temporary drivers: Value of Licensing, Experience and Risk Mitigation

Temporary Drivers: The Value of Licensing, Experience and Risk Mitigation

A 2020 sector study on logistics in South Africa showed that 77.3% of all land freight is transported on roads. The countries’ logistics sector is the most sophisticated in Africa, yet many organisations still struggle with running an efficient and cost-effective operation. Proper logistics expertise are crucial for companies looking to stay ahead in their respective industries, and partnering with a reputable driving specialist can deliver significant competitive advantages.

At MASA, we bring two essential levels of value to your operation: licensing and experience. On the surface, these two factors may seem obvious; it is easy to check if a driver has the correct licensing and experience for the operation.

However, how can you guarantee that these details are correct and that the driver behind the wheel will get the job done?

You could invest in a permanent team of drivers, but some critical challenges and risks come with running an in-house logistics operation. It is essential to ensure that your drivers are appropriately licensed and experienced as they are your first line of defence against loss.

It is also your responsibility as an employer to minimise operational risks while focusing on the core of your business. This is easier said than done, hence why the country’s leading companies opt for an outsourced driving solution.

Benefits of temporary drivers

By working with a driving specialist, you benefit from vetted, quality drivers ready to be mobilised as and when needed. This vetting process makes an outsourced solution the cost-effective alternative to having on-site employees and permanent fleets for your operations.

There is also a massive advantage to working with drivers specifically trained to understand your business and bring expertise to your operation. Temporary drivers can identify your operational needs, making them an ideal choice for additional support.

In our earlier article, you can learn more about the benefits of an outsourced driving solution. For now, let us explore further the value of partnering with a driving specialist and leveraging their services.

Vetting and Hiring

Partnering with MASA gives your company access to drivers through an expert vetting and hiring process. We have a pool of qualified, reliable and experienced drivers who have been background checked, trained and tested, so you can rest assured you are getting professional and dedicated staff.

MASA’s core speciality is recruitment and labour broking, so you can rest assured knowing that we apply the same rigorous hiring methods in our driving specialist division. We also provide strict driver testing programmes to maintain our high standards and run essential background checks to verify the licensing and experience of our drivers.

Background Checks

Temporary driving specialists like MASA verify background references, license and experience, and criminal checks to ensure that your temporary drivers are of the highest calibre.

Licensing and Experience

Contractual logistics operations require licences depending on the type of transported goods or machinery used in transport; however, many companies do not have access to all the necessary licence types.

All MASA drivers have a minimum of three years of real-world driving experience, with licensing and training with:

  • Code 8
  • Code 10
  • Code 11
  • Code 14
  • Hazchem
  • Forklift drivers
  • Reach truck drivers
  • Bendi drivers
  • Long haul drivers and more

Each of these licenses requires a certain level of training and experience to operate the respective vehicles. Temporary drivers can reduce the licensing burden and ensure that your business is compliant with the legislation regarding the transportation of goods or machinery during transport operations, regardless of type.

Reference Checks

To ensure that all drivers are of the highest calibre, it is essential to run reference checks and verify their past performance that might not come up during an interview.

This part of the vetting process can protect your company from potential problems in the future by giving you a more in-depth overview of the experience and characteristics of your temporary drivers and whether they’ll be a good fit for your company.

Criminal checks

Partnering with a professional driving specialist can also mitigate operational risk through criminal records checks. Temporary drivers are subject to stringent background verification screenings in addition to reference and experience verification.

Criminal records can be notoriously difficult to check; many companies struggle to authenticate information on criminal record checks due to issues of language translation, varying national legislation, or incomplete databases. Temporary driving specialists like MASA go through extensive criminal record checking, including local police verification.

Risk Mitigation

A reliable driving specialist hires temporary drivers trained to identify operational risks, such as driving in hazardous weather conditions or at night (when fatigue is a significant concern). Temporary drivers also receive training on how best to assist you with all aspects of work carried out while on site.

Beyond mitigating risk through driver training and vetting, reputable driving specialists like MASA offer insurance protection against accidents. Companies have reduced liabilities with an outsourced driving solution and less stress knowing that CCMA and other regulations will be applied if a conflict arises.

