Focus October 2014

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On TranspOrT and LOgisTicsfocusontransport.co.za

Our crystal ball on the global truck market

Are we putting the “Integrated” into IRPTN?

Continuing the trailer conversation in 3D

Ford and Fuso unleash new models

has your backUd TrUcKs

www.focusontransport.co.za

??????????

b |FOCUS| October 2014

W W W . I V E C O . C O . Z A

N E W I V E C O P L A N T I N G A U T E N G

Iveco South Afr ica and Lar imar Group wi l l soon inaugurate their new manufac tur ing fac i l i ty :

Iveco South Africa Works

This s i te wi l l assemble medium, heavy and extra-heavy duty commercia l vehic les as wel l as front engine and low f loor c i ty buses .

The new “Born in South Afr ica” logo marks th is impor tant occas ion. A ’s t amp of authent ic i ty ’ , the logo cer t i f ies the qual i ty of these loca l ly assembled Iveco commercia l vehic les by a South Afr ican workforce . Vehic les with the “Born in South Afr ica” logo are ta i lored for Afr ica’s

var ied terra in and chal lenging condit ions .

??????????????

October 2014 |FOCUS| 1


N E W I V E C O P L A N T I N G A U T E N G

Iveco South Afr ica and Lar imar Group wi l l soon inaugurate their new manufac tur ing fac i l i ty :

Iveco South Africa Works

This s i te wi l l assemble medium, heavy and extra-heavy duty commercia l vehic les as wel l as front engine and low f loor c i ty buses .

The new “Born in South Afr ica” logo marks th is impor tant occas ion. A ’s t amp of authent ic i ty ’ , the logo cer t i f ies the qual i ty of these loca l ly assembled Iveco commercia l vehic les by a South Afr ican workforce . Vehic les with the “Born in South Afr ica” logo are ta i lored for Afr ica’s

var ied terra in and chal lenging condit ions .

www.iveco.co.za

??????????

2 |FOCUS| October 2014

We know it takes a lot more than wheels and a chassis to keep things moving forward.

It takes a clear understanding of how your business operates. It takes expertly trained

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Hino prides itself on delivering cost-effectiveness and operational effi ciency. It’s why

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cOnTenTs

16

40

66

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2014m e d i a g l o b a lC H A R M O N T

On TranspOrT and LOgisTics

UD Trucks believes the level of service it provides to customers is what makes it stand out in the highly competitive southern African truck market. Find all the details on page 9.

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: [email protected]

ASSISTAnT EDITORGavin Myers

Cell: 072 877 1605 email: [email protected]

SUB-EDITORJeanette Lamont


JOURnALISTSJaco de Klerk


Claire RenckenCell: 082 559 8417

email: [email protected]

InDUSTRY CORRESPOnDEnTFrank Beeton

Tel: 011 483 1421Cell: 082 602 1004


TECHnICAL CORRESPOnDEnTVic Oliver


PUBLISHERTina Monteiro


ADvERTISInG SALESMargaret PhillipsonCell: 083 263 0451


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CIRCULATIOn MAnAGERBev Rogers


DESIGn AnD LAYOUTNelio da Silva


PRInTInGCamera Press

© Copyright. No articles or photographs may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from

the editor.

4 Steering Column

6 Wheel Nut

8 Vic’s View

52 Global FOCUS

60 Short Hauls

62 Subscription form

64 Naamsa figures

65 FOCUS on Bus and Coach

72 Hopping off

REGULARS

12 DIGITALLY SPEAKInGDigital technologies are changing the ways in which we move around cities, towns and countries. FOCUS speaks to a couple of specialists in the field about some of the latest offerings out there.

16 BIRD’S EYE vIEW OF TRAILERSThe South African trailer industry has a lot to talk about at the moment. FOCUS continues the conversation with some of the country’s top trailer manufacturers.

30 MAKInG FMCG MOvE FASTERSuccess in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment is sensitive to issues such as order size and frequency, traffic congestion and vehicle use. We explore an innovative modelling technique that could turn these hurdles into measurable gains.

40 A MEGA COMPAnY’S MEGA COMMITMEnTManline Mega has made history! It is the first South African company dedicated to the transport of abnormal loads to have earned Road Transport Management System (RTMS) accreditation!

48 TRAIn-InG FOR TOMORROWWhile Africa focuses on getting its rail transport back on track, the developed world is looking at ticketless travel, automated freight transport, maintenance drones and faster driverless trains by 2050.

68 WARnInG SIGnSThe recent Southern African Transport Conference brought to light a number of interesting research papers, including how working with minibus taxi operators and delivering public transport systems could be done better.

OCTOBER

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Charleen Clarke

passion oozes out of his pores.

That’s probably the best way

to describe Scania’s Shein

September. He used to be

responsible for driver training within the

company; now he’s in charge of service sales.

September is, however, not one to limit his

activities to his formal areas of responsibility;

he gets involved in all sorts of stuff. Mention

road safety, for instance, and you won’t get

him to shut up for hours. That’s because

he is truly passionate about road safety.

As such, he’s involved in lots of road safety

initiatives …

Well, it turns out that September is also

passionate about the environment. This

passion led him to wonder all about the waste

from packaging material that is generated

at Scania.

Components, cabs and kits all arrive from

Sweden in robust crates, which are discarded

once they have been emptied. “They can,

of course, go for recycling … but I thought

that, possibly, these crates could be better

utilised,” September tells FOCUS.

Being a rather ingenious fellow, he

wondered if it wasn’t perhaps possible to

use this packaging material to alleviate one

of this country’s greatest challenges: a dire

shortage of housing.

September is neither a trained builder nor

a professional architect, but this didn’t deter

him. “I drew a plan in my notebook, then I

bought a 100-litre compressor, a nail gun, a

circular saw, hammers … all the tools I needed.

I hired one of my colleagues, Nepo Seboko, to

work with me over weekends – because he’s

a qualified builder. And we set out to build a

house!” he explains with a big grin.

That was four months ago. (September

had to check his golf diary to work out how

long he’s been in the house-building business

– and it’s been four months since he played

a round.)

Now he’s built his first house!

Understandably, he’s just like a proud parent.

“The bulk of the house was built using the

lids of the crates. The wood is really good!

It’s obviously been treated; the crates live at

sea for six to eight weeks. The lids are good

because they’re bigger than the sides of the

crates. It takes about 120 lids to build one

house,” he reveals.

The ceiling is made out of corkboards that

were also derived from Scania packaging

material. Insulation is also achieved using

these corkboards, which are packed between

the panels. A thermal sheet is also fitted

between the panels to provide heating and

cooling.

The only substantial part of the house that

doesn’t emanate from the Scania scrapyard

is the foundation. “You obviously need to

invest in a proper foundation; that’s essential.

I also bought some aluminium sheeting, which

Regular FOcUs readers will

know that I am spending a lot

of time with the Scania team,

because these wonderfully

patient people are helping me

to get my truck driver’s licence.

What I didn’t expect (but did

get) was a lesson in recycling

and sustainability …

The house ThaT

scania bUiLT!

Above: A lesson in thinking outside the box … Scania’s Shein September and Nepo Seboko have used waste and packaging to build a house.

STEERInGCOLUMn


STEERInGCOLUMn

I shot into the ground, so that the wood would

not get wet,” September explains.

September is not an electrician or a

plumber, so, while he and Seboko have done

the bulk of the labour, he has enlisted the

services of professional tradesmen for the

finishing touches.

“So the entire building is completely legal,

with all the required certification. We have also

taken the necessary precautions to ensure

that it’s not a fire hazard. The wiring is not

connected; it is one solid wire. The plugs aren’t

mounted in the wood; they’re mounted onto

plastic. We are discouraging people from

using gas – because it comes with electrical

connections. There is even an aluminium sheet

above the stove,” he explains.

Naturally, because September is not

a builder, the house has evolved over the

months. “I’ve never done anything like this

before. My experience is in fleet management

and Scania vehicles!” he says with a laugh.

“So it was a bit of trial and error … but I’m

delighted with the end result.

The final house measures 45 m². It

comprises two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen

and bathroom (including a toilet and shower).

September is now building shelving and

cupboards for inside the house – using old

pallets that he has scrounged from the

Scania scrapyard, of course.

This is not September’s first foray in

the area of social responsibility. He and his

supportive and understanding wife (who has

not had a husband for four months) visit a

farm each month to buy meat for the poor.

Their daughters always share their lunch with

the underprivileged.

“It’s just our way of life,” he explains. “I

believe in helping people. People don’t choose

to be poor, and when you see the shacks in

our country … I just thought that there had to

be a better way of doing things.”

September believes that this house will

last for 20 years, and he wants to build many

more. “I estimate that we can build 25 to 30

houses a year using the raw materials that

we have at Scania. This is just the beginning!”

he notes with real glee.

Who knows? One day you may drive past

an entire village that has Scania impregnated

into the walls of its houses. And you’ll know

where it all started … |FOCUS

One day you may drive past an entire village

that has Scania impregnated into the walls of its houses.

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WHEELnUT

as well, or pull as strongly, as the 2,5-litre

engine under the bonnet of my 325i BMW …

even if they actually could.

I was also not too big a fan of forced

induction. As far as I was concerned, it was a

bit of a cheat to make up the numbers. That’s

not to say I was entirely against it – but a C32

AMG Mercedes needed a supercharger to

allow its 3,2-litre V6 to challenge its naturally

aspirated 3,2-litre BMW M3 rival. Why would

you bother with the Merc?

