focus may 2015
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Triumphant solutions for transport problems
Truck Test 2015 Simply the best!
What’s new in theworld of trailers
engineering, technology, ultimate efficiency
Actros:
Can SA’s bus industrylower road death stats?
MAY
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Teaser Advert May.pdf 2 2015/03/09 10:22:29 AM
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contents
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Follow us facebook.com/focus_mag twitter @FOCUSmagSA
2014
on trAnsport And Logistics
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has upgraded the Actros to include hypoid-drive axles and intelligent maintenance scheduling. Read more on page 6.
COver
Published monthly by Charmont GlobalUnit 17, Northcliff Office Park, 203 Beyers Naude Drive,
Northcliff, 2195. P O Box 957, Fontainebleau, 2032, South AfricaTel: 011 782 1070 Fax: 011 782 1073 /0360
eDITOrCharleen Clarke
Cell: 083 601 0568email: charleen@focusontransport.co.za
ASSISTAnT eDITOrGavin Myers
Cell: 072 877 1605 email: gavin@charmont.co.za
SUB-eDITOrJeanette Lamont
Cell: 083 447 3616email: jeanette@charmont.co.za
JOUrnALISTSJaco de Klerk
Cell: 079 781 6479email: journalist3@charmont.co.za
Claire RenckenCell: 082 559 8417
email: journalist2@charmont.co.za
InDUSTrY COrreSPOnDenTFrank Beeton
Tel: 011 483 1421Cell: 082 602 1004
email: frankb@econometrix.co.za
TeCHnICAL COrreSPOnDenTVic Oliver
Cell: 083 267 8437email: voliver@mweb.co.za
PUBLISHerTina Monteiro
Cell: 082 568 3181email: tina@focusontransport.co.za
ADverTISInG SALeSMargaret PhillipsonCell: 083 263 0451
email: margaret@focusontransport.co.za
Megan du ToitCell: 060 503 3092
email: megan@charmont.co.za
CIrCULATIOn MAnAGerBev Rogers
Cell: 078 230 5063email: bev@focusontransport.co.za
DeSIGn AnD LAYOUTNelio da Silva
email: nelio@focusontransport.co.za
PrInTInGCamera Press
© Copyright. No articles or photographs may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from
the editor.
2 Steering Column
4 Wheel Nut
14 Vic’s View
72 Global Focus
76 Short Hauls
78 Subscription form
82 Global bus
84 Hopping off
reGULArS
8 reACHInG neW HeIGHTS
After a year of planning, Truck Test 2015 hit the open road during April. It was the most
thoroughly planned, scientifically accurate, utterly awesome event so far. The results
follow on page 16.
48 TIMBer!
Highly specialised and rugged equipment is used in forestry operations. We take a look at
how Matriarch Equipment came into being, and what it has to offer this sector.
58 neGATIve MOOD, POSITIve MArKeT?
The year has kicked off on a relatively high note, says FRANK BEETON, in his report on
commercial vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2015.
66 “MOnSTer” TrUCKS In THe ArCTIC
In Finland, nine-axle, 76-t GCW, longer truck-trailer combinations are becoming increasingly
popular. This is the story of two such monster trucks: a Volvo Trucks FH 16-750 timber
truck and a Sisu Polar gravel dump truck.
80 TACKLInG rOAD DeATHS THrOUGH TrAInInG?
“Woman killed, ten hurt in N1 bus crash” and “Dad, daughters die in Johannesburg crash”
– headlines like these add to the horrifying death toll figures on South African roads. We
take a look at how training within the bus industry can help to tackle this blight.
MAY
c h a r m o n tm e d i a g l o b a l
2 |FOCUS| May 2015
tumbles and
smiLes
i fell down my stairs. To be perfectly
honest, it was one of my most incredibly
stupid moves (I seem to make a lot of
those nowadays). I had just returned
from Truck Test 2015, and was dog tired. My
legs weren’t working properly (my brain seldom
does). And I took a monster tumble.
Eventually, I crashed to the bottom of the
stairs with a thunderous bang. I was only semi-
conscious. I think I saw angels hovering above
me. I definitely saw a bright light above me (it
could have been the one in my entrance hall).
I wondered what was broken (apart from my
beloved Buddha, who had suddenly gained
the ability to fly). I pondered the practicality of
crawling – bloodied and broken – to my mobile
phone.
And then I just lay there. And grinned.
I could not stop smiling – and Truck Test
2015 was the reason why, because, while
it had undoubtedly been the cause of my
near-death experience, it was also one of the
highlights of my career.
As regular readers know, I just love trucking.
I have had many good trucking experiences, but
Truck Test 2015 wasn’t just good, it was utterly
sensational.
There are many reasons why. First and
foremost is the fact that nothing serious went
wrong. We always worry about things going
wrong – anything and everything from someone
missing a turn to someone getting hurt.
The down run from Super Park in
Johannesburg was not without incident – two
cars collided and then hit the FAW truck
(which just happened to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time), but no one was
seriously hurt and, after a bit of on-the-spot
panelbeating, the FAW continued its weary
way to Komatipoort.
Another reason was the convoy of
trucks. They looked utterly magnificent! I got
goosebumps every time I saw them. Standing
on the side of the road, filming the entrants,
made me feel so proud.
It was, ultimately, the camaraderie of the
event that truly gladdened my heart. It was so
lekker (I use that word quite deliberately) to see
over 100 people from the trucking industry –
many of them arch rivals – hang out together.
There was lots of friendly bantering along the
way – which is to be expected, but everyone
involved in the test was clearly enjoying the
opportunity to network, chat, tease … and share
war stories.
One of the highlights was the opportunity
to get up close and personal with competitors’
products. I saw one MD quietly hop into a
rival company’s truck in order to check it out.
Another took a rather mischievous photograph
on his phone (my lips are sealed). Each entrant
supplied an observer, who had to travel in
another truck. So those observers also gained
first-hand knowledge about other vehicles – and
that proved to be invaluable too.
There was also camaraderie amongst the
suppliers. Because this is, indeed, an industry
event, those suppliers are an integral part of
Truck Test. For instance, the event could not
have happened without the support of Afrit and
GRW; suppliers of the trailers – you guys rock!
Numerous other suppliers were involved
too – such as Engen (fuel supplier), Ctrack (fleet
management), TRAC N4 (tolls) and Wabco
(that, most importantly, supplied meals en
route, as well as snacks, which were dropped
at our rooms).
Barloworld’s Adrian van Tonder was
the “baas” of the Truck Test “plaas” and he
kept everyone in line (and, it must be said,
entertained). He worked hand in hand with
TransSolve’s Martin Dammann, without whom
this event simply would not have happened.
We also enjoyed wonderful support from
Aero Truck, Afrisam, Air1, Alcoa, Bridgestone,
BPW Axles, Cargo Carriers, Linde, Load
Tech, One Insurance, Phoenix Risk Solutions
and Scott Byers. A big thanks also to Ford,
Mercedes-Benz Vans and General Motors for
supplying back-up vehicles.
I thought about all these companies and
the associated individuals, as I lay on the floor
last night. I am still thinking about them now,
as I type this article, pain shooting through my
body (I feel as though the entire Truck Test field
drove over me).
And I am still smiling. |FOCUS
I came close to ending up in
hospital last night, but I ended up
grinning instead. Here’s why …
Charleen Clarke
STeerInGCOLUMn
TrUCK TeST LIve On IGnITIOnCatch all the Truck Test 2015
action on Ignition. Truck Test 2015
will be aired on: Saturday, May
23, at 12:00; Sunday, May 24, at
18:00; Monday, May 25, at 08:00
and 17:00; Tuesday, May 26, at
14:00; Wednesday, May 27, at
24:00; Thursday, May 28, at 04:00
and Friday, May 29, at 20:00.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 3
STeerInGCOLUMntumbles and
smiLes
SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels 385/65 R22.5 Super singles
Rims 11.75x22.5 Centre Disc Aluminium
Suspension Air Suspension
Spare wheel carrier Winch Type
Brakes EBS
OTHER
Elite Fibre refrigerated body, Automatic lift axle, ToolboxRaise and lower valve, Stopper rollers, Hubodometer
WEIGHT
Tare 9 450kg (refrigerator unit included)
Payload 30 550kgGCM 49 500kg
DIMENSIONS
Length 15 470mmWidth 2 500mmHeight 4 300mm
ElITE FIbRE 15.4M TRiDEM AxLE REFRiGERATED SEMi TRAiLER
FOR ADDITIONAl INFORMATION PlEASE CONTACT:MANuFACTuRERS OF INSulATED TRuCk & TRAIlER bODIES
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1800 550
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Manufactures of GRP Truck Bodies and Trailers
Elite Fibre is one of the leading brands of GRP vehicle body builders to the food chain distribution.
We manufacture high quality GRP, insulated and semi insulated truck bodies and trailers. We do
repairs to all truck and trailer load bodies, including steel repairs and spray painting. Thanks
to innovative engineering, durability and its repair-friendliness, good value retention and low
overall cost your Elite Fibre Product will stand up to all your needs. We have a reputation for
delivering the best quality and service. We have branches in Johannesburg, Centurion, Durban,
Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. We have the largest National Footprint in outlets.
Elite Fibre Cape Town14 Jig Avenue, Montague Gardens, 7441Postal Address: P. O. Box 37041, Chempet, 7442Tel: 021 551 9390 / Fax: 021 551 9320
Elite Fibre GautengCnr Kruger & Mimetes Street, Denver Ext 11, 2094, JHBPostal Address: P O Box 1871, Rosettenville, 2130Tel: 0861 00 99 13 / Fax: 011 615-8563
www.elitefibre.co.zaFor more information, please visit us online:
SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels 385/65 R22.5 Super singles
Rims 11.75x22.5 Centre Disc Aluminium
Suspension Air Suspension
Spare wheel carrier Winch Type
Brakes EBS
OTHER
Elite Fibre refrigerated body, Automatic lift axle, ToolboxRaise and lower valve, Stopper rollers, Hubodometer
WEIGHT
Tare 9 450kg (refrigerator unit included)
Payload 30 550kgGCM 49 500kg
DIMENSIONS
Length 15 470mmWidth 2 500mmHeight 4 300mm
ElITE FIbRE 15.4M TRiDEM AxLE REFRiGERATED SEMi TRAiLER
FOR ADDITIONAl INFORMATION PlEASE CONTACT:MANuFACTuRERS OF INSulATED TRuCk & TRAIlER bODIES
18 500
15 470
1000 W/B 37813975 W/B1440
1800 550
1604
150
4301
2547Load centre 5850
SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels 385/65 R22.5 Super singles
Rims 11.75x22.5 Centre Disc Aluminium
Suspension Air Suspension
Spare wheel carrier Winch Type
Brakes EBS
OTHER
Elite Fibre refrigerated body, Automatic lift axle, ToolboxRaise and lower valve, Stopper rollers, Hubodometer
WEIGHT
Tare 9 450kg (refrigerator unit included)
Payload 30 550kgGCM 49 500kg
DIMENSIONS
Length 15 470mmWidth 2 500mmHeight 4 300mm
ElITE FIbRE 15.4M TRiDEM AxLE REFRiGERATED SEMi TRAiLER
FOR ADDITIONAl INFORMATION PlEASE CONTACT:MANuFACTuRERS OF INSulATED TRuCk & TRAIlER bODIES
18 500
15 470
1000 W/B 37813975 W/B1440
1800 550
1604
150
4301
2547Load centre 5850
Manufactures of GRP Truck Bodies and Trailers
Elite Fibre is one of the leading brands of GRP vehicle body builders to the food chain distribution.
We manufacture high quality GRP, insulated and semi insulated truck bodies and trailers. We do
repairs to all truck and trailer load bodies, including steel repairs and spray painting. Thanks
to innovative engineering, durability and its repair-friendliness, good value retention and low
overall cost your Elite Fibre Product will stand up to all your needs. We have a reputation for
delivering the best quality and service. We have branches in Johannesburg, Centurion, Durban,
Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. We have the largest National Footprint in outlets.
Elite Fibre Cape Town14 Jig Avenue, Montague Gardens, 7441Postal Address: P. O. Box 37041, Chempet, 7442Tel: 021 551 9390 / Fax: 021 551 9320
Elite Fibre GautengCnr Kruger & Mimetes Street, Denver Ext 11, 2094, JHBPostal Address: P O Box 1871, Rosettenville, 2130Tel: 0861 00 99 13 / Fax: 011 615-8563
www.elitefibre.co.zaFor more information, please visit us online:
SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels 385/65 R22.5 Super singles
Rims 11.75x22.5 Centre Disc Aluminium
Suspension Air Suspension
Spare wheel carrier Winch Type
Brakes EBS
OTHER
Elite Fibre refrigerated body, Automatic lift axle, ToolboxRaise and lower valve, Stopper rollers, Hubodometer
WEIGHT
Tare 9 450kg (refrigerator unit included)
Payload 30 550kgGCM 49 500kg
DIMENSIONS
Length 15 470mmWidth 2 500mmHeight 4 300mm
ElITE FIbRE 15.4M TRiDEM AxLE REFRiGERATED SEMi TRAiLER
FOR ADDITIONAl INFORMATION PlEASE CONTACT:MANuFACTuRERS OF INSulATED TRuCk & TRAIlER bODIES
18 500
15 470
1000 W/B 37813975 W/B1440
1800 5501604
150
4301
2547Load centre 5850
Elite Fibre Cape Town – 14 Jig Avenue, Montague Gardens, Cape Town, 7441 | Tel: 021 551 9390 | Fax 021 551 9320 | Email: mwatters@elitefibre.co.zaElite Fibre Gauteng – Corner of Mimetes and Kruger Streets, Denver | Tel: 083 390 4044 (Frans van Vianen) | Email: frans@elitefibre.co.za Elite Fibre Centurion – 45 Adriana Crescent, Gateway Business Park, Centurion | Tel: 012 661 8219 (Dawn van Vianen) | Email: dawn@elitefi bre.co.za Elite Fibre Durban – 30 Mahogany Rd, Mohogany Ridge, Pinetown | Tel: 031 700 6123 (Reggie Charles) | Email: reggie@elitefi bre.co.zaElite Fibre Port Elizabeth – 189 Grahamstown Road, Deal Party, Port Elizabeth | Tel: 082 357 7752 (Peter Kriek) | Email: peter@elitefi bre.co.za
For national customers Elite Fibre is well positioned to cover all your needs. Proud sponsor of
For more information, please visit us online: www.elitefi bre.co.za
TRUCK TEST 2015
4 |FOCUS| May 2015
WHeeLnUT
While bearing all this in mind, they have
to deal with high traffic volumes and the
irate, impatient motorists (and, unfortunately,
colleagues) that form part of the everyday
commute. And they do it with aplomb, which
is why I couldn’t understand any of the
incidents we, unfortunately, came across on
our journey.
The first of these was at 07:20, on the
N4, some distance outside Springs. The
driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. His side-
tipper interlink combination then made its way
across four lanes of highway and the grass
verge that separates the two directions of
traffic flow, only to smash through a barrier
and land up at the bottom of an embankment.
Miraculously, no other vehicles were
gathered up by the out-of-control truck and
the driver emerged unscathed.
Forty minutes later, we arrived at the
Middelburg weighbridge, to find out that our
own FAW truck had been caught up in a
tussle between two other vehicles en route.
Thankfully, it sustained only minor damage. The
incident would not have happened, however, if
the person who caused it had been paying
attention to the road …
With the weighbridge 20 minutes behind
us, I had Naveen Sook in the Mercedes-
Benz Actros in my camera’s viewfinder, but
my attempts to capture driver and vehicle
At some point in the second
quarter of the year, we trade
our comfortable offices and
warm cups of coffee for that
early morning autumn chill and a trip to some
interesting part of the country – for our annual
Truck Test event. As regular readers will know,
this event attracts all vehicle manufacturers
and their best products. To drive them, the
best helmsmen are enlisted.
Usually driver trainers or product
engineers, these men (it would be great to
see some women behind the wheel sometime)
know how to get the best from their vehicles.
They have to adhere to a set schedule, much
like any other driver would. They also need
to conserve fuel and be sympathetic to their
vehicles, much like any other driver should.
on the road were thwarted by another
tipper combination trying to overtake him,
incredibly slowly, while going up the hill. With
a growing line of vehicles stuck behind him,
for the inordinate amount of time taken by the
manoeuvre, I reluctantly abandoned my shoot
of the Merc.
Thankfully, the rest of the event proceeded
without incident. At the finish at Super Park
the following day, though, I couldn’t help but
notice a mangled truck in the corner of the
yard. As it wasn’t a Super Group vehicle,
details of what happened to it were sketchy.
Judging by the damage to it and its cargo,
however, and the fact that the driver hadn’t
made it out alive, it’s fair to assume high speed
was a factor.
Unfortunately, for me, this put a dampener
on what should’ve been a triumphant ending to
an utterly superb event.
It reminded me that our industry is in need
of a fair amount of cleaning up. Drivers are
being pushed to adhere to schedules that
result in them falling asleep at the wheel;
some then take stupid, unnecessary risks that
result in already-irate motorists becoming
more impatient; and many don’t make it out to
drive another day.
It’s saddening and maddening.
The question is, why is rectifying it so
difficult? |FOCUS
At FocUs we are truck-
obsessed, and we like to
concentrate on the bright side
of our dynamic industry. If we
didn’t, we’d probably become
depressed and derailed
Gavin Myers
taking the good with
the bAd
Hitting the road for Truck Test 2015 highlighted the daily madness.
(in)telligenthyp(oid)
6 |FOCUS| May 2015
COverSTOrY
Fuel economy in vehicles can be
improved in many ways; including
increasing engine efficiency,
reducing aerodynamic drag and
rolling friction, and improving the fuel quality.
Mercedes-Benz engineers developed the
new hypoid rear axle for the current Actros
2644LS/33 and Actros 2654LS/33 6x4
truck tractors, and tested them under
everyday conditions along Mercedes-Benz
South Africa’s (MBSA’s) well-known trial
routes in the Eastern Cape. Significant fuel
savings of more than five percent have been
achieved.
Mercedes-Benz trucks combined the OM
502LA engine, with its 402 kW (540 hp),
with the RT440 hypoid rear axle in the Actros
2654LS/33, which replaces the other air-
suspended 2650LS/33. It now has a 3,583:1
rear-axle ratio.
Christo Kleynhans, product manager at
Mercedes-Benz Trucks, says: “The new RT440
hypoid rear axles make for the most fuel-efficient
Mercedes-Benz 6x4 truck tractors. In fact, the
fuel saving achieved on the 2644LS/33 was
5,67 percent, and on the 2654LS/33 was
5,37 percent.”
It is an ongoing quest in which Mercedes-
Benz Trucks continues to reduce fuel
consumption and emissions in South Africa.
Kleynhans points out that South Africa is
well known for its unique operating conditions
and trucking environment, which provides a
testing ground suitable for a wide spectrum of
applications.
“The Mercedes-Benz Testing Department
has an outstanding track record. It was,
therefore, an obvious choice to call on their
expertise to perform the comparative test
between the new hypoid axles and the
existing hub-reduction rear axles,” elaborates
Kleynhans.
Independent testing, along with thorough
research, also played a significant part in
Mercedes-Benz introducing yet another
innovative offering in the form of the Telligent
Maintenance System, which makes it possible
for the trucks to inform operators and drivers
when it is time for a service.
The first truck manufacturer to introduce
this product in South Africa, Mercedes-Benz
Trucks is changing the maintenance and
servicing mentality in the country. Moving away
from pre-set service intervals, the truck is
designed to monitor the condition of the engine
oil, transmission oil, axle oil and general service
components such as air filters, fuel filters and
brake pads, based on the operating conditions
of the vehicle.
This ensures optimum utilisation without
risk to the service life or reliability of the engine
and driveline. The Telligent Maintenance system
stores information about faults, but only alerts
drivers if they need to take action.
The system leads to less time in the
workshop and more time where the truck and
driver are productive, and can realise a saving of
up to 14 percent in service costs.
Optimal results will be realised if used in
conjunction with FleetBoard, the benchmark
vehicle management and tracking system
provided by Mercedes-Benz South Africa. Over
an 18-month period between 2011 and 2013,
Fleetboard registered a combined savings of
over R6 million and uptime savings of 2 658
hours, in 658 cases.
FleetBoard provides impartial, comparable
data from all vehicles of a customer’s fleet.
This enables the fleet manager to determine
the causes of high consumption and promptly
address them to ensure correct deployment
of the trucks, thus increasing the economic
efficiency of the fleet.
From an environmental point of view, the
Telligent Maintenance system also scores
brownie points for the manufacturer and the
truck owner. Less frequent oil and filter changes
equate to less of these items contributing to
pollution.
For an Actros to qualify for this unique value
offering it simply needs to be activated on either
the CharterWay BestBasic or CharterWay
Service Complete contracts available at the
nearest dealership. However, cancellation of the
CharterWay contract will result in the vehicle
returning to fixed service intervals. |FOCUS
new hypoid axles and trucks that think for themselves, net mercedes-benz industry-leading fuel efficiency
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 7
TrusT our workshop To puT your fleeT back on The road in no TimeGearbox, Axle & Steering repairs Retrofitting for greater safety, comfort and cost efficiency
Genuine OE & Replacement parts State of the art testing facilities
Highly trained staff
Service exchange stock available
Competitive pricing
24hr field service support
12 months/100 000km warranty ISO:9001:2008
Johannesburg: +27 11 457 0000 I Cape Town: +27 21 950 6300 I www.zfsa.co.za
63044 ZF Commercial Workshop (210x297) Focus Mag.indd 1 2015/03/20 11:41 AM
8 |FOCUS| May 2015
there we were, standing on the deck at the Komatipoort Golf Club and staring into the dimly lit darkness, after having dinner at the end of
day one. Just below us, in the far reaches of the deck’s floodlights, was an elephant having its own dinner; helping itself to some of the long reeds on the bank of the Crocodile River. Just to the left, a rather large hippo made its way across the shallow water.
(The club is located between the Crocodile and Komati rivers; its eastern-most point being where they meet to form the Incomati River that flows into Mozambique.)
The scene had attracted quite a crowd; most of the Truck Test 2015 participants had gathered there, drink in hand, to pause for a moment and take it all in.
“Now this is how you end a day,” one of the guys said with a satisfied smile.
Truck Test 2015 was certainly unique; this being just one of the experiences that made it so special ... It was also, without doubt, the most efficient, thorough test we have run thus far.
PrePAre TO SUCCeeD Truck Test 2015 was perhaps the most unique in the series thus far, in that each participating
vehicle had to be fitted with an identical trailer and load. This, as you can imagine, required a lot of planning and processes we haven’t had to manage before. Chiefly, we knew we had to manage the loading process with an iron fist.
This, in turn, meant that, for the first time, we had to practise. It was organised early on that David King and his team from AfriSam would supply the pallets of cement to be loaded onto the vehicles – so they were happy for us to go to their premises and practise. We then needed to borrow a reefer and an interlink and organise a pallet jack to move the loads into the bodied trailer.
after a year of planning, truck test 2015 hit the open road during
april. it was the most thoroughly planned, scientifically accurate, utterly
awesome event so far. gaVin myers takes you through the journey
reaching new
heights
TrUCKTeST 2015
on trAnsport And Logistics
May 2015 |FOCUS| 9
“AfriSam makes use of our three- and eight-tonne forklifts every day. There’s not much out there that can beat our eight-tonne lift for reliability,” he says.
Taftman was overtly excited to take part in the day. “It’s great to be able to learn about the problems and be able to set the process. It’s also just fun to be here, actually; at what is the start of Truck Test,” he says.
“FOCUS and the organisers have really taken Truck Test to the next level. It is completely different this time, which is brilliant. It’s the most comprehensive commercial-vehicle test in the South African market,” he enthuses.
Enter Scania South Africa and Linde Material Handling. As Scania happened to be entering one reefer and one link into this year’s test, product and marketing director Alexander Taftman went above and beyond by arranging for the two vehicles to be available a week before they were actually required.
Reg Ravenscroft, Linde service manager: Gauteng, also made sure we had a standard 2,5-t pallet jack at our disposal. Linde, it so happens, has a 15-year relationship with AfriSam, so Ravenscroft’s decision to help out was a no-brainer. The company supplies all types of lifting equipment up to over 40 t.
TrUCKTeST 2015
TrUCK TeST LIve On IGnITIOnCatch all the Truck Test 2015
action on Ignition. Truck Test
2015 will be aired on: Saturday,
May 23, at 12:00; Sunday, May
24, at 18:00; Monday, May 25,
at 08:00 and 17:00; Tuesday,
May 26, at 14:00; Wednesday,
May 27, at 24:00; Thursday, May
28, at 04:00 and Friday, May 29,
at 20:00.
»
10 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
Scania Southern AfricaAngola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, NamibiaSouth Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SB THE SCOTT BYERS NETWORK
With us you are Number One
Driving for cleaner air!AdBlue®
7951_engen_auto_lubricants_perspex_board.indd 1 2014/11/25 2:28 PM
Scania’s two vehicles for Truck Test 2015; the G460 (reefer combination) and R500 (interlink combination), were absolutely bog-standard off-the-shelf units. Taftman explains: “We wanted to enter vehicles that any customer can buy, with no tweaks at all; to deliver good, reliable figures that our customers can achieve.”
At the end of the day – literally – the dummy run turned out to be an imperative extra step that everyone was glad we had taken. Truck Test coordinators Adrian van Tonder of Barloworld Logistics and Martin Dammann from Hellberg Transport Management were both pleased with the way things went.
“It went better than I think anyone expected – the weights were spot on and we learnt a lot,” says Dammann.
Van Tonder concurrs: “It was a good exercise, without it we would’ve been running around like headless chickens on the pre-test loading day …”
LIKe KIDS In A … It’s amazing how excited we all were. It wasn’t even 06:00 yet; we hadn’t had our morning coffee and that early-morning Highveld winter chill was rolling in with biting abandon … yet the FOCUS staff, the Truck Test 2015 organisers, and all the supporting partners present, were like kids in a, um, Tonka-Toy store, as the first few rigs rolled into the holding area at AfriSam’s Roodepoort depot.
The actual running of the test (in mid-April) was still a week away – but, after months of planning and preparation, this was it: the start.
One by one they rumbled in – as did that coffee and some breakfast muffins, again courtesy of King and his kind team. As each vehicle arrived, Van Tonder, Dammann and HTM’s Olav Tollner scrutinised them for compliance with the rules, according to a comprehensive pre-test checklist.
