Quebec 1st place winner in Transport and logistics, 2nd in Canada
RAMINDER AND AMANDEEP SINGH, the brothers behind Safex Transport, know trucking. Their grandfather bought his first truck in 1958 in Mumbai, India. Later, their father Narinderjit entered the family business, building it into a large trucking company, and teaching his sons the ins and outs of transport along the way. Now, the brothers are taking the family legacy and updating it for a fast-paced and technology-inclined market with their own company, Safex Transport.
The brothers started building their business in 2014, when Raminder bought his first truck. Amandeep joined the business a couple of years later, bringing vast experience in the corporate sector. It’s that unique combination of a family business history, Raminder’s operation knowledge and Amandeep’s corporate knowledge that has allowed them to take the company to another level.
“We have a hundred trucks — but that is not the only thing we do,” says Amandeep Singh, co-chief executive officer of the company. “We also have a brokerage division, and we have acquired land in Vaudreuil, Quebec, where we are planning to build a warehouse. We are moving towards diversification, where we are a one-stop shop for all of our customers.”
Safex’s evolution started in 2017 when the company started signing long-term contracts with national and international businesses in a variety of sectors, including food, paper and manufacturing. This dedicated business meant Safex’s fleet ran at full capacity — and that freed up the time, energy and capital to expand into other areas.
The company has seen 6,500 per cent growth over the past five years, and has grown to more than 125 employees, so their efforts are paying off. But even as Safex expands its reach, Singh doesn’t plan to move away from the qualities that made it such a successful transport company.
“Overall, what sets us apart is that we take care of our people,” he says. “It can be drivers, dispatch, operations, anyone — we take care of our employees. And, because of that, we were able to attract talented drivers, office staff or other people on our team.”
Singh believes Safex’s talent is key to providing the best customer service to their clients, which is why they are always looking for motivated people who want to grow with them. Since the company is in growth-mode, there are a lot of opportunities for employees to progress their careers, something that contributes to its high retention rate.
Safex also has a strong focus on innovation. All their trucks are outfitted with dash cams and data monitoring systems, which track driver behaviour and safety.
“That helps us to provide safety, reduce the insurance costs and see where we are spending money so we can work to reduce the cost,” Singh says. “We can provide competitive and quality service because of these cost reductions.”
Next, the brothers are planning on implementing a system that will allow clients to track their load the way shipping companies allow shoppers to track packages. “That reduces a lot of time and stress from the client’s point of view,” Singh says.
“And that,” he emphasizes, “encourages loyalty.”