Nevertheless, I did grow up (a bit) and

have learnt a thing or two.

“Sixteen litres! Surely that’s a typing

error?” I remember thinking when delving into

the world of heavy-duty commercial vehicle

engines for the first time. Obviously they

were turbocharged as well, but so was the

monstrous V12 in an SL65 Mercedes – and

that’s only a six-litre … (Yes, these engines are

designed for vastly different tasks; the highly-

stressed Mercedes V12 probably wouldn’t

last too long in a truck.)

By now, I’ve become used to the (very)

large numbers this industry produces. Of late,

I’ve also been privy to a few dinky toys that

have taken that old displacement adage and

turned it on its head. “Downsizing” is what the

car guys call it.

In a nutshell, this is the practice of slapping

on a low-pressure turbocharger to a smaller-

capacity engine – the effect of which is the

low fuel consumption of the small engine

accompanied by power figures one would

normally be used to with a larger-capacity

engine. The practice is sweeping through the

car world (and this year it became the norm in

Formula 1) and the effects are phenomenal.

Just one example is the new Volkswagen

Polo, which packs a 1,2-litre turbocharged

four-cylinder engine with two different power

options. The higher-powered version produces

similar power figures to your average 1,8 (the

lower powered to some 1,4s and 1,6s) and

consumes around half the amount of fuel.

I recently drove one and it is, in all honesty,

utterly fantastic.

By now I imagine you’re reading this and

thinking, “That sounds great and, yes, I might

need to buy something similar one day … but

this is a trucking magazine!” And you’re right …

But, here’s the nub: I recently attended the

local launch of Fuso’s eighth-generation Canter

(which you can read all about on page 38)

where, in his address, Godfrey Hani, head of

Fuso SA, was very keen to talk about the new

vehicle’s three-litre turbodiesel engine. Why?

Its forebear ran a four-litre; yet the new version

outpunches it in both power and economy.

Downsizing, then, is clearly making its

way into the commercial vehicle sphere too.

And why shouldn’t it? While those Vipers

and Vettes will probably take their massive

engines to the grave, BMW’s latest 328i is in

reality a turbocharged 2,0-litre and its latest

M3 now also turbocharged. It is the way of

the internal-combustion future. I wonder how

small an engine might eventually lug a 56-t rig

around. |FOCUS

Given the relentless pace of

technological advancement,

I wonder how long it will be

before we see commercial

vehicles ubiquitously powered by

much smaller engines

Mine’s sMaller Than

yOUrs!

Gavin Myers

There’s no replacement for

displacement … So the saying

goes. There was a time when

I agreed with that adage

wholeheartedly – when I was younger and

wilder and lusted over anything that could

give me some sort of automotive thrill.

The eight-litre V10 under the cavernous

clamshell bonnet of a Dodge Viper (originally

based, incidentally, on a push-rod truck

engine and converted from diesel power

to petrol) was simply better than any five-

point-something V8 Chevrolet could fit into a

Corvette, for example.

The Japanese, though, have always been

good at extracting strong power from small,

high-revving petrol engines (until a few years

ago, oil-burners from The East were practically

exclusive to vehicles with a commercial or

off-road bent). To my mind, however, those

1,6, 1,8 or 2,0-litre engines just couldn’t drive

The latest generation Fuso Canter has a smaller engine than its predecessor. Is this a sign of the future?

??????????????


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vIC’SvIEW


vIC’SvIEW

changing a wheel on a heavy-

duty trailer along the roadside

can often be a daunting and

dangerous task. The immobile

truck and trailer is often stranded on a busy

road and causes major traffic congestion, plus

unaffordable downtime for the operator.

In many cases, it is a tyre on the trailer that

goes flat and not one on the truck tractor. This

is due to the common practice of operators

fitting inferior tyres on the trailer and good

tyres on the truck tractor.

An innovative, quick, safe and maintenance-

free trailer axle lifting system, that is also

very simple to use, has recently come on the

market from Trestle Jacks. It appears to be

the answer to getting the truck and trailer

back on the road without much delay.

To find out more about this system, I

contacted Jaco Coetzee and Herman

Pieterse at Trestle Jacks and arranged for

a demonstration. On arrival at the company’s

testing site in Brits, Coetzee told me the story

of how this simple trailer axle lifting system

had evolved.

Pieterse started his career as a heavy-

duty truck driver. Way back in 1999, while

driving a fully loaded truck tractor and semi-

trailer along a lonely road through a forest

plantation, late in the day, one of the trailer

tyres went flat.

He stopped the vehicle and proceeded to

jack up the trailer axle with the hydraulic jack

that belonged to the truck tractor, but the

jack was faulty and was unable to lift the fully

loaded axle.

Being stranded, without any means of

calling for help, Pieterse had to find a way

to lift the axle without the use of a hydraulic

jack. He scouted around and found a log in

the plantation, which he wedged at an angle

behind the axle and then moved the vehicle

slightly until the axle lifted. Now he could

change the wheel, and the concept of the

TrestleJack was born.

In 2002, the company filed for a product

patent, and in 2010 made a decision to

build the first prototype. Between 2010 and

2013, the product was tested thoroughly

and systematically to ensure its safety and

quality, and was then approved by the Council

for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

In many heavy-duty fleets, hydraulic jacks

are problematic for the owner/operator.

Jacks are often stolen, sold by the driver, not

maintained and fail when needed.

On a fully loaded trailer, where the trailer

axle is higher than the lift point of the truck

axle, the hydraulic jack stroke is often too short

to lift the trailer high enough to remove the

wheel. Drivers then often place bricks or rocks

under the jack to get sufficient lift. This is a

highly dangerous practice, and one that often

leaves bricks and rocks in the road, creating a

hazard for other road users.

The operation of the TrestleJack is simple;

you place it under the axle that has to be lifted,

at a slight angle, and then move the truck

backwards or forwards until the axle lifts.

The TrestleJack is well suited for use

on the road and in the workshop. It is

so simple and maintenance free that

the purchase of this device should be on

the shopping list of all operators running

heavy-duty trailers. |FOCUS

Changing a wheel on a fully loaded trailer is not easy at the best of times. However, an innovative solution

is now available

One of this country’s most respected commercial vehicle industry authorities, VIC OLIVER has been in this industry for 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!

properly

jacKed Up


COvERSTORY

through the professionalism, passion and

dependability of the people who have been

part of the UD Trucks family, the brand has

reached multiple milestones and successes

over the years.

“As a manufacturer, UD Trucks is extremely

privileged to have a dealer network that

doesn’t merely retail our trucks, but rather

is a network of extremely knowledgeable

and experienced transport experts, who are

also our business partners in every sense,”

explains Schulz.

The 65 accredited dealers in UD Trucks

Southern Africa’s network have to adhere

to stringent quality standards, and are

continuously measured across all disciplines,

from parts to sales, service and admin, in

order to bring customers only the best service

and after-sales support.

“Together with our dealer network, we are

committed to reducing downtime on customers’

vehicles through various strategies – which

include a high level of parts availability and

offering support during breakdowns – when

our customers need it most,” Schulz says.

“In addition, in order to provide customers

with a level of service that adheres to stringent

world standards, staff in our dealer network

are constantly trained and empowered to stay

abreast of the latest developments within the

industry. The training enables staff to assist

customers in finding the right solution, in the

shortest amount of time,” he adds.

Furthermore, UD Trucks offers specialised

transport consultancy services at all its

dealerships to assist customers to select

the correct vehicle for the job at hand.

“The selection of the correct vehicle allows

customers to run their operations efficiently

and also forms the cornerstone of a planned

and dependable service and maintenance

schedule,” Schultz explains.

“The company’s transport consultants are

able to determine vehicle loading and mass

distribution, predict vehicle performance,

estimate operating costs, as well as provide

finance options and maintenance and service

cost estimates,” concludes Schulz. |FOCUS

In the highly competitive southern African truck market, UD Trucks believes the key differentiator is the

level of service provided to customers, no matter the size of their fleet

has your backUd TrUcKs

“To us, it is about adding

tangible value to our

customers’ businesses,”

says Rory Schulz, acting

managing director of UD Trucks Southern

Africa. “It is about building partnerships,

offering smarter transport solutions, and

ultimately providing products and after-sales

assistance that suits each customer’s unique

business requirements.”

Built on a solid foundation of a proven

range of trucks and a team of experts at every

UD Trucks dealership across the region, the

company continually endeavours to develop

strategies, together with its customers, to

ultimately benefit their businesses.

“At UD Trucks Southern Africa we believe

that it is about providing customers with

innovative transport solutions and service

offerings, built on trust, in-depth industry

knowledge and a strong technical skills set,”

says Schulz.

He adds that during the company’s history

of more than five decades in South Africa,

jacKed Up

TRUCK TEST2015

déjà vu, from French, which

literally means “already seen”,

is the phenomenon of having

the strong sensation that an

event, currently being experienced, has been

experienced in the past … Although Truck Test

2015 will shine the spotlight on extra-heavy

commercial vehicles (EHCVs) once more, as

we explained last month, this time round the

test will be more stringent – so as to return

the most accurate figures possible.