Temporary drivers can also help your company recover from operational mishaps through speedy interventions and crisis management strategies.

More value for you

Ultimately, temporary drivers can be a valuable addition to your company’s resources and help you operate with greater efficiency, safety and flexibility. Make sure that your outsourced drivers offer a comprehensive solution when it comes to licensing and the comprehensive vetting and hiring process.

Visit our website to learn more about MASA’s Driver Specialist Division and what we can do for you. If you are looking for a reliable partner and supplier of temporary drivers for hire, contact us today.

Benefits of an Expert Staffing Solution

3 Powerful Benefits of an Expert Staffing Solution

Staffing solutions are a core part of any business, which is why 59% of worldwide companies use outsourcing to reduce expenses. Effective outsourcing allows businesses to lower overhead costs, expand outwards, have greater focus, and improve service quality – all of which lead to a healthier bottom line.

Essentially, you need qualified and skilled individuals to get the job done, and if you don’t have them on your team internally, outsourcing is your best bet. But with so many staffing agencies out there, how do you know which one will be right for you?

In this article, we’ll explore three benefits of expert staffing solutions that Measured Ability South Africa (MASA) offers companies.

Cost Saving

Through economies of scale, an outsourced service provider like MASA can run a more cost-effective staffing operation than an in-house process by leveraging expert staffing providers, administrators, HR & IR practitioners, and more.

Around 70% of businesses surveyed by Deloitte say they use outsourcing as a cost-cutting tool. We have geared every component of our outsourcing solution towards efficiency and cost-effectiveness, absorbing the vital costs for clients at every step of the way.

With an operationally-minded and entrepreneurial mindset, you can rest assured that our team provides only the most necessary services – minimising budget wastage and maximising every rand you invest in the staffing process.

We tailor each staffing solution to fit our client’s unique needs, covering essential costs, tasks and processes such as:

Payroll

Payroll processing is a core business process that can be time-consuming and laborious, resulting in lost productivity and money wasted if you’re relying on inefficient or outdated methods.

By outsourcing your payroll, you can take a significant load off your business and free up precious time, allowing you to focus on more strategic tasks during the staffing process.

Our payroll services cater for:

  • Staffing required (e.g. Accountant, financial manager, bookkeeping HOD, payroll HOD)
  • Software and licensing (e.g. DBIT payroll, Microsoft, Pastel accounting, Sophos anti-virus, software support)
  • Hardware (e.g. Server, laptops, VoIP phones, hardware support photocopier)
  • Ops Cost (e.g. Phone line rentals, payslips, printing, bank charges, EFT fees, rental, electricity, landlord costs, repairs and maintenance, etc.)

By looking at the total time spent on in-house payroll management each pay period compared with outsourcing, it’s easy to see why so many companies are choosing a more professional, hands-on staffing solution.

Daily Operation

It may seem counter-intuitive to outsource your company’s daily operations, but this is a powerful investment that pays dividends over time. In the long term, delegating these tasks to MASA saves you money and results in even better outcomes for your company.

We handle daily operations such as:

  • Staffing required: Operations manager, recruitment personnel, site managers, ops dispatch drivers, nightshift drivers.
  • Vehicle instalment, repairs and maintenance, fuel, insurance. Criminal checks, PPE issue and return, timesheet administration, printing and photocopying.
  • Hardware and software support, purchase and licensing; laptops and photocopier.
  • Rental, electricity, landlord costs, repairs and maintenance
  • Recruitment criminal checks, advertising, vetting

Companies can focus more budget and resources on improving their offerings with these payroll costs, daily operational costs, and additional costs handled. Also, MASA is not subject to costly corporate head-office structures. What you pay us is what we re-invest in your site through infrastructural and operational spending.

Workload Reduction

One of the core reasons most companies outsource is to take the load off and reduce pressure on an operational end. An internal team or workforce has its limits, so companies can significantly reduce workload and boost productivity by outsourcing to an expert staffing agency.

MASA structures operations through innovative, customisable workflow processes based on international best practices. The massive technological advances of today are accelerating the pace of business, and outsourcing is the only solution that provides the flexibility to contend in the modern global arena.

