRUSADER LOGISTICS: Crusader Hits Top Gear on the Journey to Leadership Status

Vast South Africa has 60 million people spread across 1.2 million km², with growing population density around major metro hubs: Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. While the trade arteries of the country are often described as woefully inadequate, the country has developed a modern, high-tech, sophisticated logistics industry which continues to serve businesses and the public with innovative solutions.

But it’s not easy. Fuel pricing and environmental issues are a major concern. Away from the National Highway system, the road network is uncertain. Congestion around the cities and ports is a real problem. Skilled drivers are hard to find, and expensive. And the amount of red tape is growing.

Competition is also a problem. The industry is home to around 15,000 fleets with five or more trucks, and 3100 other companies also active in transport.

And when you factor in floods, riots, a pandemic, and a global energy transition – the industry is facing challenges like never before.

Demand remains high and the country’s transport and logistics sector must continue to provide high quality service. Thankfully, there are expert operators that are overcoming each new challenge with innovative solutions. To keep business moving, it pays to partner with the best.

INDUSTRY LEADER

Crusader Logistics has been delivering excellence in SA for 22 years. Established by Stuart Roos and Brett Harris, the company has grown significantly to become an industry-leader, home to a fantastic fleet, highly-trained drivers, world-class warehousing and storage facilities, and a mindset fixed on client satisfaction.

According to Harris, the company is on a growth journey, despite industry challenges – and is investigating new facilities, new market sectors, and new opportunities in new regions. Inland from its Durban headquarters, the company sees significant opportunities as port activity spills over and new, future-proofed ventures are required.

“The area around Cato Ridge and Hammarsdale has been touted as the new inland dry port for Durban because the harbour and port itself is so congested,” Harris tells Enterprise Africa. “It has reached a bottleneck stage where there is no room for expansion. They want an inland port where they can turn containers around and speed that process up. The logistics requirement in that area is going to skyrocket. In fact, it has already started.”  

Crusader has a warehouse and a linehaul depot in the area and is unpacking away from the port, using smaller vehicles to distribute locally, and offering savings to clients.

“There is a lot of infrastructure going into those areas, with the main arterial roads – the N3 – receiving big developments. You need that infrastructure in place to be able to handle the increased traffic, bigger vehicles, warehouses and logistic hubs that we see that area accommodating. It will be great for the local area as it will create jobs, with many companies opening, and everybody benefitting,” highlights Harris.

Crusader has joined the Hammarsdale Cato Ridge Development Association, formed in 2020 by 16 member firms (now 48) to drive socio-economic development in the region, promoting investment and opportunity across eThekwini Municipality.

“The group looks at security, conservation, social upliftment, business development and many other factors, trying to bring community and business together,” details Harris, adding that partnerships and transparency are key to building long-term prosperity, and is part of the ethos at the heart of Crusader.

GLOBALLY CERTIFIED

The company’s facility at Cato Ridge is one of the country’s finest, boasting several international quality certifications that allow for the specialist handling of a range of different products.

“The facility is British Retail Consortium (BRC) accredited and has received strong audit passes from YUM! (American food safety auditing program), BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards), and PPECB (Perishable Product Export Control Board) certification assessments. We believe it is currently the only facility in the country with all these accreditations, and that allows us to offer food grade clients with professional storage, quality control, and everything that comes with that,” says Harris.

The company is relatively new in the food handling space but is very excited about future prospects. For this reason, high-quality food-grade warehousing and distribution is now available from Pomona, Johannesburg; Logra Park, Cato Ridge; and Sydney Rd, Durban.

“We only got into that two years ago and we are still growing. We are confident that we could take this to other centres around the country including Cape Town and Johannesburg,” explains Harris.

He adds that the Crusader site in Johannesburg will soon be upgraded, with the company moving from 13,500m² split across two warehouses, to a brand-new, custom built 18,500m² under roof space. “We will be a partner as a shareholder alongside the developer. The site will have three floors of offices, a specialised multi compartment HAZ-store facility, truck wash bay – with rainwater harvesting – and state-of-the-art solar system with backup power to reduce dependence on the flailing State electricity provider. With the price coming down and the quality improving, it really does makes sense to invest in these systems.

Initiatives like this – with displays of commitment to South Africa and local industry development – demonstrate the Crusader Logistics philosophy of ‘delivering excellence’ and help set the company apart when it comes to problem solving.

BUMPS IN THE ROAD

Key in Crusader’s ability to meet modern challenges head on is its capacity for quick decision making. The company has retained a flat structure and can take important choices in hours rather than weeks. This nimble culture, driven by Roos and Harris, has seen Crusader Logistics thrive while others have crashed.