Martin Dammann, a managing member

at Hellberg Transport Management (HTM),

adds: “With Truck Test 2014 barely done

and dusted, the preparation for next year’s

test of EHCVs is well under way. The last

time we tested this category of vehicles

was in 2012, which was also the first

instalment of what has now become an

annual event in the industry – and one

which is being taken very seriously by the

truck manufacturers.”

He says that HTM is particularly pleased

to be working with the same partners again;

FOCUS, Engen, Ctrack and Adrian van Tonder

from Barloworld Transport, with each playing

a vital role in contributing towards the

integrity of the overall results.

Dammann continues: “Over the last three

years we have learnt how important it is

to ensure that all measurements are done

accurately and in an unbiased manner, as

there is much at stake for the participants.”

The HTM team will, once again, be

responsible for compiling the test results

– which will report on the technical

specifications of the vehicles, the payload,

fuel consumption, average speed and payload

productivity.

Dammann points out that Van Tonder will

supervise the loading of palletised cement

pockets, at AfriSam, to ensure that the rigs

are all loaded to the same gross combination

mass. “The truck tractors and trailers, from

Afrit and GRW, will be weighed empty and

laden so that we can calculate accurate

payloads for each combination,” he notes.

“As with previous tests, we will be using

our TransSolve software to predict the

performance of the trucks and then use

the actual results to improve our simulation

algorithm,” explains Dammann. “This is also

a good opportunity for us to review all the

data supplied by the vehicle manufacturers

to ensure that the details in our TransSolve

database are correct and up to date.”

He adds that Engen will assist HTM with

the fuel recordings and checking that the

refuelling is always to the same level on a

sight glass, which will be fitted to the outside

of the fuel tanks.

Eugene van Niekerk, business development

manager at Ctrack Fleet Management,

points out that the company will be providing

telematics information to the event’s

organisers once more. “As in the past, Ctrack

will be validating the departure, travelling and

stopping times of all participants as well as

the distances and average speeds.”

He adds that Ctrack will also be providing

fuel consumption information recorded from

the onboard computers of participants’

vehicles, through the CANBus J1939

interface. “This will provide valuable insight

during the event to both participants and

organisers.”

The company will also provide live feed

to all the participants via the Ctrack Online

monitoring software, which will allow them to

view the progress of their own as well as the

other vehicles.

“Ctrack Online allows real-time updates

and a Google map view of the route and the

progress of the vehicles,” Van Niekerk points

out. “Once again the Ctrack tachograph

information will be provided on all vehicles.

This will show the driving style of each vehicle

over the duration of the event.”

He explains that the tachograph

information shows graphically both road and

engine speed values for each vehicle and

provides valuable insight into average speeds,

maximum speeds and stops on route. He

adds: “Ctrack is proud to be associated with

Truck Test 2015 and is looking forward to

another successful event.”

We definitely share this sentiment!

|FOCUS

Believe it or not, next year will be the fourth instalment of the annual Truck Test event … Time sure does

fly when you’re having a blast! This chapter will, however, deliver some scientific déjà vu

We take the DRAG out of TruckingSB THE SCOTT BYERS NETWORK

bigger, again,

and beTTer


www.htm.co.za

www.engen.co.za

www.ctrack.com

www.mantruckandbus.co.za

www.barloworld-logistics.com

www.freightliner.co.za

www.iveco.com

www.udtrucks.com

www.volvotrucks.com

www.tracn4.co.za

www.wabco.co.za

http://www.mercedes-benz.co.za/content/south_africa/mpc/mpc_south_africa_website/en/home_mpc/truck_home/home/trucks.flash.html

www.renault-trucks.co.za

www.hino.co.za

www.afrisam.co.za

www.aerotruck.co.za

www.scania.co.za

www.afrit.co.za

www.grw.co.za

www.daf.com

www.scott-byers.com

??????????????


Get your costs in perspective.Over time, you create a lot of scheduled downtime by maintaining your vehicles across numerous suppliers. And lost time equals lost revenue. So doesn’t it make sense to partner with a company who provides you with every service you need in one convenient location?

There is a better way.

112801 Scania SA Stage 23 EXTENDED SERVICES r8a.indd 1 2014/06/18 08:41:20 AM

www.scania.co.za

DIGITALTECHnOLOGY


DIGITALTECHnOLOGY

steven Sutherland, sales

director for South Africa and

Africa at MiX Telematics,

hits the nail on the head

when he says: “The internet is taking

over all facets of communication, loosely

translating into the ability for data to

be transferred over a network, without

requiring human-to-human, or human-to-

computer interaction.” Telematics service

providers can be seen as early adopters

of this trend.

“Telematics, in fact, integrates

machines, sensors, information, software

instruction and various communications

technologies, facilitating real-time and long-

term connectivity. The benefit of digital

communication bodes well for businesses

and fleet managers, allowing them to track

and monitor drivers, field workers, vehicles

and other mobile assets. Benefits are

tangible – and bring improvements that are

sustainable,” says Sutherland.

In the drive to become a digital business,

fleet managers should constantly be on

the lookout for tailored telematics products

and services that utilise machine-to-machine

technologies. “The benefits in terms of

efficiency, safety, security and compliance

have proved to be far-reaching. From being

able to pin-point the location of vehicles

and drivers, replay routes and analyse trips

from anywhere in the world, and monitor

driver behaviours – all via the web or mobile

phones – operators are gaining more and

more control. The ability for ‘big data’ to

be transferred over a network requires

little human interaction, and so much can

be learned, understood and changed by

analysing this data,” he explains.

In conjunction with efficiency goals, fleet

operators are seeing the value of adopting

Digital technologies are changing the ways in which we move around cities, towns and countries. CLAIRE

RENCKEN speaks to a couple of specialists in the field about some of the latest offerings out there

speakingdigiTaLLy


»


DIGITALTECHnOLOGY

a reliable fleet-management solution to

reduce accidents and boost safety levels.

“The industry is currently facing an increase

in road traffic incidents. The high accident

and fatality figures are placing a question

mark against who’s responsible for improving

the situation. Advanced digital technology is,

therefore, bound to become a much-needed

component in the fleet-management mix,”

adds Sutherland.

By combining on-board diagnostics

with tried and tested fleet management

software, it is possible to record and map

exactly how a fleet is performing: from

the condition of each vehicle, to the way

in which it is being driven, or has been

driven.

“Monitoring this in real time, as well as

historically, opens up numerous opportunities

to save costs, reduce risk, enhance customer

service – and, essentially, strengthen your

business. Data is instantly transmitted from

our customers’ vehicles directly to one of our

secure data centres, after which reports are

generated,” he notes.

“In-cab technology also allows drivers to

be alerted to their driving style errors in real-

time, meaning they can rectify poor habits,

which affect fuel consumption and safety.

Such devices or accessories – which include

the RIBAS and the MiX Rovi – monitor speed,

revving, acceleration, idling and braking,” he

continues.

This positive impact that telematics

can have on drivers should also not be

underestimated; being supported by mobile

and in-cab technology can only result in a

better experience for them. “Many of our

customers cement their fleet management

solutions with targeted driver-training

programmes and incentive schemes,” says

Sutherland.

Vincent Gore, CEO of Resource Tracking,

agrees that the main focus of insurance

telematics, over the past three years or more,

has been driver scoring (or measuring the

way a specific driver handles his vehicle), to

better anticipate the likelihood of an accident

and a claim. Driver scoring technology, also

known as usage-based insurance (UBI),

allows insurers to improve price policies and

attract lower risk drivers.

According to Gore, “The success of UBI

has convinced many insurance industry

leaders of the power of telematics, especially

on the underwriting side of the business. We

are now taking telematics one step further

into insurance claims operations, by fully

automating accident reporting and analysis.”

Resource Tracking is set to mark a

global first with the imminent introduction

of ground-breaking crash technology

that alerts local emergency services on

impact. Gore says the introduction of Fully

Automated Crash Technology (FACT) to

the South African market will completely

revolutionise how emergency services

respond to accidents. “The system

immediately alerts emergency services

within seconds of an accident, determining

the level of response required and the

damage to the vehicle,” he explains.

In addition, the technology automatically

and accurately predicts the possible injuries to

the occupants of a vehicle, thereby providing

actionable data to inform the dispatching

of response teams. FACT is also able to

quantify the mechanical damage to a vehicle,

calculating the angle of the impact, vehicle

crush, bill of materials and a preliminary cost

to repair the vehicle. “Being able to provide

insurance companies with a report that can

calculate these factors, all in real time, is truly

cutting edge,” says Gore.

He says that several major telematics

companies in South Africa have now

completed technical due diligence on the

technology and are entering into pilot

projects. “It’s been an exciting journey to date,

and we’re looking forward to working with our

partners to bring this technology swiftly to

the South African market.”

Gore believes that crash management

technology can make a significant difference to

the fatality rates as a result of road accidents.

In conclusion, Sutherland sums it up well:

“When you consider the many business

advantages being driven by our digital era,

businesses should be willing to jump aboard.

It’s almost a case of ‘now or never’ for those

forward-thinking competitors who have the

edge to stay ahead of the pack.” |FOCUS

SPECIALIST MANUFACTURERS OF: Truck bodies and trailers that are relied

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TRAILERS

“Unfortunately we do it the wrong way

around in our market … Ideally, we should

have our vehicles in the market for two

to three years and see what actually

happens during operation,” he continues.