The first group of vehicles made their way across the AfriSam weighbridge and into the depot. Van Tonder’s remark a week earlier (about us running around like headless chickens) rang true – it was immediately apparent that the procedure we perfected at the dummy run was working well.
To be honest, this was more for the reefers than the links (which were, naturally, easy-as-pie to load with a forklift). The reefers required
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
QUALITY ON TIME
May 2015 |FOCUS| 11
TrUCKTeST 2015
those Linde pallet jacks (they had kindly lent us two additional ones for the day) and each required around six of AfriSam’s burliest men to shift the two-tonne pallets of cement into and around the closed bodies.
Nonetheless, by noon the day was done. Each vehicle had been loaded, weighed, adjusted (where necessary) and sent on its way to be parked until April 14. This was to be the day they would all congregate at Super Group’s Super Park, in Jet Park, have their tanks brimmed to exacting measurements and be readied to hit the road the following morning.
And, by that time, well, excitement was not a descriptive-enough word …
We WAnT MOre!All Truck Tests are equal, but some are more equal than others … yeah, by our own admission, there’s one specific facet that made Truck Test 2015 that tiny bit extra-special. It’s the same factor that was present in the inaugural 2012
event – the fact that the 16 vehicles under review were 6x4 truck tractors.
The “super models” of the industry, we called them back then. And super models they still are. It’s awe-inspiring to witness how the South African trucking fraternity loves these vehicles. (Not, it must be pointed out, that that means nobody cares about the light(er) weights!)
Comments after the test ranged from “Don’t worry about the other categories, let’s repeat this next year”, to “It should have been a three-day event, two days was just too short”.
The second that the first truck left the Super Park yard, on Wednesday, April 15, we expected we’d get this sort of “abuse” from all who took part. Truckers, without doubt, live for the open road.
The open road in this instance was eastbound on the N4 highway from Kraft Road, Jet Park, to Komatipoort, with a slight detour via the Schoemanskloof Pass.
ONBOARD TYRE INFLATION
insurance done right
Pantone 541 c
Pantone 3015 c
»
12 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
The stop at Belfast allowed the opportunity for the drivers, observers and their support crews to have some brunch at the facility’s Wimpy, kindly sponsored (on both days) by Wabco. TRAC N4 also set up a driver “work out” area, where they could stretch their limbs and grab an energy drink.
From here, it was on to the Schoemanskloof pass, which put drivers and vehicles to the test. Nonetheless, they conquered it with style.
Once the vehicles arrived in Komatipoort, everyone was, naturally, eager to see how they had fared as they filled up once more. Interestingly, there really didn’t seem to be much in it at the half-way point. (Don’t go skipping on to the results pages just yet …)
Another nice addition to Truck Test this year was the inclusion, that evening, of a dinner at the Komatipoort Golf Club. With delicious braai-style grub, entertainment by musical duo Cashel, and a visit by our friend the elephant, a great time was had by all the 100-odd guests.
The FOCUS team played taxi in getting some of the guests to and from the club (see page 30). This was probably a good thing, as, for what must be the first time in the history of truck industry get-togethers, an early night was preferable.
Well, for most … As the sun rose on day two, everyone
was eager to hit the road once again. Amidst the early-morning film shoot and camera interviews, the overnight security (organised
by Engen) departed and Van Tonder and Dammann gave a few fatherly words to the drivers and observers – as they had the morning before.
For this leg, observers were required to ride in a different vehicle – which added to the excitement. The trip back to Joburg was without incident and, by 15:00, the convoy began to roll back into Super Park for the final fuel top up.
“I could do it all over again, right now,” one of the drivers commented at the end of it all. Given the attention the convoy attracted, and the allure of the open road, we were inclined to agree ... talk immediately turned to what we should do next year.
Whatever it turns out to be, the height to which this year’s Test raised the bar will definitely mean next year’s is, at the very least, just as epic.
FOCUS and the organisers of Truck Test 2015 would like to sincerely thank all participants, drivers, observers and their support crews, as well as the following sponsors: Aero Truck, Afrit, AfriSam, Alcoa, Alcosafe, Barloworld Transport, Beier, Bridgestone, BPW Axles, Cargo Carriers, Ctrack, DAF, Engen, Engen Air1, Elite Fibre, FAW, Freightliner, GEA, GRW, Hino, Iveco, Knorr-Bremse, Linde, Loadtech, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, MSA, One Insurance, Phoenix Risk Solutions, Renault, Scania, Scott Byers, Sika, Sub-Saharan Tyre Services, Super Group, TFM, TRAC N4, TransSolve, UD, Volvo, Wabco, ZF. |FOCUS
The total test distance (including the few kilometres from Super Park to the freeway) was 859,5 km.
Out of the gate first – at one-minute intervals – were the reefers, from most powerful (Scania G460) to least powerful (FAW 28.380 FT). They were followed by the heavier interlinks, again from most powerful (Scania R500) to least powerful (Iveco Trakker 440 SR). The starting sequence was done in this way to avoid any bunching up of vehicles caused by the more powerful reigning in the lesser-powered ones.
It was a smart move, as the vehicles maintained an even distance apart as they made their way to their destination; the first
“checkpoint” being the Middelburg weighbridge. Here, they would have their mass ratings confirmed.
It was also here that we received some distressing news – one of our trucks, the FAW, had been entangled in an accident between two vehicles, driving alongside it, some distance from the weighbridge.
Thankfully, the accident wasn’t major and the damage to the truck was minimal. In fact, the company was able to have a new panel sent to Nelspruit area within a few hours, so that the damaged piece could be repaired there and then (see notes on page 28). Other than a few scrapes and bruises, the vehicle looked as good as new. To put a positive spin on the incident, this surely speaks volumes for FAW’s after-sales backup.
WIELOC®
May 2015 |FOCUS| 13
TrUCKTeST 2015
Engen Dynamic Diesel is a fuel so advanced that it not only protects new engines, but also cleans the fuel systems of
older engines to help restore lost power. Its trademarked detergent additive counteracts injector fouling – increasing fuel
economy and enhancing engine performance.
Makes any engine feel like new
FCB
CAPE
TOW
N 10
0055
84CT/E
14 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
check that vehicles kept within the set speed
guidelines.
The route chosen for this year’s test was
from Isando, with an altitude of approximately
1 500 m above sea level, to Komatipoort in
Mpumalanga, which is close to sea level. This
provided an ideal test route, especially for the
long-distance haulage operators.
Nine of the truck tractors were coupled to
a set of identical interlink trailers, which were
built and loaned by Afrit. The remaining seven
truck tractors were coupled to identical tri-axle
trailers, which were built and loaned by GRW.
Using identical trailers fitted with the same
running gear, wheels and tyres ensured that
no participant had an advantage with wind or
rolling resistance.
The trailers were loaded to their full
capacity with pockets of cement supplied by
AfriSam. At the loading site, the vehicles were
weighed empty and then again once they had
been loaded.
The day before the test, all the vehicles
were parked at Super Park Distribution
Centre in Isando and topped up with fuel.
A sight tube was fitted to the fuel tanks
to ensure accurate measurement. The
vehicles were also inspected to ensure that
they were roadworthy, and driver’s licences
and Professional Driving Permits were also
checked.
All the drivers were eager to start on the
first day and at exactly 06:00 the first vehicle
departed. After the Middelburg weighbridge,
the second stop en route was the Engen
Belfast Truck Stop, where the vehicles were
refuelled and checked.
On the route down to Komatipoort, some
long and difficult downhill gradients had to be
negotiated, which tested the retardation ability
of the test vehicles.
The following day was another early start,
with the first truck departing at 06:00 and
heading directly to the Engen Truck Stop
at Belfast for refuelling. The steep uphill
gradients experienced on the return route
from Nelspriut to Belfast tested all the
vehicles’ hill-climbing ability. I am pleased to
report that all the vehicles did well on the
uphill, proving their good productivity, without
seriously jeopardising fuel consumption.
Back at Super Park Distribution Centre in
Isando, the vehicles were topped-up again. The
precise amount of fuel used was recorded to
determine the accurate fuel consumption of
each vehicle.
I was surprised to see how small the
difference was in the amount of fuel that
was added to each vehicle at the various
stops. This proved that, if correctly driven and
maintained, most truck tractors in this class of
vehicle are fuel efficient. |FOCUS
VIC OLIVER joined us on Truck Test, once again offering his expertise in monitoring the procession as it
moved from start to finish through all the checkpoints. He details the technical aspects
the technical side of
trUck test
One of this country’s most respected commercial vehicle industry authorities, VIC OLIVER has been in this industry for over 50 years. Before joining the FOCUS team, he spent 15 years with Nissan Diesel (now UD Trucks), 11 years with Busaf and seven years with International. Do you have a comment or thought you would like to share based on this column? Visit www.focusontransport.co.za and have your say!
this year’s Truck Test was, without
any doubt, the best and most
successful that FOCUS has run
over the past few years. It was
well organised and supported – with 16 rigs
entered, sponsored and supported by 12
companies. Factors that made this event
so successful were the enthusiasm, passion
and professionalism displayed by all the
participants and sponsors.
The objective of this year’s Truck Test
was to demonstrate what vehicles in the
30- to 35-t payload segment are capable of
achieving in a typical operating environment,
and to provide potential buyers of this class
of vehicle with excellent information on the
operating costs.
With the current high fuel and operating
costs, the participating manufacturers were
all keen to prove that, correctly driven and
maintained, their vehicles are economical to
own and operate.
Once again, the HTM TransSolve software
was used to simulate the route, and Ctrack
provided the technology to track all the
vehicles during the test.
The vehicle tracking system proved to be
an excellent management tool to keep an
accurate control on the vehicles. This ability,
to monitor the vehicle speeds during the test,
was well used by the test controlling team, to
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 15
Filename 113942 Scania SA You're Not Buying This_Truck Ad v7
www.rla.co.ukSize (hxw) 297x210 Operator RobPage No. 1 Modified 19 December 2014 11:26 AM
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So if you’re just buying trucks, we’re probably not the
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16 |FOCUS| May 2015
TRUCK TEST 2015 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - TAUTLINER INTERLINKS TRUCK TEST 2015 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - TRIDEM REEFERSMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Iveco MAN Freightliner Scania FAW Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaRange Trakker FH Quon XF 700 Pro 229 Stralis TGS Argosy R Series FAW Stralis C-RANGE TGS 700 Pro 229 Actros G Series
Model AT440T44TH SR440 TT Sin-R
I-Shift RetGW26 450 TT
ESCOT105.460 SR
13602848 3.9 Air
DSCAS750S48TZP
Hi-way27.480 6x4 BBS
(LX)CUM 500 - NG
R500 LA6x4 MSZ
28.380 FTAT700S43TZP
Hi-WayC 440HP 6x4
Road26.440 6x4 BLS
(LX)2845 3.9 Stl 2646LS-33 DD
G460 CA6x4 MSZ
Odometer at start (km) 18 203 35 137 54 179 119 132 55 304 3 309 4 320 91 625 70 095 3 457 2 869 12 292 2 732 14 835 2 752 27 932DIMENSIONSFifth wheel offset (mm) 400 510 565 260 450 450 470 506 470 370 400 410 470 450 520 425Overall combination length (mm) 22 240 22 080 22 060 22 320 22 075 22 120 22 170 22 100 21 980 18 765 18 695 18 600 18 600 18 560 18 720 18 610FUELFuel tank 1 capacity (l) 600 490 400 445 390 600 590 378 470 400 600 490 580 390 650 470Fuel tank 2 capacity (l) - 330 400 445 450 - 250 492 470 - - 210 450 450 280 470Fuel in tank 1 when weighed (l) 600 441 280 445 312 600 561 330 470 400 600 490 493 312 468 470MASS, CAB & EXTRASPermissible front axle mass (kg) 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 500 7 700 7 700 7 250 7 700 7 500 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 500 7 500 7 700
Rims (standard / tested) Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Steel
Rear suspension Parabolic springs Parabolic springsSemi-elliptic
multi leafAir Air Air Parabolic springs Air
Parabolic springs
Semi-elliptic springs
AirParabolic springs
AirSemi-elliptic
springsAir
Parabolic springs
Cab roof / No. of bunks High / 2 Medium / 2 Standard / 1 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 Low / 1 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 Low / 1 High / 2 Standard / 2
Aerokit (standard / tested)None /
Aero TruckVolvo / Volvo
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
Freightliner / Freightliner
Scania / ScaniaNone /
Aero TruckNone /
Aero TruckRenault / Renault
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
Mercedes-Benz / Mercedes-Benz
Scania / Scania
Tare (spec sheet) * (kg) 8 970 - 8 530 8 475 9 055 8 540 8 886 8 287 9 229 8 750 - 8 739 8 375 9 290 8 393 8 871
Tare (tested) * (kg) 9 096 8 930 8 545 8 840 8 458 8 736 8 829 8 443 9 105 8 764 8 556 8 928 8 526 8 838 8 587 8 865Vehicle unladen ** (kg) 9 533 9 367 8 982 9 277 8 895 9 173 9 266 8 880 9 542 9 201 8 993 9 366 8 963 9 275 9 024 9 302Trailer unladen (kg) 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700Combination unladen ** (kg) 19 293 19 127 18 742 19 037 18 655 18 933 19 026 18 640 19 302 18 901 18 693 19 066 18 663 18 975 18 724 19 002Payload (kg) 36 207 36 373 36 758 36 463 36 845 36 567 36 474 36 860 36 198 29 099 29 307 28 934 29 337 29 025 29 276 28 998Gross combination mass ** (kg) 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000* Includes fifth wheel but excludes driver, fuel and spare wheel** Includes fifth wheel, 330 litres of fuel, driver and observerENGINEMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks Paccar Hino Iveco MAN Cummins Scania Weichai Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz Scania
Model Cursor 13 (VGT) D13A440 GH13MX340 (ECE
R24-03)E13C WJ Cursor 13 (VGT) D2676 LF03 ISX 500/6 IL DC16 04 500 WD615.38 Cursor 10 (VGT) DXi 11 D2676 LF04 E13C-WK OM 501 LA DC13 106
Capacity (cm3) 12 880 12 800 12 777 12 900 12 913 12 880 12 419 15 000 15 607 9 726 10 300 10 800 12 419 12 913 11 946 12 700Layout In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 V8 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 V8 In-line 6
Fuel injection system 6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors6 electronic unit
pumpsCommon rail 6 unit injectors Common rail
Electronic unit injection
Unit injector PDEDirect injection
pump6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors Common rail Common rail
Electronic pump-line-nozzle
Unit injector PDE
Power @ r/min (kW)324 @
1 470 - 1 900324 @
1 400 - 1 800330 @
1 500 - 1 800340 @
1 500 - 1 900353 @ 1 800
354 @ 1 540 - 1 900
353 @ 1 700 - 1 900
373 @ 1 700 - 1 800
368 @ 1 900 280 @ 2 200316 @
1 590 - 2 100321 @ 1 900
324 @ 1 700 - 1 900
331 @ 1 800 335 @ 1 800 338 @ 1 900
Torque @ r/min (Nm)2 100 @
1 000 - 1 4702 200 @
1 050 - 1 4002 244 @
1 050 - 1 4002 300 @
1 000 - 1 4102 157 @ 1 100
2 200 @ 1 000 - 1 540
2 300 @ 1 000 - 1 400
2 237 @ 1 100 - 1 500
2 400 @ 1 100 - 1 300
1 463 @ 1 6001 900 @
1 050 - 1 5902 000 @
1 000 - 1 4002 100 @
1 000 - 1 4002 157 @ 1 100 2 200 @ 1 080
2 250 @ 1 000 - 1 350
R/min @ 80 km/h / 75 km/h in top gear (r/min)
1 304 / 1 223 1 252 / 1 174 1 379 / 1 293 1 252 / 1 174 1 307 / 1 226 1 378 / 1 292 1 062 / 996 1 349 / 1 265 1 393 / 1 301 1 666 / 1 562 1 378 / 1 292 1 252 / 1 174 1 170 / 1 097 1 307 / 1 226 1 247 / 1 169 1 248 / 1 174
Emissions standard Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 4 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 4 Euro 3 Euro 3TRANSMISSIONMake ZF Volvo Escot ZF ZF ZF ZF Eaton Scania FAW ZF Renault ZF ZF Mercedes-Benz Scania
Model 12 AS 2330 TO AT2612DAO612D w/
ESCOT - V12 AS 2540 TD 16 AS 2630 TO 12 AS 2330 TD
12 AS 2331 OD TipMatic
FO-18E318B-MXP
GRS905R CA9T B160M 12 AS 1930 TDOptidriver AT 2612D TD
12 AS 2331 OD TipMatic
16 AS 2630 TO G281-12 GRS905R
Type Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Synchromesh
ShiftAutomated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
ManualAutomated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
No. of forward gears 12 12 12 12 16 12 12 18 12 9 12 12 12 16 12 12First- / top-gear ratio (:1) 12,33 / 0,78 14,94 / 1,00 11,729 / 0,785 15,86 / 1 14,12 / 0,827 15,86 / 1 12,33 / 0,78 14,4 / 0,73 11,32 / 1 12,11 / 1 15,86 / 1 14,94 / 1 12,33 / 0,78 14,12 / 0,827 14,91 / 1 11,32 / 1DRIVE AXLEMake Meritor Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Meritor MAN Meritor Scania Not Specified Meritor Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaReduction type Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single SingleFinal ratio (standard / tested) (:1)
4,125 / 4,125 3,09 / 3,09 4,333 / 4,333 3,09 / 3,09 3,9 / 3,9 3,4 / 3,4 4,11 / 3,36 4,56 / 4,56 3,07 / 3,42 4,111 / 4,111 3,4 / 3,4 3,09 / 3,09 4,11 / 3,7 3,9 / 3,9 3,077 / 3,077 3,07 / 3,07
BRAKES & TYRESExhaust brake No Standard No Standard No No Standard Standard Standard Standard No Standard Standard No Standard Standard
Engine brakeStandard 306 kW
Standard 300 kW
Standard Standard StandardStandard 306 kW
Standard 270 kW
Intebrake 336 kW
No NoStandard - 250 kW
StandardStandard 270 kW
Standard Standard No
Retarder / Intarder Intarder 500 kW Voith 3 250 NmA0612D
3 250 NmIntarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW -
Retarder 500 kW
-Intarder 500 kW
Voith 3 250 NmIntarder 500 kW
Intarder 500 kW
Voith R 115 HV 3 500 Nm
Retarder 500 kW
Tyre make (standard / tested)Goodyear / Goodyear
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Goodyear / Goodyear
Dunlop / DunlopMichelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Michelin / Michelin
Michelin / Michelin
Double Coin / Double Coin
Michelin / Michelin
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Firestone / Firestone
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Size and ply rating - front 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5Size and ply rating - rear 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5LIST PRICEList price (Excl. VAT) (R) 1 439 950 1 680 490 1 295 400 1 550 000 1 362 530 1 699 950 1 492 880 1 618 300 1 716 750 680 000 1 549 950 1 435 294 1 488 350 1 297 680 1 527 000 1 555 050
Effective date for price 1 April 201522 September
20141 April 2015 1 October 2014 1 July 2014 1 April 2015 1 October 2013 1 March 2015 1 May 2014 13 April 2015 1 April 2015
1 December 2014
1 October 2013 1 July 2014 1 April 2015 1 May 2014
TrUCKTeST 2015
NOTE: THE TWO MAN TRUCKS IN THIS TEST RAN NON-STANDARD AXLE RATIOS AND ARE THUS CONSIDERED TO BE PROTOTYPES.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 17
TRUCK TEST 2015 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - TAUTLINER INTERLINKS TRUCK TEST 2015 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - TRIDEM REEFERSMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Iveco MAN Freightliner Scania FAW Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaRange Trakker FH Quon XF 700 Pro 229 Stralis TGS Argosy R Series FAW Stralis C-RANGE TGS 700 Pro 229 Actros G Series
Model AT440T44TH SR440 TT Sin-R
I-Shift RetGW26 450 TT
ESCOT105.460 SR
13602848 3.9 Air
DSCAS750S48TZP
Hi-way27.480 6x4 BBS
(LX)CUM 500 - NG
R500 LA6x4 MSZ
28.380 FTAT700S43TZP
Hi-WayC 440HP 6x4
Road26.440 6x4 BLS
(LX)2845 3.9 Stl 2646LS-33 DD
G460 CA6x4 MSZ
Odometer at start (km) 18 203 35 137 54 179 119 132 55 304 3 309 4 320 91 625 70 095 3 457 2 869 12 292 2 732 14 835 2 752 27 932DIMENSIONSFifth wheel offset (mm) 400 510 565 260 450 450 470 506 470 370 400 410 470 450 520 425Overall combination length (mm) 22 240 22 080 22 060 22 320 22 075 22 120 22 170 22 100 21 980 18 765 18 695 18 600 18 600 18 560 18 720 18 610FUELFuel tank 1 capacity (l) 600 490 400 445 390 600 590 378 470 400 600 490 580 390 650 470Fuel tank 2 capacity (l) - 330 400 445 450 - 250 492 470 - - 210 450 450 280 470Fuel in tank 1 when weighed (l) 600 441 280 445 312 600 561 330 470 400 600 490 493 312 468 470MASS, CAB & EXTRASPermissible front axle mass (kg) 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 500 7 700 7 700 7 250 7 700 7 500 7 700 7 700 7 700 7 500 7 500 7 700
Rims (standard / tested) Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Aluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Aluminium
Steel / SteelAluminium / Aluminium
Steel / Steel
Rear suspension Parabolic springs Parabolic springsSemi-elliptic
multi leafAir Air Air Parabolic springs Air
Parabolic springs
Semi-elliptic springs
AirParabolic springs
AirSemi-elliptic
springsAir
Parabolic springs
Cab roof / No. of bunks High / 2 Medium / 2 Standard / 1 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 Low / 1 High / 2 High / 2 High / 2 Low / 1 High / 2 Standard / 2
Aerokit (standard / tested)None /
Aero TruckVolvo / Volvo
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
Freightliner / Freightliner
Scania / ScaniaNone /
Aero TruckNone /
Aero TruckRenault / Renault
None / Aero Truck
None / Aero Truck
Mercedes-Benz / Mercedes-Benz
Scania / Scania
Tare (spec sheet) * (kg) 8 970 - 8 530 8 475 9 055 8 540 8 886 8 287 9 229 8 750 - 8 739 8 375 9 290 8 393 8 871
Tare (tested) * (kg) 9 096 8 930 8 545 8 840 8 458 8 736 8 829 8 443 9 105 8 764 8 556 8 928 8 526 8 838 8 587 8 865Vehicle unladen ** (kg) 9 533 9 367 8 982 9 277 8 895 9 173 9 266 8 880 9 542 9 201 8 993 9 366 8 963 9 275 9 024 9 302Trailer unladen (kg) 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 760 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700 9 700Combination unladen ** (kg) 19 293 19 127 18 742 19 037 18 655 18 933 19 026 18 640 19 302 18 901 18 693 19 066 18 663 18 975 18 724 19 002Payload (kg) 36 207 36 373 36 758 36 463 36 845 36 567 36 474 36 860 36 198 29 099 29 307 28 934 29 337 29 025 29 276 28 998Gross combination mass ** (kg) 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 55 500 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000 48 000* Includes fifth wheel but excludes driver, fuel and spare wheel** Includes fifth wheel, 330 litres of fuel, driver and observerENGINEMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks Paccar Hino Iveco MAN Cummins Scania Weichai Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz Scania
Model Cursor 13 (VGT) D13A440 GH13MX340 (ECE
R24-03)E13C WJ Cursor 13 (VGT) D2676 LF03 ISX 500/6 IL DC16 04 500 WD615.38 Cursor 10 (VGT) DXi 11 D2676 LF04 E13C-WK OM 501 LA DC13 106
Capacity (cm3) 12 880 12 800 12 777 12 900 12 913 12 880 12 419 15 000 15 607 9 726 10 300 10 800 12 419 12 913 11 946 12 700Layout In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 V8 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 In-line 6 V8 In-line 6
Fuel injection system 6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors6 electronic unit
pumpsCommon rail 6 unit injectors Common rail
Electronic unit injection
Unit injector PDEDirect injection
pump6 unit injectors 6 unit injectors Common rail Common rail
Electronic pump-line-nozzle
Unit injector PDE
Power @ r/min (kW)324 @
1 470 - 1 900324 @
1 400 - 1 800330 @
1 500 - 1 800340 @
1 500 - 1 900353 @ 1 800
354 @ 1 540 - 1 900
353 @ 1 700 - 1 900
373 @ 1 700 - 1 800
368 @ 1 900 280 @ 2 200316 @
1 590 - 2 100321 @ 1 900
324 @ 1 700 - 1 900
331 @ 1 800 335 @ 1 800 338 @ 1 900
Torque @ r/min (Nm)2 100 @
1 000 - 1 4702 200 @
1 050 - 1 4002 244 @
1 050 - 1 4002 300 @
1 000 - 1 4102 157 @ 1 100
2 200 @ 1 000 - 1 540
2 300 @ 1 000 - 1 400
2 237 @ 1 100 - 1 500
2 400 @ 1 100 - 1 300
1 463 @ 1 6001 900 @
1 050 - 1 5902 000 @
1 000 - 1 4002 100 @
1 000 - 1 4002 157 @ 1 100 2 200 @ 1 080
2 250 @ 1 000 - 1 350
R/min @ 80 km/h / 75 km/h in top gear (r/min)
1 304 / 1 223 1 252 / 1 174 1 379 / 1 293 1 252 / 1 174 1 307 / 1 226 1 378 / 1 292 1 062 / 996 1 349 / 1 265 1 393 / 1 301 1 666 / 1 562 1 378 / 1 292 1 252 / 1 174 1 170 / 1 097 1 307 / 1 226 1 247 / 1 169 1 248 / 1 174
