KAFKA TRANSPORT a.s. and Eurowag have been cooperating for almost 20 years

In the beginning, there was a lone international driver, one rented car and a desire to do things differently. Today KAFKA TRANSPORT a.s. celebrates 32 years on the market. The success of the company is not only due to the determination and skills of its founder Josef Kafka, but - as he says - also to luck, and the right partners who helped him develop the business through difficult times, some of which?resulted from all the changes that the commercial road transport industry has faced in recent years. Eurowag has been one of those helping hands for almost 20 years.

KAFKA TRANSPORT a.s. is one of the leading transport companies in South Bohemia. This long-standing company is based in Opa?any, and locals cannot imagine their village without it. The inhabitants of Opa?any and people from surrounding areas also make up more than half of KAFKA’S 150 employees, which operates a total of 100 trucks.

A different transport vision

Josef Kafka started out as a truck driver, and had the opportunity to see Europe behind the Iron Curtain before 1989. "After the Velvet Revolution, I wanted to see if I could approach the West as an individual, and I started to build my transport vision. And to do transport the way I imagined it," the entrepreneur explains. So 32 years ago, in 1991, he set up his business as an individual. The company built a logistics warehouse in Opa?any, opened a vehicle service in 2002, then opened a service station two years later, and in 2021, purchased its first LNG-powered truck. The transport services have gradually been joined by associated activities such as forwarding, service work, warehousing, vehicle washing, and the express piece delivery service FOFR. KAFKA TRANSPORT a.s. trucks are mainly used in Western Europe, predominantly in Spain.?

Almost 20 years with Eurowag

But running an international transport company requires more than just one person. The stable position on the market that KAFKA TRANSPORT a.s. enjoys is due to a comprehensive offer of transport services, an individual approach to customers and employees, and the use of modern methods of operation and management. In 2004, the transporter started cooperating with Eurowag and currently uses a wide portfolio of its services, including fuel and payment cards, as well as financial services. "We own 100 trucks, which travel around 12 million kilometres a year on European roads. Eurowag's services make it easier for us to operate in all aspects - as an owner I welcome the efficient fleet management, financial services, and the ability to optimise expenses. For a change, our drivers have easier journeys thanks to a wide acceptance network, fuel and payment cards. We drive all over Europe and we need a partner that provides us with simple and efficient transport services and allows us to grow our business," summarises Josef Kafka.

A carrier ready for the future

In business, there are ups and downs, but there are also tough times. "There have always been and will always be milestones," says Josef Kafka. According to him, it is important to experience two emotions. Making the first million crowns and losing the first million crowns. Currently, the company - like other entrepreneurs in the commercial road transport industry - is facing challenges, including a shortage of drivers. "We are solving the shortage of qualified candidates by training our own drivers. The important thing is the desire to work and enthusiasm, we can provide the driving licence and professional knowledge," says Kafka. "Currently we have two women among our drivers. It's a difficult and demanding job, but the ladies manage it very well and they fit in well with the team."

Despite the various challenges that await the company in the future, Josef Kafka considers the fundamentals of success to be unchanged. "Successes do not come by themselves, they must be earned through perseverance and persistence. The important thing is to know your goals and set them so that you don't burn out," he says. "For the future, it is important to anticipate problems and build the capacity to face them successfully. So far we have been able to do that - also thanks to partners like Eurowag."