In August 2002, I found myself at one of those crossroads you never plan for. After 20 years in my position, I was made redundant. I was told that I had become too expensive and could be replaced by a cheaper option.
I didn’t have a Plan B.
What I did have was 20 years of experience in logistics, a network of people I had built relationships with over the years, and a strong belief that there was an opportunity to do dedicated linehaul differently.
So, at a time in my life when I could quite easily have looked for another job, I decided to build one instead. That was the beginning of Strata Logistics.
Twenty-four years later, it seems like a simple sentence. It wasn’t.
Start with what you have
I didn’t have the capital to go out and buy a fleet of trucks. So, I started by canvassing owner-drivers and placing them with customers I found through my network. It was a practical solution to a very practical problem: how do you build a transport business when you don’t own transport? You find a way. That is probably one of the earliest lessons Strata taught me and one that I think applies to almost every entrepreneur.
Don’t wait until you have everything. Start with what you have and prove what you can do with it.
Eventually, the business reached a point where I had a decision to make. I could continue relying on outside operators, or I could take the risk of investing in our own vehicles and have greater control over the service we were promising our customers. I chose the second option.
One of our first vehicles was a 5-ton panel van — registration NGH674GP. I can still remember it. Then came our first Iveco Daily, purchased from C Rand Solutions. It already had around 400,000 kilometres on the clock. People thought I was nuts. Perhaps starting a business requires a small amount of that.
Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself
In those early years there wasn’t much room for titles or job descriptions. I handled sales. I worked in operations. I did the finances and collected outstanding debt. And when a load needed to be driven, I drove it.
Looking back, I’m grateful for that period because it gave me an understanding of every part of the business. It also gave me enormous respect for the people who do those jobs today.
You cannot understand logistics entirely from behind a desk. There are early mornings, late nights, deadlines, breakdowns, traffic, difficult roads, unexpected customer requests and a thousand moving parts that have to come together before one load reaches its destination. That experience shaped the way we built Strata.
Know when you need good people beside you
As the company grew, it became obvious that I couldn’t — and shouldn’t — do everything myself. In 2009 my brother Andre joined Strata in an operational role, allowing me to concentrate more on sales and finances. In June 2011, Brett Beukes joined us as Financial Manager and brought financial expertise and discipline to the growing business. One of the hardest transitions for many entrepreneurs is moving from doing everything yourself to building a team capable of doing things better than you can.
But that’s how a business grows. The right people don’t dilute your vision. They make it possible.
Problems can become opportunities
Around 2010 we were spending a considerable amount of money outsourcing repairs and maintenance. Instead of simply accepting it as another cost of doing business, we looked at the problem differently.
That led to the creation of our own internal workshop and maintenance facility, Doctor Haulage. What began as a solution to one of our own operational challenges became an important part of how we manage preventative and routine maintenance. It reinforced something I have seen repeatedly over the years:
When the same problem keeps appearing in your business, pay attention to it.
It may be telling you where you need to change. Sometimes your biggest frustration points you directly towards your next improvement.
Your customer isn’t buying a truck
Twenty-four years in logistics has also taught me that customers aren’t really buying transport. They are buying certainty. When somebody gives Strata a load, there is usually another promise attached to it.
Their customer is waiting. Their production line may depend on it. Their stock needs to be somewhere.
Their reputation is involved. So while we may see a truck travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town, our customer sees a commitment that needs to be honoured. That distinction matters.
It is why communication, reliability and accountability have always been so important to us.
Some of our customers have been with Strata since the early days. In an industry where there is always somebody willing to offer a cheaper price, those long relationships mean a great deal to me.
You don’t keep a customer for years because of one impressive sales presentation. You keep earning their trust. Load after load.
Business will test you
Anyone who has owned a business for more than a few years knows that the journey is never a straight line. Over 24 years we have operated through changing economies, rapidly rising costs, difficult road conditions, security challenges, changing customer requirements and enormous developments in technology. There have been good years and difficult ones. You learn to adapt. You learn not to panic every time circumstances change. And you learn that resilience isn’t about pretending problems don’t exist. It’s about solving the problem in front of you and then getting on with the job.
Logistics is particularly good at teaching you this because the road doesn’t care about your business plan. Something will change. Your job is to respond.