Emissions standard Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 4 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 3 Euro 3 Euro 2 Euro 4 Euro 3 Euro 3TRANSMISSIONMake ZF Volvo Escot ZF ZF ZF ZF Eaton Scania FAW ZF Renault ZF ZF Mercedes-Benz Scania
Model 12 AS 2330 TO AT2612DAO612D w/
ESCOT - V12 AS 2540 TD 16 AS 2630 TO 12 AS 2330 TD
12 AS 2331 OD TipMatic
FO-18E318B-MXP
GRS905R CA9T B160M 12 AS 1930 TDOptidriver AT 2612D TD
12 AS 2331 OD TipMatic
16 AS 2630 TO G281-12 GRS905R
Type Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Constantmesh Synchromesh Constantmesh Synchromesh
ShiftAutomated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
ManualAutomated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
Automated Mechanical
Automated Mechanical
Manual and Automated
No. of forward gears 12 12 12 12 16 12 12 18 12 9 12 12 12 16 12 12First- / top-gear ratio (:1) 12,33 / 0,78 14,94 / 1,00 11,729 / 0,785 15,86 / 1 14,12 / 0,827 15,86 / 1 12,33 / 0,78 14,4 / 0,73 11,32 / 1 12,11 / 1 15,86 / 1 14,94 / 1 12,33 / 0,78 14,12 / 0,827 14,91 / 1 11,32 / 1DRIVE AXLEMake Meritor Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Meritor MAN Meritor Scania Not Specified Meritor Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaReduction type Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single Single SingleFinal ratio (standard / tested) (:1)
4,125 / 4,125 3,09 / 3,09 4,333 / 4,333 3,09 / 3,09 3,9 / 3,9 3,4 / 3,4 4,11 / 3,36 4,56 / 4,56 3,07 / 3,42 4,111 / 4,111 3,4 / 3,4 3,09 / 3,09 4,11 / 3,7 3,9 / 3,9 3,077 / 3,077 3,07 / 3,07
BRAKES & TYRESExhaust brake No Standard No Standard No No Standard Standard Standard Standard No Standard Standard No Standard Standard
Engine brakeStandard 306 kW
Standard 300 kW
Standard Standard StandardStandard 306 kW
Standard 270 kW
Intebrake 336 kW
No NoStandard - 250 kW
StandardStandard 270 kW
Standard Standard No
Retarder / Intarder Intarder 500 kW Voith 3 250 NmA0612D
3 250 NmIntarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW Intarder 500 kW -
Retarder 500 kW
-Intarder 500 kW
Voith 3 250 NmIntarder 500 kW
Intarder 500 kW
Voith R 115 HV 3 500 Nm
Retarder 500 kW
Tyre make (standard / tested)Goodyear / Goodyear
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Goodyear / Goodyear
Dunlop / DunlopMichelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Michelin / Michelin
Michelin / Michelin
Double Coin / Double Coin
Michelin / Michelin
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Firestone / Firestone
Michelin / Michelin
Goodyear / Goodyear
Size and ply rating - front 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 385/65 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 385/65 R22.5Size and ply rating - rear 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5 315/80 R22.5LIST PRICEList price (Excl. VAT) (R) 1 439 950 1 680 490 1 295 400 1 550 000 1 362 530 1 699 950 1 492 880 1 618 300 1 716 750 680 000 1 549 950 1 435 294 1 488 350 1 297 680 1 527 000 1 555 050
Effective date for price 1 April 201522 September
20141 April 2015 1 October 2014 1 July 2014 1 April 2015 1 October 2013 1 March 2015 1 May 2014 13 April 2015 1 April 2015
1 December 2014
1 October 2013 1 July 2014 1 April 2015 1 May 2014
TrUCKTeST 2015
18 |FOCUS| May 2015
TRUCK TEST 2015 - RESULTS - TAUTLINER INTERLINKSMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Iveco MAN Freightliner ScaniaRange Trakker FH Quon XF 700 Pro 229 Stralis TGS Argosy R SeriesModel AT440T44TH SR 440 TT Sin-R I-Shift Ret GW26 450 TT ESCOT 105.460 SR 1360 2848 3.9 Air DSC AS750S48TZP Hi-way 27.480 6x4 BBS (LX) CUM 500 - NG R500 LA6x4 MSZSimulated top speed (km/h) 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75JET PARK TO KOMATIPOORT (429,8 KM)Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 65,3 65,3 66,0 65,7 65,0 65,8 66,4 63,9 66,6Actual speed (km/h) 62,6 65,9 62,8 67,0 61,9 66,7 62,3 65,1 61,1Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 48,4 48,2 48,6 48,5 48,9 48,6 47,3 48,5 48,9Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 48,4 48,4 48,2 45,3 51,3 51,8 49,8 47,9 46,8KOMATIPOORT TO JET PARK (429,8 KM)Simulated speed (km/h) 62,9 63,2 64,0 64,3 62,8 63,6 64,4 62,8 64,8Actual speed (km/h) 60,9 61,4 60,8 63,7 58,7 63,4 60,6 62,7 56,8Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 66,2 66,8 66,3 66,4 66,5 66,4 64,9 65,6 66,9Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 64,7 64,5 65,4 63,5 67,9 65,6 62,1 63,3 63,6OVERALL RESULTS (859,5 KM)
Payload (kg) 36 207 36 373 36 758 36 463 36 845 36 567 36 474 36 860 36 198
Simulated Ø speed km/h 64,4 64,7 65,4 65,3 64,2 65,0 65,7 63,7 66,0
Actual speed (km/h) 61,8 63,5 61,8 65,3 60,2 65,0 61,4 63,9 58,9
Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 57,2 57,0 57,4 57,4 57,7 57,4 56,1 57,0 57,8
(km/l) 1,75 1,75 1,74 1,74 1,73 1,74 1,78 1,75 1,73
Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 56,6 56,5 56,8 54,4 59,6 58,7 56,0 55,6 55,2
(km/l) 1,77 1,77 1,76 1,84 1,68 1,70 1,79 1,80 1,81
Simulated Payload Productivity 40,8 41,3 41,9 41,5 41,0 41,4 42,7 41,2 41,3
Actual Payload Productivity 39,5 40,9 40,0 43,8 37,2 40,5 40,0 42,3 38,6
* Payload Productivity Factor = Payload (tonnes) x Avg. speed (km/h) / Avg. fuel consumption (l/100 km)
ALTITUDe PrOFILe: JeT PArK TO KOMATIPOOrT rOUnD TrIP (859,5 KM)
TrUCKTeST 2015
on trAnsport And Logistics
Route Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Middelburg Weighbridge
Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
NOTE: THE TWO MAN TRUCKS IN THIS TEST RAN NON-STANDARD AXLE RATIOS AND ARE THUS CONSIDERED TO BE PROTOTYPES.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 19
TRUCK TEST 2015 - RESULTS - TAUTLINER INTERLINKSMake Iveco Volvo UD Trucks DAF Hino Iveco MAN Freightliner ScaniaRange Trakker FH Quon XF 700 Pro 229 Stralis TGS Argosy R SeriesModel AT440T44TH SR 440 TT Sin-R I-Shift Ret GW26 450 TT ESCOT 105.460 SR 1360 2848 3.9 Air DSC AS750S48TZP Hi-way 27.480 6x4 BBS (LX) CUM 500 - NG R500 LA6x4 MSZSimulated top speed (km/h) 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75JET PARK TO KOMATIPOORT (429,8 KM)Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 65,3 65,3 66,0 65,7 65,0 65,8 66,4 63,9 66,6Actual speed (km/h) 62,6 65,9 62,8 67,0 61,9 66,7 62,3 65,1 61,1Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 48,4 48,2 48,6 48,5 48,9 48,6 47,3 48,5 48,9Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 48,4 48,4 48,2 45,3 51,3 51,8 49,8 47,9 46,8KOMATIPOORT TO JET PARK (429,8 KM)Simulated speed (km/h) 62,9 63,2 64,0 64,3 62,8 63,6 64,4 62,8 64,8Actual speed (km/h) 60,9 61,4 60,8 63,7 58,7 63,4 60,6 62,7 56,8Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 66,2 66,8 66,3 66,4 66,5 66,4 64,9 65,6 66,9Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 64,7 64,5 65,4 63,5 67,9 65,6 62,1 63,3 63,6OVERALL RESULTS (859,5 KM)
Payload (kg) 36 207 36 373 36 758 36 463 36 845 36 567 36 474 36 860 36 198
Simulated Ø speed km/h 64,4 64,7 65,4 65,3 64,2 65,0 65,7 63,7 66,0
Actual speed (km/h) 61,8 63,5 61,8 65,3 60,2 65,0 61,4 63,9 58,9
Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l/100 km) 57,2 57,0 57,4 57,4 57,7 57,4 56,1 57,0 57,8
(km/l) 1,75 1,75 1,74 1,74 1,73 1,74 1,78 1,75 1,73
Actual fuel consumption (l/100 km) 56,6 56,5 56,8 54,4 59,6 58,7 56,0 55,6 55,2
(km/l) 1,77 1,77 1,76 1,84 1,68 1,70 1,79 1,80 1,81
Simulated Payload Productivity 40,8 41,3 41,9 41,5 41,0 41,4 42,7 41,2 41,3
Actual Payload Productivity 39,5 40,9 40,0 43,8 37,2 40,5 40,0 42,3 38,6
* Payload Productivity Factor = Payload (tonnes) x Avg. speed (km/h) / Avg. fuel consumption (l/100 km)
ALTITUDe PrOFILe: JeT PArK TO KOMATIPOOrT rOUnD TrIP (859,5 KM)
TrUCKTeST 2015
on trAnsport And Logistics
Altitude Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Schoemanskloof Pass
Belfast Jet Park Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
Route Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Middelburg Weighbridge
Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
20 |FOCUS| May 2015
Route Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Middelburg Weighbridge
Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
TrUCKTeST 2015
TRUCK TEST 2015 - RESULTS - TRIDEM REEFERSMake FAW Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaRange FAW Stralis C-RANGE TGS 700 Pro 229 Actros G SeriesModel 28.380 FT AT700S43TZP Hi-Way C 440HP 6x4 Road 26.440 6x4 BLS (LX) 2845 3.9 Stl 2646LS-33 DD G460 CA6x4 MSZSimulated top speed (km/h) 75 75 75 75 75 75 75JET PARK TO KOMATIPOORT (429,8KM)Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 62,1 65,9 66,4 66,4 66,5 67,0 66,8Actual speed (km/h) 63,8 64,5 64,4 67,4 62,6 64,3 62,2Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 42,9 41,9 42,2 41,6 42,9 42,1 42,0Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 46,3 41,2 40,4 40,9 41,2 40,3 39,4KOMATIPOORT TO JET PARK (429,8KM)Simulated speed (km/h) 59,6 63,8 64,7 64,6 64,9 65,8 65,2Actual speed (km/h) 59,0 61,4 64,0 64,0 63,8 62,0 61,2Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 58,3 57,3 57,4 56,9 58,5 57,6 57,4Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 58,2 54,5 54,0 51,6 60,1 53,7 51,6OVERALL RESULTS (859,5KM)
Payload (kg) 29 099 29 307 28 934 29 337 29 025 29 276 28 998
Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 61,1 65,2 65,9 65,8 66,0 66,7 66,3
Actual speed (km/h) 61,3 62,9 64,2 65,7 63,2 63,1 61,7
Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 50,6 49,6 49,8 49,2 50,6 49,8 49,7
(km/l) 1,98 2,02 2,01 2,03 1,98 2,01 2,01
Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 52,3 47,9 47,2 46,2 50,7 47,0 45,5
(km/l) 1,91 2,09 2,12 2,16 1,97 2,13 2,20
Simulated Payload Productivity 35,1 38,5 38,3 39,2 37,9 39,2 38,7
Actual Payload Productivity (factor) 34,1 38,5 39,4 41,7 36,2 39,3 39,3
* Payload Productivity Factor = Payload (tonnes) x Avg. speed (km/h) / Avg. fuel consumption (l/100 km)
ALTITUDe PrOFILe: JeT PArK TO KOMATIPOOrT rOUnD TrIP (859,5KM)
on trAnsport And Logistics
NOTE: THE TWO MAN TRUCKS IN THIS TEST RAN NON-STANDARD AXLE RATIOS AND ARE THUS CONSIDERED TO BE PROTOTYPES.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 21
Altitude Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Schoemanskloof Pass
Belfast Jet Park Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
Route Profile: Jet Park to Komatipoort Return Trip (859.5km)
Jet Park
Middelburg Weighbridge
Belfast
Schoemanskloof Pass
Komatipoort
TrUCKTeST 2015
TRUCK TEST 2015 - RESULTS - TRIDEM REEFERSMake FAW Iveco Renault MAN Hino Mercedes-Benz ScaniaRange FAW Stralis C-RANGE TGS 700 Pro 229 Actros G SeriesModel 28.380 FT AT700S43TZP Hi-Way C 440HP 6x4 Road 26.440 6x4 BLS (LX) 2845 3.9 Stl 2646LS-33 DD G460 CA6x4 MSZSimulated top speed (km/h) 75 75 75 75 75 75 75JET PARK TO KOMATIPOORT (429,8KM)Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 62,1 65,9 66,4 66,4 66,5 67,0 66,8Actual speed (km/h) 63,8 64,5 64,4 67,4 62,6 64,3 62,2Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 42,9 41,9 42,2 41,6 42,9 42,1 42,0Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 46,3 41,2 40,4 40,9 41,2 40,3 39,4KOMATIPOORT TO JET PARK (429,8KM)Simulated speed (km/h) 59,6 63,8 64,7 64,6 64,9 65,8 65,2Actual speed (km/h) 59,0 61,4 64,0 64,0 63,8 62,0 61,2Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 58,3 57,3 57,4 56,9 58,5 57,6 57,4Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 58,2 54,5 54,0 51,6 60,1 53,7 51,6OVERALL RESULTS (859,5KM)
Payload (kg) 29 099 29 307 28 934 29 337 29 025 29 276 28 998
Simulated Ø speed (km/h) 61,1 65,2 65,9 65,8 66,0 66,7 66,3
Actual speed (km/h) 61,3 62,9 64,2 65,7 63,2 63,1 61,7
Simulated Ø fuel consumption (l /100 km) 50,6 49,6 49,8 49,2 50,6 49,8 49,7
(km/l) 1,98 2,02 2,01 2,03 1,98 2,01 2,01
Actual fuel consumption (l /100 km) 52,3 47,9 47,2 46,2 50,7 47,0 45,5
(km/l) 1,91 2,09 2,12 2,16 1,97 2,13 2,20
Simulated Payload Productivity 35,1 38,5 38,3 39,2 37,9 39,2 38,7
Actual Payload Productivity (factor) 34,1 38,5 39,4 41,7 36,2 39,3 39,3
* Payload Productivity Factor = Payload (tonnes) x Avg. speed (km/h) / Avg. fuel consumption (l/100 km)
ALTITUDe PrOFILe: JeT PArK TO KOMATIPOOrT rOUnD TrIP (859,5KM)
on trAnsport And Logistics
22 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
IveCO TrAKKer AT440T44TH Sr
vOLvO FH 440 TT SIn-r I-SHIFT reT
UD TrUCKS QUOn GW26 450 TT eSCOT
May 2015 |FOCUS| 23
TrUCKTeST 2015
DAF XF 105.460 Sr 1360
HInO 700 PrO 229 2848 3.9 AIr DSC
IveCO STrALIS AS750S48TZP HI-WAY
24 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
MAn TGS 27.480 6X4 BBS (LX)
FreIGHTLIner ArGOSY CUM 500 - nG
SCAnIA r SerIeS r500 LA6X4 MSZ
May 2015 |FOCUS| 25
TrUCKTeST 2015
ALL veHICLeS:
• Arrival and departure time at Komatipoort was taken at the N4
turn-off to eliminate the hold-ups when departing for the return trip,
and to get an accurate arrival time for the vehicles that passed the
turn-off on day one.
IveCO TrAKKer AT440T44TH Sr:
• Seven speed violations on outbound leg, three minutes 30 seconds
added.
• Ten speed violations on return leg, five minutes added.
vOLvO FH 440 TT SIn-r I-SHIFT reT:
• Took Jet Park Rd instead of Kraft Rd on outbound trip. This route is
0,7 km shorter but has more stops, therefore reduced the fuel used
by 0,5 l and the time by one minute as per the TransSolve simulation
difference.
• Took Jet Park Rd instead of Kraft Rd on return trip . This route is
one kilometre shorter but has more stops, therefore reduced the
fuel used by 0,4 l and the time by one minute as per the TransSolve
simulation difference.
• No speed violations.
UD QUOn GW26 450 TT eSCOT:
• No violations.
DAF XF 105.460 Sr 1360 :
• Deducted 66 kg from unladen combination for the Loadtech weighing
equipment.
• Three speed violations on return leg, one minute 30 seconds added.
HInO 700 PrO 229 2848 3.9 AIr DSC:
• Took Jet Park Rd instead of Kraft Rd on outbound trip. This route is
0,7 km shorter but has more stops, therefore reduced the fuel used
by 0,5 l and the time by one minute as per the TransSolve simulation
difference.
• No speed violations.
IveCO STrALIS AS750S48TZP HI-WAY:
• No violations .
MAn TGS 27.480 6X4 BBS (LX):
• Passed Engen Komatipoort turn-off on day one. The end time was
therefore taken at the Engen turn-off as with all the other vehicles and
the fuel used was reduced by 2,2 l, as per the TransSolve simulated
results, for the additional 3,1 km. One speed violation on return leg,
30 seconds added.
FreIGHTLIner ArGOSY CUM 500 - nG:
• Took Jet Park Rd instead of Kraft Rd on return trip . This route is
one kilometre shorter but has more stops, therefore reduced the
fuel used by 0,4 l and the time by one minute as per the TransSolve
simulation difference.
• Eleven speed violations on outbound leg, five minutes 30 seconds
added .
• Twelve speed violations on return leg, six minutes added.
SCAnIA r500 LA6X4 MSZ:
• Passed Engen Komatipoort turn-off on day one. The end time was
therefore taken at the Engen turn-off as with all the other vehicles and
the fuel used was reduced by 2,2 l, as per the TransSolve simulated
results, for the additional 3,1 km.
• Very slow on return trip between Komatipoort and Belfast, due to
“gear hunting” issues, no adjustment made as this was too difficult to
calculate fairly and would only have a marginal effect on the overall
results.
• Two speed violations on outbound leg, one minute added.
• Two speed violations on return leg, one minute added.
notes – tAUtLiner interLinks
26 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
renAULT C-rAnGe C 440HP 6X4 rOAD
IveCO STrALIS AT700S43TZP HI-WAY
FAW 28.380 FT
May 2015 |FOCUS| 27
TrUCKTeST 2015
MerCeDeS-BenZ ACTrOS 2646LS-33 DD
MAn TGS 26.440 6X4 BLS (LX)
HInO 700 PrO 229 2845 3.9 STL
28 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
ALL veHICLeS:
• Arrival and departure time at Komatipoort was taken at the N4
turn-off to eliminate the hold-ups when departing for the return trip,
and to get an accurate arrival time for the vehicles that passed the
turn-off on day one.
FAW 28.380 FT:
• Was involved in a small accident on the first morning which held it
up for about 40 minutes. This was excluded from the travelling time
and one minute and 0,5 l of fuel was deducted for the unnecessary
stop-start.
• Stopped for about 15 minutes near Nelspruit to repair damage
caused by accident. This time was excluded from the travelling time
and one minute and 0,5 l of fuel was deducted for the unnecessary
stop-start.
• One speed violation on outbound leg, 30 seconds added.
IveCO STrALIS AT700S43TZP HI-WAY:
• Did not switch off engine at Middelburg Weighbridge on day one, the
arrival and departure time was therefore used for accurate travel
time.
• Did not stop at Middelburg Weighbridge, however the driver did stop
the vehicle on the highway next to the weighbridge, therefore no
adjustment needed to be made.
• Six speed violations on outbound leg, three minutes added.
• Six speed violations on return leg, three minutes added.
renAULT C 440HP 6X4 rOAD:
• No violations .
MAn TGS 26.440 6X4 BLS (LX):
• Seven speed violations on outbound leg, three minutes 30 seconds
added.
• Four speed violations on return leg, two minutes added.
HInO 700 PrO 229 2845 3.9 STL:
• No violations.
MerCeDeS-BenZ ACTrOS 2646LS-33 DD :
• Took Barbara Rd all the way to Kraft Rd on day one . This route is
1,1 km longer, therefore reduced the fuel used by 1,5 l and the time
by one minute as per the TransSolve simulation difference.
• Did not top-up with fuel at Belfast, added 0,2 l for the fuel saved as a
result of carrying 100 kg less fuel as per the TransSolve simulation
difference. There was no measurable time advantage.
• One speed violation on return leg, 30 seconds added.
SCAnIA G460 CA6X4 MSZ:
• Overfilled with 13 l (17 mm on sight tube) at Komatipoort as the fuel
filter fitted to prevent dirt getting into the sight tube caus ed a small “
vacuum” delay when releasing the air as the fuel level rose. The 13 l
were deducted from the outbound run and added to the return leg to
produce a more accurate result for the individual legs. No adjustment
needed to be made to the overall fuel used as the fuel filter was
removed for the fill-up on the return leg to avoid any confusion. The
chance of an overfill at Jet Park on the day before the test was ruled
out as no fuel was added on that day and the fuel filter would have
had sufficient time to release the air whilst the fuel level was marked.
• No speed violations .
notes – tridem reeFers
SCAnIA G SerIeS G460 CA6X4 MSZ
30 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
trAckingthe test
and beige colour scheme did wonders to lift
the interior ambiance, with the Vito’s interior
feeling a bit grim by comparison.
Again, due to the larger vehicle width
and height, the seats in the Tourneo are
slightly wider, offering a bit more shoulder
room. Despite being slightly narrower, the
Vito’s seats were, nonetheless, comfortable.
Occupants in both the Ford and Mercedes
are treated to a range of features including:
individual cup holders, 12-v power sockets,
side-window blinds (Tourneo) and rear-
compartment air-conditioning.
In view of safety, only the left-hand middle-
row seat can be folded forward for entry
to the rearmost row in both the Ford and
Mercedes.
On the road, the Mercedes tended to
waft along a bit more comfortably, which is
great for its passengers and, of course, us
photographers! The flip side of this is that, for
the driver, the Ford felt more connected to
the road and lighter on its feet.
Neither vehicle struggled to keep up with
traffic or move its occupants around when
at full capacity. Especially the Vito ... it was
the 122CDI; fitted with the 3,0-litre V6 diesel
that develops 165 kW and 440 Nm torque.
Coupled to Mercedes’s five-speed automatic
gearbox, progress in the Vito is best summed
up as swift and smooth. It was relatively
frugal, too, consuming 9,6 l/100 km.
Not that the Limited-spec Tourneos
struggled, mind you. Fitted with the high-
power version of Ford’s 2,2-litre Duratroq
diesel engine, 114 kW and 385 Nm torque
was at the drivers’ disposal. As opposed to
the Vito, the Tourneos’ engine is mated to
a six-speed manual. At the end of our trip,
both Fords consumed an average of 9,4 l/
100 km. This is a figure we expect to improve,
as they were both practically out-of-the-box
new with around 1 000 km under their
respective belts.
So, what was the verdict? Both vehicles
scored a resounding thumbs-up by our weary
passengers, as they were transported in
style and comfort between their participating
vehicles, the evening function and their
accommodation.
As crew vehicles, the abundance of space,
powerful engines and ease of drivability
meant that both the Tourneo and Vito will
definitely be at the top of our list if such an
intricate requirement needs to be met again
in the future. |FOCUS
The Truck Test spectacle does not just happen on its own – there is considerable behind-the-scenes
work to be done ... for that, the FocUs team enlists the expertise of the industry’s smaller (yet no less
significant) brethren, writes GAVIN MYERS
this year, the FOCUS team had
to add “shuttle service” to its
repertoire. It was Ford and
Mercedes-Benz that came
to our aid; as we enlisted the companies’
Tourneo Custom and Vito Crewbus Shuttle
people movers to serve as camera tracking
cars, support-team (and gear) transport, and
event shuttles.
It was the latter requirement that placed
these cars at the top of our list: eight seats
was a must. Of course, yours truly and
FOCUS journalist Jaco de Klerk needed to be
able to easily and safely stick our heads and
cameras out of the windows to snap all the
on-road action ...
The abundant space in the two Tourneos
and single Vito proved to be just what we
needed. What we were really interested to
find out, though, was how our passengers
would find the whole experience.
Both vehicles offer eight comfortable,
individual seats in a two/three/three
configuration. In both they are also
individually adjustable, but, being top-of-
the-range Limited spec, the seats in the
Tourneos were leather clad. It has to be
said, too, that their pleasing two-tone black
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 31
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32 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
According to Harrison, Truck
Test 2015 is the ideal platform
for an add-on supplier, such
as Loadtech, to introduce new
concepts and equipment. The company fitted
on-board weighing and tyre-inflation systems to
the Afrit trailers running in Truck Test 2015.
“Many companies do not have the
resources to do a proper analysis of their
needs and the results from the Truck Tests
help them to make informed decisions on what
to buy,” says Harrison.
“Loadtech started out in 1987
manufacturing weighing sensors (loadcells) for
the industrial weighing market. Early in 2000
it designed and introduced the truck/trailer-
mounted OnBoard weighing system. This was
in the early days of overloading problems and
Loadtech’s systems have made a significant
difference in assisting its customers to avoid
overload penalties, while still making a profit in
the face of reducing average payloads,” he says.
In Truck Test 2015, Loadtech showcased
two different, but equally important,
products for the extra-heavy market. The
first is the well-known Loadtech OnBoard
weighing system, while the second is the
Vigia OnBoard mounted tyre monitoring and
inflation system.
As far as the OnBoard weighing system is
concerned, Harrison explains that this is fitted
between the load and the chassis, on the truck
and the trailer. “We obviously can’t measure
beneath the wheels, like a normal platform
scale does, so we weigh between the load and
the chassis and add in the tare weight to get
the gross weight.”
A display in the cab alerts the driver to
the mass being loaded so that he can take
responsibility for the loading process.
Harrison explains that loading trucks
correctly, without some way of determining
the weight, is extremely difficult. “Many
remote operations do not have the luxury
of a weighbridge to check the load. In these
cases, it is a necessity to have a Loadtech
OnBoard weighing system fitted, so that the
load can be monitored during the loading
process. Our motto is ‘load correctly first
time, every time’.”
While this is, without doubt, a system any
operator wouldn’t want to be without, it is
the tyre inflation kits that will probably catch
the attention of most operators interested
in the test.
“This is a universal product in which
anyone doing long-haul transport could be
interested,” Harrison says. “The aim is for
vehicles to avoid getting stuck on the side of
the road in the event of a puncture, where
they will lose time and incur the costs of
roadside repair.”
According to Harrison, this system is
especially important for deliveries that are
time-sensitive. “If a delivery has a scheduled
offloading slot and the truck is delayed en
route with a flat tyre, the company has lost a
tyre, has to pay for a roadside repair, and has
lost the delivery slot. As a consequence, the
load may be rejected,” he illustrates.
