Dynamic truck rental lives up to its name

The truck rental business in South Africa is extremely competitive. Therefore a company has to be very special in all it does to rise above the rest and grow its business. Dynamic Truck Rental is one of these companies. It was established in 2004 and has had amazing annual growth at an average of 44% year-on-year for the past 11 years and now boasts a fleet of 300 trucks.

It is a mixed fleet with the latest additions being seven Hino  500-Series 1626 freight carriers with tautliner bodies purchased from Hino Oranje in Bloemfontein, which operates from an impressive new facility near Dynamic Truck Rental’s head office and was runner-up in the 2015 Hino Dealer of the Year contest.

The first Hino to go into the Dynamic Rental fleet was a used 1626 freight carrier bought in 2004. The company was so satisfied with its first Hino that it subsequently bought five used Hino 815s with insulated bodies as well as a used Hino 714. Hino Oranje, headed up by general manager Erwin Stolze, is providing outstanding service according to feedback from Dynamic Truck Rental and further orders for Hino trucks are in the pipeline.

Dynamic Truck Rental started in Bloemfontein from very small beginnings in 2004. Bernadette van der Berg, who had been working in the trucking industry since 1999, decided it was time to go out on her own. She was encouraged by a number of her clients. Initially trucks were hired from sub-contractors and she worked from a home office in a Bloemfontein suburb.

The name Dynamic was chosen as Bernadette, or Berns, as she is known, wanted people to know that this was a truck rental company that was driven by passion. She set her standards high and the fact that the company is showing such phenomenal year-on-year growth is a tribute to personal dynamism right from the top in the form of a go-getter managing director.

The first truck was purchased by Dynamic Truck Rental in 2007 but to this day there are several sub-contractors who continue to operate exclusively for the company using their own vehicles.

Dynamic Rental focuses on the corporate business and has contracts with many of the major players. It has a one-stop-shop approach of taking care of all aspects of moving goods in line with the managing director’s extensive experience in logistics.

The head office remains in Bloemfontein where modern new facilities have been built A Johannesburg depot was opened in Pomona three years ago to further improve service levels to the heartland of the SA economy.

All the way on Bernadette’s journey she has had the full support of her husband, Philip, who has an MBA. He is now responsible for the extensive business interests that have grown up around the rental trucks.

Philip is CEO of the Dynamic Group which includes property interests, warehousing, logistics, franchises for forklifts and rental cars besides the truck rental core business. This expansion over the past 11 years is an excellent example of the way a business can grow in the current economy provided it is headed up by dynamic entrepreneurs with firm goals in place.

Bernadette says her success in the truck rental business is all about providing her customers with a comprehensive service, which can even include taking total responsibility for cross-border transport. A recent addition to the Dynamic offering is trailer hire.

“Over the years I have built up excellent relations with my customers and their operations, so I am always looking at ways to lighten the customers work load,” explained vivacious Bernadette. “Our truck fleet is the core of our business and here we do not skimp. The trucks are serviced at the various accredited dealers, fitted with live tracking systems and a separate recovery system, as well as being fitted with bull bars, long range tanks, Diesel Guard and Safestop. The trucks are also refurbished once a year to keep them looking fresh.

“My staff is the vital link in or business and here we do not skimp either. We arrange regular training and team building sessions as well as employing a mentoring and life coach.

“The Dynamic Truck Rental slogan: ‘Powered by Diesel. Driven by Passion’ says it all,” concluded the managing director of the rapidly growing rental company.