The current state of South African roads is very poor, and it’s costing your fleet hundreds and thousands of rands each year. Across South Africa, our roads are crumbling away, thanks to contributing factors like harsh weather, mismanagement and underfunding. Drivers aren’t swerving because they're drunk; they're trying to not lose a tyre in a splash-pool-sized pothole.
In October of 2022, the former president of SARF stated that there were more than 25 million potholes on South African roads. SANRAL claimed this was improbable, as that would mean that there are 149 potholes for each kilometre.
However, we’ve driven on plenty of South African roads, and even though this information was presented in 2022, in 2026 we’re pretty sure that there definitely are thousands of potholes on these roads. Unfortunately, the conditions of our roads don’t just affect your everyday commuter; fleets are cumulatively affected the most by these poor road conditions.
To say that the current state of South African roads is in shambles would definitely be an understatement. When funds are low and roadworks are mismanaged, the road conditions worsen. And this isn't just potholes; it's uneven roads, broken robots, missing stop signs, and barely visible road markings.
All of these, partnered with traffic, speeding, distracted driving, and unpredictable weather, make travelling on South African roads an extreme sport.
The current state of South African roads is damaging your fleets and your shipments, eating into your profits, and putting your drivers' lives at risk. Let’s take a deeper look into exactly how these poor road conditions are affecting your fleet.
When your vehicles are travelling on unkept roads, your tyres, suspension, and vehicle alignment are constantly affected. This means maintenance for these parts will be more frequent.
Terrible roads and lack of infrastructure all contribute to heavy traffic. This leads to operational delays affecting your and your drivers’ schedules.
When your vehicles have to sit in traffic because of infrastructure problems or take longer alternative routes so they can avoid the damaged ones, they’re burning through way more fuel than necessary.
When there’s a lack of road signage, road markings and damaged or uneven roads, it creates a huge risk to your fleet. Not only do all of these factors contribute to an increase in accidents, but standing in traffic increases the risk of hijackings.
If most of your fleet is travelling by road, the costs of maintaining these vehicles are going to increase. This means you’re going to have to increase the price you charge your customers to help cover these costs.
Cartack helps fleets when it comes to the conditions of South African roads by providing them with:
We’re not just a tracking company; we provide complete operational intelligence to take your company to the next level.
Real-time route optimisation can help you avoid or manage poor road conditions in South Africa. It uses GPS and live data to reroute your drivers on the go. This is more efficient and effective than making use of pre-planned routes, because the conditions of the road can change in an instant.
Cartrack's real-time route optimisation GPS tech will help your fleet to:
One minute your driver is cruising on its route to Harrismith to drop off a shipment, and the next he’s hit a huge pothole and has a flat tyre and a damaged rim. Cartrack provides a service called 'Cartrack Protector'.
Cartrack Protector is a roadside assistance add-on feature that can provide you with:
At Cartrack we provide panic buttons for your fleet, and they’re not just for hijackings. Your drivers can use them in any emergency scenario they find themselves in. Our panic buttons are connected to our control room, and we’ll send help to your driver and vehicle right away!
We have two options when it comes to our panic buttons:
If the vehicles in your fleet are not being actively and properly maintained, they’re going to be more susceptible to the conditions of South African roads. This is why you need to invest in predictive vehicle maintenance from Cartrack.
Predictive maintenance can alert you to problems surrounding:
We know the roads we travel on are not always up to standards and that broken robots, missing stop signs and worn-out road markings are daily problems. This is why drivers need to be extra cautious when they’re on the road.
When you install a Cartrack AI camera solution, you can monitor your drivers' behaviours while on the road. You and your driver will be alerted to:
And because both you and the driver get alerted, your driver can self-correct before an incident arises, and you’ll know what to coach your drivers on.
Your fleets are on unpredictable roads, and unfortunately if your truck is driving slowly because of bumpy, pothole-ridden roads, there’s a chance your truck can get hijacked. Having a Cartrack tracking unit installed in your fleet gives you and your drivers peace of mind if the worst does happen.
Additionally, if your fleet vehicle gets hijacked, you could lose the valuables they’re transporting as well. Having a provider like Cartrack that has a high recovery track record will put you at ease during every part of the journey.
An accelerometer is an electronic sensor that tracks a vehicle’s movement. It picks up every bump, turn, brake and jolt. This information lets you as the fleet manager know how the driver was handling the vehicle before and during an incident.
This will help you:
If you're ready to keep your fleets protected on the roads of Mzansi, then contact us today to see how we can help!
South African roads are a mess, and it’s costing your fleet a fortune—see how Cartrack’s tech keeps your drivers safe and your costs low.
