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Construction Vehicle Utilisation Efficiency: A Case Study of Gqeberha (Contractor survey)

Attention: The Managing Director

Dear Madam / Sir

Re: General Contractor (GC) Survey

My name is Sinethemba Sonqwelo, a BSc (Honours) (Construction Management) student in the School of the Built Environment and Civil Engineering, Nelson Mandela University.

For the research component of my degree, I am conducting a study titled: ’Construction Vehicle Utilisation Efficiency: A Case Study of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)’.The aim of this study is to assess the efficiency of construction vehicle utilisation in Gqeberha, identify key logistical inefficiencies, and propose strategies to improve transport coordination and site logistics performance. The research is being supervised by Professor John Smallwood, who may be contacted at: john.smallwood@mandela.ac.za.

You have been invited to participate as a valued GC member of the local construction sector through your organisation’s involvement in material delivery and logistics coordination. The attached questionnaire seeks information pertaining to current materials delivery practices, vehicle use, and coordination methods. The questionnaire should not take more than 10 minutes to complete. Please note that the ethics clearance reference number for the study is 2658.

All responses will be confidential and used solely for academic purposes. Data will be analysed in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual or organisation is identifiable in the final report. Thanking you in advance for your valuable time and contribution to this important study. Should you have any queries, please contact me or my supervisor directly.

Regards

Sinethemba Sonqwelo

Student No. 217936326

BSc (Honours) (Construction Management) Student

Nelson Mandela University

Email: S217936326@mandela.ac.za | Phone: +27 73 679 8846

Consent Statement

By selecting "I agree" below, you confirm that:

1.You have read and understood the above information.

2. You have understood that your participation is voluntary and anonymous

3. You consent to take part in this study.

You will only be able to proceed to the questionnaire if you select "I agree".

I agree

I do not agree

Section A : General information

Please record qualifications

Please record occupation

Please record how long have you worked for your current employer?

Please record how long have you worked in construction

Please record your age

Please record your gender

Male

Female

Other

Prefer not to say

Please indicate the type of construction you or your organisation was involved with in 2025

Commercial

Infrastructure

Residential

Other

Section B : On a scale of never to always how are materials typically delivered to your sites? (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always
Contractor-owner vehicles	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Supplier	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Mixed (combination of both)	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

On a scale of never to always, how frequently do the following logistics phenomena occur on your sites? (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always
Delays due to late delivery of materials	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Long vehicle dwell times on site	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Site congestion delaying deliveries	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Vehicles leaving site empty	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

Unplanned or unscheduled deliveries	Unsure	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always

On a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (major), to what extent is there a need for the following interventions to improve vehicle utilisation? (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major
Better scheduling and coordination	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Shared or centralised delivery hubs	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Training for logistics personnel	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Real-time tracking and monitoring tools	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Improved communication with suppliers	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

On a scale of 1 (Minor) to 5 (Major), rate your organisation awareness or use of the following logistics technologies (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major
GPS vehicle tracking	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Delivery management software	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Route optimisation systems	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Mobile communication tools	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Data analytics for logistics planning	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

On a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (major), rate the potential of logistics management technologies to reduce the following inefficiencies / issues (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major
Empty return trips	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Delivery delays	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Site congestion	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Poor scheduling	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Communication breakdowns	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

On a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (major), rate the potential of technology and coordination strategies to enhance the following logistics outcomes (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major
Vehicle utilisation efficiency	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Delivery time reliability	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Reduction of site congestion	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Cost efficiency in transport	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Environmental performance (reduced emissions)	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Section C : On a scale of 1 (Minor) to 5 (Major), indicate how often the following are accurately recorded or used (Please note the ‘unsure’ response)

	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major
Formal material requisition logs maintained	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Order frequency and delivery records tracked	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Delivery documentation checked and signed off	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Digital logistics documentation	Unsure	Minor	Near minor	Some	Near major	Major

Section D : In general, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities for improving construction logistics in Gqeberha?

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