The Road Freight Association

The RFA's Business Support Services Centre has assisted over 120 people last year with advice on how to start up a transport business/ enter the industry. To provide an even better understanding on how to enter the industry or to start up a transport business, the RFA has put together a SMME starter kit.

The SMME starter kit is R500 for members and R550 to non members. The contents of the starter kit are listed below.
 

Contents:

PART 1 :  GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Checklist for Starting a Transport Business
2. About Transport Contracts 
     2.1 Definition
     2.2 The Agreement
     2.3 Acceptance
     2.4 Essentials of a contract
     2.5 Voidable contracts
     2.6 Termination
3. Ways of Operating 
     3.1 Principal Agreement
     3.2 Sub Contracting
     3.3 Definition of Owner Driver
     3.4 Outsourcing Management
     3.5 Owner Driver Empowerment Scheme
     3.6 Challenges faced by Owner Drivers
4. How to Source Transport Work
5. About Tenders 
     5.1 What is a Tender?     
     5.2 Tender Evaluation Criteria:
     5.3 How to complete a Tender?
6. Types of Finance     
     6.1 Sources of Equity Capital:
     6.2 Other types of Finance
     6.3 Loans from Commercial Banks.
     6.4 Assessment Criteria of Banks : The Five C’s Test
7. Sources of Finance for SMME’s
     7.1 Finance for BEE deals:
     7.2 The DTI’s Black Business Supplier Development Programme
8. Fleet Financing Options       
     8.1 Cash Purchase
     8.2 Instalment Sale
     8.3 Finance Lease
     8.4 Full Maintenance Lease (FML)
     8.5 Rental Agreement / Contract Hire
9. Financial Management
     9.1 Financial Statements
     9.2 Credit Control Management
     9.3 Cash Flow Management
     9.4 Ways to manage cash flow
10. Associations
11. Recommended Magazines
12. Recommended Publications Useful Websites (included)

PART 2 :  FORMS OF ENTITIES

1.      Sole Proprietor 
2.      Partnership 
3.      Private Company 
4.      Close Corporation 
5.      How to form a Close Corporation 
6.      Tax Implications for CC’s 
7.      Graduated Tax for Small Business

PART 3 :  STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

1.      Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) 
2.      Pay as You Earn Tax (PAYE) 
3.      Skills Development Levy (SDL)
4.      Value Added Tax (VAT)
5.      Regional Service Levy (RSC)
6.      Workman’s Compensation (WCA)

PART 4:  BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE

PART 5:  LEGISLATION

1.      National Bargaining Council Agreement
2.      Information on Dangerous Goods (included)

PART 6:  TECHNICAL INFORMATION

1.      Altitude Table
2.      Approximate Body Masses
3.      Cargo Van Aluminum Van Bodies
4.      Commodity Masses
5.      Conversion Table
6.      Distance Table
7.      Summary of South African Regulations
8.      Summary of Traffic Act
9.      Input Sheet for Operating Cost Estimate
10.    Licence fees
11.    Toll Fees
12.    Vehicle Performance Formulae
13.    Vehicle Performance Terminology

PART 7:  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1.      Transport Brokers
2.      Second Hand Dealers
3.      Trailer Manufacturers
4.      Manufacturers & Trucks Imported into South Africa