Never stop improving
The Strata of 2026 is very different from the Strata of 2002. Our vehicles and drivers are supported by technology that gives us levels of visibility, monitoring and safety information we couldn’t have imagined when we started. But I’ve never believed technology should replace the fundamentals. Answer the phone. Communicate. Do what you said you would do. Look after your people. Look after your customer.
Take responsibility when things go wrong. Technology can make a good business better. It cannot compensate for a business that has forgotten those basics.
A business is built by people
Although I founded Strata, I would never describe the company we have today as something I built alone. Far from it. Andre has been part of this journey since 2009 and has played an enormous role in building our operational capabilities. Brett has been with us since 2011 and has brought tremendous value to the financial management of the company. Then there are the people whose names may not appear in the history of the business but whose contribution is written all over it. Our operations teams. Our administration and finance staff. Our workshop team. Our suppliers and partners. And, importantly, our drivers.
Our drivers are the people representing Strata on South African roads every day. They carry our customers’ goods, but they also carry our reputation.
To every person who has been part of Strata over these 24 years: thank you.
And to our customers…
There would be no 24-year story without you. Some of you took a chance on a very small business many years ago. Some joined us along the way. Some have trusted us with increasingly complex and important work as both our businesses have grown. Thank you for every load, every opportunity, every referral, every difficult conversation that made us improve, and every year that you have chosen to continue doing business with us. Your trust has allowed us to grow. We don’t take it for granted.
And finally, to Rene and my family
Building a business inevitably asks something of your family too. There are calls after hours, weekends interrupted, difficult periods that follow you home and years when the business needs more of you than you would like it to. Throughout this journey, my wife Rene has been my rock. She has stood beside me through the uncertainty of the early years, the pressures that come with growing a business and the many highs and lows along the way. Her patience, strength, encouragement and belief in both me and Strata have given me the support to keep moving forward, particularly when the road was difficult. A 24-year business journey is never carried by the founder alone, and Rene’s contribution to this story cannot be measured simply by a job title or the hours spent in the business. It is in the sacrifices made, the perspective offered, the steady support behind the scenes and the confidence of knowing that someone is always in your corner. Rene, thank you for being there through every chapter. To you and to my family, thank you for the understanding, belief and sacrifices over the years. Strata’s 24-year story belongs to you too.
If I could give another business owner a few pieces of advice…
After 24 years, I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. But I have learnt a few things.
- Start. You don’t need to have everything figured out.
- Know your numbers. Turnover can look impressive. Cash flow keeps you alive.
- Protect your reputation. It takes years to build trust.
- Hire good people and let them do their jobs.
- Stay close to your customer. Their business will change, so your solution must change with it.
- Don’t become disconnected from the ground. Know what your people experience every day.
- Solve recurring problems instead of learning to live with them.
- Invest in your people, your equipment and safety.
- Adapt. What worked ten years ago may not be what takes you through the next ten.
- And perhaps most importantly:
- Keep your promises
24 years later
If someone had told me in August 2002 what that redundancy would eventually lead to, I’m not sure I would have believed them. At the time, losing a job after 20 years felt like an ending. It turned out to be a beginning. Today I look at Strata Logistics with enormous pride — not simply because of the vehicles, kilometres travelled or growth of the business, but because of the people, relationships and reputation that have been built along the way.
And we’re not finished. Twenty-four years gives you experience. It also gives you perspective. There are still customers to serve, problems to solve, people to develop and a business to keep improving.
The vehicles may have changed considerably since NGH674GP. The principle hasn’t. Someone gives us something important and trusts us to get it where it needs to go. We give them our word.
Your Load. Our Promise.
Twenty-four years later, that’s still what Strata Logistics is built on.
About Strata Logistics
Founded in 2002, Strata Logistics is a Gauteng-based logistics company specialising in reliable, bespoke linehaul and transport solutions across South Africa and Southern Africa. Built on more than two decades of industry experience, Strata partners with businesses to provide customised transport solutions supported by a large, well-maintained fleet, dedicated drivers, real-time vehicle monitoring and an in-house repair and maintenance capability. The company services a blue-chip client base, with some customer relationships dating back to its earliest years. Strata’s approach is centred on reliability, accountability, safety and long-term partnership: Your Load. Our Promise.
Debby Marx
Lead Logistics Marketing Agency