Berco Express is an airfreight courier services company to the corporate market in South Africa. Since 1992, Berco Express has provided a professionally managed service that focuses on the national and international distribution of high value, time sensitive consignments.

Our Credentials
Berco Express has differentiated itself on its proven ability to provide exceptional fulfilment reliability and consistency at highly competitive rates. Our high calibre employees and technology capability and the will to reinvest and continue to seek improvement in all areas has seen the company extend its client base to over 6000 customers across various industries in South Africa.

The average length of time Berco Express has provided courier services to its client base is 4.3 years and our audited retention rate is 98.3%. The extent to which we have earned the trust, respect and loyalty of our clients is today reflected by an increasing trend to utilise Berco Express not only as an outsourcing partner but also as a strategic partner in terms of the achievement of various business objectives.

Our Capacity
Berco Express distributes over 3.5 million parcels per annum to every single destination in South Africa and abroad. Our wholly owned branches throughout South Africa employ more than 800 employees, with an average service record in excess of 2.5 years. More than 235 vehicles operated not by owner-drivers but by our own employees provide a 24-7-365 day service. All Berco facilities have all been specifically designed to accommodate future expansion and address issues such as cycle-time reduction, security, flexibility, technological innovation and efficiency.

Berco Express itself is part of the Berco group of company's which have been in operation since 1974.

We are very confident of our ability to safeguard your consignment/s all the way to their final destination. So much so that all consignments are automatically insured for an amount of R3000-00 per waybill at no additional cost to you.

However, there are certain risks over which we exert little, if any, control and it is for this reason that we provide insurance cover for your valuable consignments. Should the insured value of your consignment exceed R3000.00, the cost of insurance would be 1.25 % of the insured value, over the initial R3000.00.

Possibly, and even probably. Berco Express is entirely focused on providing cost-effective, time sensitive, airfreight courier services only. Other companies dilute their sense of urgency by attempting to offer other services (such as road freight) in order to reach an acceptable price point. However, this can result in further problems such as the possibility of service denial, transit delay due to consolidation, theft and even damages.

Berco Express is highly innovative in its approach to minimizing the costs of distribution, without having to resort to road freight. 

Collections
For telephonic or once-off collections, collections will be affected within 2 hours of notification.

Should you require a standard collection daily or weekly, please contact us. This will then become part of our regular collections schedule and no telephonic contact is then necessary.

Deliveries
Delivery will be affected within the times stipulated on the waybill itself and as per our predetermined service standards (for a detailed description of these services please see the reverse side of the senders copy of the waybill).

In the case of Sameday and Dawn Express services, delivery will be affected in accordance with the standard delivery times as indicated on the waybill or alternatively in accordance with the Special Instructions as stipulated by the sender.

Berco Express also offers its customers full Track and Trace facilities (via the Internet) and POD's are available to you on the Internet much faster than most other courier companies.

However, more importantly, we offer you the personalized, flexible option of having an Business Development Manager understand your specific requirements and literally design a POD solution that works for you! Hard copy, faxed, e-mailed, CD-ROM-based, verbal, online - you choose how you would like us to communicate with you and we will make it happen!

As you would expect from a professional courier company, this service is free of charge.

In the case of Sameday deliveries, Berco Express has long since offered a service (often remarked on by overseas visitors as being unique on a worldwide basis) where we automatically provide the sender with a verbal POD immediately on delivery - again, free of charge!

No. There are no additional charges whatsoever for POD's, irrespective of how and when you require your POD's to be returned to you.

We are able to provide you with a CD-ROM with your POD images for the month available via software loaded onto as many computers as you require - again free of charge.  This service is also available online.

This service allows you to lower the cost of reconciling accounts simply because less people are needed to complete this task. In addition, you will always have a ready, convenient and space efficient form of POD storage, obviating the need to use expensive paper storage companies.

