The voice of Atlas : Cindy Bell

How did you end up in the logistics industry?

My journey started 15 years ago, when I thought I was coming into the industry as a trainee assistant, but with each passing year my passion and inquisitiveness for the industry grew and I’ve never looked back since.

How did COVID-19 impact your business?

For South Africans, we were placed in a hard lockdown for 21 days at the end of March 2020 and we were faced with the reality of what does the future hold for us.

It was very uncertain times and the impact of this hard lockdown wasn’t felt straight away, but a few months later you could see and hear that the economy has taken a blow and the industry took a bit of a knock as well.

Like so many millions of others across the world, we had to adapt by working remotely and try to be one step ahead in keeping your customers updated in regards to delays, space availability and climbing freight rates.

If there is one thing that you would want to change to the logistics industry, what would it be and why?

I would definitely want the surge in freight rates to stabilize, as higher freight rates will reduce importing and exporting of cargo as the smaller businesses and suppliers cannot compete with the bigger supply chain market. Overall, this would lead to closure of business, job losses and impact the economy negatively.

What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy having a braai (Barbecue, a South African must to do) with family and friends , a day out at the beach with a good book or cycling on the promenade, enjoying our hot South African summers.

What are your company’s goals for the next 5 years?

• To maintain excellent customer service
• To increase networking with partners
• Reduced transportation and logistics cost
• Increased revenue

Finally, what do you love the most about your job?

It’s an ever changing industry where you need adapt and always be one step ahead in planning and management which I truly enjoy doing.

Thank you, Cindy!