Sharma Transport Service

We run our transport business out of Shop No 4 in the Nagesh Bordekar Chawl. It’s located in Andheri East, very close to the Western Express Highway. Being so near the highway makes it easy for our trucks to get moving, though the traffic can be a real headache some mornings when everyone is trying to get to work. The shop itself is small, just enough room for a desk, a couple of plastic chairs, and a telephone that never seems to stop ringing. We’ve been here for a long time, so we know all the drivers and the local routes pretty well. It’s not a polished corporate office. The walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, and there are old maps pinned up everywhere. We spend a lot of our time coordinating where things need to go and making sure the vehicles are in decent shape for the road. It’s a lot of talking on the phone and writing things down in thick ledgers. Sometimes things get delayed because of the rain or some sudden roadwork, and we just have to figure it out as we go. We don't use any fancy tracking software or gadgets; we just know our people and trust them. Clients come by to settle their accounts or check on their deliveries. We usually have a pot of tea going for whoever drops in to chat. It’s a busy, noisy life here near the highway, but it suits us fine. We’ve stayed in this spot because it works for the business.