Berco Express is an owner-managed company and it is with some passion that we are constantly seeking new means by which we can achieve cost savings for our customers, without the dilution of service levels. Our view is long term in everything we do and our objective is simply to retain blue-chip customers through our "managed courier spend" approach. Every month our dedicated Business Development Managers review cost savings reports generated with data mining software with our customers, making suggestions as to business rules that can be implemented to save money and improve service levels.

On a more day-to-day level, our customers can use our Internet site to monitor their spend, using any number of analytical tools to manage their courier spend. Quotations can be generated from our website so that service level decisions can be compared from a price perspective.

Oh, and yes, we will still provide you with a telephonic quotation within seconds, based on the following information from you:

• Account number;
• Origin;
• Destination;
• Service option;
• Weight;
• Dimensions. 

Berco Express is based on a sustainable business model and we never allow ourselves to be seduced by the prospect of huge revenues where it is questionable whether the business is profitable. Consequently, whilst you can be assured that you will enjoy very competitive rates, you will never be exposed to the risk of our business going under because we have priced ourselves at or below cost for some other large customer.

Berco Express utilises a tailor-made rates structure that is dependent on consignment volume, service requirements and overall courier spend. Our Sales Consultants and Business Development Managers will assess your courier profile and advise you as to the best possible structure so as to reduce your courier costs whilst maintaining or improving your service levels.

Berco Express has consciously decided not to add infrastructural cost and control complexity to our operations by attempting to establish our own regional infrastructure. We have long since decided to establish very strong relations with a few, select sub-contractors who deliver consignments to regional areas on our behalf. The relationship with these companies is governed by comprehensive Service Level Agreements. The service we receive is of the same level we provide to our customers and the mutual sense of dependency is heightened by the fact that Berco Express pays its accounts within 30 days and that our business has grown significantly. In addition, whilst there are similarities in respect of the distribution of consignments, the two operations are entirely different and we do not wish to dilute the time sensitivity of our airfreight operations by having to contend with consolidation issues.

Clearly then we believe that having branches in all locations does not make for a better or less expensive service - in fact, properly managed the route that Berco Express has decided on is less costly and offers a better service to our customers.

Berco Express does have offices in all of the major centers. However, we deliver literally to every single location in South Africa and for that matter worldwide.

Please note that regional or outlying area delivery times can range between 1-3 working days, depending on destination.

Should you require specific transit time information, please contact your Berco Express Business Development Manager or a Customer Service Agent at your nearest branch.

Yes,  Berco offer a highly convenient courier solution called the Berco Drop Box.  At a flat rate of R 99 you can send a parcel to anywhere in South Africa via our Overnight Express service, for more information and T & C’s please click here

Any destination outside of a 50 km radius of a Main Centre (Main Centres include Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Kimberley, Stellenbosch,  George, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Nelspruit, Vereeniging, Rustenburg and Polokwane).

Should you have a query as to whether a particular location is a Main Centre or a Secondary Centre please contact your Business Development Manager for a route guide.

A Secondary Centre surcharge applies to any and all destinations that fall outside a 50km radius of the city hall of a Main Centre. As the name implies this is an additional charge that is applied over and above the charge for the Main Centre to Main Centre leg.
The above practice is the norm in the industry and is levied for the simple reason that sub-contractors are used to service Secondary Centres and would charge us for the delivery.

A delivery or collection is classified as being after hours and will attract an After Hours Surcharge if it is affected between 17h30 and 07h30 on working days or over weekends between 13h00 on Saturday and 07h30 on Monday.

A Public Holiday is also regarded as after-hours.

Our Express Road service is delivered to main centers within 24 to 48 hours depending on the destination. Your cargo is forwarded via tried and tested modes  of transport and routes (air or road) to ensure the shortest possible transit time

International documents
These are business-related documents, which have no saleable or commercial value. This includes banking and shipping documents, reports, plans, tenders, quotations and general business correspondence. Delivery is achieved within 1-6 days depending on destination.