Further Cost Savings and Work Load Reduction

MASA also absorbs the costs and tasks centred on:

  • Human Resources and Industrial Relations: Full recruitment process, vetting, site administration, dismissals, CCMA attendance and liability.
  • Risk management: Reduced liabilities – Contractual, CCMA, insurances, strikes.
  • Administration: VAT, PAYE, SDL, leave pay, sick leave, PPH, council levies/returns and provident funds, loans (ad-hoc, weekly, monthly salary payouts)

As good as your team is, not every member has highly specialised knowledge in their field. Outsourcing your staffing can ensure that you get trusted experts on the job to complete specified tasks and take that extra workload off your business.

Risk Mitigation

MASA’s vetting process is fully compliant with current legislation in South Africa. We use a rigorous screening procedure for all our staff members across all technical areas of expertise needed by companies today. Our team works hard on this groundwork so your business can focus on its core competencies and reduce the inherent risk involved in staffing.

By hiring the wrong person, you are exposing your business to legal repercussions, fines, or even closure. Partnering with a professional staffing agency can also dramatically reduce loss through theft and fraud, due to the thorough vetting procedures implemented by our team of experts.

Our vetting process is fully compliant with current legislation in South Africa. We use a rigorous screening procedure for all our staff members across all technical areas of expertise needed by companies today. MASA’s critical points of risk mitigation include:

  • Insurances
  • Indemnification
  • On-site risk management
  • Theft and stock loss

We also leverage HR and IR administration specialists to ensure that your company is fully compliant with legislation. Companies can draw on our risk management and insurance expertise for advice and guidance to mitigate risk exposure as much as possible.

The smart staffing solution

MASA’s staffing solutions in South Africa is a powerful and unique one chosen by forward-thinking companies looking to gain an edge. We are the ideal staffing agency to partner with for any company looking to reduce costs and workload while increasing productivity.

MASA offers a personalised staffing solution that empowers businesses of all kinds. Our constant innovation and a drive to maintain the best practices worldwide make us uniquely qualified as a leading staffing agency.

Contact MASA today to learn more about our staffing services and begin developing the best solution for your needs.

Truck delivery

Outsourcing Your Driving Needs: Advantages of Hiring Temporary Drivers

Do you need a driver for hire? Whether it’s for a day, week, month or longer, temporary drivers may be an excellent solution to your driving needs.

There are empowering benefits of outsourcing driving logistics, as temporary driver suppliers can provide a service that many businesses cannot with their current employees.

However, the resulting benefits of this may not always be apparent, especially if you have never looked into the solutions offered by an industry leader in the logistics sector.

This article will explore the advantages of hiring temporary drivers through a supplier of qualified drivers and why the MASA Specialist Driver Division is the preferred choice in South Africa.

Understanding commercial driving

Contrary to popular sentiment, commercial driving can be a highly complex and dangerous job. Many drivers in South Africa do not have adequate training, licensing or experience, which can lead to accidents on-site and on the road. This poses unnecessary risks that your company must consider when using an in-house driver or trusting any outsourcing company.

Depending on the complexity of your logistics, you may need the expertise of one or more certified drivers to fulfil your operations. Many employers mistakenly think that operators trained to operate one type of truck are automatically qualified to handle them all. However, operators must complete the necessary training to gain the competence and certifications to work in different vehicle categories.

For example, the racking systems in reach truck operations differ from those encountered by counterbalance forklift operators. With increased racking height comes increased risk, so reach truck and forklift drivers for hire must receive training that equips them to operate safely at height, with accuracy, efficiency and an understanding of the specific risks posed by the drive-through and drive-in racking systems.

Advantages of outsourcing your driving logistics

Putting industry terminology aside, hiring the right driving supplier comes down to the levels of service that your prospected supplier offers. We cannot speak for other labour brokers, but we can stand confidently behind our service and track record as a leader in the logistics sector for over 40 years.

MASA Specialist Driver Division is Africa’s foremost supplier of drivers across the spectrum. Our driving services include Code 8, 10, 11, and 14; Hazchem; forklift; reach truck; bendi drivers; long haul drivers and more.

There are significant advantages to outsourcing your driving to the right labour broker, so let’s explore the different ways that MASA’s drivers for hire can benefit you.