“The transport sector has become increasingly competitive,” admits Harris. “Risks have increased and it’s no secret that crime and maintenance of infrastructure is an issue in this country. We have challenges on the roads, and it is very competitive with corporates being traditionally price givers and not price takers. It’s an industry where you battle to dictate the price at which it is viable for you to perform on services. If you want to be compliant and professional, it is becoming more difficult to do so at the price that the market expects. This industry, like most, has become a lot more tied down in paperwork. There is a lot more accreditation and compliancy that is required. There are so many things that you now must have in order.

“We have recently restructured our entire line-haul department and we have put more resources into local distribution because the margins are higher and there is less risk involved. The rates are more viable with local distribution because it is more of a value-add to your warehousing services than a separate service on its own.”

The company has 16,000m² under roof at its facility in Durban. From there, the focus is mainly on packaging, beverage and retail goods. But diversification and expansion continues with new industry sectors being successfully targeted.

“We have recently moved heavily into the automotive industry where we are now storing vehicle components and parts, ultimately destined for Ford, Toyota, VW and other high-end vehicle manufacturers,” says Harris of the exciting new developments. Traditionally, plastic packaging has been the nature of the business, with line haul and warehousing focussed on this sector, with items like milk cartons, yoghurt containers, margarine tubs, and other food grade plastic packaging materials making up volumes. But Crusader’s strategic location at the port makes it an ideal partner for importers and exporters.

“We are in Zone 1 at the Port of Durban which is an incredibly handy location and in huge demand in terms of warehousing space. We handle a lot of port work and we do a lot of container unpacks because of our location,” details Harris, adding that the company’s fleet is also attractive for potential clients.

“We are proud to have industry leaders in terms of the trucks we use – Mercedes and Scania. They have excellent fuel consumption, and complement our strong driver management and training to ensure our drivers better themselves in their chosen profession.”

Congestion in the big cities has contributed to an increase in emissions from the country’s truck fleets with many unable to reach optimum speeds and reducing fuel consumption efficiency. Crusader ensures its operation is as effective as possible for both environmental and cost reasons. From the potential of solar, to the most modern fleet, to a total recycling solution, the company is heavily active on the sustainability front.

“In transport and logistics, we are a prime target for green advocates because we run trucks that consume diesel and produce emissions and we have large warehouses with lights and generators. The industry also traditionally generates a lot of waste. We have contracts with recycling companies whereby they collect our waste and we earn rebates.”

This mindset around quality and constant improvement will see the company grow over the coming years, building on a strong footprint that already sees it venturing into Botswana. Expanding further in South Africa, covering the final part of the map, Crusader hopes to take on the Western Cape, partnering with strong clients to provide wholistic coverage.

“In 2024, we want to open in Cape Town where we don’t have a footprint. To be truly national, you must be in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) is another option with more freight going through the port with congestion at Durban – that is an area where we could potentially develop a footprint. Certainly, on a national level, we are looking to build a footprint,” confirms Harris. “There are even opportunities further afield in Mozambique and Kenya.”

UPPING INTENSITY 

Two years ago, the company invested in a makeover which has helped it gain traction in the market, professionalising the company’s brand and helping it move quickly on its journey from medium to large business. At the same time, Crusader has avoided becoming heavy and corporate, and has maintained its agility.

“We have seen very good growth over the past five years,” says Harris. “There is a lot that we have done to ratify our position in the marketplace and gain visibility. A lot of our competitors have large boards or overseas holdings companies, and decisions take weeks and months. We sit around a table with a client and make a decision as they ask a question. That gives us a competitive edge when it comes to custom making solutions for our clients.”

Much-loved by clients, many of which are high-profile corporate and international organisations, the Crusader strategy is also felt internally and there is a family culture which sees promotions sought from within.

“We do not have high staff turnover and we like to try and grow people internally. We like to see progression; we have seen people start in reception and now head up admin teams, our finance manager has worked with Stuart for over 20 years, our HR manager was trained in house 15 years ago. One of our current drivers in the linehaul team started out as a truck washer. We always encourage upward development in staff and we value their ability to live the brand,” states Harris.

Clearly, Crusader Logistics has become an industry leader. With Roos always pushing for more, and with teams in the warehouses and on the roads working to the highest standards, clients can trust that Crusader has what it takes to stay one step ahead of the rest.

But this is not a business that is looking to be the biggest. The single desire of Crusader is to provide service of the highest quality. Right now, this is being achieved and the company has its foot on the accelerator as it heads for pole position in South Africa’s competitive logistics sector, overcoming each hurdle without collision.