TRAILERS

Van der Walt explains that, with 3D

design, the whole model can be tilted,

flipped and inspected from every possible

angle. The design process is, therefore,

a lot more efficient. Warren Marques,

MD of Paramount Trailers, agrees: “The

trailer can be fully viewed in 3D and

tested on the computer using stress

analysis tests. This enables the designers

to identify areas of concern prior to

manufacture.”

The manufacturing process is also

changing with the times. Robotics, laser

technology and dedicated production lines

are buzzwords for these two juggernauts

– allowing more dedicated, focused work

on each trailer, while at the same time,

significantly improving quality and speed.

“Technology is allowing us to build trailers,

that are neater and lighter, more quickly,”

says Marques.

“We’ve always tried to stay ahead

with regard to technology and materials,”

explains Van der Walt. “The biggest

component is Domex steel. It’s the best

material you can get. We buy it directly

from the mill in Sweden. Besides this, we

source everything else we need locally.”

Marques says that most of

Paramount’s trailers are built using

carbon steels. “The technological

advancement in steel is allowing us to

build trailers using thinner materials,

The South African trailer industry has a lot to talk about at the moment. GAVIN MYERS continues the

conversation with some of the country’s top trailer manufacturers

bird’s eye view of

TraiLers

PRIMED AnD READY FOR BODIESThe corner of Boundary and Trichards roads, Boksburg,

is where Serco’s customers can now find the company.

The trailer and body builder moved into its new Gauteng

headquarters in early September. Located about 20 km

from O.R. Tambo International airport and easily accessible

from the N3 and N17 highways, the 13,4 hectare site gives

the company much needed space for expansion.

The facility includes about 3 400 m2 under cover and

extensive outside working areas. Important features of the

new premises include a generator that could power the

entire plant in the event of electricity disruptions and fibre

optic and satellite links for the IT infrastructure. The high-

tech plant also features an environmentally friendly trailer

washing and irrigation system, fed by an on-site borehole.

Space has been set aside for a soccer pitch and there is

also a canteen on site. “At a later stage we plan to convert

one of the spare existing buildings into a dedicated on-site

training centre,” says Serco MD Clinton Holcroft. “The

exciting thing is that, as and when demand increases, we

have plenty of space for expansion,” he continues.

Serco is also continuing extensions to its Durban truck

body and trailer plant in Phoenix Industrial Park, which

should be completed by the end of the year.

Thanks to the increasing

power of computerised

technology, it is becoming

easier, quicker and more

efficient to design and build trailers –

from the biggest beams to the smallest

nuts and bolts. This is a common theme

across specialisations, but, while this

positive is undoubtedly making life better

for trailer manufacturers, allowing them

to build vehicles comparable to the best

in the world, the industry is suffering a few

challenges at the moment.

The design requirements are uniform

across most of the applications. The

process begins with an interview to

ascertain the needs of the client, find out

exactly what will be transported, where

the trailer will be used, how many drops

it’ll make in a day and how far it will be

travelling. Those specs are then fed to the

engineers, who make use of sophisticated

AutoCAD and 3D modelling programs

to come up with the ideal design for

durability and longevity – if a solution

doesn’t already exist.

Unfortunately, in the case of a new

design, testing isn’t always possible.

Time and costs preclude this. (The

enthusiastically driven Performance

Based Standards (PBS) project – a topic

deserving of its own full feature – is an

exception.)

Some manufacturers, like Afrit and

Paramount Trailers, will offer prototypes

to valued clients for real-world evaluation.

“That’s probably only ten percent of the

time in South Africa,” says Tjaart van der

Walt, Afrit East Rand branch manager. »

??????????????


www.paramounttrailers.co.za


TRAILERS

while not compromising on the strength of the

trailer,” he notes.

Van der Walt points out that there is also a

move towards the fitment of Electronic Braking

Systems (EBS) instead of the standard anti-lock

systems fitted to trailers over the past few years.

This results in extra benefits for the customer,

such as enhanced stability. “Our products are

directly comparable to European standards,” he

says proudly.

Despite all these efforts, both Van der Walt

and Marques say there are operators that

need to pay more attention to their trailers. A

managed maintenance programme is often

lacking. The vehicles also have to be spec’d

for the correct application and environment in

which they’re expected to work, and then used

for the intended application.

BODIES“The transport industry will continue to grow as

living standards and demands increase,” says

Ettiene Tukker, GM of Icecold Bodies (a finalist for

the 2014 Truck of the Year “Best Body/Trailer

Builder” award). He notes that the company has

an obligation to ensure its customers can serve

their own customers properly.

“Setting new trends in production and the

supply chain will allow us to become leaders in

the field. But respect between manufacturers

will benefit everyone – the pie is big enough and

all can share in this multibillion-rand industry,”

he says.

He warns, however, that surviving in the

transport industry over the next five years

(the company increased its capacity by 50

percent in the last year) will be difficult if body

builders do not commit to comply with new

regulations and standards. “With current

government involvement and initiatives, such as

implementing refrigeration standards, and with

full industry support, this will become an ever-

changing process.”

Tukker notes that the industry has

already changed significantly over

the years; with greater demand

for logistics and increasing running

costs. “It’s become essential for us to ensure

that our customers can remain competitive. We

must, therefore, constantly adapt our designs

and operations to suit new demands from the

industry in order to ensure our customers can

run at optimum performance,” he says.

In this regard, materials are a critical

consideration. Tukker gives an example:

“Poor insulation has the potential to affect the

perishable goods being transported and higher

fuel costs result from having to keep the goods

at stable temperatures.” The build process is

also important. Icecold Bodies is implementing

a production management system using tools

such as Lean and Keizen to improve reliability,

lead time, cost and quality.

SPECIALISED APPLICATIOnS John Harding from Martin Trailers, a specialised

trailer manufacturer for over 30 years, says

that, if designed and maintained correctly, even

those trailers operating in arduous conditions

can expect a long and productive lifecycle.

“Our low-bed trailers have a design life of

20 years, but there are Hyster trailers (as the

company was originally named) that were built

in the 1970s and are still running daily!” he says,

noting that the key to preserving the life of a

trailer is regular maintenance and operating only

within the manufacturer’s design specifications.

“In other words, don’t overload,” he stresses.

Harding notes that Martin Trailers’ core

design philosophy has for decades been based

on the use of high-quality, high-tensile steel – but

the company has begun experimenting with

even stronger steels in an effort to gain an extra

margin of payload. This, he says, is becoming

ever more difficult.

“The quest for additional payload using

traditional South African configurations is near

exhaustion, yet machines continue to get bigger

and heavier. A major challenge, for example, is

moving mining equipment in the range of 100 to

120 t. These machines are becoming more and

more common …” Harding notes the last big shift

was in the 1990s when operators moved from

the folding gooseneck design to the removable

gooseneck concept (which he is proud that the

company pioneered in South Africa).

“It is inevitable that we will start to see many

more European-type extendable and steerable

trailers on South African roads. This can already

be evidenced by the number of imported

trailers in the Western Cape. Unfortunately, a

lack of certainty and assurance by transport

authorities is hindering local manufacturers

from recouping this lost market share.

“Manufacturers and operators are

desperate for a modern, concise, clear and firm

set of guidelines on these types of trailers so

that they can accurately plan their equipment

designs and purchases,” he says, adding that:

“we are entering an exciting period where a

handful of trailer manufacturers are likely to

set new boundaries in design and innovation

in response to the recent tide of European

imports.”

All that’s then needed is strong guidance and

support from the transport and roads

authorities … |FOCUS

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19100-2 012 460 8545

www.afrit.co.za


Kearney Payloader is in the

process of re-engineering its

operations to give commercial

truck transport operators a

new generation of trailers where safety,

productivity and overall profitability are

enhanced through innovative design

concepts and the fitment of premium-quality

components.

“I don’t believe the trailer manufacturing

industry has been keeping up with the

advances being made in truck-tractor

technology,” says Marius Kearney, sales and

marketing director at Kearney Payloader.

“Transporters have been far too focused

on the purchase price of a new trailer, rather

than considering the cost of its total lifecycle.

Our philosophy now is to offer ‘intelligent’

trailer technologies to our customers, by

providing solutions that are safer, bring lower

cost per kilometre to the operator, have

improved longevity and boost productivity.”

The Johannesburg-based operation has

appointed new management personnel in

recent months, including a new managing

director, Jo du Toit, a new financial director,

Stephen Gapko, and Loodewyk Schoeman –

its new in-house engineer.

Kearney Payloader owner and chairman,

Eddie Kearney, states: “Our new management

personnel bring the necessary expertise

and experience in the trailer industry to

give us the intellectual capital to meet the

objectives of our refined company vision,

which is to offer true value to our customers

through the provision and support of trailers

that outperform and outlast competitor

offerings.”

With customer-driven innovation as a

cornerstone of its new approach, Kearney

Payloader has developed a manufacturing

process that utilises the best design tools,

materials and components available on the

world market.

Du Toit explains: “By using the best

imported products available, from 3-D

animation design tools to high-tensile steel and

premium-quality running gear and ancillary

equipment, we are able to significantly push

the payload envelope without compromising

on build strength.”

“Lowering trailer tare mass and total cost

of ownership simultaneously is the ‘holy grail’

of trailer fabrication and we have an exciting

basket of products to really drive the industry

forward in terms of safety, durability, overall

cost efficiency and payload productivity,” he

adds.

