When night falls over South Africa, the highways don’t fall silent. They hum with the rhythm of logistics at work. Across the country, a silent army takes over, working through the night to ensure store shelves are stocked, parcels are delivered, and supply chains run uninterrupted. This is the story of the night shift.
For veteran linehaul driver Thomas Moletsane, who has been part of City Logistics since 1996, the night shift would be far more isolating without the support of the control room.
“Out there on the road, things can change fast,” he says. “If there’s a road closure, an accident, or bad weather, the control room lets us know immediately. If I stop unexpectedly, they’ll call to check that I’m okay.” This constant flow of communication keeps drivers safe and the cargo moving.
Inside the warehouse: a race against the clock
While the roads are watched, the warehouses buzz with activity. Siphamandla Mpofana, night shift team leader at City Logistics since 2011, describes the critical window between 5 pm and 10 pm when most of the action takes place.
“Trucks arrive, bays are prepared, and we offload and scan in the customer stock,” explains Mpofana. “Then it’s scanned out and loaded onto the linehaul trucks heading to different parts of the country.”
For time-sensitive express deliveries, the pace picks up even more between 8 pm and 10 pm. The goal is to move everything quickly, accurately, and with sufficient flexibility to handle delays caused by traffic or network downtime.
On the road: the reality of long-haul driving at night
Night-time routes vary depending on the destination, whether it’s a branch, a distribution centre, or a customer site. Starting focused on long night drives is about managing both the body and mind. While that sounds a touch dramatic, drivers need to stay sharp on all fronts. Moletsane noted that it’s key to remain hydrated and plan short breaks to stretch and recharge.
Along key routes, drivers make use of independent truck stops, with Moletsane noting he often uses City Logistics’ depots positioned along the way to take a break. “On the busy N3 between Durban and Johannesburg, for instance, the Harrismith depot serves as a crucial rest point,” he added. “It’s a safe space for drivers to pause, check their vehicles, and get ready for the next leg of their journey.”
Technology behind the scenes
Night operations rely on automation to handle the sheer volume of goods moving through the system. Scanners track each item, volumisers measure and weigh cartons, and sorters direct freight based on barcodes and delivery routes.
But the technology is only part of the story. Mpofana and his team plan for every possibility, building in contingency time to manage unexpected delays and keep the night shift running smoothly. “Our IT team is available if support is needed,” he says. “But it’s the planning that keeps everything flowing.”
Leadership in motion
Efficiency on the night shift isn’t just about speed. It’s about people working well together. Mpofana rotates his team across different roles so they learn every part of the process, giving them the skills to grow into bigger responsibilities over time “Everyone here plays a part in getting the job done,” he says. “And the more we understand the whole process, the better we work together.”
The work few people see
“It’s work that doesn’t often make headlines, but without it, so much of daily life would grind to a halt,” commented Ryan Gaines, CEO of City Logistics. “We don’t take this work for granted. Behind every successful delivery is a team that gave up their night to ensure businesses open their doors with stock on their shelves and parcels ready to go.”
Most people will never know what it takes to keep deliveries on time or shelves stocked by morning. But for the night shift teams, it’s just part of the job. From the control room staff keeping drivers safe, to the team moving freight through the warehouse, to the drivers covering hundreds of kilometres in the dark, each person plays their part to keep South Africa moving while the country sleeps.