The tyre inflation system sources air from
the trailer to maintain the preset pressure
in the tyres. If there’s a leak or puncture,
the pressure in the tyre starts to reduce. If
it reduces below the preset pressure, air is
continually pumped into the tyre in an attempt
to maintain the operating pressure. The driver
is alerted and he can make an informed
decision on whether to stop immediately or
continue on to his destination.
“In many other countries with long-distance
operations, it is common to see these systems
fitted. Why is it that our local operators do not
see the same benefit and fit the systems to
their vehicles?” Harrison muses.
Hopefully, Truck Test 2015 will go some
way to changing that. |FOCUS
The technical innovations highlighted
in Truck Test 2015 go beyond the
tracking and simulation software
we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
This year, Loadtech supplied some
fascinating gadgets … GAVIN MYERS
speaks to MD John Harrison
technology in
trAnsit
From left: Printouts from the on-board weighing system can be done in-cab. The tyre inflation regulator. Warning lights on either side of the trailer indicate a loss of pressure to the driver.
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 33
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34 |FOCUS| May 2015
since its establishment in
1996, GRW has grown into
a multi-tiered company that
designs and manufactures
a wide range of transport equipment in
various configurations. These are designed
and built to meet the customer’s exact
requirements.
The company’s product range serves a
variety of market sectors including: petroleum
and chemical; construction and mining; fast-
moving consumer goods; palletised and
break-bulk general cargo. It also provides
maintenance and repair services as well as
financial services to fleet operators.
GRW’s world-class products are sold
across southern Africa, the Middle East, the
United Kingdom and Australia – a perfect
partner for Truck Test 2015.
Why did you decide to get involved?
It was the first time that we participated in
a Truck Test event. The event offers good
exposure and a great marketing opportunity
for us. There are several units from different
companies that participated in Truck Test
2015, making it a good benchmarking
exercise.
What trailer units were used in the test
and why were these selected?
We provided seven identical 15,5 m,
tri-axle, refrigerated semi-trailers.
The organisers wanted to use interlink
and semi-trailers, so we opted to
supply the latter for this year’s event.
The tri-axle trailers were for vehicles with
smaller engines or less horsepower, and
the interlinks were for those units with
This might be the first Truck Test event for trailer manufacturing company GRW, but it has been an
industry player for nearly two decades. We talk to the company’s CEO, Gerhard van der Merwe, to find
out why GRW got involved, and showcase some new developments at its primary manufacturing plant in
Worcester, in the Western Cape
hot on the
of success trAiL(er)
TrUCKTeST 2015
May 2015 |FOCUS| 35
more power. This ensured continuity in
the test performance, as all the units
were identical.
How important is the Truck Test 2015
vehicle segment to GRW?
It’s very important. All our work comes from
the extra-heavy industry.
What benefits do the Truck Test events
deliver to the industry?
The tests provide a level playing field to
compare different truck brands and their
performance while towing the same trailers.
What did you look forward to the most in
Truck Test 2015?
To see a good representation of our units on
the road and the feedback from participants
on our trailers. I also enjoyed seeing the
latest technology that’s available for the
trucks and other trailers. Everyone certainly
entered their latest equipment.
Is there anything else that you would like
to add with regard to Truck Test 2015?
It would have been great if the event could
have run over more days – three, four or even
five … it was a short test in terms of distance.
Additional time would mean a longer route,
which would provide more accurate figures
under different topographies. It could then
include flat roads, mountainous terrain, and
so forth.
Perhaps future Truck Test events could
become a one-week affair … GRW would also
be able to add to the trailer selection, as it
has enhanced its product offering, adding
curtainsiders, flat decks and side-tipper units
to its production mix. |FOCUS
GrW On THe eXPAnSIOn TrAIL“Traditionally, we only built tankers. Then
we added refrigerated trailers and
bodies,” Van der Merwe explains. “We’ve
now expanded our product range to what
we call general freight, with the main
objective of building world-class products.
We realised that the market is hungry for
a real quality product and our aim was
to raise the bar. Time will tell if we have
succeeded in our goals.”
GRW began its research and
development work three years ago,
ensuring a firm manufacturing
foundation. “The construction work
started a year ago,” Van der Merwe
points out. The company added
13 000 m2 under-roof space to its
Worcester manufacturing plant, now
totalling 40 000 m², to handle these
new developments.
“The expansion cost around
R110 million. Part of this was for the
purchase of new robotic equipment,
an automated paint plant, laser cutters
and new bending breaks,” Van der
Merwe tells FOCUS. The factory isn’t
the only thing that grew, however, as
GRW added around 60 employees in
the new wing.
The first unit rolled out in March and
was delivered to Leon Van Vuuren Bulk
Carriers, based in the North West town
of Potchefstroom. “This was a high-spec
curtainsider with additional add-ons,” says
Van der Merwe, noting that the company
was very fortunate to have received an
order from such a prominent tautliner
operator early in its production start-up.
“It tested our ability to meet high
expectations and I am proud that we
passed the test with flying colours. We
are blessed to have customers like Leon
Van Vuuren Bulk Carriers and thankful
for the opportunity. We are extremely
proud to now be associated with the
company.”
Van der Merwe continues: “This is
the first of many. We have a wonderful,
full order book for new products and look
forward to delivering these units to our
customers.”
TrUCKTeST 2015
Leon Van Vuuren Bulk Carriers received the first curtainsiders produced in GRW’s new manufacturing plant.
36 |FOCUS| May 2015
do you have insurance? The
one question that always pops
up as soon as things go pear-
shaped …
This is often followed with critique on
organisations that provide it and their service
delivery. Insurance, however, is a necessary
evil that can’t be ignored – especially in an
industry fraught with risks, from hijackings to
road accidents.
Sid Beeton, divisional manager for
transport-based insurance at ONE Insurance,
explains that this is exactly why ONE joined
Truck Test 2015. “With any commercial
vehicle enterprise there are certain risk
exposures.” He adds that ONE receives good
support from Phoenix Risk Solutions, which is
one of the insurance brokers for AfriSam –
and both were involved with Truck Test 2015.
“Phoenix approached us when they
decided to become involved with Truck Test
2015, as the event kicked off from AfriSam’s
offices and the company provided the loads,”
Beeton tells FOCUS – adding that Phoenix
asked if ONE would insure the loads, free of
charge, for the test.
“It was unlikely that the participants would
be hijacked; it was quite a convoy – so theft
and hijacking weren’t a risk,” Beeton points
out. “The vehicles could have overturned,
however, or it could have rained during the
testing days and the cement could have got
wet … there were risk exposures and we
agreed to cover that risk, free of excess and
free of premium.”
It is about more than just keeping the
loads safe, however … the transport industry
is vital to ONE. “Our company generates over
R1 billion in premium income per annum
and, of that, 40 percent comes from the
transport industry,” says Beeton. “Most of
our clients own commercial vehicles; it really
is our bread and butter. We insure the
trucks, the load, the trailers and liability to
other road users.”
It’s no wonder that ONE’s risks are so
narrowly aligned to those of the transport
industry. “As we align to the transport
industry, we face the same challenges
that it faces. These include: crime and
the manner in which you manage it; the
increase in the number of inexperienced
and unlicensed drivers; unlicensed vehicles;
and an ever-increasing number of uninsured
motorists on our roads. “
He continues: “When I started in transport
insurance in 1984 there were probably five
players at most.”
All of these challenges necessitate
that insurance providers have to provide
value-add products, which have to be funded
from what they can collect from clients. “In
order to remain competitive and to provide
protection against the risks associated with
commercial vehicles, insurance providers
are looking for ways to add value for their
customers, but we have to show some profit,
out of the premium base, for our shareholders.”
This couldn’t be that hard if you get
R400 million a year, right? Well, not quite.
“We are placing more focus on procurement
… our goal is to run below 65 percent. Many
companies are running over that,” Beeton
emphasises.
He continues: “Our transport based
insurance business is worth R400 million,
of which we pay out as claims some R250
million a year. In that amount there is a
lot of wastage. We are addressing the
procurement issues as one of the main
segments where we can reduce our claims
outlay and, therefore, offer more value and
competitive pricing.”
Most people have mixed feelings about insurance … it isn’t referred to as “a necessary evil” for no
reason. One Financial Services Holdings (ONE), through its Truck Test 2015 participation, is proving this
statement wrong
to count onthe one
TrUCKTeST 2015
May 2015 |FOCUS| 37
Beeton provides an example: “The
same windscreen replaced by an unvetted
supplier could cost a client R10 000 while
through procurement initiatives, we can
replace it (without compromising on quality)
at R2 500 and provide an excess-free
transaction.”
Another challenge is the extended
warranties that original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) are offering.
“We understand that the drivetrain and
mechanical parts can’t be compromised
and that the warranty has to be protected
and honoured when these components are
involved, but second-hand or alternative parts
do have their merits,” Beeton explains.
A perfect example is replacement cabs.
“It might be economically viable to use a
reconditioned cab, for example, when a
vehicle – with a five-year warranty – is
involved in a major accident in its fourth
year,” Beeton points out. “It doesn’t
compromise the performance of the truck
and it can save a lot of money. A brand
new cab, on the other hand, could make it
uneconomical to repair the vehicle, which
is then written off instead of being repaired
and kept on the road.
“We are meeting with the OEMs to
ensure that they aren’t unreasonable
with the enforcement of their
warranties,” he reassures.
Despite all the challenges,
ONE is managing to offer
more than just vehicle
insurance as it is moving
towards, what it calls, the
transport solution. “We
offer value-add products,
such as tracking
devices, through our
joint venture with Autotrak – which trades as
ONETrak,” Beeton tells FOCUS. “Hijacking is
a very real risk in the industry, both for loads
and for trucks.”
He adds that ONE has a joint venture with
an incident risk management company Truck
Assist. “They can be contacted anytime for
any roadside event or emergency, not only
for accidents; for example, if a client runs
out of petrol, or has a blowout or if his tyres
are stolen and he is stuck on the side of the
road. Truck Assist will put them in touch with
a service provider who will get them moving
again.”
ONE Insurance is broadening its
horizons. “We are in the process
of rebranding from ABSA to Mutual &
Federal, which is going to open up exciting
opportunities for us,” Beeton points out.
Mutual & Federal will become ONE’s new
risk carrier, so to speak.
“We were previously writing business
through an ABSA licence and, although
ABSA has been a fantastic partner, the new
structure with Mutual & Federal will bring
additional brokers into the market,” Beeton
explains. “There was some reluctance of
other bank-focused insurance brokers to
deal with a company that operates under the
ABSA Group.
“The Old Mutual Group is expanding into
Africa at quite a rapid rate and we plan to
be part of that expansion, and to have new
horizons across border into Africa,” Beeton
adds. “We’re seeing new ventures happening
and we are very excited about expansion
opportunities into Africa.”
It’s clear that insurance can be much
more than “a necessary evil”. It can be a
value-adding partner that works with you to
overcome common challenges … |FOCUS
TrUCKTeST 2015
“In order to remain competitive and to provide protection against the risks associated with
commercial vehicles, insurance providers are looking for ways to add value for their
customers …”
38 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
Long points out that there are
two reasons why Hino has been
involved with the Truck Test
events since 2012: “The first is
to show the market how competitive our
products are, and the second is to learn
more about how our trucks perform on South
African roads.” He emphasises that it isn’t
only an exercise in marketing, but also one in
product development and planning.
Agenbag adds: “I think the test has
become more professional, more accurate
and more user friendly for us as competitors
– comparing it to the first year in 2012, where
the same type of vehicles participated. I really
think that there have been huge improvements
– hats off to the organisers.”
This year the company entered two
vehicles; the Hino 700 450, and the 700 480.
“We entered the two models in our range that
are most suited to the trailer configurations
that were used in this year’s test,” Long
explains. “The 450 is suited to the reefer
application, and the 480 to the interlinks.”
Agenbag continues: “Those applications
are quite significant, as they represent the two
main categories in the extra-heavy segment.
To enter only one doesn’t make sense. When
you participate, you might as well go all in.”
He recounts a conversation that he had
with Long: “I told Leslie that, in this type of test,
we would be sending the wrong message if we
didn’t enter all the vehicles we have in a certain
range. It might come across that we don’t
want to highlight a vehicle’s performance, or
that it can’t handle the application.”
Agenbag emphasises that if a particular
vehicle isn’t entered into a specific category, it
could indicate a weakness. “In the first year’s
test we entered only one vehicle, last year we
had three and, to be honest, going forward,
I don’t think Hino will not take part in any
category. We are an all-inclusive type of brand.
We don’t just sell one type of truck.”
He adds that it is important to participate
to the fullest. “If there is a range, you might as
well enter all of them. What message are you
sending to your customers if you don’t?”
Long commends the organisers of this
year’s event (specifically Adrian van Tonder,
senior manager of RTMS and PBS at
Barloworld Logistics) for the fact that the
progress of the vehicles was kept a secret
during the test. “It added to the excitement of
According to Hino South Africa’s Gert Agenbag, senior manager for sales, and Leslie Long, senior
manager for marketing and demand planning, companies would be daft not to enter what they can in
the Truck Test events … this isn’t only a marketing exercise, but a product development and planning
opportunity as well
more than just
A test!
May 2015 |FOCUS| 39
TrUCKTeST 2015
it all,” he tells FOCUS. “Last year’s Truck Test
was a different story … everybody knew how
everyone else was doing, and exactly where
their truck lay – there weren’t really any
surprises when the results were announced.”
This had another drawback, apart
from removing all suspense. Agenbag
explains: “While the knowledge of how other
manufacturers were doing helped with some
rivalry, it added some unpleasantness as well.
“It is better to keep everyone in the dark, as
this eliminates altering of strategies, resulting
in a better representation of normal operations
and a better atmosphere during the test.”
Agenbag is also glad that the Gerotek
track day wasn’t part of this year’s test. “The
track day doesn’t really show anything, other
than what skills your drivers have,” he tells
FOCUS. “I have always maintained that, as far
as I’m concerned, the whole day at Gerotek is
a waste of time. I want to see trucks operating
in normal conditions on the road, and that is
what we did this year.”
Another benefit was staying over for the
night and then driving back the next morning.
“It is less tiring for us,” says Agenbag. “It is
also less stressful to stay over, and move and
operate as a team.”
Agenbag continues: “I really hope that, in
the future, the organisers stick to this format;
where you drive out on the first day and you
drive back the next day, in real conditions.
“It is also great to see other industry
players and to talk to people that you don’t get
to see every day. It really is a good experience.”
The duo also have an interesting suggestion
for a future event … “It would be great if a
future Truck Test could be devised where only
some parameters are provided – a starting
point, an end point and a load. Then the
manufacturer should decide which category
of truck, which body and what configuration
to use to move that load,” Long relates with
excitement.
“It is more a simulation of actual business,”
Agenbag adds. “What Leslie is saying is such
a valuable suggestion. We can continue to
keep running these tests, but, at some point, it
is going to become irrelevant. In South Africa,
the average lifespan of a truck is between 12
and 16 years, so how many times can we test
the same vehicles over and over again?”
Long gives an example to prove why he
thinks an operational test would work better:
“Sugar cane could be transported using one
of two options; you can either go the truck
tractor/interlink route, or you can use a
freight carrier with a drawbar … Both of
them work, but, in some operations, your
truck tractor option is more effective, and,
in another, a freight carrier is the answer.
There is always more than one solution for any
transport job.”
Agenbag concludes: “Business isn’t just
about the trucks that you put out there, it is
about providing solutions … All the original
equipment manufacturers see themselves
as partners to business. We don’t only want
to come up with a steel and rubber solution,
we want to provide a tool that can make our
customers money. That is what we are all
trying to do. So why not test that ability and not
only our ability to bend and weld steel?”
Could this be the beginning of Truck Test
2016?
Watch this space. |FOCUS
Left and below: Hino’s 700 2848, one of two vehicles the company entered in this year’s Truck Test.Bottom: The smaller 2845 made light work of moving the reefer around.
40 |FOCUS| May 2015
resplendent in livery celebrating
100 years of MAN Truck &
Bus, the TGS 26.440 and TGS
27.480 certainly garnered
their fair share of attention during Truck Test
2015. Was the company’s bold celebration
of its heritage a warning shot of the expected
performance of its vehicles?
Geoff du Plessis, MD of MAN Truck &
Bus SA, was quietly confident when he met
the convoy at the brunch stop and fuel top-up
at Engen Belfast. “The proof of the pudding
is in the eating and we’ll look at the results
with great interest. I think we’ll better the
simulated results – the vehicles are running
a very efficient set-up, so they’ll do well.”
Dave van Graan, head of truck sales at
MAN Truck & Bus SA, discussed the vehicles
in more detail when he met the convoy at
the same venue on the way back: “These two
6x4 prime movers are our most commonly
chosen units for their respective applications.
We decided to select vehicles that we would
advise our customers to use for this route.”
The vehicles’ spec was impressive. The
TGS 26.440 (26 t, 440 hp), while pulling
the GRW tri-axle refrigerated unit, ran a tall
rear-axle ratio to optimise fuel consumption.
It also featured a fully automatic transmission
and speed control to make it easy to operate.
The TGS 27.480 hauled the Afrit interlink.
While it featured the same basic chassis as
its smaller brother, it could gross 55 t. “The
drivers will notice the additional power when
hauling from the Lowveld to the Highveld,”
noted Du Plessis.
Both vehicles featured sleeper cabs and
air suspension. Locally manufactured Aero
Truck aerokits were fitted to both, in an effort
to further optimise their performance.
“Where a vehicle has a high frontal
area, and where a more aerodynamic rig is
needed, we would advise our customers to fit
either the standard, imported MAN kit, or the
local aerokits,” explained Van Graan. “Here
we’ve chosen the local kits, as the trailers
are locally manufactured. It’s a product that’s
very well liked by our customer base.”
While both men were, understandably,
interested in their own vehicles’ performance,
they are also fans of the Truck Test format.
“It’s always good to have a well-controlled
competitive test – it would be foolish for any
operator to not look at these results before
making a choice,” said Du Plessis. “It’s always
great to be where the rubber meets the road
– if we don’t take part in these tests, how can
we expect to support our own operators?”
“It’s an absolute necessity to be here,”
noted Van Graan. “These tests allow us to
make sure the advice we’re giving customers
has a good sounding board. It’s also helps us
tweak our product spec and simulation tools
to make sure what we offer is correct for the
marketplace. It’s all about optimising total
operating costs.”
With MAN Profidrive driver trainer Eddie
Williams behind the wheel of the big interlink,
and product engineer Dean Temlett driving
the reefer, the overall feedback from the
MAN team was that Truck Test 2015 was a
really fun exercise, yet was challenging in that
it featured varying altitudes.
Van Graan probably summed it up best:
“While the work we do here is fun, it’s
also serious and adds a lot of value to our
industry.”
We couldn’t agree more. |FOCUS
With their view of Truck Test as a fun, yet professionally run (and
ultimately necessary) event, two of MAN Truck & Bus SA’s top
executives joined the action
finding real
vALUe
TrUCKTeST 2015
According to Du Plessis, Truck Test holds great value for manufacturers and operators alike.
42 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrUCKTeST 2015
Aero Truck has become a regular
feature of the Truck Test series,
supplying its aerodynamic wind
management systems, cab
extenders and side skirts to participating
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
seeking to maximise their vehicles’ results.
This year saw the premiere of the company’s
new Dolphin range of kits, which borrow heavily
from the aviation industry.
To fully understand the advantages of the
Dolphin kit, one needs to understand the basic
concept of the aerokit. These are custom
designed to smooth the airflow around the
vehicle and thereby significantly reduce its
coefficient of drag. Fuel consumption is,
therefore, improved by around eight to ten
percent, which represents a significant cost
saving for a comparatively minor investment.
“The rationale and need behind this aim
is that a truck uses 40 percent of its engine
power to overcome wind resistance when
travelling at 80 km/h. This contributes to over
50 percent of the operating costs of a truck,
which obviously creates a strong incentive to
save on fuel usage,” says Dudley-Owen.
The Dolphin Range takes the concept
a step further, seeking a way to reduce
turbulence and the effect of crosswinds. More
rounded and similar in shape to the nose
of a jumbo jet, the free-flow design of the kit
ensures that the wind is channelled smoothly
over and around the truck body, minimising
the airflow separation from the surface of the
kit and the truck body. Air turbulence caused
by the forward movement of the vehicle is,
therefore, significantly reduced.
Further, the Dolphin cab extenders are
considerably larger than those on conventional
kits, reducing the gap between cab and
body, and the trailing edges now have vortex
generators moulded into the panels.
Dudley-Owen elaborates: “The gap between
cab and trailer is a major source of wind
turbulence, causing drag on the vehicle. These
Aero Truck is a proudly South African company that designs and develops cutting-edge wind-management
systems for the local truck market, which are equal to the best in the world. GAVIN MYERS speaks
to Cameron Dudley-Owen, owner of Aero Truck, about the company’s latest designs that featured in
Truck Test 2015
enter the
doLphin
May 2015 |FOCUS| 43
extenders help to channel the wind, which
further reduces turbulence as the wind flows
off the cab and onto the trailer. The conical
shape also reduces the yaw, or cross-wind
effect, if the wind is not coming directly from the
front. This significantly improves truck stability.”
The benefit of these custom-designed kits
is that they are matched to specific vehicles
and trailers, and are not a compromise, as are
many factory-fitted units. Dudley-Owen quotes
a study by Cranfield University in the United
Kingdom: “In conjunction with Mercedes-Benz
and Hatcher Components, custom-designed
kits claim to have achieved a three-percent
fuel saving over generic factory fitted units.”
Further, says Dudley-Owen, the extra effort
involved in fitting a bespoke (custom designed),
rather than a generic, kit would reward the
operator with significantly better returns over
the life of the vehicle.
He is proud to note that, locally, Iveco and
MAN have replaced their own imported kits
with Aero Truck’s designs, while Hino has
also substituted the previous-generation Aero
Truck kits with the new Dolphin range.
DAF, FAW, Hino, Iveco, MAN and UD
ran a total of ten aerokits in Truck Test
2015. “The test showcases the most
up-to-date products available to the South
African truck industry and, as such, is
the ideal platform to demonstrate the
effectiveness of our products in reducing
the running costs of the vehicles,” says
Dudley-Owen.
“The Truck Test has become more
professionally run over the years, with the
criteria being more specific,” he adds.
Dudley-Owen should know. Besides having
been involved in Truck Test since the first
event in 2012, the company is also a familiar
name in the South African commercial vehicle
industry. “We have been in business for over
30 years and, we are an equal-opportunity
company, employing 60 people. We have
probably saved the South African economy
millions of litres of fuel over the years.
“The continued support from the OEMs is
essential to our growth and success and must
be applauded. In particular, Mercedes-Benz,
Hino, UD, Isuzu, MAN and, more recently, DAF,
FAW and Iveco, have mentored us and allowed
us to develop kits for their vehicles,” Dudley-
Owen continues.
“We would also like to acknowledge
the many partners in the trucking industry
that have bought our products, and whose
feedback and advice has led to the continuous
improvement of the effectiveness in the
design and quality of our products over the
years.” |FOCUS
doLphin
TrUCKTeST 2015
From left: William Dudley-Owen, Stuart Janssen and Cameron Dudley-Owen at Truck Test 2015.Right: The DAF XF shows off Aero Truck’s new Dolphin kit.
44 |FOCUS| May 2015
“The trucking industry has become
extremely competitive and we, as Bridgestone
Commercial, need to ensure that our products
and services are top of mind,” Roux continues.
“It is also important for Bridgestone
Commercial to visually demonstrate the
performance of our products and services.
This is the ideal opportunity to stay on top of
the trends and developments with regard to
our competitors. It is also an ideal opportunity
to measure ourselves against them,” he says.
Bridgestone Commercial is the all-new
entity recently created within the Bridgestone
Group to specifically handle the sales and
distribution of all new and retreaded truck,
bus and earth-mover tyres.
The launch of Bridgestone Commercial
has also seen selected Supa Quick
outlets offer commercial vehicle tyres
and services, which has resulted in closer
ties with commercial customers. Further,
the accredited outlets are also able to
supply commercial tyre retreads that are
manufactured according to South African
Bureau of Standards (SABS) specifications.
“Bridgestone Commercial ensures our
customers have the peace of mind of knowing
they are dealing directly with Bridgestone. It
will also allow us to consolidate our branding
position and provide closer customer
support, as well as position us for growth in
the commercial market,” says Bridgestone
SA CEO, Mike Halforty.
“The time is right to ramp up our
commercial operation to a new level, and I’m
certain that Bridgestone Commercial is going
to set ever-higher standards in this segment,”
Halforty adds.
Involvement in leading industry initiatives,
such as Truck Test and the FOCUS
Conference will surely help the company
achieve this goal! |FOCUS
Following the launch of a new entity to cater to its commercial vehicle tyre clientele, the Bridgestone
Group used it’s involvement in the Truck Test 2015 spectacle to show how serious it is about serving
the industry
what they can doto show
TrUCKTeST 2015
there’s a lot going on with the
Bridgestone Group at the
moment, and the company
used the opportunity provided
by Truck Test 2015 to showcase its new
direction.
“We have been part of the Truck Test,
in some shape or form, for some time now
and this year was no different. Involvement
in the Truck Test gives us a good opportunity
to build on the Bridgestone brand and
become the brand of choice,” says business
development manager, Walter Roux.
With this in mind, the company
committed to ensuring its support vehicles
were on call in case anything went wrong
en route (thankfully they were not needed).
Bridgestone is also a part sponsor of the
lunch at the FOCUS Conference to be held at
Automechanika on May 8 – when the Truck
Test results will officially be announced.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 45what they can do
TrUCKTeST 2015
Bridgestone South Africa announces changes to its commercial tyre operations.
Sales and distribution of all new and retreaded truck, bus and earth
mover tyres will be spearheaded by a newly- formed company within
the Bridgestone Group, Bridgestone South Africa Commercial (Pty)
Ltd. Part of the change is the introduction of accrediting selected
Supa Quick branches as Bridgestone Commercial accredited
dealers. Allowing customers to access Bridgestone Commercial
products through Bridgestone Commercial service centres or
accredited Supa Quick dealers.
Available at selected Supa Quick outlets
Tel: 011 387 2000 www.bridgestone.co.za
Sales and distribution of all new and retreaded truck, bus and earth
mover tyres will be spearheaded by a newly- formed company within
the Bridgestone Group, Bridgestone South Africa Commercial (Pty)
Ltd. Part of the change is the introduction of accrediting selected
Supa Quick branches as Bridgestone Commercial accredited
dealers. Allowing customers to access Bridgestone Commercial
products through Bridgestone Commercial service centres or
DWFC
OL 51
8530
46 |FOCUS| May 2015
van Eyslend explains: “We offered
to insure the loads for the
duration of Truck Test 2015.