Gaining more qualified and experienced drivers

Your company may have experience hiring drivers, but sometimes the pool is not big enough to meet all your driving needs. Temporary drivers for hire are an excellent solution if you need more skilled operators quickly. MASA Specialist Drivers Division offers a wide range of services that reduce risk by vetting and training qualified personnel who can solve any logistics problem or deliver any product or service.

MASA’s drivers for hire are vetted, trained and tested to ensure that they meet the industry’s highest standards of quality control, compliance and safety in South Africa. Our experienced team of logistics specialists will help you choose the best option based on your criteria, thus guaranteeing that only suitably qualified drivers enter into your supply chain.

Enjoying a flexible solution

MASA’s temporary drivers for hire can be mobilised at short notice, ensuring that your company never faces a sudden shortage of qualified operators. Temporary drivers for hire also offer flexibility, allowing you to scale up or down depending on your orders.

MASA Specialist Driver Division offers one of the most comprehensive and flexible temporary driver placement services in South Africa today. Our temporary logistics solution is an effective alternative to investing in full-time employees who may not always meet all your needs.

Leveraging the preferred solution

MASA supplies world-class drivers to over 200 blue-chip corporates in South Africa and across borders. We empower your company through experienced professionals who have worked for the industry’s best and are ready to bring more value to your supply chain.

MASA’s temporary drivers for hire are a priceless investment that can help you support existing relationships with other companies and grow your customer base. Our drivers are not just ordinary employees – they offer a unique and valuable solution to your most pressing logistics needs.

Industry-wide supply of drivers

Through MASA Specialist Driver Division, you gain the skills and value of drivers trained for your particular industry. Temporary drivers for hire are the solution you need to meet your company’s specific transportation and logistics needs.

MASA offers a comprehensive range of drivers for hire across many industries, including automotive manufacturing and assembly, food and beverage suppliers; steel manufacturers; mining companies – the list goes on. We design our temporary logistics solutions to support the needs of your business at any given time – whether it’s a temporary shortfall incapacity or an increase in demand that requires additional logistics support.

Expert vetting, hiring and training process

MASA Specialist Driver Division is committed to ensuring that all drivers are carefully vetted and trained, resulting in a standard of excellence that exceeds industry requirements. We run a thorough process of reference, background and criminal checks done for every driver, along with license and experience verification. 

Our temporary drivers for hire are also offered exposure to ongoing training and development through our logistics solutions, ensuring that they are always on par with the latest industry requirements and certifications. We maintain an extensive vetting process, which guarantees that only the best drivers enter your supply chain.

Expert risk mitigation

The best temporary drivers in South Africa should have the relevant training and qualifications and experience in real-world driving conditions. As mentioned above, we conduct background checks on each of our employees before bringing them onto any job. This process ensures that your company is not exposed to unnecessary risks when outsourcing your driving logistics to an industry leader.

Avoiding regulatory compliance and fines

You may be audited at any time by the South African Department of Labour or other industry regulators, such as SAMWU (South African Municipal Workers’ Union), NAPTOSA (National Public Transport) and various environmental authorities. Our temporary driver’s solution helps you avoid fines and compliance issues and stay updated on regulatory changes that affect your business.

MASA Specialist Driver Division is a registered Temporary Labour Supplier (TLS) with the Department of Labour, ensuring that we meet and exceed their stringent requirements. We provide access to a vehicle fleet compliant with the latest safety legislation, thus reducing the risk of your company being held responsible for any accidents involving drivers who do not comply with traffic laws and safety guidelines.

You are in the driver’s seat

Ultimately, like with any outsourcing decision, it’s up to you to weigh up the benefits of hiring temporary drivers compared to your current solution. Temporary drivers for hire can be a great solution if you want to give your business the flexibility needed to support your current logistics operations while also providing security and cost savings.

You can visit the MASA Specialist Driver Division page for more information and contact us directly to tap into a pool of qualified, reliable and experienced drivers.

Contract

5 top tips for finding the right outsourcing agency

Whether you are looking to solve staffing issues or payroll maintenance, develop a new and more effective business strategy, or just becoming become more efficient all-around – the truth is there is a lot to take care of, and this is where finding the right outsourcing agency comes in.