International parcels
These are dutiable or commercial value commodities that do not qualify as documents. This includes samples, spares, magnetic tapes and other non-document commodities. An additional transit time of 1-2 days may apply due to customs clearance procedures at destination.

In order to determine the price you will pay for a given consignment your rates will be applied to what is known as the chargeable mass. Quite simply, the chargeable mass is the greater of the actual mass and the volumetric mass. The actual mass is the weight of the consignment expressed in kg.'s and the volumetric mass is the space that a consignment takes up, expressed in kg.'s.

Volumetric mass is calculated as follows: Length (cm) x Breadth (cm) x Height (cm) divided by a volumetric factor of 5000.

Quite the contrary.

As stated before our aim is not to maximize your spend with Berco Express but rather to assist you in reducing your overall courier spend. Our credibility is visibly demonstrated by charging on a per half kg basis rather than on a per kg basis simply because it is much less expensive for you.

A simple example. If your consignment weighs 2.3 kg's and your minimum (for 2kg's) is R28.00 and your per kg rate is R14.00, then your consignment cost will be R42.00 because 2.3 kg's will be rounded up to 3 kg's.

However, if your minimum (for 2kg's) remains unchanged but your rate per ½ kg is R7.00 (i.e. half that of the above-mentioned per kg rate), then your consignment cost is R35.00 because the 2.3kg's will only be rounded up to 2.5 kg's.

Berco Express does not have hidden costs and we do not think it is ethical or good business practice to mislead our customers.

Non-documents are defined as anything other than documents, e.g. books, x-rays, software, computer disks, videos, spares, swatches, sample clothing, documents with photographs, etc.

All non-document consignments require various accompanying documentation for customs purposes and exchange control regulations.

Phone your Berco Express Business Development Manager if you are in any doubt.

For goods exiting South Africa, the following documentation table will help:

For customs clearance every consignment with a value requires two copies of either a commercial invoice or a pro-forma invoice on your company letterhead.

The invoice should furnish the following information:
> Name and department;
> Full address;
> Telephone and fax number;
> VAT registration number;
> Full address of recipient;
> Telephone and fax numbers;
> Contact name and department;
> Total number of separate packages in the shipment with weights and measurements (in cm's) of each;
> Full and accurate description of each item, including:

• Unit values;
• Cost of packaging, shipping and insurance;
• Total value of shipment;
• List all identifying marks of content, including:
  
  - Brand names;
  - Chemical composition;
  - Serial/model numbers;
  - Any case marking used;
  - State the manufacturer and country of manufacture;
  - State the reason for export: Repair and returns; Sale; Samples; Terms of trade: CIF, EXW, etc

Your invoice must include the following statement to be signed on each Copy by the responsible person.

"I declare that the above information is true and correct to the best of my Knowledge and that the goods are of (insert country) origin."

Only an original signature will be accepted.

Tax and Duties
It is the consignee or receiver who is responsible for paying duties and local taxes. The consignee will be sent a set of customs clearance documents and charges. If they are a registered company they can often reclaim the local tax element of the charge. e.g. V.A.T.

Customs Declaration
The customer invoices determine whether the goods are liable for duty and/or local taxes and the rate applicable. Therefore the invoice must be detailed and accurate otherwise the parcel may be delayed.

Declared Value
This must match the invoice value. Please note that the three letter code for the currency in which the value has been declared must also be stated e.g. USD - United States Dollar, GBP - British Pound Sterling.

Repair / Return or Temporary
Goods exported for short-term use at destination and, later, returned to country of origin (these shipments require specific export clearance to ensure efficient handling when re-entering the country).

Please contact your nearest branch (hyperlink to Contact Us) or Business Developemnt Manager (hyperlink to Berco Express and You> Bus Dev Managers)for assistance for this type of consignment.

Our Main Centers:

Please contact our nearest Berco Express branch where we will be happy to assist you to arrange a special delivery.