Leading the Kearney Payloader foray

into the vanguard of South Africa’s trailer

manufacturing industry is a new range of

interlink side-tippers featuring a unique,

patented, constant-velocity hydraulic tipping

action that eliminates stresses, shock

loads and stability issues during the tipping

process.

“This is the only side tipper of its kind

in South Africa and its merits are being

proved in top fleets like NiDa Transport and

Despite tough trading conditions within the South African truck trailer manufacturing sector in recent

years, Kearney Payloader has weathered the storm

over quanTiTyQUaLiTy

TRAILERS


TRAILERS

Imperial Logistics,” adds Du Toit. “It has a low height and,

therefore, a lower centre of gravity, making it the most

stable side tipper currently on the market. Technologies

like Electronic Braking System (EBS), roll-over prevention,

Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and automated tyre

inflation also boost overall vehicle safety.

“The constant-velocity 45-degree tipping action

discharges product away from the vehicle in a smooth

stroke, effectively improving vehicle longevity by reducing

stress on the hydraulic rams, load bins and trailer

chassis. The use of Domex steel and low-maintenance

European running gear has brought the trailer tare mass

down significantly, allowing for a class-leading payload of

38,4 t.”

With a portfolio of 165 homologated trailer designs

suited to African conditions, Kearney Payloader is geared

to service the demand from key domestic and cross-

border operators, particularly in mining, agriculture, low-

bed and long-haul applications.

After-sales support is a vital ingredient in the building

of ongoing customer relationships and Kearney Payloader

has established a network of accredited trailer servicing

agents in every major city in the country, which will

conduct on-site repairs if necessary.

“We also have a dedicated repair and warranty

facility at our head office and we offer genuine original

equipment manufacturer (OEM) spare parts at cost. Our

trailers come with a standard 12-month warranty and all

components are covered by respective OEM warranties.

All these factors lower overall cost of ownership and

bring peace of mind to the operator,” says Marius

Kearney.

With its revised approach to specialisation, Kearney

Payloader is looking forward to playing a leading part

in the transformation of South Africa’s truck trailer

industry. “The industry needs to be better regulated.

Manufacturers need to start by using quality components.

We would like to challenge our competitors to join us in

our quest to fix the industry,” he adds.

“The Kearney Payloader approach has evolved over

the years to where we are today, which is to work

really closely with our clients from the concept and

design stages through the manufacturing process to

final delivery, to ensure the customer has a safe and

genuinely profitable business tool in his fleet,” concludes

du Toit. |FOCUS

Clockwise from left: High-tensile steel is fabricated and welded to make chassis rails. The finishing shop, where

trailer brake systems and other ancillary components are fitted and checked for final quality. A computerised plasma cutter cuts

trailer body components with precision. The trailers are fitted with the patented Kearney Constant Velocity Tipping System and

the automated tyre-inflation system, Tire Pilot.


ITOYExCLUSIvE

maintenance and appropriate driver training to

comply with health and safety requirements.

Interestingly, the fitment and use of lifting

equipment is one that touches all sectors of the

industry, from light vans to trailer operators,

and includes the passenger transport sector.

With all transport equipment, what you intend

to do with it deserves serious consideration,

and with handling equipment there are many

issues to consider – not least lifting capacity.

Lifting capacity is obviously important,

though some transporters are finding that

customers are under-declaring the weight of

pallets, and that pallet sizes are increasing as

customers try to save on transport costs.

This has the potential to be more than just

a slight deception on the customer’s behalf –

it can be inherently dangerous. If the stated

weight exceeds the rated Safe Working Load

(SWL) of the lift, the consequences could prove

expensive at best, or in the worst case result in

personal injury.

One thing new-dimension equipment

providers have to deal with is the fitment of tail-

lifts to double-deck trailers. While not the most

common of applications, they are becoming

more frequent. In general the same rules and

operational procedures apply. However, due to

the increase in working height, any potential

dangers and hazards are greatly exaggerated

and, therefore, potentially more serious.

In the drive to save weight, increase

payload and save fuel, rear-closure tail lifts have

increased in popularity. Ballinlough Refrigeration

has supplied the highly regarded DHollandia

brand of tail lift products for almost twenty

years.

Ballinlough’s Neil Bannon explains: “The

main benefit of rear-closure models is that they

eliminate the need for rear doors or a roller

shutter. Because the platform itself becomes

the rear frame and doors, it seals the cargo

bay. Using the tail-lift platform as the rear

frame delivers the weight reduction, and is of

particular benefit for the weight-sensitive light

commercials.”

Bannon adds: “The units are easy to fit and

simple to operate, making them flexible and

cost effective.” He also notes the additional

benefits for vehicle security the rear closure

model offers.

Another respected name in the supply of

Correctly and efficiently loading and unloading a vehicle is an important consideration for transport

operators. Irish commercial magazine, Fleet, published this report

JusT

yourselfLiFT iT

The common purpose of all

commercial vehicles is to load,

transport and deliver goods,

passengers or services. While

problems can arise at any stage throughout the

journey, problems and delays at the loading and

unloading points are often the most frequent,

and many of these problems are out of the

operator’s control.

The solution may be for operators to take

back control of the loading and unloading,

by using their own vehicle-mounted handling

equipment.

Lifting equipment allows a great deal of

flexibility and can increase vehicle utilisation

by reducing wasted time at each end of the

journey. This makes the economic argument

quite clear; if a driver can deliver immediately

without having to wait for equipment to become

available, hours can be saved over the working

day.

However, as with most aspects of the

transport industry (and lifting equipment is no

different) there are the ups and downs, so to

speak. The pros of flexibility must be weighed

against the cons of extra weight, additional


ITOYExCLUSIvE

tail-lift equipment is Zepro. TSS Refrigeration

& Tail Lifts is the Irish agent for Zepro, and

the brand has proved popular with operators

due to its reliability and durability. The Zepro

range will adapt to most regular vehicles

on the market. TSS offers a wide range

of accessories that will adapt the lift to an

operator’s specific needs.

TSS’s Mark Grange says: “We always strive

to reduce the weight of our products to keep

the fuel consumption to a minimum, to save

both money and to reduce the effect on the

environment.”

Grange points out that regular maintenance

is necessary to ensure trouble-free operation,

as any downtime of the tail lift can mean

downtime of the whole vehicle. “TSS provides a

comprehensive parts service. We have complete

archives to assist quickly and accurately with

spare-part requirements,” adds Grange.

To reduce the risk of accidents, a driver

or operator of truck-mounted tail lift should be

correctly trained and certified on the specific

piece of equipment. However, due to the wide

range of vehicle attachments and operational

environments, some training companies

recommend that operators undergo training

from the original equipment supplier. Their

reasoning is that, because of variations in

delivery points, it is almost impossible to cover

all possibilities.

Another widely used type of self-lifting

equipment is the truck-mounted crane. It has

long been a regular feature in certain segments

of transport, in particular on the

construction supply side.

A global supplier of cranes across

all industry sectors is Palfinger,

which this year celebrated 50 years

in business. The Palfinger product

range covers small access platforms,

tail lifts, truck-mounted and off-shore

marine cranes.

The company offers a vast range

of attachments for its cranes,

which greatly widens the scope of

applications for which any one crane

(and therefore truck) can be used.

Seamus Kane of Palfinger

Ireland notes: “The training situation

for truck-mounted cranes is slightly

different from some other transport

equipment.” Palfinger also supplies

a selection of truck-mounted

forklifts and remotely operated lift trucks. The

truck-mounted forklift is an alternative to a

crane or tail lift.

Always having the ability to deliver the load

can dramatically improve vehicle productivity.

Although the initial cost can be off-putting for

some operators, the longevity of the equipment

must be considered. In real terms the part-

time operation cycle is generally not as tough

as that experienced by a full-time forklift, in

that a smaller percentage of the time is spent

working.

Selecting the right model from a recognised

company like Manitou (with its highly versatile

TMT range) ensures the unit will remain in

service for a long time. As a rule, once operated

within its design specification, and provided the

unit is properly maintained, it should operate

trouble free over the lifetime of two or more of

the trucks on which it is carried.

Moffett Engineering began manufacturing

in Dundalk in the 1940s and changed the face

of the transport industry when it mounted

a small forklift to a truck in the 1980s.

The company is now part of the Cargotec

Corporation.

The Moffett truck-mounted forklift became

a synonym for this type of equipment and was

an Irish engineering success on a global scale.

The three-wheeled units have a lifting capacity

from 1,5 to 3,5 t. They can be equipped with a

variety of attachments, which allow them to be

used in almost every industry.

Within the Cargotec Corporation the

Moffett brand sits alongside other company

names such as Hiab, Kalmar and McGregor.

It is important to note that once a truck-

mounted forklift is detached from the carrying

vehicle, it becomes a standard forklift under

the general applications regulations, and is

subject to the normal rules governing this type

of equipment. Employers have an obligation

to ensure that drivers are properly trained to

operate the forklift.

The issue of correct maintenance is an

important factor for all truck-mounted forklifts,

cranes and tail lifts. Proper maintenance

checks include the annual testing of equipment

for correct operation of all components and a

weight test.

One point brought to our attention is that,

in addition to the annual test and certification,

equipment that can carry a person (even

inadvertently), should be serviced and checked

tested every six months along with the annual

test. All testing must be carried out by a

recognised competent person.