Together with our insurer
partner, One Insurance, we were able to
sponsor the total cost of this insurance. PRS
has designed several custom-made transport
insurance solutions across various industry
segments. We consider our involvement in
Truck Test to be very valuable to our future
strategy and focus.”
He goes on to say: “The test provided
us with the opportunity to network with the
wider transport industry, while, at the same
time, gaining meaningful insights regarding
worthwhile product information. PRS will
definitely be at the FOCUS conference to
continue this networking process, and, of
course, to hear the results of the test.”
PRS was established in 2003. Today,
it manages in excess of R400 million in
premiums annually, and transacts with all
major insurance companies and underwriting
managers. It is authorised to conduct all
aspects of short-term insurance. This
includes a full insurance broking and risk
management service in respect of all
corporate, commercial and domestic
insurance, as well as self-funding alternatives.
“Choosing an insurance company should
be a positive experience, not a grudge
purchase, based on scare tactics and ‘what
if’ scenarios,” says Van Eyslend. “Our role as
a broker is to assist companies to proactively
take responsibility for their assets as part of
an overall financial management plan.”
With more than 100 years of combined
experience in the insurance industry, the
Phoenix team provides its clients with
competitive insurance or self-funding
solutions, and can design an insurance
programme to suit a company’s specific
needs.
The company’s vision of complete
customer focus remains of paramount
importance. PRS is totally independent and is
80 percent management owned. Its success
is determined by its ability to satisfy its clients’
needs.
PRS is an authorised financial services
provider and a member of the South African
Financial Intermediaries Association (FIA).
Furthermore, the company is committed
to developing people from disadvantaged
backgrounds, while not compromising its
client service. PRS carries a level-three BEE
verification.
“We have a special affinity for, and
in-depth understanding of, the small business
operator, who does not necessarily have a
culture of insuring against unforeseen risks.
At the same time, we are able to guide
corporate entities towards cost-effective
risk transfer or self-funding alternatives,”
concludes Van Eyslend. |FOCUS
Phoenix Risk Solutions (PRS), insurance broker to AfriSam Contractors, insured the loads – bags of
AfriSam cement – that were carried by the trailers during Truck Test 2015. CLAIRE RENCKEN speaks to
PRS director, Steve van Eyslend, about the company and its involvement in the event
TrUCKTeST 2015
rises... to the challengephoenix
Around 500 t of cement was insured for Truck Test 2015.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 47
TrUCKTeST 2015
“not only are we
producing our entire
local offering of FAW
trucks right here in
South Africa, but we’re doing so at the best
quality levels, comparable to – if not better
than – our FAW parent company in China,”
says Yusheng Zhang, CEO of FAW Vehicle
Manufacturers SA. “The range, consisting of
11 models, is being built in a plant, which came
on stream only in July last year.”
Zhang adds: “Since the opening of the
Coega plant, we officially started building our
own tipper bodies at our bodybuilding facility,
which became operational in January this year,
and is situated adjacent to our manufacturing
plant. This allows our customers to buy from
one source – simplifying warranties and
maintenance.”
The FAW local truck line-up includes the
ever-popular FAW 28.380 FT 6x4 truck
tractor, popularly called the FAW J5.
Many satisfied FAW customers swear by
this workhorse. One such happy customer
is Buks van Rensburg, managing director of
Buks Haulage Limited (BHL). These FAW units
are used in his 130-vehicle fleet. Last year he
ordered 100 of these units. Van Rensburg
sings the praises of the FAW 28.380 FT: “For
me there is only one truck that works in Africa
– that’s the J5.”
Asked about why he chose the FAW brand,
and the FAW 28.380 FT in particular, Van
Rensburg quickly dons the business executive
hat. “It’s simple – FAW provides cost-effective
ownership, together with a dependable and
easy-to-operate product and great after-sales
support. FAW’s products are easy to service
and maintain at our self-service depots in
Ndola and Solwezi, Zambia. Our drivers love
them and BHL gets optimul fleet efficiency.”
“Who can argue with 2,1 km per litre on
a side-tipper and 2,5 km per litre on a tri-axle
flat deck? Since I have incorporated the FAW
vehicles into my fleet, I have realised a ten
percent saving on fuel alone. On fleet utilisation
I have increased my uptime from 65 to 95
percent,” says a very satisfied Van Rensburg.
Late last year, FAW SA sprang into action to
assist Harrismith farmers after a devastating
fire in the region, which left livestock without
natural feed. “There are more FAW owners,
per capita, in the Harrismith area than in any
other municipal district,” says Zhang.
FAW SA purchased a large load of livestock
feed and had it delivered, by an impressive-
looking FAW 28.380 FT truck tractor, to
representatives of Free State Agriculture and
the Harrismith Disaster Relief Fund.
The FAW 28.380 6x4 truck tractor
was the perfect choice to run with the load
of emergency feed. It is a popular choice
among the farming community, because of its
durability and reliability, and the fact that it is
simple to maintain.
In its favour, it has a permissible gross
combination mass (GCM) of 56 t, which
is powered by the proven Weichai engine
(Euro 2) delivering a smooth 280 kW at
2 200 r/min and a torque rating of
1 460 Nm between 1 400 and 1 600 r/min.
The FAW 28.380 is fitted with a FAW nine-
speed synchromesh manual transmission with
high/low range split. The safety of the vehicle
is boosted with full air dual-circuit brakes.
This model carries the standard two-year/
200 000 km warranty, supported by over
30 sales or service outlets across southern
Africa.
“We’ve had a presence in South Africa
since 1994 – so this year marks our ‘rite
of passage’. Throughout this period, we
have demonstrated our commitment to this
country, our sales and service partners, and,
most importantly, to our loyal customers,”
says Zhang.
“The latest investment we are making
– to bring in an all-new medium-sized truck
range to the southern Africa customers – is
testament to our commitment. Over the last
four years, we have spent in excess of R800
million in this region – and our investment will
be ongoing.
“One of the reasons for our success has
been our relationships with many other world-
class partners. We take our partnerships
very seriously and we see our business
relationships within Africa as most important.
“Our fundamental vision for this region,
using South Africa as a base, is to ensure that
the FAW brand becomes a household name
across the length and breadth of this great
continent. In so doing, we hope to significantly
contribute to job creation and the general
stimulation of the local and African economies.
“The FAW 28.380 FT truck tractor is
helping us achieve this vision. Priced at a very
favourable R680 000 (excluding VAT) for the
FAW 28.380 FT chassis cab, FAW, will surely
make inroads into the local market,” concludes
Zhang. |FOCUS
FAW continues its trendsetting path in local truck manufacture. The company’s
local truck line-up includes the ever-popular FAW 28.380 FT 6x4 truck tractor
built locally with south african
pride
??????????
48 |FOCUS| May 2015
FOCUS OnFOreSTrY
Highly specialised and rugged equipment is used
in forestry operations. CLAIRE RENCKEN
takes a look at how Matriarch Equipment
came into being and what it has to offer
this sector
timber!
May 2015 |FOCUS| 49
in 2009, the Bell brothers – Justin
and Ashley – identified a gap in the
marketplace for high-quality, locally
produced handling equipment for the
timber industry, and so Matriarch Equipment
was born. The brothers set out with a vision of
developing loading and extraction machinery,
but decided that timber grapples were a good
product on which to “cut their teeth” in the
manufacturing game.
“We started from scratch and needed to
establish certain systems and processes within
the business in order to lay the foundation for
the development, manufacture and support of
our products going forward,” explains Ashley.
That turned out to be a good move ... In a short
time, their grapples have become a common
sight at timber harvesting sites and loading
depots around the country.
The initial plan was to develop only two
sizes – a 0,35 m² version and 0,41 m² version
– as these are commonly used in the timber
industry on tri-wheel loggers and trailer- or
truck-mounted cranes.
The MT360 (0,35 m²) and MT420
(0,41 m²) grapples were accepted so well
by the market that, soon after their launch in
February 2010, requests for larger capacity
grapples came pouring in.
“Grapples are high-wearing components
within a timber harvesting operation and should
be viewed as such,” says Justin. “There comes
a time when repairing an old grapple is not
financially viable in the short to medium term.”
Matriarch Equipment now produces nine
different models of timber grapples, from the
MT360 (0,35 m²) to the much larger MT1800
(1,8 m²). The company supplies grapples mostly
to the southern African market, but has, in the
past, also supplied to markets abroad, such as
Malaysia, Indonesia and South America.
Justin explains: “Matriarch grapples feature
a high-wear-resistant plate on the grapple jaws
and a top rotator mount plate, as well as
gussets on the grapple carrier. In addition, a
twin-link arm and central cylinder more evenly
distributes forces through the grapple carrier.
This superior geometry helps to reduce the
twisting force to prevent fatigue failure of pivot
bosses and uneven wear on pins and bushes.”
All pivoting components are secured by a
50 mm pin with taper locks. Taper caps expand
over the tapered ends of the pin and lock into the
bore of the plate. “Provided these pins remain
torqued up, as per our recommendation in
our installation/maintenance manual, minimal
wear will occur,” he adds. While greasing is
recommended at every shift, the grapples also
have perforated bushes to help to retain grease
in the pivot joints where it is required.
In 2012, the company outgrew its factory
in Richards Bay and moved into a new facility
on a farm near Empangeni. Then, a year ago,
Bell Equipment partnered with Matriarch
Equipment and the latter’s grapples are now
produced in Bell Equipment’s manufacturing
facility in Richards Bay. Matriarch grapples are
now being offered by Bell as an option in its
range of loggers.
Bell Equipment product marketing manager:
sugar, forestry and agriculture, Tim Beningfield,
says: “Matriarch’s compatible design philosophy
combined with Bell Equipment’s manufacturing
capability is a winning formula. While our
customers benefit from a modernised design
with important features, we are able to add a
superior product to our offering that has been
designed with the customer’s input provided
directly to the design engineers.”
At the same time, Matriarch’s slew loaders
were also added to Bell Equipment’s agricultural
offering. Back in 2011, Matriarch Equipment
built its first two prototype slew loaders, one of
which was converted for timber. It was tested
for loading timber at railway sidings and was
also used to do in-field loading of timber, proving
the machine’s versatility.
The original idea was to design the slew
loaders from scratch, but, in the end, the
Matriarch team decided to use an excavator
upper structure, coupled with a four-wheel-
drive undercarriage and 0,5 m2 timber grab
designed and built by Matriarch, which was
optimised for loading operations.
“The big advantage of our slew loaders is
that they are highly mobile, and can be used
at a depot or in the field, and they don’t need
a low-bed trailer to be moved from one site to
another,” explains Justin. The maximum travel
speed of the loader is 20 km/h.
In addition to the development and
manufacture of products, Matriarch Equipment
is also an importer and distributor of Indexator
Rotators from Sweden. Various heavy-duty
rotator models are offered by the company,
which also holds a comprehensive stock of
Indexator spare parts to ensure adequate
support of the product in the field.
Research and development (R&D) play a
major role in day-to-day operations at Matriarch
Equipment. “Without R&D we’re at risk of falling
behind the curve, so a great deal of emphasis
is placed on this area of the business,” says
Justin. The Bell brothers view innovation as the
key to the survival of the business in the long
term. |FOCUS
FOCUS OnFOreSTrY
50 |FOCUS| May 2015
River North Carriers is delighted with how John William’s Commercial Vehicles honours its agreements.
ServICeDeLIverY
John William’s Commercial VehiclesJohn William’s Commercial Vehicles
270 Church Street, Hamilton, Bloemfontein, 9300 | Tel: +27 51 409 3700 FSP License Number: 11338 | Level 3 BBBEE Contributor270 Church Street, Hamilton, Bloemfontein, 9300 | Tel: +27 51 409 3700 FSP License Number: 11338 | Level 3 BBBEE Contributor
fleet,” he points out. “The
transaction consisted of
trade-ins and a few new
purchases.”
De Bruin says that
he bought some vehicles
from a different brand as well; one which he
has been supporting for many years. “My loyalty
was met with poor service however,” he tells
FOCUS. “It was as if they got used to me and
didn’t want to bother.”
The transaction comprised specific
conditions on when the vehicles should be
delivered and how they should be painted,
amongst other things. “There were a lot of
criteria that they had to meet,” De Bruin
emphasises, adding that John William’s met
these ‘to the T’. “That really impressed me. The
other dealer delivered the units two weeks after
the deadline, however.”
He adds that John William’s, actually,
started on the back foot … “I had a bad
experience with a Mercedes-Benz dealer a few
years back, so I was rather sceptical at first –
John William’s had to work harder to persuade
me, given the background.”
It delivered stellar service, however, which
led to De Bruin adding nine Actros 2644s and
13 Axor 3340s to his fleet. Here there were
also some hurdles to overcome … ”The previous
batch that I bought, although they worked very
well, had a few problems – mainly on the fuel
consumption side.
“That was the only factor that made me
consider going with the other brand,” De
Bruin points out. “I went with Mercedes-Benz,
however, and was pleasantly surprised. The
problems were resolved in the new vehicles
and the fuel consumption is much better than
that of the old units.” He explains that these
deliver almost a 14 percent improvement on
fuel usage. “It has made a big difference and
I’m very glad that things worked out the way
they did.” |FOCUS
As any operator could testify, the transport
industry is filled with many hardships and narrow
profit margins … who you partner with could make
all the difference
going the extra mile …
no, reALLy!
“the customer is king”, and
“we go the extra mile” –
phrases that consumers
hear everyday … but how
many really deliver on these promises?
“Everyone says that they’re willing to go the
extra mile, but seldom do,” says Flip de Bruin,
owner of River North Carriers – an operator
that specialises in bulk transport of various
agricultural produce, such as potatoes, grain
and animal feed, countrywide. “Mercedes-Benz,
on the other hand, is different – it actually
delivers on this promise.”
He adds that he is absolutely delighted with
the service he received from the Mercedes-
Benz dealer in Bloemfontein; John William’s
Commercial Vehicles. “It’s really the first time
that I met a dealer that honours an agreement
and all special requests completely – from the
time of purchase to delivery.”
De Bruin’s fleet consists of products
from three different original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), which he approached.
“I wanted to expand and went to all three
manufacturers that are represented in my
May 2015 |FOCUS| 51
ServICeDeLIverY
John William’s Commercial VehiclesJohn William’s Commercial Vehicles
270 Church Street, Hamilton, Bloemfontein, 9300 | Tel: +27 51 409 3700 FSP License Number: 11338 | Level 3 BBBEE Contributor270 Church Street, Hamilton, Bloemfontein, 9300 | Tel: +27 51 409 3700 FSP License Number: 11338 | Level 3 BBBEE Contributor
Each original equipment manufacturer’s vehicles deliver some pros and cons … but, according to Sallie
Buonadonna, from the Buonadonna Group, after-sales service is king – it is even more important than
the unit itself
aftersales serVice
no, reALLy! is king!
“i personally believe that
after-sales service is more
important than the actual
vehicle,” Buonadonna
emphasises. “The vehicle is important, but
it’s useless if it isn’t running … you have to
keep it on the road, which is where after-sales
service comes into play.”
He continues: “We have a fleet of
Freightliners, which is the perfect truck for our
application. It delivers good fuel consumption
and has great after-sales service – the most
important factor of all.”
The Buonadonna Group specialises in
the tanker industry, transporting bulk flour
to various bakeries. “It’s a very specialised
transport service, but we also have flat-decks,
tautliners and tipper trucks that we use for
normal applications,” Buonadonna points out.
The company bought 11 new
Freightliners from John William’s
Commercial Vehicles when it expanded
its fleet. “I prefer vehicle uniformity,”
Buonadonna explains. “This enables the
technicians to familiarise themselves with
a specific vehicle, making servicing and
repairs much easier.”
He add that you really have to form a
partnership with the company from which
you buy your trucks. “The dealer can make
or break your business – your relationship
and after-sales service should really be
great.”
Buonadonna adds that the team at
John William’s have always treated him in
a professional manner and are there if he
needs them. “I also believe that they sell great
products.
“If I had to summarise my relationship
with this dealership in one phrase, it would
definitely be ‘peace of mind’.” |FOCUS
52 |FOCUS| May 2015
the
milegreen
road transport is doing its
part to curb this trend by
implementing “cleaner”
technologies that run
on alternative fuels. This is not a new
development as Anthony King, key account
manager: alternative fuels at Scania South
Africa, explains.
“In terms of development, Scania’s
historical data of sustainable energy goes all
the way back to 1916, when we developed
our first ethanol engine. In 1929, Scania
developed its first gas engines …”
There are also ample examples of engines
that ran on steam and paraffin throughout
the ages. Unfortunately, fossil fuels won
the mobility war and development of these
“alternative” engines took a back seat –
until people realised that, although machines
running on fossil fuels ain’t broke, they do
need fixing …
“Looking at the future, climate change is
one of the main criteria pushing the need
for alternative fuel technology,” says King.
“We’re all occupying one planet and climate
change has an effect on all of us.”
It’s no wonder that improved engines
running on alternatives re-entered the
spotlight … “Scania’s biofuel technology is
available here and now,” King points out. “It is,
however, fairly new in South Africa and on the
African continent.”
Scania is changing this, however. “We
offer engines that run on 100 percent
bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas to reduce
greenhouse gases and running costs,” King
tells FOCUS. “Basically, we take our diesel
engine and, through our modular system,
ensure that it complies.”
He continues: “We offer two engines
in the gas department; one that runs
on compressed natural gas (CNG) or
biogas, which is normally used for inner-
city operations; and another that runs on
liquefied natural gas, which is used for longer
distances.”
The gas derivatives are also available in
Euro-6 specifications. These will be gracing
the South African transport scene from this
May onwards … “This month we will receive
the first ten Euro-6 CNG buses for Unitrans,
which has seen the need for vehicles that run
on alternative fuels and partnered with us,”
says King.
The vehicles, sporting Scania’s nine-
litre, 208 kW (280 hp) Euro-6 gas engine,
will be used in Virginia, in the Free State,
to transport workers to and from a mine.
“These vehicles are very significant to the
South African transport industry, as they will
create awareness and show government and
other industry players that this can be done,”
King emphasises.
These vehicles also need to have the
right standard of fuel … “One needs to make
sure that you develop the standard,” King
points out. “At the end of the day, that’s
what everyone is looking for – to ensure
that vehicles are operating and can be
fuelled with the appropriate fuel. They will
also look at how the service intervals are
managed.”
King continues: “Regarding
infrastructure development, Molopo
Exploration will be supplying us with the gas
and it is also looking at putting in a filling
facility in Bloemfontein.” The company will
expand these facilities to other cities in
Human-induced greenhouse gases are pushing our planet to its breaking point … The transport industry
has stepped up to the plate, however, and is doing its part to mitigate this, with South Africa now getting
onto the Euro-6 gas-powered (power)train
ALTernATIveFUeLS
»
May 2015 |FOCUS| 53
mile
ALTernATIveFUeLS
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54 |FOCUS| May 2015
ALTernATIveFUeLS
the country as soon as vehicle numbers
justify it.
“There is a definite mind shift taking
place in the South African transport industry,
especially on the bus tender side. People are
now asking for alternative fuels,” King points
out. “Scania is also receiving requests for
vehicles running on alternative fuel from the
waste management segment.”
This technology is available here
and now. More industry players need to
step up and embrace it. “We need to
partner with like-minded people looking for
sustainable solutions and, obviously, enter
into discussions with government about
how support for these types of fuels will be
implemented,” says King. “It is about looking
at these sustainable solutions and making
sure that – for South Africa – there is an
alternative in place.”
He continues: “When one looks
at alternative technology, it is not about
saying that you must have all the vehicles
on sustainable or green technology – that
would be utopia for sure – but it will definitely
make a difference if there is a percentage of
vehicles, or a small requirement in tenders,
which can grow over time.”
Scania is also continually progressing
with its green developments. “Looking
at future technology, from a European
perspective, we have driverless vehicles
and we’re looking at platooning – where
you can reduce drag as vehicles operate
very close to each other. We are also
busy with inductive wireless technology
in ‘electrified roads’, where the vehicles
can be charged by driving over a wireless
pad.”
King adds that these developments
are taking place in Sweden, and will then
be expanded into other areas. “We’re not
sitting still; we are definitely looking at all
the options that we can utilise for a greener
tomorrow.” |FOCUS
Gas buses, such as this one, will now be gracing the South African transport scene thanks to Unitrans and Scania.
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 55
Connecting Rod BearingsVery good shape showing minimal overlay removal and no copper underlay showing.
Delo® Testimonial:Freestate Petroleum DistributorsAchieves 1,000,000+ kilometres in a Freightliner® Truck using Delo® family of products.
Freestate Petroleum Transportation has been hauling petroleum products for over 20 years in the South African market and has grown to over 40 trucks in their fleet. They operate under severe conditions in the South African market with Freightliner trucks and Cummins ISX 500 engines burning 500ppm low sulphur diesel fuel under heavy loads of 56,000kg. They recently achieved 1,000,000+ km of total mileage in one of their trucks and wanted to see how the Delo® family of products protected the engine since its first use over 8 years ago.
Chevron and Freestate Petroleum personnel agreed to conduct an engine teardown and inspection of the Cummins ISX 500 engine in Bloemfontein, South Africa at the local OE Dealer. The engine burns diesel with sulphur content up to 500 parts per million and uses Caltex Delo® 400 Multigrade SAE 15W-40 and Delo® XLC Extended Life Coolant.
“We’re very excited about the performance of this truck. It was the first truck in our fleet that we acquired about 8 years back and it’s done about a million km and on the performance of this truck we acquired additional trucks. All our trucks run on Delo® 400 and their family of products,” says Jean Snyman, owner of Freestate Petroleum Distributors.
The final inspection overall showed a clean engine with minimal deposits and wear on the key engine components. The pistons showed minimal deposit buildup on the crown and top ring land zone. The camshaft lobes showed excellent wear protection and no visible wear scars on rollers or rocker arms. Bearings also were in very good shape with only small amounts of overlay removal – excellent for an engine with this many kilometres at high load.
“It’s hard to believe that this has been a vehicle that has gone over a million km with loads up to 56,000kg. There is minimal removal of overlay and just a couple of scratches where debris has gotten into the oil. This is reflective of the performance of Delo® 400,” says John Green – Chevron Technical Specialist.
Delo® XLC Extended Life Coolant also helps protect the engine cooling system on this truck. Inspection of the cooling system revealed that Delo® XLC prevented cavitation pitting on the liners and water pump impeller. The engine cooling system showed no signs of deposit buildup or corrosion on key metal parts.
“We’ve seen the condition of the million km engine only running on Delo® 400 and Delo® XLC Extended Life Coolant. The way they protected the engine, it would be hard not to recommend these products to any other customer,” says Johan Liebenberg, Sales Manager OE Dealer.
To learn how Delo’s family of products can help you go further, visit CaltexDelo.com.
Delo/5486/FOCUST&L
GLE 6413 (s&s 5486) Chevron Delo Fleet Testimonial Print 2015 Focus.indd 1 2015/04/15 9:58 AMProcess CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess Black
56 |FOCUS| May 2015
TrAILerS
“Essentially, any market sector involved
in the loading and unloading of machines or
transport of goods will have a demand for these
loading ramps. This includes, but is definitely
not limited to, industries such as construction
equipment and mining as well as logistics and
machine rental companies,” he notes.
In addition to minimal impact on payload,
the light weight of the ramps means they can
be manually lifted onto and off the carrier and
easily placed into position, eliminating the need
for special lifting equipment.
The design of the ramps features an
exclusive double T-section – a unique feature
that creates a very small surface, which
guarantees the highest bending strength from
the least weight.
The comprehensive Aluminium Loading
There is much happening in the trailer industry at the moment, specifically regarding the ability to load
them. FocUs explores
not
behindtrAiLing
Systems portfolio comprises more than 300
standard design types. All CLM products have
a one-year warranty.
Moving on to the lifting arena, Skyjacks
Tailifts and Ratcliff Tailifts recently announced
they have entered into a joint venture, which will
effectively combine 60 years of tailift knowledge,
research and development, and manufacture.
Warwick van Breda, MD at Skyjacks Tailifts,
says the companies’ directors believe this joint
venture will ensure the survival and growth
of the South African-manufactured tailift.
“Our combined existing customer bases, as
well as potential new customers, will benefit
significantly from the pooled customer support
that will provide both on- and off-site support for
all brands of tailift.”
A single manufacturing facility at SkyPark,
the first quarter of the year
has seen new entrants to the
trailer market, the formation of
joint ventures and more happy
customers taking to the streets with their
shiny new vehicles.
Entering the market is Modena-based
Italian aluminium ramp manufacturer CLM. The
company has appointed Johannesburg-based
Aluminium Loading Systems as its importer
and distributor for the sub-Saharan African
region.
Aluminium Loading Systems director,
Deryck Jordan, says that the ramps are
made of exceptionally high-strength and light-
weight aluminium. “This is a very important
consideration in the transport industry,
because of its influence on a carrier’s payload.
SPECIALIST MANUFACTURERS OF: Truck bodies and trailers that are relied upon by leading transport operators • Fibreglass dry freight and refrigerated
vehicles offering superior strength and corrosion resistant panels • New generation ‘Super Reefer Lite’ which offers a substantial weight reduction
Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Email: info@serco.co.za I Website: www.serco.co.za
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Above: Serco and Imperial Logistics Refrigerated Services are continuing their 15-year relationship.
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 57
SPECIALIST MANUFACTURERS OF: Truck bodies and trailers that are relied upon by leading transport operators • Fibreglass dry freight and refrigerated
vehicles offering superior strength and corrosion resistant panels • New generation ‘Super Reefer Lite’ which offers a substantial weight reduction
Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Email: info@serco.co.za I Website: www.serco.co.za
Supported by national manufacturing and after-sales repair service 36-month warranty.
30KEEP
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Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Durban: 031 508 1000 I Johannesburg: 011 397 8993 I Cape Town: 021 959 7660Supported by national
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in Anderbolt Extension, Boksburg, has been
purpose-built for the companies’ manufacture,
servicing and fitment of tailifts.
Imperial Logistics Refrigerated Services
(ILRS) recently took delivery of 35 Serco
refrigerated semi-trailers, the bulk of which will
be used to service a large deal recently won
with a frozen vegetable producer, while three
will operate in Namibia to distribute goods to
new food stores recently opened in the country
by Woolworths.