A Saturday delivery to a Main Centre can be arranged by merely marking your waybill in the appropriate block.

A Saturday delivery to an outlying area or Secondary Centre can be arranged at an additional cost. Please contact our nearest branch for a quotation.

Simply contact your Business Development Manager or a Customer Service Agent at your nearest Berco Express branch.

Overnight deliveries to certain International destinations can be done but it is not guaranteed. This is due to customs regulations and procedures.

Please contact your local Berco Express branch should you require further information.

Our couriers are always in full uniform and carry a Berco ID bearing their photograph.

Same Day Express: delivery is effected within 90 minutes of the flight's arrival at its destination;

Dawn Express: guaranteed early morning delivery by 09h00, or by the time specified on the waybill;

Overnight Express: guaranteed delivery the following working day by 11h00;

Express Road: delivery is achieved within 24-48 hours, depending on the destination;

Economy Freight: delivery is achieved within 48 -72 hours, depending on the destination;

Secondary Centre: delivery is achieved within 1 - 3 working days, depending on the destination.

It is a cost-effective, road-freight service for larger consolidated consignments that are non-time sensitive. Delivery is effected within 48 hours to Main Centres and within 72 hours to outlying areas

Yes, if at least one part of the routing includes a Main Centre to Main Centre leg e.g. Johannesburg to Vredendal includes the Main Centre to Main Centre leg Johannesburg to Cape Town and can therefore be sent by Economy Freight.

Yes. However, the account holder themselves must place the collection with Berco Express so as to ensure your account is not used by unauthorised individuals.

There is no specific deadline. However, Sameday Express service availability depends on flight availability (Berco Express is required to lodge a Sameday Express consignment with SAA at least 45 minutes to one hour prior to the flight's departure) and reasonable access to the parcel's receiver by the destination branch's courier.

No. We need to deliver directly to the receiver of the parcel, who is required, for security reasons, to sign for acceptance of the goods.

No, except for plastic flyer bags. We will recommend suitable companies for packaging, but it remains the customer's responsibility to package shipments securely. We ask you to phone us before sending wine or glass, as these require specialised packaging.

30 days from date of statement.

Yes, weekly invoices are available should you prefer. In addition, we are able to provide you with Statements and Invoices via the Internet.

• Only use Sameday Express and Dawn Express service levels for very urgent or emergency shipments. If these service levels are being used too frequently then this is usually a sign of either a lack of control or simply poor planning; 
• Consolidate all of your courier spend with one courier company;
• Create business rules to control the abuse of your courier service by employees e.g. no one may use any other service level other than Express Road unless specific authorization is first obtained from a predetermined person;
• Our Business Development Managers will schedule time with you to make suggestions as to how you can further reduce your courier costs; 
• Use our Express Road and Economy Freight service levels for larger, non-urgent parcels; 
• Consolidate consignments going to the same destination daily onto one waybill. Use multiple stickers on each parcel to identify the shipment as a multiple part consignment; 
• Consolidate all non-urgent consignments for one or two weeks before shipping; 
• Obtain a quotation before sending large shipments;
• Ensure parcels are safely and securely packaged to avoid damage;
• Investigate our Berco Drop Box service
• Insure high-value goods.

There are a number of goods that are not permitted on an aircraft or if they can be flown, require specialized packaging and/or paperwork (Dangerous Goods Declarations).

The most common types of hidden Dangerous Goods are:

• Household goods (may contain aerosol cans, or toxic substances); 
• Automobile Parts (may contain old oil or ferro-magnetic material);
• Camping equipment (may contain lighters or lighter-fuel, canisters of flammable gases, matches etc.); 
• Diagnostic specimens (may contain infectious substances or be on 'dry' ice);
• Magnets or magnetic materials (affects navigation equipment of aircraft). 

If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to whether your goods are either Dangerous Goods or Hazardous Goods, please do not hesitate to contact your Business Development Manager. This may avoid the unnecessary delay of your urgent consignments.