All the major recognised brands of lifting

devices appear to retain a high residual value

and there always seems to be a market for

well-maintained used equipment. In most

cases lifting units can be transferred from one

vehicle to another. Equipment that is operated

within capacity, remains undamaged and is

maintained correctly, can significantly add to a

vehicle’s value.

For some operators (depending on the

nature of the work) lifting equipment is an

absolute necessity, as there is often no

alternative method of unloading at the delivery

point. The benefits of self-lifting devices, in

terms of improved vehicle utilisation and driver

productivity, can dramatically outweigh the

investment. |FOCUS

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

??????????


Maintenance costs are one of

the biggest expenses faced

by transport operators as

they have to pay for the

actual service, replace affected parts and deal

with the downtime. Technology is, however,

helping to curb these overheads.

SAvvY SOFTWARE Various systems are now available that monitor

trucks while they operate, enabling preventative

maintenance – with some even informing

the workshop on what needs to be replaced

before an operator is even aware that there’s

a “problem”. Two examples can be found at the

truck stables of Mercedes-Benz, with its Telligent

Maintenance system, and Volvo, which offers

Telematics Gateway.

The former takes cues from the actual wear

and tear of the vehicle – calculating service

dates for the engine, the transmission and the

axle oil-change intervals. It also determines the

dates for general service components – based

on the operating conditions of the vehicle.

As we reported in FOCUS July: “This ensures

optimum utilisation of operating fluids and service

parts without risk to the service life or reliability

of the engine and driveline.”

“Telligent Maintenance tells the driver exactly

what needs to be serviced, and when. This leads

to less time spent in the workshop. Effective

usage of the system can realise a saving of up

to 14 percent in service costs.”

Volvo’s Telematics Gateway follows the same

principals; a remote workshop monitors the

parameters pertaining to the vehicle’s condition.

FOCUS assistant editor Gavin Myers elaborates

in the report Viva Volvo! (FOCUS November

2013): “Fault codes can be read before a

technician is sent to physically diagnose and

repair a stricken vehicle, and servicing and

maintenance can be scheduled in relation to the

condition and use of each individual vehicle.”

A DIGITAL “HOW TO” LAYERED OvER REALITY The motoring world is, however, also filled with

other “space-age” solutions to enhance vehicle

maintenance … enter Mobile Augmented Reality

Technical Assistance (MARTA) – an augmented

reality service support for Volkswagen’s (VW’s)

XL1, a diesel-powered, plug-in hybrid concept car

(turned limited production) that consumes fuel

at less than 1 l/100 km.

Today’s commercial vehicles are

characterised by continually growing complexity.

This means that service employees will need

more extensive support in servicing new vehicles

and their innovative functions.

“This requires advanced development of the

classic repair instructions that show the employee

how to perform the tasks of the specific job, step by

step, with relevant supplemental information such

as the tools to be used, assembly configurations

and test specifications,” states VW.

And this is exactly what MARTA does.

Using the built-in camera on a tablet device, the

program displays the real and virtual parts, in

three-dimensional relation to one another, while

offering service information in real time. So the

technician is led through the whole maintenance

process with a virtual “how to” guide while he

is doing the actual servicing, eliminating the

need to take a break and go back to the repair

instruction manual …

MARTA shows the possibilities that

augmented reality could hold for vehicle

maintenance!

Just imagine how this could speed up the

training process, technicians could receive a

whole new level of “on-the-job training”. Workshop

processes could also be speeded up, as the

program identifies exactly which tools should

be used for each application and technicians

would be able to work on models that they’re

unfamiliar with.

A BRIGHTER TOMORROW It seems that vehicle maintenance will be a lot

less menacing in future; parts are being designed

to speed up the process; systems are being

implemented that inform a workshop when you’ll

need what, before you even know you’ll need it;

and augmented reality will be utilised to speed

up whole maintenance process.

Bring it on you loathed duo … |FOCUS

Vehicle maintenance – possibly two of

the most loathed words in a transport

operator’s world … but technology is

helping to manage this menace, while parts

are becoming “smarter”. JACO DE KLERK

dives into the digital domain of augmented

reality and finds that components are

also doing their part to overpower

this necessary “evil”

Managing MainTenance

vEHICLEMAInTEnAnCE

MayheM

??????????????


COMPOnEnTS DOInG THEIR

PART

Original equipment manufacturers

(OEMs), however, aren’t just

combating maintenance costs by

using some savvy software, they’re

fighting it through the actual parts

that they’re producing as well …

MAN’s new 15,2-litre, six-cylinder,

in-line D3876 engine is a stellar

example.

It is said to be the top model in

MAN’s Euro-6 engine range – with

torque from 2 500 Nm to 3 000

Nm, and power output between 520

hp (around 380 kW) and 560 hp

(around 410 kW) for long-distance

and towing vehicles, and 640 hp

(470 kW) for heavy-goods vehicles.

The maintenance magic isn’t

due to its power output, but is a

result of how it’s been designed.

Development of the D3876 was,

reportedly, monitored at an early

stage by experts from the company’s

Service Engineering department,

with the aim of achieving the most

maintenance and repair-friendly

design possible.

“For example, the valve train is

accessible without prior removal of

the air filter,” MAN relays. “Also,

the extended diagnostic capability of

the injection system provides more

detail and hence reduces workshop

effort.”

Things didn’t stop there. In certain

assemblies, MAN also used proven

components from the D20/D26

engine series; including the fuel filter,

oil filter module and oil separator,

the coolant pump, throttle valve,

control cylinder for the exhaust gas

recirculation system, the fan drive,

auxiliary drive, alternator, starter and

air conditioning compressor.

“This has enabled the company to

incorporate the servicing and repair

friendliness of the smaller engines

into the 15,2-litre engine,” states the

OEM. “And it is also a sound basis for

straightforward parts provision.”

vEHICLEMAInTEnAnCE

COMPOnEnTS DOInG THEIR PART

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) aren’t just

combating maintenance costs by using some savvy

software, they’re fighting it through the actual parts that

they’re producing as well … MAN’s new 15,2-litre, six-

cylinder, in-line D3876 engine is a stellar example.

It is said to be the top model in MAN’s Euro-6 engine

range – with torque from 2 500 to 3 000 Nm, and

power output between 520 (around 380 kW) and

560 hp (around 410 kW) for long-distance and towing

vehicles, and 640 hp (470 kW) for heavy-goods vehicles.

The maintenance magic isn’t due to its power output,

but is a result of how it’s been designed. Development

of the D3876 was, reportedly, monitored at an early

stage by experts from the company’s Service Engineering

department, with the aim of achieving the most

maintenance and repair-friendly design possible.

“For example, the valve train is accessible without prior

removal of the air filter,” MAN relays. “Also, the extended

diagnostic capability of the injection system provides

more detail and hence reduces workshop effort.”

Things didn’t stop there. In certain assemblies, MAN

also used proven components from the D20/D26

engine series; including the fuel filter, oil filter module

and oil separator, the coolant pump, throttle valve,

control cylinder for the exhaust gas recirculation system,

the fan drive, auxiliary drive, alternator, starter and air

conditioning compressor.

“This has enabled the company to incorporate the

servicing and repair friendliness of the smaller engines

into the 15,2-litre engine,” states the OEM. “And it is also

a sound basis for straightforward parts provision.”

www.wabco.co.za


FOCUS OnEHCvs

having thus far grown 8,9

percent year-on-year, it

appears the local EHCV

sector is set for another year

of solid performance. This is good news for

the sector as this major, positive trend is set

to continue.

“We’ve witnessed continual growth in

the EHCV sector since January 2013, so

it’s a very positive trend in the market

currently,” notes Jason Brunninger, national

sales manager at Freightliner.

Rory Schulz, acting MD of UD Trucks

Southern Africa, concurs, noting that

the company forecast only 4,5 percent

growth in this segment. “However,

the segment has been consistently

performing well (at six to eight

percent growth), so far this year,” he

says, indicating that a backlog (following

recent strikes in the platinum sector)

should drive the segment, currently

numbering around 8 087 units, for a few

more months.

The segment, says Schultz, should

continue showing above-average growth,

driven mainly by the recovery in mining, long-

haul and construction (energy, road, rail and

water related).

That’s not to say the year so far has

been smooth sailing. It’s been something of

“a double-edged sword”, notes Brunninger.

“Even though we’ve seen good performance

from Freightliner and the EHCV market as a

whole, it’s been challenging as the market is

directly affected by foreign exchange rates

FOcUs speaks to a few local original equipment manufacturers about the current status of the local

extra-heavy commercial vehicle (EHCV) sector

news for exTra-heaviesexTra-gOOd


FOCUS OnEHCvs

– it’s continuously about overcoming those

challenges. In the last two years we’ve seen

depreciation with the rand/dollar, euro,

kroner and all the major currencies.”

Schultz explains that external factors–

such as slow economic growth, widespread

labour unrest, rising interest rates and

inflationary pressures– continue to dampen

growth in the local truck market.

Why the big upward trend within the

EHCV sector, then? Brunninger says: “Some

of the current purchasing is possibly the

result of replacement cycles. The last major

year for sales was 2008, which is in line with

a general five-year replacement cycle that is

also driving sales this year.”

Schultz expands with an interesting

observation: “Due to the postponement

of Euro-5 implementation to 2020, fleet

replacement cycles will be influenced towards

the end of the year and going into 2015.

