Louis Trichardt will soon boast its own truck stop, Lemba Truck Stop, promising to improve the lives of thousands of cross-border truck drivers passing through the town each month dramatically.
"We are planning to open on 15 July," said owner Briton Selamolela. The Zoutpansberger visited him at his business premises at 8 Industria Road (old Total Gas depot) next to the N1 on Monday. "This is my home. Actually, I went to school not far from here at Mbilwi Secondary School," said Briton.
He truly has a passion for the transport industry as the co-owner of a cross-border transport business with his sister. He himself has spent many years behind the steering wheel of a truck and is thus familiar with the frustration experienced by truck drivers daily. "My aim with the truck stop is to assist drivers, especially those suffering from fatigue. It is awful having to sleep over at Beit Bridge or next to the road. I want to create a safe environment where truck drivers can stop, refresh and relax," said Briton. With this in mind, Lemba Truck Stop will feature 24-hour security in the form of CCTV cameras and guards, a tuck shop, ablution facilities and showers. It will also boast a workshop where repairs can be made to trucks.
The best news for truckers, however, will be that Lemba Truck Stop will have a clearing agent on site. "Normally it takes you about four days of waiting at the border post to get your clearance in order. Now you can sort out all your paper work in Louis Trichardt and it will take you one day to get through the border," said Briton. This will be done in conjunction with the South African Revenue Service and their Zimbabwean counterparts. The whole idea is to increase the turn-around time for truck drivers, which will eventually mean more money in their own pockets.
Lemba Truck Stop will also act as a wholesale fuel depot. Upon completion, it will have room for 25 sleep-over trucks. The idea is, however, to expand even further. "The industrial area has a lot of empty premises. We would like to expand our business to cater for between 80 to 100 trucks eventually," said Briton. At present, he is renting with the option to buy.
Also included in his medium- to long-term planning is to establish a weigh bridge at the truck stop. "How it currently works is that you wait at the weigh bridge at Beit Bridge until it is eventually your turn. If you are overloaded, you must first pay the fine before you can do anything else. It is also your problem to get your truck off-loaded to the correct weight. If you can sort out any possible weight problems in Louis Trichardt, it would be so much easier," said Briton.
Briton has a lot of experience in the industry and it is also not their first truck stop. They also manage a truck stop in Johannesburg. "I have so much hope for Lemba Truck Stop that I actually moved my family back here from Rustenburg," said Briton.
For more information, phone Briton at Tel 083 579 9162.