With a 15-year relationship between the
two companies, this order was only confirmed
during the middle of November 2014, thus
requiring intensive planning and commitment
from Serco to deliver as required.
“That we were awarded the entire order
and Imperial didn’t split it between two or
three suppliers was a huge coup for us,” says
Serco MD, Clinton Holcroft. “Our relationship
goes back a long way and we are proud
to be Imperial’s preferred supplier for new
refrigerated trailer requirements.”
All of the trailers are fitted with aluminium
rims, Electronic Braking Systems, stainless-
steel lockable door gears, and air-ride
suspension. Four of the trailers are fitted with
Thermo King multi-temperature units that
enable goods to be transported in different
compartments at different temperatures. The
balance of the trailers are standard single-
temperature cooling units.
In a bid to reduce its carbon footprint,
Imperial has had two of the trailers fitted
with Serco’s aerodynamic side skirts. It
will monitor the fuel consumption on these
vehicles and compare it with that of the
others in the fleet. |FOCUS
WHAT’S HAPPenInG In eUrOPe?
With 77 percent of all goods in Europe
moved by road (and most of it transported
on a trailer), automotive and transport
consulting group Clear International
has issued a new report forecasting
the demand for heavy-goods trailers in
Western Europe for the next few years.
In 2014, the Western European
trailer market saw an increase of
14,8 percent over the previous year.
The United Kingdom (UK) and Germany
both saw their markets increase by
5 000 units. Demand in Spain, France
and the Netherlands was up by more than
2 000 units.
Clear cites the UK as being interesting
– its trailer market increased by
27 percent to an all-time record level,
but its market for heavy trucks fell by
29 percent. “This can be explained by
the gross indulgence in Euro-5 trucks
at the end of 2013 leading to a loss of
truck appetite in 2014. In 2015 we can
expect the UK trailer market to fall as the
demand for trucks revives,” the agency
notes.
Clear’s theory is that the gloom
and doom of recent months has been
overdone and that confidence in the
European economy will return in 2015,
leading to substantial growth in the trailer
market in 2016.
Gary Beecroft, managing director of
Clear, says: “Trailer production, having
fallen by 8,7 percent from the 2011
level, increased by 12,9 percent in
2014. However, 10 000 trailers have
been wiped from the forecast, mainly
as a consequence of the conflict in
Ukraine.”
Light and strong, CLM aluminium ramps are now available locally.
58 |FOCUS| May 2015
MArKeTrevIeW
QUArTerLY revIeW
This commentary reflects the state of
the South African truck market for all
commercial vehicles with gross vehicle
mass (GVM) ratings above 3 500 kg, as
reported to the National Association of
Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa
(Naamsa). In line with the current reporting
regime of that organisation, the market has
been divided into the following segments:
MCV – medium commercial vehicles,
3 501 to 8 500 kg GVM
HCV – heavy commercial vehicles, 8 501
to 16 500 kg GVM
EHCV – extra-heavy commercial vehicles,
16 501 kg GVM and above.
Buses – passenger vehicles, 8 501 kg
GVM and above.
The review period for this commentary is
the first quarter of 2015, i.e. January to
March, 2015 inclusive.
These reviews are presented on a
quarterly timescale, in order to reduce the
impact of short-term market distortions,
which are often created by specific bulk-
buy deliveries, the launch of new products,
and/or the run-out of obsolete product
ranges.
The year has kicked off on a relatively high note, says FRANK BEETON,
in his report on commercial vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2015
it was noted, with considerable regret,
that Mercedes-Benz South Africa has
continued the practice of reporting only
aggregated monthly sales data, for its
Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Mitsubishi
Fuso commercial vehicle brands, to the national
Department of Trade and Industry through the
first quarter of 2015.
Consequently, the National Association
of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) has
estimated the breakdown of these aggregated
sales to individual model and variant levels.
The following analysis has processed the
resulting data recognising that it is the
most accurate reflection of the true market
composition available at this point in time.
Readers should please bear this situation in
mind when comparing this qualified analysis
and its conclusions with previous articles in
FOCUS on Transport and Logistics’ series of
market reviews.
The published results indicated that the
market had absorbed a total volume of 7 213
units during the first quarter of 2015, which
were 12,3 percent fewer than the sales
recorded in the final quarter of 2014, but only
0,7 percent less than the equivalent outcome in
the initial quarter of 2014.
During January and February, 2015, the
market had been characterised by relatively
poor deliveries, but this was largely the result
of UD Trucks’ progressive delivery run-out of its
U41 Series over this period.
Initially, it appeared that the remaining
suppliers had not been able to fill the vacuum,
but, by March, matters had stabilised
somewhat, and the total market sales volume of
3 055 units for that month was the best single
month outcome recorded since July 2008,
when sales of 3 227 units were reported.
In fact, the performance of the aggregated
segments above 8 500 kg gross vehicle mass
(GVM) for the January to March period revealed
year-on-year growth of 3,7 percent, when
compared to the same group of segments’
equivalent first quarter performance in 2014.
The market outcome for the first quarter
of 2015 has been, to some extent, surprisingly
strong, given the generally subdued mood in the
local manufacturing community, as reflected in
the most recent report and outlook published
by the Kagiso Purchasing Manager’s Index.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests that
local businesses are currently holding significant
cash reserves, and the truck market may well
be benefiting from a tendency for operators
negatiVe mood,
market?positive
May 2015 |FOCUS| 59
to utilise this cash for fleet replacement and
acquisition activities, rather than investments
in bricks and mortar.
Rand exchange rate deterioration against
the United States dollar has not been mirrored
by similar losses against other truck-sourcing
currencies, and interest rates have been
holding steady at historically low levels, making
vehicle acquisition an attractive proposition.
The EHCV and bus segments have
continued to perform well, with the former
1,4 percent ahead of its equivalent first
quarter 2014 volume by the end of March,
and the latter 3,7 percent ahead in the same
comparison.
The EHCV outcome is surprisingly positive,
given stated concerns by some suppliers that
the recent drop in global commodity prices
has impacted on the export volumes moving
out of South African mines, which, in turn, has
necessitated some diversion of truck tractors
normally engaged in mineral transportation to
other work.
However, increasing evidence of shortened
replacement cycles – to take advantage of
the predictable operating overheads provided
by maintenance contracts and buyback
arrangements – has been evident. This factor
should continue to add some impetus to the
EHCV segment, in particular, until it becomes
standard practice in the industry.
The bus situation has continued to benefit
from ongoing deliveries of large-scale orders
to local authorities rolling out integrated
transport networks and bus rapid transit (BRT)
operations.
SeGMenTATIOn DYnAMICSThe premium-payload EHCV segment has
maintained its position as the market leader
during the first quarter of 2015, having
improved its share of the total market from
40,4 percent in the preceding quarter to
43,5 percent in this review period.
Conversely, the entry-level MCV segment
fell away slightly, from the 36,8 percent level of
market share recorded in the last three months
of 2014, to 34,9 percent in the January to
March 2015 period. This was mainly due to
the supply constraint situation described in the
previous section.
There was some evidence that the
cruiserweight HCV segment had benefited
slightly from reduced product availability in
the adjacent MCV grouping, in that it grew in
volume terms by 9,8 percent, over its equivalent
first quarter 2014 performance. This was,
however, not sufficient to arrest a slight decline
in market share from 18,5 percent in the final
quarter of 2014, to 18,1percent in this review
period.
The passenger bus segment, at 3,9
percent total market penetration in the most
recent three-month period, was slightly off the
4,3 percent recorded in the final quarter of
2014, but this grouping has continued to run
at levels typical of its performance since early
2012.
The first quarter review of application
performance levels within the MCV segment
has freight carriers at 56,8 percent, integral
vans at 37,2 percent, tippers at 4,1 percent
and buses at 1,9 percent.
This outcome reflects a further weakening
of the freight-carrier share, down from just
under 70 percent in the third quarter of 2014,
and 63,7 percent in the fourth quarter of
that year. It is notable that this is the area of
the segment where the withdrawal of the UD
product has had the greatest impact.
Inevitably, a reduction in freight-carrier
segment share will create a mirror-image
increase for integral vans, which increased
their penetration from 31,4 percent in the final
quarter of 2014, to the level indicated above.
The results for the bus and tipper categories
are still subject to the less than perfect
market reporting, which does not reflect the
aftermarket conversion of integral van units
into ambulances and midibuses, or the bodying
of freight-carrier chassis/cab units as tippers,
or commuter buses. These conversions are,
therefore, not evident in this analysis.
MAnUFACTUrer PerFOrMAnCePlease refer to the accompanying chart, which
illustrates the relative market performance and
ranking of each participating manufacturer in
the quarter just completed, as compared to the
returns for the immediately preceding quarter.
The groupings contained in this section
of the report are based on the rule that, if »
MArKeTrevIeW
MANUFACTURER QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE 2015
Manufacturer MCV Units HCV UnitsEHCV Units
Bus Units Total UnitsMarket Share Market Position
This Quarter Last Quarter This Quarter Last QuarterMercedes-Benz SA 574 160 1 026 63 1 823 25,27 21,22 1 1Change 4,05 0Volvo Group SA 51 282 694 17 1 044 14,47 18,08 2 2Change -3,61 0Toyota/Hino 601 291 114 0 1 006 13,95 12,5 3 4Change 1,45 1Isuzu/GMSA 372 304 120 5 801 11,10 15,57 4 3Change -4,47 -1Scania 0 0 520 51 571 7,92 5,64 5 6Change 2,28 1MAN Group 0 23 278 129 430 5,96 6,98 6 5Change -1,02 -1Iveco 262 11 95 3 371 5,14 4,68 7 8Change 0,46 1Tata 102 131 78 11 322 4,46 3,81 8 7Change 0,65 -1Volkswagen Comm 291 0 0 0 291 4,03 4,55 9 8Change -0,52 -1FAW 0 95 64 0 159 2,20 1,64 10 10Change 0,56 0Ever Star 0 0 122 0 122 1,69 1,09 11 12Change 0,60 1AMH/AAD 73 0 0 0 73 1,01 1,41 12 11Change -0,40 -1JMC 72 0 0 0 72 1,00 0,83 13 13Change 0,17 0Ford 56 0 0 0 56 0,78 0,64 14 15Change 0,14 1Babcock/DAF 0 0 34 0 34 0,47 0,68 15 14Change -0,21 -1Fiat 24 0 0 0 24 0,33 0,35 16 16Change -0,02 0Peugeot 10 0 0 0 10 0,14 0,27 17 17Change -0,13 0VDL 0 0 0 4 4 0,06 0,05 18 18Change 0,01 0Citroën 0 0 0 0 0 0,00 0,00 n/a n/aChange 0,00 n/aTotals 2 488 1 297 3 145 283 7 213 n/a 100
60 |FOCUS| May 2015
MArKeTrevIeW
a manufacturer/group sells more than one
brand through its distribution channels, then all
sales for those brands will be consolidated in
the result for the manufacturer/group.
Thus, Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) includes
Freightliner and Fuso. Toyota/Hino contains
both brands. MAN includes Volkswagen
(VW) (Constellation) trucks and Volksbus
passenger units, but not VW commercial
vans (listed separately). Volvo Trucks includes
Volvo Buses, UD Trucks, and Renault Trucks,
and, starting with this review, Ever Star
groups together Powerstar and Powerland
products.
Please note that, owing to Naamsa’s
estimation of Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and
Fuso sales, as well as the resulting total market
and individual segment volumes, we have not
commented on supplier market shares, as
these are factually unknown. The market shares
listed in the chart are, therefore, not necessarily
accurate, but included only for continuity. Our
comments below will, therefore, concentrate
only on absolute sales volumes and overall
market positions for each individual supplier.
Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA)
Within the limitations just explained, we have
concluded that the Mercedes-Benz family has
maintained its long-running market leadership
position into the first quarter of 2015, with an
estimated volume increase of 4,5 percent over
its final quarter 2015 performance.
It is also still not possible to comment
accurately on the individual market
performances of the constituent Mercedes-
Benz, Freightliner and Fuso brands. MBSA
is introducing a new Actros 2646LS/33
variant to the EHCV segment. It has also
recently launched new midibus/commuter bus
chassis sourced from Fuso and Daimler India
Commercial Vehicles.
The arrival of the latter, designated
OF 917RF, raises the possibility that
some BharatBenz products may be under
consideration for the local market, given
continuing frustrations over future clean fuel
availability.
A total of 64 new city buses were scheduled
for delivery to George by February, and MBSA
is planning to bring CNG and dual-fuel buses to
the South African market.
Volvo Group Southern Africa
As noted previously, the UD Trucks component
of the Volvo Group has been running out its
U41 MCV range during the review period,
while stablemate Renault was simultaneously
switching from broad EHCV segment coverage
to a more application-specific line-up.
The timing of these strategic actions has
resulted in a 30 percent reduction in the
Group’s sales volume in the first quarter of
2015, when compared to its result in the
immediately preceding quarter. This has left
the Group with a rather tenuous hold on the
runners-up position in the market, which it has
consistently held since consolidated reporting
of Volvo, Renault and UD sales began in 2013.
The initial quarter of 2015 has, therefore,
witnessed the first tangible outcomes of Volvo
Group constituent brand repositioning, with
Renault now specialising in the construction,
and long-haul sectors with its K and C-ranges,
while UD Trucks has exited the MCV segment
without the immediate availability of a successor
product.
During this period, UD Trucks launched
its Thai-sourced Quester “emerging markets”
EHCV range at an impressive event in the
Waterberg, marking this brand’s initial entry to
the 8x4 and 6x2 categories within the EHCV
segment.
The Volvo Group also opened its impressive
regional parts distribution centre located in
Ekhuruleni, during March, as part of its policy of
combining back-office functions for all members
of its family. Its Durban plant was also upgraded
to assemble the latest-generation Renault
trucks.
There has been much talk of a local market
entry by the Group’s Indian operation, Volvo
Eicher, later this year, although no specific
details have yet been revealed.
Hino/Toyota
Toyota SA’s truck specialist division suffered a
2,1 percent decline in reported volumes in the
comparison between this review period and the
preceding quarter, but nevertheless achieved
promotion in the overall market rankings from
fourth to third position.
Notably, the combination of Toyota Dyna
and Hino 300 Series products managed to
achieve overall leadership of the MCV segment
during the quarter just completed, and the
planned introduction of additional automatic
transmission and crew-cab variants to this
range should strengthen its position even
further.
Hino’s push for greater penetration of
the EHCV segment with its 700 Series has
been underpinned by the deployment of EHCV
specialist salesmen in dealerships, together
with the promotion of maintenance plans, a
used-truck programme and a buyback facility.
Isuzu Truck SA (ITSA)
ITSA was relegated from third to fourth position
in the first quarter 2015 market rankings,
on the back of a 37,4 percent reduction in
absolute sales volume when compared to its
Tata officially introduced its Prima during the first quarter.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 61
MArKeTrevIeW
performance in the final quarter of 2014. This
was caused almost entirely by a more than
50 percent reduction in MCV category
N-Series deliveries, which had been bolstered,
in late 2014, by large-scale deliveries to a major
bakery group.
In sharp contrast, Isuzu’s HCV and EHCV
volumes held steady in the review period, to the
extent that the Japanese brand was the overall
leader of the former category over the January
to March period.
Scania
Scania’s success story in the South African
truck market continued unabated into the
initial quarter of 2015, when the Swedish
brand was promoted from sixth to fifth position
in the market standings, having achieved a
23 percent increase in reported volume sales
over its fourth quarter 2014 outcome.
Scania is currently placing considerable
emphasis on driver education in its promotional
activities, and is deploying industry-specific
specialists within its sales force. The
manufacturer is also launching an optimised
construction range made up of 6x4 and 8x4
tippers/mixers during 2015.
MAN Group
The MAN Group’s first quarter 2015 sales
volume finished a very substantial 25 percent
off its final quarter 2015 level, due primarily to
a 34 percent reduction in EHCV deliveries, with
HCV and bus volumes remaining steady. This
resulted in demotion from fifth to sixth position
in the market standings.
Most of the volume reduction was suffered
by the parent MAN brand, but it was notable
that subsidiary marque, Volkswagen, was able
to achieve a 22,6 percent volume improvement
in comparison with its previous quarter result,
mainly due to the more than doubling of its
bus deliveries. However, the performance
of its Constellation truck range was very
disappointing, with only seven EHCV units sold,
and no units reported in the HCV segment.
The Group recently opened a new truck
and bus dealer outlet, for both MAN and
Volkswagen products, to the east of Tshwane,
and Imperial Cargo announced the purchase of
60 TGS 26.440 truck tractors on a 36-month/
600 000 km rental agreement.
MAN is launching a new 500+ hp (373 kW)
TGX tractor variant during 2015, together with
its RR9 rear-engined high-floor bus chassis.
Iveco
Iveco’s volume performance fell away slightly
during the first quarter, when compared to
its result in the preceding review period, with
3,6 percent fewer reported deliveries,
although it was able to achieve an
improvement from eighth to seventh position
in the overall market rankings.
Iveco’s recent promotional activities have
been centred mainly on the manufacturer’s
participation in the 2015 Dakar rally, and the
ramping up of production at its recently opened
Rosslyn joint-venture facility.
Tata
Tata’s first quarter 2015 performance
included sales volume growth of 2,9 percent
over its October to December 2014 outcome,
but also the giving up of one market ranking
position from seventh to eighth place. Tata
has been progressively fleshing out its local
product range to obtain more comprehensive
market coverage. It is evident that its Prima
“World Truck” series has played an increasingly
important role in the marque’s EHCV sales
reporting since the first examples were retailed
in May, 2014.
FAW
Chinese manufacturer FAW recorded an
impressive 17,8 percent gain in sales volume
in the comparison between the first quarter
of 2015, and the final quarter of 2014, thus
consolidating the tenth position in the market
rankings that the brand held throughout 2014.
FAW, which is currently celebrating the
21st anniversary of its presence in the South
African market, recently brought the truck
bodybuilding shop at its Coega, Eastern Cape,
plant into operation.
Ever Star
With the first retail reporting of Powerland
branded products during the month of
February, 2015, it has become appropriate to
create a profile for the Ever Star group in this
review, as it now distributes both the Powerstar
(Bei Ben) and Powerland (Shaanxi) brands in
this market.
Overall, the new group improved on
the stand-alone Powerstar fourth quarter
2014 volume performance by a margin of
35,6 percent, and has moved from 12th to
11th position in the market standings.
With the introduction of the Powerland
range, and increasing emphasis being
placed on Powerstar’s premium V3 2646
in the local market, it is evident that this
Group is now broadening its focus outside
of its traditional participation (mainly in the
construction and mining sectors) to include
the targeting of medium and long-distance
haulage applications.
AMH/AAD
The Imperial Group’s commercial vehicle
operation recorded 37 percent fewer deliveries
during the review quarter, than had been the
case during the final three months of 2014.
This resulted in a fall from 11th to12th position
in the market rankings.
During the first quarter, the group initiated
local assembly of the Hyundai H100 pickup at
its Apex assembly facility, and announced that
it was planning to bring the H350 range of
MCV segment panel vans, chassis-cabs and
midibuses to the local market.
JMC
JMC retained its 13th position in the market
rankings during the review quarter, having
improved its volume performance by a margin
of 5,9 percent over its fourth quarter, 2014,
outcome. This Chinese brand continues to be
represented only in the MCV segment of the
local market.
Babcock/DAF
With reported sales of 34 units in the January
to March 2015 period, Babcock/DAF fell
39 percent short of its previous quarter
performance, and was relegated from 14th to
15th position in the overall market rankings. It
has been reported that Babcock plans to hold
built-up stock of mixer and tipper models to
encourage construction sector sales, and has
recently added a 4x2 truck-tractor derivative to
its local product line-up. »
62 |FOCUS| May 2015
MArKeTrevIeW
VDL
Bus chassis specialist supplier VDL recently
announced product enhancements to its front-
engined bus chassis range, while recording first
quarter 2015 sales of four units; this being
equal to its performance during the preceding
quarter.
European van manufacturers
Of the five vehicle manufacturers that have
regularly participated in the MCV segment of
this market with European-sourced integral
vans and their spun-off derivatives, only Citroën
has not recorded any sales during the past two
quarters, and the French concern appears to
have terminated its local participation in the
category.
Of the remaining four participants, only
Ford, with its Transit/Tourneo family of vans
and people movers, recorded an improved
performance in the first quarter of 2015 over
the preceding review period, with a 5,7 percent
increase in absolute volume, and promotion
from 15th to 14th position in the rankings.
All of Volkswagen Commercials, Peugeot,
and Fiat suffered quarter-on-quarter volume
losses, to the tune of 22,2 percent, 55 percent
and 17,2 percent respectively. In the process,
Volkswagen gave up one market ranking
position to end the first quarter in ninth position,
while Peugeot and Fiat held on to their final
quarter 2014 rankings of 17th and 16th,
respectively.
Non-reporting manufacturers
Readers should note that local sales volumes
of several commercial vehicle brands, including
Dong Feng, Yutong, Foton and Ashok Leyland,
are not yet reported to Naamsa, and are,
therefore, excluded from the comments and
data contained in this report.
GenerAL MArKeT COMMenTSPublished comments by supply industry
management have generally included
predictions for a flat year in the 2015 truck
market, with some outlooks of negative
outcomes for individual segments.
The general business mood in the country,
at present, is not particularly positive. There
is much focus on the inability of Eskom to
provide continuous and reliable power supply,
while the unstable situation in the trade union
environment, typified by in-fighting and position
taking, suggests that the threat of prolonged
and disruptive strike action in the private and
public sectors is very real.
However, as noted previously, those
portions of the market that have not been
fettered by availability issues are showing year-
on-year growth of just less than four percent at
the end of the first quarter. It can be rationally
expected that the remaining participants in
the MCV segment will take urgent steps to
fill any gaps left by withdrawals. It can also be
expected that the Volvo Group will take action
to restore its broad market coverage, and this
will lead to increased levels of competition for
MCV sales.
If the current level of cumulative growth
in the segments over 8 500 kg GVM
is maintained, and the MCV category regains
its momentum, a final full-year 2015 market
outcome totalling some 32 500 units will
become a realistic expectation. |FOCUS
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64 |FOCUS| May 2015
nAMPOPrevIeW
if you haven’t done it already, set aside
May 12 to 15, for South Africa’s
premiere agricultural trade show – the
Nampo Harvest Day. Like every Nampo
show before it – since its inception in 1967 –
the 2015 instalment promises to be bigger
and better than ever.
Nampo Park, located just outside the Free
State town of Bothaville, is again expected
to host in the region of 70 000 visitors (last
year’s show attracted 69 644) and upwards
of 650 exhibitors on its 187 690 m2 of
exhibition space.
For exhibitors – of which the transport
and commercial vehicle industry makes up
a considerable percentage – the benefits
are clear … Statistics provided by Nampo
organiser Grain SA show that 88 percent
of visitors say they attend to view new
products, 61 percent to actually buy products,
52 percent to make buying decisions and
52 percent to build networks.
And don’t think it’s just a few farm animals
and tractors on display either … exhibitors
include our industry’s own commercial
vehicle original equipment manufacturers,
the aforementioned agricultural machinery,
banking and financial institutions and
information technology providers.
One such company is Babcock, the
exclusive distributor of Volvo and SDLG
construction equipment in southern Africa. It
will be exhibiting a range of machinery at its
900 m2 stand including the Volvo EC300DL
tracked excavator, Volvo backhoe and wheel
loaders, as well as SLDG wheel loaders and
graders.
“We were very excited about the response
we received from visitors to Nampo last year,
and, based on this success, we’ve invested
even more into the displays on our 2015
stand,” says David Vaughan, sales director,
equipment. “In this area, our main customer
sectors are agriculture and diamond mining,
and we’re focusing on providing them with a
wider range of choices.”
Exhibitors from Argentina, America, Israel,
France, Italy, Brazil, Denmark and China (60
exhibitors at this stage) will also show off their
wares.
The show will also provide a full array of
entertaining activities, including: interactive
tractor and implement demonstrations,
a plough competition, judging of farmer’s
patents and 4x4 vehicle demonstrations.
According to Wim Venter, Nampo Harvest
Day administration officer, the success of the
event can be attributed to the networking
opportunities it provides and the platform it
creates for new and improved technology in
the agricultural market.
“And, we mustn’t forget the fact that
agriculture is, after almost 50 years, still the
main focus of the show,” he boasts.
That doesn’t mean it’s the same thing year
after year, either ... “For the first time, we will
have seed plots on the terrain where seed
exhibitors have an extension of their product,”
Venter explains.
Getting around the venue will also be made
easier this year as a transport system will be
available for the public. “We are looking at
three routes on the terrain with two trailers
on each route,” Venter explains.
As usual, gates open at 07:00 and close
at 17:00, while tickets will cost R90 on
the Tuesday and Friday and R100 on the
Wednesday and Thursday. For the first time,
exhibitors and the public can also buy tickets
online through TicketPro. |FOCUS
The annual Nampo Harvest Day is one of the biggest agricultural
shows in the world. It’s one that should never be missed – and this
year will be no different
extraordinaireFArming
May 2015 |FOCUS| 65
nAMPOPrevIeWMArKeTrevIeW
• Green tyres showed a 7,93 percent fuel saving over the Black tyres• Green tyres showed a 5,12 percent fuel saving over the
Re-grooved tyres• Re-grooved tyres showed a 3,03 percent fuel saving over the Black
truck tyres
According to Jim Campbell, technical management consultant at Road Transport and Logistics, “The tests were conducted in such a manner that the results generated can be considered correct within acceptable levels of accuracy, and the final fuel-consumption figures can be considered as true reflection of the performance of the tyres for the duration of the tests.”
The tyres on your truck can have an enormous effect on the amount of fuel the truck consumes, and by choosing Green tyres you can reduce your fuel bill. To calculate the rand value of the saving, we look at a transport company with a fleet of 100 trucks:
• Distance covered by fleet: 14 400 000 km per year• Fuel consumption: 1,6 litres per km• Fuel price: R11,29 per litre*• Fuel bill: R260 121 600 (distance x consumption x fuel price)• Fuel saving using Green tyres: 7,93 percent • Rand value of total fuel saved: R20 627 643**
Michelin is committed to ongoing research and development to produce the best quality tyres that will give you the best performance and will be more cost effective in the long run.
*Based on the price of diesel on April 1, 2015.
**Calculated on the above simulated transport company. Figures will vary.
Please contact Michelin Tyre Company South Africa for more information. Customer Service: 0860 100 480.