“‘European’ fleets will see the biggest

impact. Operators will probably hold onto

current vehicles in anticipation of replacing

them with Euro-5 vehicles during the next

two years … This will not happen anymore,

so they might as well replace vehicles in the

immediate future and plan to replace them

again when the new emissions legislation

does come in.”

Another very important factor to

consider is the drive to improve efficiencies

and the recent trend of consolidation of

freight – something which (as we reported

last month) is affecting sales in the heavy

commercial vehicle (HCV) sector.

“A lot of freight is being consolidated now

and moved in bulk rather than by individual

operators with smaller applications,”

says Brunninger. “I think that is having a

considerable influence on EHCVs at the

moment as well – if you look at medium

commercial vehicle (MCV) and HCV sales,

their growth is not as positive.”

Schultz adds yet more food for thought

to the mix, stating that the growth in the

EHCV market so far this year is also due

to continued spending on infrastructure-

related projects. Government has spent an

estimated R1 trillion over the past five years

in this sector, and a further R847 billion is

budgeted for infrastructure construction

over the next three years. “Truck models that

are suited to supporting the development of

exTra-gOOd

»


these infrastructure projects will continue to

sell well,” he enthuses.

“Gross Fixed Capital Formation, or GFCF

– the new value that is added to the economy

– is set to increase slightly during 2014,

with the main gains coming from several

construction and infrastructural projects,”

he continues.

“Government’s New Development Plan

(NDP), although it met with mixed reactions,

has also now, for the first time, been

included in the state budget. This bodes

well for the development of a number of the

Strategic Infrastructure Projects identified

by government,” adds Schultz.

These include 18 projects ranging from

geographically focused developments, to

social infrastructure, knowledge, water

and sanitation. “Most of these projects

require heavy involvement by the transport

industry, which could once again have a

positive impact on the potential growth of

the market,” he says.

Whichever why you dissect it, the

market certainly is showing great resilience.

Brunninger sums it up thus: “The nature

of transport is that product needs to be

moved on road and thus we’re seeing

a positive trend in our sector and our

segment.” |FOCUS

The South African extra-heavy sector is expcted to continue showing above-average growth.

FOCUS OnEHCvs

??????????????


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FOCUSOn FMCG

according to Quinton van

Heerden – an industrial

engineer and researcher in

spatial planning and systems,

at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR), for commercial vehicle

transport modelling – commercial vehicle

movements are the result of decisions and

interactions between different stakeholders

in the supply chain. It is these decisions that

affect the efficiency of the supply chain and

the eventual costs of getting the goods to the

end consumer.

Between 2011 and 2013, says the 2013

CSIR State of Logistics survey, transport

accounted for 61 percent of the costs of

logistics – with 88 percent of freight in South

Africa being moved by road. It stands to

reason, therefore, that increased efficiencies

should help drive down costs.

At the recent Southern African

Transport Conference, Van Heerden

presented a new modelling system that he

has been developing, for the FMCG sector,

which aims to do just that. The system is

based on a case study conducted with an

actual transporter in the Nelson Mandela

Bay region.

“Freight vehicles are considered a minority

road user group in transport models, even

though their impact on pavement damage

and emissions is disproportionately large.

Consequently, decisions to fund multi-billion

rand projects are often based on sub-optimal

models that are not really representative

of the movements of freight vehicles,” says

Van Heerden, noting that collaborative

planning, forecasting, Just-In-Time deliveries

and economies of scale all influence the

frequency with which vehicles move and when

orders are delivered.

“We want to understand the stakeholder

interaction in a supply chain, and capture this

behaviour in freight models that are more

representative of freight movements,” he

explains.

This form of modelling (also currently

being developed in Germany) has multiple

benefits; including increased efficiencies

for the transporter through far more

detailed analysis of its business and vehicle

movements. It also allows government to

make better decisions for infrastructure

spend.

For the case study, Van Heerden obtained

the subject transporter’s distribution data for

analysis. The receivers (customers) included

in the study were situated around the Eastern

Cape.

In order to run the simulations, the

sophisticated software required further

information including a road network, agents

Success in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment is sensitive to issues such as order

size and frequency, traffic congestion and vehicle use. GAVIN MYERS explores an innovative modelling

technique that could turn these hurdles into measurable gains

Making fMcg

MOve FasTer

This form of modelling has multiple benefits;

including increased efficiencies for the transporter through far more detailed analysis

of its business and vehicle movements.

FOCUSOn FMCG


(public transport, private and freight agents

– including carriers and receivers) and

configuration data with specific values, such

as traffic counts. “We were looking at total

tonne-kilometres moved, operating costs,

travel time and distance details as well as

which vehicles delivered which products to

which customers,” Van Heerden says.

“We took one product and looked at the

behaviour of two different customers in terms

of order frequency (number of days between

orders),” he explains. “One customer typically

ordered twice a week, the other once a week.

Order sizes also differed between the two

customers, with quite big orders from the

one that was further away. You’d expect this

to influence the type of vehicle used by the

carrier.”

Orders were dispatched from the

transporter’s distribution centre using a

range of different sized trucks (each with

its own fixed and variable operating costs),

operating during the 06:00 to 09:00

timeframe. To begin with, the carrier planned

routing and scheduling for the specific day.

“Traffic congestion, for instance, has

an effect on vehicle utilisation,” says Van

Heerden. “We modelled three scenarios;

between 07:00 and 09:00 and 16:00 and

18:00, reducing free speed to 60, 20 and

15 km/h.”

The carrier planned its routing and

scheduling accordingly, using nine vehicles,

including one of each type. In the case of

the 15 km/h limit, the fleet couldn’t deliver

all the products in time – as congestion

increased, more vehicles were needed to be

able to deliver all the orders. Interestingly,

total distance covered did not differ much.

Customer order frequency was then

considered to determine its impact on fleet

utilisation. Although it stands to reason, it

was proved that the more frequent orders

were of a smaller size – the transporter thus

used smaller and fewer vehicles to fulfil these

orders. “When the order frequency was

lower, however, customers ordered larger

quantities and the total order size increased

by almost three tonnes!” Van Heerden

exclaims.

With this basic case study showing that

a transporter’s behaviour is sensitive to both

traffic congestion and changes by the receiver,

modelling could help the transporters to plan

around these factors.

“They could introduce another distribution

centre to service other customers, depart

earlier, take different routes or use other

modes of transport,” says Van Heerden. “The

process should be repeated until all iterations

are complete and the results can then be

analysed.”

Finding the right balance will allow

transporters to reduce the time and cost

of delivering goods and modelling might

even allow transport and road planners to

make better decisions in key areas – at the

end of the day saving the consumer from

footing the bill. |FOCUS

An open road such as this is but a dream in modern-day cities. Transport, therefore, requires careful and detailed planning.

FLEETMAnAGEMEnT

it’s no secret that it’s sometimes very

difficult to do business in Africa, as

red tape can be found “around every

corner” – especially when travelling

regionally …

Michael Frans, head of business

development for the automotive sector at

T-Systems South Africa, agrees. “It is very

frustrating to do business in Africa – when you

go to Europe, you need one visa to get in and

travel around the continent.” He adds, however,

if you’re a Cameroonian in Africa, you need a

visa to visit Kenya and do business there.

To illustrate his point further, Frans shines

some more light on the matter from his

own personal experiences (sharing it at the

Transport Forum’s recent Special Interest

Group meeting in Cape Town, themed:

Regional Expansion: Overcoming logistical

challenges to enable southern African

supply chains).

Before he joined T-Systems – a German

global IT services and consulting company, with

the South African derivative being one of the

most successful T-Systems companies outside

of Europe – Frans was responsible for rolling

out the Volvo Group’s dealer network for its

truck operations in sub-Saharan Africa …

“When I’d meet dealers and undertake

partnership negotiations with Angolan

companies, we met in Namibia, because it is

the one country for which both South Africans

and Angolans don’t need visas,” he recollects

– adding: “We Africans are really making it

difficult for ourselves.”

Restricted movement isn’t the only thing

plaguing African logistics, however, as data

isn’t always readily available – making for

some congested environments.

Anyone who has been to an African port

(and this includes the one in Durban) knows

how chaotic things can be. Congestion hampers

efficiencies, but headway is certainly being

made. “T-Systems has a global solution called

TelematicOne. This system aggregates data

between all the stakeholders in the supply chain

– from the moment a consignment is loaded

onto a ship to when it reaches the customer,”

explains Frans.

So, instead of transport operators having

data only from when they pick up a shipment,

all the interested parties know exactly where

the goods are – all of the time. “The idea is to

create a portal for the presentation of logistics

objects and for central data visualisation,” says

Frans. “What this means, in English, is one

platform, into which everybody pushes their

data and then extracts what they need, allowing

all users in the system to see their particular

data throughout the region.”

He continues: “It isn’t just about picking up a

consignment at the harbour and knowing when

it is on the truck, before I can give you all the

information about that shipment … it is about

when the ship is going to dock, when it is going

to be offloaded, when the truck needs to pick

up the consignment and then push it through

to the customer.”

Frans says: “T-Systems believes that the

aggregation of data is important to ensure

efficiency and better communication, planning

and execution – but confidentially is still key.

T-Systems is part of Deutsche Telekom – and

Germans are fanatical about governance and

data integrity and security,” he reassures. “So

we follow and comply with those legislative rules

that are already written. We are probably going

to wait a while for our own government to put

those legislative processes in place and then

manage them.”