But truth be told, you will only find out how good they are after you have used them. So, what do you need to know when choosing the best outsourcing agency to partner with you?

1. Money talks, business walks

When you talk in pure business terms, an outsourcing solution needs to improve your business’s bottom line through reduced operational costs. If you don’t see this happening anytime soon, the chances are that you’ll end up spending more than you end up saving.

You don’t need to be an expert analyst to figure out where you’re heading. All you’ve got to see is whether outsourcing will help you reduce a significant amount of your monthly costs in hiring employees and equipment. At the same time, you will also need to balance the quality and quantity of the services provided by the outsourcing agency.

For instance, if you contemplate outsourcing your payroll, you need to calculate if carrying out this function internally takes up more resources and costs than outsourcing it. If the money makes sense, you are heading in the right direction.

READ MORE: Recruitment Agencies Cape Town

2. Is the price right?

We already discussed how cost-cutting by hiring talent in a low-price tag is one of the most common reasons companies outsource. You’ll get several agencies offering their resources at a competitive price.

However, instead of going for the cheapest outsourcing solution, do a little bit of shopping around. Compare and find out what are you going to get from other agencies as well.

For instance, some outsourcing agencies will also offer customer support at no extra charge, which is a great deal. Remember, however, that although the price is an essential factor, it should not be the ONLY factor that helps you zero in on a decision.

3. Are they on time?

Timeliness in outsourcing is as vital as the costs. The last thing you want is bottlenecks, as this can lead to missed deadlines, and but the money you intended to save could go out the window.

Just to save yourself the headache, make sure you brief your selected outsourcing agency as well as you can, and then there is no way it can backfire on you or be used as an excuse for poor work. You want your money to work for you, so you need to brief well and handle queries upfront.

Going back and forth with your outsourced service provider is a sure way to waste valuable time and dampen your overall productivity. The goal is to gain the most out of your partnership by reducing the time spent on the outsourced tasks and not the other way around.

4. Do your research

Before you sign on the dotted line, make a point of conducting in-depth research on your choice of outsourcing agencies. In today’s digital age, having an informative website that describes key offerings in detail is essential for any outsourcing agency. It is one of the easiest ways to contact them directly, and if they don’t have a website, this may be a signal to find another company.

Do some digging and find more information about the outsourcing agency, the infrastructure, safety practices and the team that works there. Find a reference who has worked with the agency before and ask how their experience was. These practices will help you assess the service providers’ reliability and ensure that you choose the right outsourcing agency for the job.

5. Put a face to a name

You can’t just have blind faith in the outsourcing agency for hire, even if you’re saving significantly by hiring them. Find out all that you can, including the team members who’ll be working on the projects and who’ll lead that team.

Contact the prospected agencies directly to learn more about the people behind the solution. Setting up a meeting with their HR or sales representative is a crucial step to take once you have narrowed down your list of outsourcing agencies.

If you can, visit one of their branches to do some in-field research. You can learn a lot from how their staff treats you as a random walk-in prospect, compared to how they treat you over the phone or in a video call.

Set a high standard

Lastly, if you find that the company has inadequate quality control measures or does not have any backup plan for missed deadlines, it is better not to hire them at all. If they fail to present promptly and consistently in to your initial meetings or fail to meet the earliest deadlines of the project, it is better to cut your losses sooner than later down the line.

The most effective way to solve your human resource problems is with the right multi-service human solutions group. MASA is a leading national and international employment and staffing agency that is here to support, empower and drive your business forward.

Visit our website today for a comprehensive idea of what we do, and contact us to take the next step towards your ideal outsourcing solution.

onboarding process steps and tips

Onboarding During a Pandemic Era: How to Effectively Integrate New Staff

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a great deal of uncertainty for hiring companies and job seekers alike. There are many unknowns about the future of staffing, onboarding processes, and maintaining healthy company culture during this time.

Despite these challenges, two things remain certain – hiring must continue, and successfully onboarding new employees have never been more crucial. 

Since remote work has become the “new normal”  for many industries, companies rely heavily on technology to manage teams and maintain productivity. Those that cannot afford to operate remotely are continuously disrupted by the lockdown and quarantine measures, including companies that use hybrid strategies of both remote and on-site work. 