Michelin Tyre Company SA conducted a fuel consumption test from June 30, 2014 to July 2, 2014 to prove that one’s fuel bill can be reduced by using Michelin “Green” tyres.
To ensure that the fuel consumption test was conducted accurately, three identical trucks were used: The Mercedes Benz Actros 2644/S33 truck tractors; each pulling identical two-axle interlink curtainside trailers carrying identical payloads.
For the pre-test, all vehicles were fitted with Michelin XZ All Road tyres as the baseline. These were used to eliminate any variances the trucks might have had.
The tyres on all three vehicles were the same size and dimensions (315/80 R22.5) and had the same pressure per position. Each set of tyres was rotated between the trucks at the turnaround depot. The three sets of tyres used to conduct the test were: XZ All Road and XDE2+ (Black), X Line Energy Z& D (Green) and, XZ All Road (New) and XDE2+ (Re-grooved).
Each truck travelled an identical route three times, using each set of tyres once. Each truck was equipped with a GPS and a fuel flow meter to measure fuel consumption. These instruments were used to provide accurate information on the total fuel used, as well as the speed and distance covered for the duration of the test.
Of a truck’s total fuel usage, 50 percent is used to power the truck and 20 percent is used to overcome the mechanical and aerodynamic forces, while 30 percent is used to overcome rolling resistance of the tyres.
Rolling resistance can’t be eliminated, but, depending on the tyres used, it can be reduced. The results of the fuel tests proved that the “Green” Michelin X-Line energy range is the most fuel-efficient of the Michelin tyre ranges.
How fuel efficient are your tyres?
Tyres Services Batteries Shock-absorbers Brakes WheelsAccessories
66 |FOCUS| May 2015
ITOYeXCLUSIve
in Finland, the total timber truck
market ranges between 150 and 250
new trucks per year. On average, these
trucks are changed every five years,
and reach a total mileage of 150 000 to
250 000 km per year. In 2013 the Finnish
Government approved the new weight limit
on the basis of a proposal of the Ministry of
Transportation. These are the details of two
of the biggest and baddest ...
vOLvO TrUCKS FH 16-750 rAnGeThe FH 16 combination is made up of a four-
axle truck – with a 16,1-litre D16K 558 kW
(750 hp), 3 550 Nm peak torque engine
– and a five-axle trailer. According to Finnish
regulation, the 76 t GCW is allowed for (at
least) a nine-axle combination, provided that at
least 65 percent of the mass of the trailer is
on axles fitted with twin tyres.
The FH 16-750 is fitted with several
timber-truck-specific technical features. It’s
a full-pneumatic suspension 8x4 rigid, with
second liftable axle. The full-pneumatic solution,
which is gaining more and more success
among Volvo timber trucks, now accounts for
85 percent of Volvo timber trucks sale
volumes in Finland (where Volvo has about
50 percent of the total market in this segment).
Five years ago, the percentage of full-
pneumatic suspension was no more than five
percent. The full-pneumatic solution allows
the driver to lift an axle to increase the grip of
driven axles. In addition, the driver can dump
air from the suspension of one of the driven
axles to increase the grip of the other.
Other technical features of the FH 16-750
timber truck include special software for
Volvo’s I-shift automated transmission, to cope
with the extremely demanding conditions of
timber transport along narrow and sometimes
inadequate forest roads. Moreover, the truck
is fitted with a hill-holder system, differential
lock, sand splitter device (to increase the grip
of driven axles) and a timber crane.
Another key feature of the FH 16-750
timber truck is Volvo’s dynamic steering, which
automatically dampens the irregularities of
road surfaces, such as compacted snow or
ice slabs. This decreases the driver’s workload,
because he does not have to compensate for
such irregularities.
Along public and narrow forest roads
Dynamic steering really makes the difference.
Despite the longer dimension (24 m long)
and higher centre of gravity (4,4 m maximum
height), the nine-axle truck-trailer combination
proved to be easy to drive and stable, because
the five-axle, twin-tyre trailer followed the truck
smoothly, without any problem.
In Finland, nine-axle, 76-t GCW, longer truck-trailer combinations are becoming increasingly popular.
This is the story of two such monster trucks: a Volvo Trucks FH 16-750 timber truck and
a Sisu Polar gravel dump truck
“monster”trucks in the arctic
May 2015 |FOCUS| 67
As regular readers of FOCUS know, this magazine has been appointed an associate member of the International Truck of the Year (IToY)! FOCUS is the sole South African magazine to have joined this prestigious body. One of the advantages of this association is access to exclusive articles, specially written for FOCUS by ITOY jury members. This is one such article.
2014
In Finland, we experienced a standard
working day of a timber truck from Kontio – a
world market leader, loghouse production HQ
in Pudasjärvi, 700 km north of Helsinki – to an
Arctic pine forest and back. Climate conditions
were pretty good, because of the sun and a
relatively mild temperature by Finnish winter
standards (-17° C).
According to experienced timber truck
drivers, the most demanding conditions
occur on icy and slippery surfaces when the
temperature is around zero and in deep-frozen
conditions, when temperature drops to -35
or even -40° C. In those circumstances, the
natural rubber of Scandinavian winter tyres
becomes tougher and friction on slippery
surfaces becomes more problematic.
During the empty trip, from Kontio HQ
to the Arctic pine forest, we got stuck in the
soft snow of a narrow forest road. We tried –
without any result – to lift an axle to increase
the grip of the driven axles of our 8x4 timber
truck. Then, we tried to clear the snow from
driven axles using a shovel. We also tried to
reposition the trailer, using the timber crane
fitted on the truck. Since we achieved no
result, we asked for help ... a snowplough finally
solved our problem.
Loading cut-to-length tree trunks,
prepared by a harvester, takes about 30
minutes in standard operating conditions.
Roundwoods trucks are typically owned by
family enterprises situated in the countryside,
where the entrepreneur actively participates.
According to 2010 statistics, there are
about 900 timber trucking entrepreneurs,
employing 2 600 truck drivers, with a fleet of
1 700 trucks. The average number of trucks
per enterprise is less than two.
SISU POLAr eUrO-6 rAnGeThe second 76-t nine-axle combination tested
in Finland was a Sisu Polar Rock gravel truck-
trailer, 21,89 m in length. The 10x4 rigid
was fitted with a Euro-6, six-in-line, 15,6-litre
Mercedes-Benz OM 473 engine. It is rated at
465 kW (625 hp) and 3 000 Nm peak torque,
and features a high-performance engine brake.
Engine power is transmitted to rear axles
by a Mercedes-Benz Powershift 3,16-speed
automated transmission – as in the vehicle
under test – or by an optional Eaton Fuller
RTLO22198B 18-speed unsynchronised
manual gearbox.
The Sisu Polar 10x4 proved to be easy
to manoeuvre, thanks to its three steering
axles. The first axle can be steered by 30°,
the second by 16°, while the fifth can be
counter-steered by 13°. In this configuration,
the turning radius of the entire 21,89 m
combination is 12,5 m.
On uneven surfaces, such as compacted
snow and/or ice slabs, or during tight
manoeuvres with a 76 t GCW, the Servotwin
steering system with electronic power steering
makes the difference in terms of comfort
for the driver (because less corrections of
the steering wheel are needed) and vehicle
handling. The OM 473 engine brake, with a
maximum braking power of 475 kW, can
substitute foundation brakes in 90 percent of
the operating conditions.
Despite the full-mechanical suspension
system, driving comfort in on-road applications
proved to be quite high. Sisu Polar features
two frame heights: 300 mm U-profile with
inner reinforcement, and 460 mm C-profile for
heavy-duty tasks.
Cab, engine, transmission and core
electrical/electronic systems of the Sisu
Polar are based on Mercedes-Benz Arocs
technology. The Sisu Polar line-up includes
Sisu Rock dump trucks, Sisu Works road
maintenance trucks, Sisu Timber timber
trucks, Sisu Roll demountable trucks and
Sisu Carrier machine transport trucks. In
addition to these models, Sisu Work plus is
now available, which features a combination
of road maintenance and demountable
applications. |FOCUS
“monster”
HeAvIer COMBInATIOnS In FInLAnD
The 76-t nine-axle combinations are not
the heaviest in Finland. Five special permits
for 33-m, 80-t truck-combinations have been
granted, so far, to Speed to run on six different
road channels, and one 31-m, 94-t permit
to Orpe. Some 10 to 15 more applications
by three other companies have been handed
to the road safety authority, Trafi, and to the
Ministry of Transport.
Orpe is the only transport company with
a permit to run with a 31-m (94-t 12-axle
timber truck on specified conditions. The trial
period runs until December 31, 2019. The
application was originally for 102 t according
to axle weights of 12 axles.
Only specially trained drivers are accepted
and the vehicles can only run on roads and
routes approved by the ministry. All brakes
have to be electric EBS. Operation is forbidden
when weather conditions and/or forecasts
by the Meteorological Institute are declared
“very bad”. The behaviour of the whole vehicle
combination has to be continuously controlled
by cameras on the vehicle. A report of the
routes driven and the behaviour of the
vehicle and of road conditions have to be
delivered monthly to Trafi, and the entire
vehicle combination has to be passed on to
the authorities for testing, for no longer than
three days, whenever Trafi or the ministry
gives notice.
ITOYeXCLUSIve
Left: The truck-mounted crane was used in vain to help manoeuvre the truck tractor out of deep snow.
??????????
68 |FOCUS| May 2015
WHEELSWOrLD On
The London metro covers an area of
8 382 km2 (by comparison, the Johannesburg
metro covers just 1 644,96 km2, while
that of New York City covers a whopping
34 490 km2) so, naturally, one would expect
its public transport system to be up to the
task. This responsibility falls to Transport
for London (TfL), the local government
organisation responsible for most aspects of
the city’s transport system.
The organisation’s website states that
it is responsible for all the surface forms
of transport in the city including cycles,
buses, taxis, river transport, rail and the
Underground (including the city’s “Tube”
system and tramways) as well as Crossrail (a
joint venture between TfL and the Department
for Transport to build a new railway linking
Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, to
Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east).
London’s public transport system is said
to be one of the most extensive in the world.
In addition to private transport – and
walking – London commuters have seven
Public transport in the United Kingdom (UK) and in London, in particular, is often heralded as safe, reliable
and integrated. GAVIN MYERS explores what makes it tick
transportsymboLic
there is perhaps no other city in
the world that is symbolised by
its public transport system like
London is. And that’s perhaps with
good reason … The United Kingdom’s capital
city is consistently ranked within the world’s top
ten for public transport systems. From having
the third-busiest international airport in the
world, to the oldest underground commuter
railway system and one of the largest bus
networks, the city presents commuters with a
truly integrated means of getting around.
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May 2015 |FOCUS| 69
WO R L D O N W H E E L
S
WORLD ON WHEE
LS
individual, integrated forms of transport to
use to get around the city. Each of these has
different aspects that make it special.
For example, in terms of air travel, the
city is served by eight (yes, eight) airports.
Chief among these is London Heathrow, which
the Airports Council International, in Geneva,
Switzerland, states is the world’s busiest in
terms of international passengers annually (as
mentioned previously, it is the third-busiest for
total passenger traffic). Of course, international
aviation doesn’t fall within TfL’s portfolio, but a
different type of air travel does …
The Emirates Air Line (sponsored by airline
operator Emirates and also known as the
Thames cable car) has been operational since
June 2012. It is a one-kilometre cable car
that crosses the River Thames from the
Greenwich Peninsula in the west to the Royal
Docks in the east at a height of 90 m.
With 34 cars in operation at any one time,
Emirates Air Line provides a crossing every
15 seconds, with a maximum capacity of
2 500 passengers per hour in each direction
– the equivalent of about 50 busloads. The
Air Line is also bicycle friendly – a good thing,
as cycling is a very popular way for people to
get around the city …
Daily cycle journeys in the city were said to
have doubled between 2000 and 2012. Cycle
lanes and paths are provided around the city
and folding bicycles can be carried onto most
forms of public transport. You may also hire a
bicycle from the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme,
which allows regular and casual users to
rent a bicycle, pick it up from one of the 720
docking stations and use it to get around …
It’s interesting to note, however, that these
newfangled forms of public transport haven’t
taken much away from their more traditional
counterparts. London’s iconic red buses – all
6 800 of them, operating on 700 different
routes – conduct two-billion commuter
trips per annum and collect £850 million
(R15,3 trillion) revenue each year. Of course,
there is that other icon of London road
transport – the black cab, of which there are
about 21 000 in the city.
Yet another symbol of London is to be
found underneath the city – the London
Underground, which is also known as the
Tube. This system comprises 402 km of
track (of which, contrary to the system’s
name, 52 percent is above ground) and 270
stations. It incorporates the
world’s oldest underground
railway, which was opened
in 1863. In 2012/13, the
system carried 1,23 billion
passengers, making it only the
twelfth-busiest transit system …
What makes London’s
commuter transport system
special, however, is the
convenience with which users can
move from one form of transport
to the next. With the exception
of the black cabs and the Barclays
Cycle Hire scheme, commuters can make
use of the city’s Air Line, buses and the
Underground, as well as trams, London
Overground (a suburban rail network with
83 stations and six lines), national rail
services that pass through the city and the
London river services – all with a simple
electronic smartcard.
Known as the Oyster card, this pre-paid
smartcard features an embedded contactless
radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, the
same as the one Gautrain or MyCiti users are
required to have to access those systems.
Users can load the card with pay-as-you-
go credit, a Travelcard and/or bus and tram
passes. When the user “touches in” and
“touches out” of the system, it automatically
decides which fare system to use to ensure
that no double-billing occurs.
The Oyster card is designed to reduce the
number of transactions at ticket offices and the
number of paper tickets, as the acceptance of
cash within the London transport system is
being phased out (cash is no longer accepted
on London buses, for example). Oyster fares
are also cheaper than cash fares.
Originally launched in 2003, over
43 million Oyster cards had been issued
by June 2012, and over 80 percent of all
journeys on London’s public transport were
made using the card.
Could the Oyster card one day become
a symbol of London, to be seen ubiquitously
in movies and TV series based in the city?
Maybe. What it should definitely be, though,
is a symbol of ease of movement on one of
the world’s most extensive public transport
systems. |FOCUS
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70 |FOCUS| May 2015
MAnUFACTUrerFOCUS
since opening its assembly
plant at Port Elizabeth’s Coega
Industrial Development Zone in
July 2014, FAW is proud to
state that it is the only original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) in South Africa to locally
build its entire range of commercial vehicles
that are sold here.
The US$ 60-million investment allowed the
company to engineer capacity for 5 000 units
per annum, with an eye on supplying African
and export markets.
Earlier this year, the company shipped
its first batch of five 55-t J5P 6x4 truck
tractor units to Transafrica Motors Limited in
Mombasa, Kenya. The company reports that
African dealers, who traditionally placed their
orders on FAW China, are moving their orders
to South Africa, owing to the shorter lead time
for delivery, the high levels of quality and the
reduced cost of sourcing FAW vehicles on the
same continent.
Says Yusheng Zhang, CEO of FAW
Vehicle Manufacturers SA: “We are already
working on a special order for the FAW
Tanzania dealership. What is significant is
that the export destinations can more readily
adjust some specifications to accommodate
customers’ requirements specific to their
markets.”
The company has also added tipper bodies
to its Coega repertoire. Built from SKD packs
imported from the FAW parent plant in China,
approximately 100 tipper bodies came off the
line in the first quarter of the year.
The company is assessing the viability of
producing drop-side bodies in the near future
and other bodies, such as mixer drums, may
eventually follow.
In assembling its vehicles and new bodies,
FAW places safety, health, environment and
quality (SHEQ) considerations as matters of
prime consideration. “Keeping our employees
safe and comfortable are key to our retention
programme and important as we invest in
their training and up-skilling,” says Zhang.
This continual up-skilling is assured as the
company is ramping up for the introduction
of its new Tiger medium commercial vehicle
(MCV). The Tiger is due to be introduced to
the local and southern African markets in May,
with a five tonne payload dropside body, which
FAW says will provide for the lowest cost per
tonne on the market.
“The FAW Tiger will be a ‘true-blood’ South
African, built locally and uniquely engineered
for the African environment,” Zhang says. “The
Tiger will carry all the hallmarks that FAW
trucks stand for – strength, reliability, easy
operation and, most importantly, delivering on
the promise of a ‘truck built for Africa, in Africa’.”
FAW says that the rationale for introducing
a MCV range is to satisfy customer demand
for smaller-sized vehicles as durable and
rugged as its heavy and extra-heavy trucks.
“We believe this segment of the market has
great potential and opportunity for growth,”
says Zhang.
FAW is not divulging too much about the
new vehicle ahead of its official launch, but it has
alluded that the Tiger will include componentry
from the United States and Europe.
The already energized activity at the FAW
Coega assembly plant is definitely about to kick
up a few notches. |FOCUS
A new, in-house bodyshop, shipping of the first batch of export units and preparation for an all-new range
of vehicles has made up the story of FAW Vehicle Manufacturers SA (FAW) so far this year. And it all
stems from the company’s Coega assembly plant
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72 |FOCUS| May 2015
GLOBALFOCUS
UD Trucks’ Quester is a very
topical subject at the moment,
with this range having entered
the South African market via a
spectacular launch in the Waterberg during
March (see last month’s edition for Jaco de
Klerk’s report).
As announced, the local line-up consists
of 13 models, in 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 and 8x4
configurations, covering the gross vehicle
mass (GVM) spectrum from 20 000 to
41 000 kg, and with gross combination
mass (GCM) ratings of up to 60 t. These
ratings position the Quester firmly in the
extra-heavy category of the South African
truck market.
The more basic specification of the
Quester model range suggests that it is
aimed at distribution, construction and mining
sectors, but it is notable that illustrations
of refuse compactors are also included,
although there is no automatic or automated
transmission option at present. There is also
a possibility that this range may find some
local support from the forestry industry.
In our original coverage of the international
Quester launch in August last year, we noted
that it was to be built for emerging markets in
Thailand at the Volvo Group’s Samat Prakarn
facility, and also in China and India. Unlike the
current European practice of specialisation,
the Quester was positioned as a versatile
vehicle platform, with variants suitable for a
wide range of employment in areas including
long haul, distribution, construction and
mining.
The absence of a double-sleeper cab
option and the lack of emphasis on long-haul
applications in the South African context
is clear recognition of Quon’s established
successful participation in that sector.
Subsequent to the international launch,
UD Trucks has now released details of some
enhancements that it has made to the
international Quester range, in response to
customer feedback. These include an easier
gearshift action, adjustment of the “Extra
Engine Brake” featured on the 11-litre engine
to operate at a lower engine rotational speed,
and approval for operation in the dangerous
goods category.
In his monthly review of global news for local truckers, FRANK BEETON brings the UD Quester story up to
date, tracks new developments at the related Volvo Eicher operation, describes a “different” promotional
exercise from Ford, looks at Mercedes-Benz’s two-pronged advance on the American van market, and
reports on the 2014 implosion of truck sales in the United Kingdom (UK)
QUesterenhanced
May 2015 |FOCUS| 73
GLOBALFOCUS
It has also been noted that the Quester
family has made its appearance in the Indian
market as the EicherPro 8000 range, with a
product line-up that consists of 6x2, 6x4, 8x2
and 8x4 models, powered by the eight-litre
engine with outputs of 186 kW (250 hp) or
210 kW (280 hp) – these being, in typical
Indian fashion, somewhat lower than power
levels offered in other markets. The range
is equipped with a nine-speed direct-drive
transmission, and is available with an option
of single or hub-reduction drive axles, and low-
or high-roof sleeper cabs.
In our view, the Quester range is of
particular significance to the future success
of UD Trucks outside of its domestic
Japanese market. The decision to base
primary manufacture of this product in
Thailand is noteworthy, and a departure from
normal UD practice. This move was clearly
intended to provide viable competition to
emerging truck manufacturers in various
Asian countries, and it will be very interesting
to see how Quester fits into the extremely
important global relationship between the
Volvo Group and Dongfeng that we covered
last month.
As the Quester range is developed, we
would expect to see increasing levels of power
and sophistication being introduced as the
targeted emerging markets move closer
to First World standards of environmental
protection, and operators demand higher levels
of comfort, connectivity and performance.
vOLvO eICHer rAnGe eXPAnSIOn
In addition to the Quester-based Pro 8000
range, Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles
(VECV) Limited, the joint venture between
Eicher Motors Limited and the Volvo
Group, has announced further additions to
its domestic Indian product range, which
are scheduled to appear during the 2015
calendar year.
These include additions to the Eicher
Pro 1000 Series, which participates in the
five to 14 t GVM category. It carries what
appears to be a heavily facelifted version of
the Mitsubishi Canter-derived cab inherited
from Eicher’s earlier cooperation with that
Japanese manufacturer (see table at the
end), the ten to 15 t gross vehicle mass
(GVM) Pro 3000 Series, and the 16 to 40 t
GVM/GCM Pro 6000 Series. Both of these
use cab designs derived from UD Trucks’
mid-range vehicles currently sold in the South
African market.
The new VECV Pro 1000 Series model has
a 14 t GVM rating, and is powered by Eicher’s
3,3-litre E483 engine, which is built at the new
Volvo Eicher Powertrain Pithampur plant, but
still retains a mechanical fuel injection system.
The 10,5 t addition to the Pro 3000 Series
line-up, on the other hand, utilises the new
3,8-litre E494 power unit, developed from the
four-cylinder E483 design, but incorporating
electronic engine management and with
available outputs ranging from 90 to 112 kW
(120 to 150 hp).
In the heavier Pro 6000 Series, additional
25 t GVM 6x2 haulage and 6x4 tipper
models are in the offing. These will use
Volvo Eicher’s four-cylinder, five-litre VEDX5,
or six-cylinder, eight-litre VEDX8 engines, both
employing electronically controlled common-
rail fuel injection systems, and offering Bharat
Stage III (Euro-3 equivalent) outputs of up to
150 kW (200 hp).
Eicher’s use of four-cylinder engines in
vehicles up to 25 t GVM is noteworthy, and
reinforces our opinion that smaller and lower-
powered engines are the norm in India, in
comparison to those generally accepted in
other markets. The Pro 6000 series also
incorporates the fuel coaching and cruise
control features that are available in the
Pro 8000 (Quester-derived) Series models.
VECV has also launched a new lightweight
bus model carrying Skyline Pro branding,
under the designation 10.90 L. This fully
built bus complies with the AIS school bus
body norms that came into force in India on
April 1, 2015, and is built at the joint-venture
company’s Pithampur plant.
It has a wheelbase of 5 165 mm, seats
39 passengers, and measures slightly more
than 9,3 m in overall length. It is equipped
with parabolic suspension and radial tyres,
and is offered with Eicher’s E483 engine in
compressed natural gas or diesel-fuelled
forms with outputs of 62 kW (83 hp) and
70 kW (94 hp), respectively. There can be
no doubt that the name Eicher is to feature
prominently in the Volvo Group’s activities
going forward.
In the meantime, parent company Eicher
Motors Limited’s longer-term plans include
extending its market coverage to the light
commercial category, below three tonne
GVM, with a range of vehicles developed in
a joint venture with American manufacturer
Polaris Industries.
This will include a double-cab micro pickup
and a multi-purpose van, suitable for both
on- and off-road use, and powered by a
600 cm³ diesel engine manufactured by
Greaves Cotton Limited in Mumbai.
The joint venture, Eicher Polaris Pvt
Limited, will operate out of a new facility
in Jaipur scheduled to come on stream
in May 2015, with an eventual planned
capacity of 100 000 units per annum. This
range is intended for “last mile distribution”
duties within India’s developing hub and
spoke logistics scenario, and is expected to
compete with Tata’s Ace and Mahindra &
Mahindra’s Maxximo Plus models.
GeT YOUr (BIG) TOnKA TOY FrOM
FOrD!
Most of us played with toy vehicles when we
were children. I am sure that the big red and
green metal van with opening rear doors »
74 |FOCUS| May 2015
GLOBALFOCUS
that I pushed around in pre-school days was
at least partly responsible for my ultimate
choice of a career in the commercial vehicle
industry, as were the long-suffering Dinky
Toys that followed, despite being subject
to my messy efforts with enamel paint to
recreate the trucks and buses that passed
regularly in front of our Bluff, Durban, house
in the very early 1960s.
Most of these models were based on
real-world prototypes, at least when they
were initially purchased, no matter what
modifications they may have been subjected
to later in life.
Many readers will remember Tonka Toys
as big yellow metal or plastic reproductions of
construction vehicles and earthmoving plant.
No doubt many were put to work reshaping
back-yard gardens, possibly to the detriment
of parents’ prized flowerbeds. The combination
of one of these and a pile of building sand
would have provided endless hours of fun to
any budding civil engineer.
Recognising the wealth of nostalgia
potentially attached by its customers to
Tonka Toys, and its potential benefit to their
marketing efforts, the Ford Motor Company
in North America created its own full-size
Tonka Toy dump truck, in collaboration with
Funrise Toy Corporation, present owners of
the Tonka brand, for display at the National
Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck
Show held in Indianapolis early in March.
Built on Ford’s all-new 2016 F-750
platform, the Tonka truck was painted in
signature Tonka yellow with black nostril
grille, and fitted with a fully functional dumper
body by Truck Tech Engineers. The F750 is
rated at 15 t GVM, suitable for a payload of
approximately 7,7 t, and is powered by Ford’s
6,7-litre Power Stroke V8 diesel engine
developing up to 246 kW (330 hp), driving
through a TorqShift HD six-speed automatic
transmission. This unique Tonka-branded
vehicle is intended for display at numerous
other work truck, commercial and vocational
trade shows in North America throughout
2015.
The F-750 Tonka is not the only
creation linking Ford products and Tonka
Toys. Tuscany Motor Company, a custom
truck shop based in Elkhart, Indiana, first
built a small run of Tonka F-150 pickup
conversions in 2013, and followed up with a
similar version of the new aluminium-bodied
F-150 the following year. This conversion,
officially licensed by Ford, is based on the
F-150 Lariat derivative, powered by a
5,0-litre V8 engine, and features a six-inch
body lift, 20-inch alloy wheels, Quiet Tone
exhaust, chunky bumpers, side cladding, step
bars, and redesigned Tonka-logo tailgate.
There’s also a bonnet with prominent ram-
air intakes. The Tonka F-150 is available in
any colour as long as it is yellow! Only 500 of
these conversions will be built.
Just the thing for some lucky dad’s 2015
Christmas stocking!