It is as vital as ever to ensure that new employees are integrated seamlessly into their positions so they can hit the ground running. Employers are responsible for providing proper onboarding to their new hires and facilitating smooth integration into their culture. 

Forward-thinking organisations have worked hard to navigate the pandemic by transforming working processes, but how many have upgraded their onboarding strategies too?

When critical processes like onboarding and training fall to the wayside, new employees are more likely to be unprepared for their roles. They may struggle to fit in with the company culture or work effectively in their team.

Traditionally, onboarding is a hands-on process that takes place on-site or in an office-type environment. Whether it’s meeting all their new colleagues in a board meeting, going for a team lunch, or participating in a workshop – new employees can benefit significantly from an organic, in-person onboarding experience.

An effective onboarding process can reduce the time and resources put into training a new hire and ultimately help them thrive early in their role. Setting up an employee’s workstation, training them on your core systems, and regularly checking up on them during their first few days are decisive steps of the onboarding process that are difficult to replace through technology.

For example, introducing a new employee to their team during a Zoom call may do the job, but this may not have the same effect as a warm handshake or an office meeting. Human beings are highly social creatures that rely on real-time interactions and social cues to develop healthy relationships.

Successful organisations build strong teams based on trust, rapport, and clear communication. Without these ingredients, your team is bound to struggle or even fall apart during today’s tough challenges.

Tips for upgrading your onboarding process

 

When onboarding new staff in a pandemic era, your process must account for the lack of real-time interaction or increased disruptions that are often out of your control. You can’t always predict when the next lockdown will happen or when a team member will call in sick, but you can onboard your employees well by preparing them for such situations.

The goal is to center your onboarding strategy around the most effective methods for integrating new staff into the company. This strategy includes setting up various interactive, engaging, and high-impact experiences for your new employee, geared towards full integration and immersion in the organisation.

 

Companies using a fully remote work strategy or hybrid strategy (i.e. remote and on-site) can focus on technology-based onboarding initiatives, such as:

  • Initiating both one-on-one and group introductions with the team to create an excellent first impression
  • Providing virtual real estate tours of the office or even the surrounding area if the new hire has relocated for the job
  • Setting up all of the relevant account details, logins, and software of the new employee beforehand or on their first day
  • Ensuring that new employees are fully equipped with working devices that meet company requirements and data, headphones, etc.
  • Sharing updated training materials and valuable documents like company portfolio’s, health & safety manuals, rulebooks, and strategy documents
  • Creating digital onboarding tools that empower employees across all levels to learn about new hires’ backgrounds & skill sets without having to reach out for help every time (e.g. employee profiles)
  • Planning and executing daily progress meetings where you check in with new employees and openly discuss tasks and roles with the team 
  • Asking the team, specifically new employees, to track their tasks and document daily working processes. Use this information to improve workflows and productivity.
  • Initiating strategic meetings with new employees to brainstorm new ideas for the company. Doing this will give them a sense of initiative and ownership – two massive components of success for remote teams.
  • Ask new employees to write out their short, medium, and long-term goals and vision for working with the company, which should be checked on and updated regularly over time.

 

Ultimately, onboarding a new employee should be an ongoing process, not just a checklist of activities and tasks that only take place during the first day or week.

To help ensure smooth onboarding processes, you need to get your onboarding strategy in line with how remote teams operate so nobody is left out or overwhelmed by time zones, multiple locations, and lack of face-to-face interaction.

Onboarding is an ongoing process that should evolve with your company over time while constantly reflecting the culture you want to shape within it. We are all navigating the same challenges together, so don’t be afraid to experiment, try new things, and have fun with the process.

As Gary Vaynerchuk says, “if you’re onboarding right, people will feel like they joined a family”. These words may be more important than ever before in this era of remote work and less in-person interaction.

If you require professional assistance with hiring, onboarding, and training new employees, make sure to contact us so you can leverage the top staffing employment and labour outsourcing services in SA. 

MASA is a leading national and international employment/staffing agency capable of effectively managing the key elements of your employment/staffing needs ready to facilitate seamless hiring and onboarding of new employees in your company.