MerCeDeS-BenZ InTenSIFIeS
ATTACK On US vAn MArKeT
This column has devoted considerable
attention, over a number of years, to the
migration of European integral vans across
the Atlantic to become a substantial force in
the North American market. Recently, much
of our focus has rested on the Fiat Chrysler
family, which has translated the Fiat Ducato
into the Ram ProMaster to suit American
tastes as a “purpose-built, full-size van”.
However, the movement was initiated
by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which
was introduced to the American market
as early as 2001, and has subsequently
also been marketed with Dodge (during
the DaimlerChrysler era) and Freightliner
branding. Up until now, assembly of knocked-
down Sprinter component kits imported from
Germany has been carried out in Charleston,
South Carolina, to supply local demand for
van, bus and chassis/cab models. However,
this solution necessitated the payment of
substantial import duties, and a more cost-
effective strategy was clearly a Mercedes-
Benz priority.
Early in March, parent company
Daimler Trucks announced that a new
van manufacturing plant, incorporating
an assembly line, body shop and paint
shop, was to be erected in Charleston
to build the next generation Sprinter. The
plant will require an investment of some
US$ 500 million (R6 billion), create 1 300
additional job opportunities, and cover a
total area of more than 800 000 m².
This will allow the manufacturer to improve
the economics of its North American van
business, and shorten delivery times.
Globally, more than 2,8 million Sprinters
have been sold since its initial introduction
in 1995, and in 2014, the United States
(US) was Mercedes-Benz’s second largest
Volvo Eicher’s new Pro series shows definite signs of kinship with some familiar UD models.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 75
GLOBALFOCUS
individual market for this product after
Germany, with around 26 000 units delivered.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz
announced the launch of a further midsize
van model into the US market. Dubbed
Metris, this is a dedicated version of the
European Vito range, tailored to suit local
market requirements and preferences.
Powered by a 155 kW (211 hp), 1,9-litre
four-cylinder M274 petrol engine, the Metris
is to be made available in cargo van and
passenger versions, and is equipped with
airbags, a seatbelt warning system, tyre
pressure monitoring system, and Crosswind
Assist. The Metris launch took place at the
NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
UK TrUCK MArKeT TAKeS A DUMP
In 2014
When the final 2014 results for the UK’s
truck and van market over 3,5 t GVM were
released, it was noted that sales volumes
had taken a massive 26,2 percent drop when
compared to the previous year’s outcome.
The absolute total annual volumes for 2014
and 2013 were 41 469 units and 56 218
units respectively.
This was in stark contrast to our own
South African market, where positive market
growth of slightly more than two percent had
been experienced in the same year-on-year
comparison. Year-on-year comparisons for
all of the constituent UK market segments
revealed varying degrees of contraction, with
the notable exception being the four-axle
rigid truck category with GVM ratings above
15,1 t, where positive year-on-year growth of
4,6 percent was returned.
In the overall market, DAF retained its
leadership position, albeit with a reduced
market penetration of 20,8 percent, after
having achieved 25 percent market share in
2013, while Mercedes-Benz occupied second
position, having increased its penetration
level from 18,3 percent in 2013 to
20,2 percent in 2014.
The two market leaders were followed
by Scania (11,5 percent vs 12,2 percent),
Volvo (9,8 percent vs 9,8 percent),
MAN (8,2 percent vs 8,8 percent), Iveco
(7,9 percent vs 7,5 percent) and Renault
Trucks (4,9 percent vs 4,5 percent), with
all ratios reflecting the 2014 and 2013
outcomes, respectively. The market leaders
in each of the segments, together with
the comparison of their 2014 and 2013
segment share performances, are reflected
in the table below. |FOCUS
Global FOCUS is a monthly update of international news relating to the commercial vehicle industry. It is compiled exclusively for FOCUS by Frank Beeton of Econometrix. Do you have a comment or thought you would like to share based on this column? Visit www.focusontransport.co.za and have your say.
Market Segment Leading Supplier Segment Share 2014 vs 2013
Vans 3,5 t – 7 t GVM Mercedes-Benz 25,3 percent vs 19,9 percent
2-axle Rigid Trucks 7,4 t – 7,5 t GVM DAF 28,2 percent vs 39,1 percent
2-axle Rigid Trucks 7,5 t – 12 t GVM DAF 49,3 percent vs 53,2 percent
2-axle Rigid Trucks 12 t – 15 t GVM DAF 64,9 percent vs 58,4 percent
2-axle Rigid Trucks over 15 t GVM DAF 45,1 percent vs 40,2 percent
3-axle 6x2 Rigid Trucks over 15 t GVM
DAF 23,0 percent vs 24,9 percent
3-axle 6x4/6x6 Rigid Trucks over 15 t GVM
Mercedes-Benz 34,1 percent vs 23,7 percent
4-axle Rigid Trucks over 15 t GVM Scania 28,9 percent vs 29,8 percent
2-axle Truck Tractors over 32 t GCM
Mercedes-Benz 31,5 percent vs 23,4 percent
3-axle Truck Tractors over 32 t GCM
Mercedes-Benz 24,5 percent vs 19,9 percent
Ford’s full-size Tonka Toy is intended to stir memories of boyhood backyard civil engineering.
76 |FOCUS| May 2015
HAULSSHOrT
DeALInG WITH CHAnGe In THe SUPPLY CHAInBarloworld Logistics has released its 12th annual supplychainforesight
report, and the outcome is that most organisations are poorly equipped
to anticipate major market shifts and adapt accordingly. Only 42 percent
of respondents said their organisations are constantly in touch with
anticipated shifts in the market and predicting game-changing trends.
“One of the most important findings was an impending shortage of
leadership, visionary and change management skills within organisations,”
explains Kate Stubbs, executive: marketing and communications at
Barloworld Logistics.
The report surveyed over 370 professionals representing companies
across South Africa, with more than two thirds of the respondents holding
a director-level position.
“While in all the previous supplychainforesight surveys the lack or
shortage of skills has been viewed as a major business constraint, it is the
first time that a lack of necessary leadership and visionary skills has been
identified as a skills gap at managerial level,” said Stubbs.
The top-ranking strategic business objective this year is identifying
and managing change. Growth and expansion into new markets ranked
second, as opportunities in Africa and abroad become potentially more
lucrative and diversification becomes more of a priority.
The cost of doing business is the top ranked constraint by respondents,
up from second place in last year’s survey.
Supply chain objectives over the next five to ten years ranked
improvement of service levels foremost with integration of technology,
improving the flow of business intelligence, lowering procurement costs,
and reducing order lead times following.
According to Stubbs, seven out of the top ten ranked supply
chain challenges relate to people. “Visionary leadership and change-
management skills will be key to navigating and succeeding in a dynamic
business environment in the coming years,” she concludes.
BAKKIe WITH A THree-POInTeD STArEver wished Mercedes-Benz would build a bakkie? Well,
that wish is soon to come true! In collaboration with the
Renault-Nissan Alliance, Daimler AG will enter into the one-
tonne pickup arena.
While the new vehicle shares some of architecture with
the all-new Nissan NP300 and a similar Renault model,
Mercedes-Benz has engineered and designed its version
to meet the specific needs of its customers.
Mercedes-Benz says it will feature a double cab and will
be aimed both at personal-use and commercial customers.
The best news, though, is that South Africa is one of its
primary target markets.
“Entering the rapidly growing segment of midsize
pickups is an important step in continuing our global
growth path. Thanks to our well-established partnership
with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, we are able to drastically
reduce the time and cost to enter this key segment,” says
Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of
Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
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Amarok 148x105.indd 1 2015/04/14 7:24 AM
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May 2015 |FOCUS| 77
SHOrTHAULS
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Improve driver behaviour
Reduce fuel consumption
Enhance efficiency and service levels
For more information, visit www.mixtelematics.co.za
Currently, MiX Telematics monitors over 500,000 vehi-cles – including trucks, buses and trailers – and records in excess of 800-million kilometres per month.
With that kind of power linked to your mobile assets, you too could benefit from optimised driver and vehicle management.
Partner with a true global leader
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78 |FOCUS| May 2015
SHOrTHAULS
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rOUGHer, TOUGHer rAnGerFord’s new Ranger has been unveiled, and it’s even bolder and packed
with more tech than before. Designed to take on more than 180 world
markets, the new Ranger will be launched in South Africa towards the
end of the year.
The most noticeable aspect of the refreshed package is the
redesigned front end. This is combined with a refreshed, modernised
interior that includes a central eight-inch (20 cm) touchscreen and a new
dual-TFT instrument cluster.
An array of driver-assist technologies is offered, including Lane
Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid; Adaptive Cruise Control with
Forward Alert; Front and Rear Park Assist and a Driver Impairment
Monitor.
The 2,2 and 3,2-litre diesel, as well as the 2,5-litre petrol, engines are
retained; with minor revisions to aid fuel efficiency and refinement by up
to 22 percent.
“When we set out to improve the Ford Ranger, we knew we had
our work cut out for us: the current Ranger is one of the toughest,
most capable trucks out there,” says Richard Tilley, vehicle line
director, Ford Asia Pacific. “But, thanks to our proud truck heritage
and global expertise in the utility segment, we’ve made what was
great even better, with a bold new look, improved efficiency and a new
level of refinement.”
BMW In On Cv ACTIOn, TOO?It may be renowned for its driver-focused
sports cars and executive sedans, maybe even
for its motorcycles, but BMW is entering into
a partnership with logistics company Schrem
Group to deploy a 40-t pure-electric truck onto
the streets of Munich.
The truck will be used for just-in-time
material transport between the Schrem Group
and the BMW Group Plant in Munich, covering
a distance of almost two kilometres each way,
eight times a day.
“After a long search, we have found an
electro-mobility solution for the transport
sector,” explains Rainer Zoellner, “e-truck”
project manager at Schrem Group. “We are
certain to gain valuable experience with the
BMW Group from this pilot project.”
The electric truck is quiet and generates
virtually no particulate emissions. It will generate
11,8 t less CO2 per year compared to a diesel-
engined truck – the equivalent of a BMW 320d
Efficient Dynamics driving almost three times
around the world.
“This pure electric truck signals that we are
constantly working on innovative solutions and
tackling logistics challenges,” says Hermann
Bohrer, director of BMW Group Plant Munich.
Could this be the beginning of a modern line
of BMW commercial vehicles?
??????????????
May 2015 |FOCUS| 79
All aboard the green bus.The new Euro 5 engine comes with greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
The City of George is the first to introduce a variety of Mercedes-Benz buses with the new Euro 5 engine – and it’s easy to see why. Not only does the state-of-the-art engine deliver a smoother ride, it’s also designed to make the most out of fuel, allowing it to be more affordable while lowering the emissions released by them. There are also safety features that include a self-diagnosis system and emergency engine protection to help ensure you always keep your fleet moving forward. So now cities can enjoy cleaner, healthier air.
Call 0861 133 355 or visit www.mercedes-benz.co.za/bus for more information.
MBSA
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7/BUS
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aim
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2067 MBSA George Bus Adv WIP2.indd 1 2015/04/14 2:45 PM
80 |FOCUS| May 2015
BUS AnDCOACH
many of the challenges that
South Africa’s bus industry
faces were highlighted
in last month’s report
back on this year’s Southern African Bus
Operators Association (Saboa) conference
and exhibition, with short-term service
contracts and funding problems being the
biggest culprits …
MD of Buscor, Norah Fakude, said it best:
“The longest contract we’ve had since 2007
was 12 months. You can’t even finance a
small car over that period, let alone a bus,
yet we are expected to provide service. I don’t
think our input is taken seriously. If it were,
we would be given the comfort of longer-term
contracts.”
She added: “Where do we get money
to even maintain what we have? There
is demand for extended services, but
the subsidies don’t cover that. They are
based on the kilometres we have signed
for. Government doesn’t understand what
operators are going through.”
Yet criticism arises quickly and fingers
are pointed when accidents happen. “Half of
the world’s road traffic deaths occur among
motorcyclists (23 percent), pedestrians (22
percent) and cyclists (five percent) – thus
“vulnerable road users” – with 31 percent
of deaths among car occupants and the
remaining 19 percent among unspecified
road users,” said Carina Gauché during her
presentation at this year’s event entitled:
Establishing a Driver Training Academy for
the Bus Industry.
Gauché is the organisational development
manager at the Larimar Group, a diversified
group of companies with interests in the
passenger transport, freight transport,
vehicle manufacturing, vehicle retail,
engineering, manufacturing, financial services
and property sectors.
So the bus industry isn’t the biggest
culprit when it comes to these horrifying
accident figures. “According to the World
Health Organisation, road-traffic injuries
caused an estimated 1,24 million deaths
worldwide in the year 2010, slightly down
from 1,26 million in 2000,” Gauché related.
“That means one person is killed every
25 seconds. Only 28 countries, representing
seven percent of the world’s population,
have adequate laws that address all five risk
factors (speed, drink–driving, helmets, seat-
belts and child restraints).”
She continued: “Over a third of road traffic
deaths in low- and middle-income countries
are among pedestrians and cyclists.
However, less than 35 percent of low- and
“woman killed, ten hurt in n1 bus crash” and “dad, daughters die in johannesburg crash”
– headlines like these add to the horrifying death toll figures on south african roads.
we take a look at how training within the bus industry can help to tackle this blight
tackling road deaths through
trAining?
May 2015 |FOCUS| 81
BUS AnDCOACH
middle-income countries have policies in
place to protect these road users.
“Middle-income countries have the
highest annual road traffic fatality rates,
at 20,1 per 100 000, while the rate in
high-income countries is lowest, at 8,7 per
100 000.”
Gauché added that 80 percent of
road-traffic deaths occur in middle-
income countries, which account for 72
percent of the world’s population, but only
52 percent of the world’s registered vehicles.
“This indicates that these countries bear a
disproportionately high burden of road-traffic
deaths relative to their level of motorisation,”
she emphasised.
“There are large disparities in road-traffic
death rates between regions. The risk of
dying as a result of a road-traffic injury
is highest in the African region (24,1 per
100 000 population), and lowest in the
European region (10,3 per 100 000).”
The South African figures are devastating,
as our country has 31,9 road fatalities per
100 000 inhabitants per year. When you
look at road fatalities per 100 000 motor
vehicles, this number rises to 156,4.
She said that Rob Handfield-Jones, MD
of www.driving.co.za, ascribes South Africa’s
high death toll to the failure of government to
provide road safety leadership. “People only
drive as badly as their governments allow
them to. In countries such as the United
States and the United Kingdom, it is socially
unacceptable to be a bad driver. Government
road safety systems in these countries are
aimed at improving competence. South
Africa, he believed, was the opposite.”
Handfield-Jones also said that as long as
the key priority of law enforcers is revenue
generation, rather than safety, South Africa’s
road deaths will continue to mount. It added
that licensing is a corrupt mess with probably
half of all licences being issued fraudulently.
“This creates a culture of bribery among
drivers who forget that, when it comes to
driving, a fake licence acquired by bribery can
be deadly.”
Gauché added that Transport Minister
Dipuo Peters has said: “Bribing traffic officers
contributes to the lawlessness on South
Africa’s roads. We are appealing to the moral
conscience of our society. You contribute,
through bribery, to allowing vehicles, that are
supposed to transport people, to become
weapons. You also contribute to allowing
people to become murderers.”
Gauché looked at some of Australia’s
initiatives (the country has 7,6 road fatalities
per 100 000 motor vehicles) as examples of
what we can do to change these behaviours.
“Since record keeping commenced in 1925,
there have been over 180 000 deaths on
Australia’s roads,” she pointed out.
“However, road trauma levels have
declined substantially over the last four
decades, despite considerable population
growth and a threefold increase in registered
motor vehicles. During this period, the
number of road deaths per year has fallen
from 3 798 in 1970 to 1 153 in 2014.”
She continued: “Australia embarked
on various road safety programmes. For
example: from October 1, 2014, anyone
losing their licence due to drunk driving will
have an alcohol interlock fitted to any vehicle
they drive.”
The Transport Accident Commission
(TAC) – a Victorian government-owned
organisation set up to pay for treatment
and benefits for people injured in transport
accidents, promote road safety and improve
Victoria’s trauma system – also runs
various awareness campaigns focusing on
problematic driving behaviour.
“The footage used in these awareness
campaigns is vivid and whenever crashes
caused by the various behaviours/aspects
increase, these short movies are aired on
TV,” Gauché related. “Short movies are
aired regularly to act as reminders and
have a direct impact on reducing wrong
behaviours among motorists, cyclists and
pedestrians.”
She added: “Putco used some of these
short movies a while ago in an accident
awareness campaign. The number of crashes
at one of its depots decreased notably. In
order to remain effective, these short movies
need to be aired regularly and content should
be updated frequently.”
A driver training academy, within the bus
industry, could make a world of difference.
“Training is defined as teaching, or developing,
in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge
that relate to specific useful competencies,”
Gauché emphasised.
“Training has specific goals of improving
one’s capability, capacity, productivity and
performance. In addition to the basic training
required for a trade, occupation or profession,
observers of the labour market recognise
the need to continue training beyond initial
qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update
skills throughout working life,” she added.
Internationally accredited training
academies also hold various benefits:
“Training is standardised across provinces
and we can work towards a nationally
accredited and accepted driver training
standard,” said Gauché. “When a driver
applicant presents a certificate from an
accredited training academy, the employer
will know that it is of a good standard and
quality.”
Such institutions would also allow the
industry to learn from other companies, and
even countries, which methods work most
effectively in training of drivers. “Considering
the accident statistics across the various
countries, we definitely need to consider
South African drivers’ attitudes and
typical driving behaviour when presenting
training.” |FOCUS
trAining?
82 |FOCUS| May 2015
GLOBALBUS
regular readers will be well
aware of our often-stated
opinion that the public
transport environment is
the ideal place to apply alternative driveline
technology. Buses, trams and light railways
work on fixed routes, usually through urban
or well-populated areas, where technical
support of the vehicles and regular monitoring
of the advancing technology is relatively easy
to accomplish and any emerging snags can
be swiftly dealt with.
Try doing that with trucks or coaches
running off to distant destinations every other
day or week!
Inevitably, much of the new technology
is first put to work in locations close to
the manufacturers’ home base. Volvo, for
instance, is testing the inductive charging
technique – probably the most advanced
form of battery replenishment yet proposed
– in its home town of Gothenburg, Sweden,
for exactly the reasons mentioned.
However, once any new technology
direction has been proved to be viable, it
needs to be applied farther afield, to establish
and grow consumer confidence. This
imperative makes the recent news that the
public transport authority in Stockholm has
commenced in-service operations with eight
Volvo electric hybrids, on its route 73, very
meaningful.
Route 73 is slightly more than eight
kilometres in length, which is significant. The
operating range of Volvo’s 7900 Electric
Hybrid on lithium battery power alone is
seven kilometres, which means that these
vehicles need to use their on-board diesel
engines on every trip. This makes it a “real
world” operational situation, and not one
tailored to suit the limitations of the available
technology.
To minimise emissions, these engines are
fuelled with biodiesel, and when the buses
reach the termini at each end of the route,
they use their roof-mounted collectors to
connect with Siemens 300 kW overhead
power rails for a six- to ten-minute battery
recharge.
So, during the course of each trip, the
vehicle will fully exhaust its batteries, bring in
its on-board engine to complete the task, and
deploy its charging equipment, providing a
thorough test of all these systems.
This project is part of the Zero Emission
Urban Bus System programme that is
co-financed by the European Union, and
is to be supported by Volvo, electricity
authority Vattenfall, Siemens and several
other partners over two years. After this,
the buses, which are now the only vehicles
operating this particular service, will be
expected to continue as part of regular
operations.
Route 73 runs through central Stockholm
from Ropsten to Tomteboda/Karolinska, so
the emission-free and quiet (65 dB) operation
of these vehicles under battery power should
be greatly appreciated. |FOCUS
FRANK BEETON reports on important on-the-job testing being undertaken by Volvo
electric hybrids clean up stockholm
voLvo
This makes it a “real world” operational situation, and not one tailored to suit
the limitations of the available technology.
May 2015 |FOCUS| 83
STOPSBUS
MYCITI PHASe 2 A GO!Cape Town’s MyCiTi integrated rapid transit
(IRT) system is on the expansion trail – with
development, and soon construction, of
Phase 2 underway. Phase 2 of the system will
service communities across the south east with
a network of multiple corridors with main and
feeder routes.
Phase 2A – the Lansdowne-Wetton Corridor,
which will connect Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain
with Claremont and Wynberg – is expected to
begin operating by 2020, at a cost of more than
R4 billion.
These routes operate along roads that
are heavily congested during peak times, and
it is hoped that the corridor will bring a high-
quality, efficient, scheduled public transport
service to more than 1,4 million people in 35
communities.
As with Phase 1 of the MyCiTi IRT network,
the Phase 2A corridor will include cycle paths,
pedestrian footpaths, road and signalling
upgrades, signage and way-finding, good lighting,
public art, street furniture and attractive
landscaping.
“Together these features will transform the
urban landscape and improve the quality of daily
transport for many residents, while making local
areas safer,” notes the City.
LeAP InTO THe FUTUre
Commuter travel through a city should be practical, but who
says it can’t be luxurious? Leap, an American start-up in San
Francisco, holds this very sentiment.
“Urban transportation is an area of extreme impact that
still desperately needs fresh ideas,” says Scott Banister, an
early investor in Leap.
Thus, the company has designed five buses to include
amenities such as comfortable seats; healthy, organic
food and drinks that can be ordered via the company’s
smartphone app and brought to you by a waiter; USB ports;
and WiFi.
All the buses are fuelled by natural gas, meaning that,
while they are kind to their passengers, they are also kind
to the environment. Passengers can also track buses via
the Leap app and, when boarding, check in automatically via
Bluetooth.
“During peak hours, it can be difficult to find a seat on
public transport, and private car services are expensive and
increasingly unpredictable. So we decided to go back to the
drawing board and create a service that helps you start the
day feeling comfortable and relaxed, instead of anxious and
stressed out,” says Kyle Kirchho, founder and CEO of Leap.
The buses feature three unique seating areas, including
a social area, spacious front-facing seats for reading and a
laptop bar for getting a jump start on work.
Currently the service only runs one 25-minute express
route through the city at peak morning and afternoon times.
The cost of this luxury is US$ 6 (R71) for a single trip, as
opposed to US$ 2,25 (R26,67) for normal buses.
84 |FOCUS| May 2015
VIC’SVIEW
HOPPInGOFF
it’s good to see that Go!George has
at last come on stream. Its website
shows that a rudimentary service
has been introduced on a three-route
“network”. The service runs seven days a
week, starting at 06:00 and continuing until
23:00. Considering the problems that have
been experienced, including at least one taxi-
related killing, this is a reasonable start.
It needs to expand quickly, however,
including routes to Knysna, Oudtshoorn and
Mossel Bay, as originally planned. (We need
to roll out the concept all over the country.) It’s
also good to see that the headway has been
improved from 60 to 30 minutes at certain
times. Between one town and another 60
minutes may be OK, but ten to 15 minutes is
essential for urban areas.
So, good luck George – as I pointed out way
back in November 2013, you must succeed.
Which brings us to the Gautrain – another
“solution” to public transport problems which,
unlike George, has had five years to prove
its worth, but its performance so far can
only be described as dismal. It has become
an international case study in how not to
improve public transport. What must be
done?
Before we try to answer that question, let’s
go back 13 years, to an exchange of views
between Romano del Mistro, then a professor
of civil engineering at the University of Pretoria,
and the long-serving Jack van der Merwe, then
promoter-in-chief of the Gautrain and currently
head of the Gautrain Management Authority
(GMA).
Van der Merwe has also chaired the
committee responsible for the Gauteng 25-year
integrated transport plan (the bus component
of this plan was recently criticised in the March
Hopping Off column).
In the July 2002 issue of Civil Engineering,
the magazine of the South African Institute
of Civil Engineers, Del Mistro queried several
aspects of the Gautrain. Space allows us to
consider only two of the professor’s concerns:
first, the promised capacity; second, whether
the civil engineering profession was merely
collecting fees for doing construction projects,
instead of doing things that would produce real
value for money and which would serve the
entire community.
Predictably, on both counts, Van der Merwe
disagreed with Del Mistro. He said: “The
capacity of the Gautrain system, as currently
specified, is 48 000 passengers per hour and
can increase to 72 000 passengers per hour if
the headway is reduced to three minutes from
ten minutes”.
That was before financial and time
constraints forced the project to settle for
a single-track tunnel between Sandton and
Johannesburg Park Station. This has limited
the train’s capacity on that section to less than
20 000 passengers per hour (assuming
packed eight-coach trains in both directions).
Currently the service runs every 12 minutes
(nowhere close to three minutes). So much
then for “as currently specified”.
Van der Merwe’s response to Del Mistro’s
second point was similarly dismissive: “It is a
sad day for the engineering profession in our
country if a professor of civil engineering implies
that civil engineers (…) are interested only in
consultancy fees and engineering work”.
The latest judgment of the Supreme Court
of Appeal on the South African National Roads
Agency Limited (Sanral) issue in Cape Town
underscores just how “sad” the situation
has become. As Dave Marrs, a Cape Town
journalist puts it: “We were way too complacent
all those years ago when Sanral was cooking up
its urban toll plans”.
Let’s not be too hard on civil engineers
only, though, as several other “professions”
– including accountants, economists, lawyers,
sociologists and town planners – must also
share responsibility for the existing mess in
public transport.
So, if George must succeed, what is to be
done with the Gautrain? Here are some ideas.
First, dissolve the Gautrain Management
Agency and incorporate it into the Passenger
Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). Neither of
these two organisations has much of a track
(sorry!) record, so we may as well have one
layer of management to run the whole show.
Then, charge a fare based on Metroplus
Express class plus 50 percent. The resulting
increase in demand will require some Gautrain
coaches to have all their seats removed. That
shouldn’t be a problem though – a recent
complaint on the Hellopeter website referred
to passengers being “squashed like potatoes”
in any event.
Then get the feeder buses to do some real
work. Start with some of the 164 routes in the
25-year plan. |FOCUS
Let’s talk about two “Gs” this month. They are Go!George and the Gautrain. Both of them have crucial
implications for public transport in South Africa
the story of the two
“gs”
Vaughan Mostert developed a love for public transport early in life, which led to a lifelong academic interest in the subject. He recently retired as a senior lecturer from the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Johannesburg. Through Hopping Off, Mostert leaves readers with some parting food for thought as he continues his push for change in the local public transport industry.
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May 2015 |FOCUS| 85
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