The system was also piloted in Germany,

in the Port of Hamburg. “Here we created a

cloud, which is an IT term for a data centre that

everybody can plug into and use the information

– no matter where you are. We provided the

infrastructure and we feed the system with

up-to-date information that enables users to

make smarter decisions.”

The system also has the potential to plug

into various telematics systems – it could be

an aftermarket system, such as Ctrack, or

an original equipment manufacturer’s own

unit. “It also doesn’t matter what hardware

you use, be it a Samsung tablet, iPad, or a

monochrome cellphone with SMS technology,”

Frans points out. He says that the data can

also be presented in different formats –

depending on what you would like to know.

TelematicOne also includes non-traditional

supply chain stakeholders as T-Systems aims

to include the cities that are part of the logistic

cog. “For example the City of Cape Town, which

is in the process of bumping up its smart

status,” explains Frans. Here the city can feed

information into the cloud and drivers can see

on their devices what is happening around

the port.

This system really is a one-stop shop for

the data needs of the whole supply chain,

as all the interested parties have access to

everything that they need to know about their

consignments – from delays at sea due to

weather, to the time it will take to get to the

port by road in current traffic. This intermodal

traffic management system has the potential

to save time and money across the southern

African region. |FOCUS

Telematics makes the world go round for fleet managers and freight forwarders, but these systems might be wanting for the African continent … until now! Enter TelematicOne, an integrated, manufacturer-neutral portal for logistics service companies

for souThern-africa TeLeMaTics

??????????????


TeLeMaTicswww.mixtelematics.co.za

According to recent studies, road accidents cost South African businesses numerous fatalities and up to R208-billion every year. Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes.

MiX Telematics offers innovative tools to actively manage driver fatigue, like an app that tests and affirms driver alertness in just 40 seconds.

To learn more, or to arrange a consultation, contact us today on 011 654 8004.

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C

M

Y

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MY

CY

CMY

K

October Focus ad_v3 Print.pdf 1 2014/09/26 12:36 PM

www.mixtelematics.co.za


W ell, I can’t really

remember the last time

I got on a pedal-powered

bike … So, to be honest,

the prospect of taking part in a 357 km “mini

Epic” mountain bike race – no matter how

stunning the terrain – is not too high on my

“things to do at my current fitness level” list.

Mercifully, Isuzu Trucks was kind enough to

let me watch from the sidelines instead.

Dubbed the PE to Plett mountain biking

challenge, this four-day event is now in its

second year and attracted close on 100 teams.

Isuzu Trucks was the title sponsor this year

(and is likely to be for the next three years).

“Isuzu Truck South Africa has a long and

prosperous heritage in the Eastern Cape

and is always seeking innovative ways to give

back to the local community of Port Elizabeth

and, ultimately, to the province,” says Isuzu

Truck South Africa’s chief operations officer,

Craig Uren. The PE to Plett mountain biking

challenge afforded us the ideal platform to

support the region that is known as the home

of Isuzu Trucks.”

Of course, that long, prosperous heritage

stretches back to 1929! But more on that

later …

The company also took the opportunity

to sponsor the PE to Plett teams under

the LumoHawk banner. Started by former

Springbok Joel Stransky, the LumoHawk

charity channelled all proceeds raised from

the race (the teams also won a great deal of

prize money) to assist the Diepsloot Mountain

Biking Academy to build a BMX track in order

to attract younger children to the club.

Stransky notes that the foundation was

based on the premise of former president

Nelson Mandela’s belief that education is

the cornerstone for society. “The Diepsloot

Mountain Biking Academy does not only focus

on the sport, part of the initiative is that the

children who attend must also attend extra

maths and English classes after all their

rides,” he adds.

The company’s involvement in the race

also granted it a perfect opportunity to

show off its 44 000 m2 Kempston Road

assembly plant.

Following Isuzu’s majority share takeover

of Isuzu Truck South Africa from GM last year,

R17 million was invested to consolidate all the

assembly operations of Isuzu Trucks under one

roof. This was aided by GM moving to a new

facility in Struandale – having been located at

the Kempston Road facility for 85 years!

Having taken over the General Motors (GM) Kempston Road plant in Port Elizabeth (PE) last year, Isuzu

Truck South Africa is also pedalling investment in the area by sponsoring an increasingly popular race.

GAVIN MYERS hops on his bike to find out more

build a Truck,

race a biKe

PLAnTvISIT


ISUzU

The result has been an increase in

production, efficiency and, subsequently, a

rejuvenated workforce. Production has gone

up from 13 to 20 trucks a day (4 500

per year). Uren credits the consolidation

of the production lines and the aggressive

implementation of the Kaizen philosophy

for this success. “We believe in Kaizen;

it’s powerful and it works,” he says. “We

have managed to decrease wasted time

by increasing optimal working conditions,

benefiting our employees.”

Run by Masakiyo Arai, executive for

manufacturing and engineering, and Sipho

Sandla, truck plant manager, the plant

currently employs 110 people and adheres

to ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 standards in

assembling the N, F and FX series trucks.

Each week, 55 containers of truck

components are received (enough to build

120 trucks). Their contents are then sent to

the commodious 12 000 m2 warehousing

facility adjoining the plant. (It actually has

enough space for 250 containers!)

From there it’s on to the sub-assembly

lines; for cab trimming and engine-gearbox

marriage (among others), that border the main

line. Seventeen medium and heavy chassis are

prepped on another line each day, while three

extra-heavy units are done on yet another.

Once all these components are ready,

they meet on the main assembly line, where

a complete truck rolls off every 20 minutes. It

doesn’t end there, though, as rust protection

is applied to the chassis and components

before the vehicle passes through a final

testing station. Each vehicle’s testing records

are kept for over 15 years, as are its quality

control reports garnered from multiple points

in the assembly process.

According to Uren, for every N series

(the company’s local volume seller) produced,

at least 100 people are supported from

an employment perspective. “As part of our

brand and culture, you don’t just buy a truck

from us … we like to work as a team with our

suppliers, customers and everyone connected

to the economy of a truck,” he says.

“If we can grow the market and put more

trucks into the economy, we’ll employ more

people. We need to put cost-effective vehicles

into the market that generate volume and

make a difference in the economy,” he adds.

With this attitude and the provisions made

for increased volume from the Kempston

Road plant, it’s clear that Isuzu Truck South

Africa is not only intent on giving back to its

home community, but to the country at large.

Maybe a national cycling challenge is in

order? |FOCUS

Above and left: Isuzu Trucks has invested R17 million in its Port Elizabeth assembly plant.

Below: Sponsorship of the PE to Plett mountain biking challenge is one way Isuzu Trucks is giving

back to its home region.


nEWvEHICLES

it’s no secret that Ford is on a global

charge with its commercial vehicle

range. With its One Ford strategy

forming the basis, models, such as

the previously Eurocentric Transit range, are

now being developed to tackle North America

(we know the United States traditionally likes

to do things its own way …) and other world

markets. Happily, South Africa is bearing the

fruit of this strategy as well.

Following the launch last year of the

successful, “mid-range” Transit and Tourneo

Custom models, the company launched the

“full-size” versions during August – known

simply as Transit and Tourneo. Next year will

see the introduction of the “baby”, Volkswagen

Caddy-rivalling Transit and Tourneo Connect.

The latest range consists of six new

derivatives – a Transit panel van in medium

wheelbase (MWB), medium-roof and extended

long-wheelbase, and high-roof (known as the

Jumbo) configurations; a Transit chassis cab

featuring the same wheelbase options, both

with low roofs; and the Tourneo bus, in 12-seat

MWB medium roof and 18-seat Jumbo.

Each derivative is fitted with a version of

the company’s 2,2-litre, four-cylinder Duratorq

diesel engine, coupled to a six-speed manual

gearbox. The different versions are also

designed with both front and rear-wheel drive

(RWD) configurations.

MWB Transits get 92 kW and 350 Nm in

FWD; Jumbo versions get 114 kW, 385 Nm

and RWD; while both versions of the Tourneo

make do with 100 kW and 350 Nm, driving

the rear wheels.

The spec sheets read impressively. Load

volumes of the Transit panel van total 10 500

and 14 800 litres in the MWB and Jumbo

versions respectively. Gross vehicle mass

ratings for both van and chassis cab versions

are 3 300 and 4 700 kg, respectively for

MWB and Jumbo versions. Van payloads

count in at 1 325 and 2 270 kg, while those

figures for the chassis cab models are 1 597

and 2 691 kg.

The chassis cab can be ordered from

the factory with a R4 000 float (a body-

equipment mounting manual is available from

the dealers), while the panel van models are

accessed by split rear doors that open to

207° and a single, 1 300 mm left-hand side

sliding door.

Aimed at shuttle services and schools,

the bus features removable rear seats

for wheelchair accommodation, opening

rear windows and the option of rear air-

conditioning.

I was able to sample the MWB chassis cab

and panel van (which both require a normal

code 8, or EB, licence) as well as the Jumbo

panel van (that needs a code 10, or C1,

licence) at the launch event.

All versions have a comfortable, functional

cabin for the driver and two passengers. In

addition to the usual parcel shelves, electric

Ford Motor Company of South Africa is steadily expanding its local commercial vehicle offering.

GAVIN MYERS gets acquainted with its largest range to be introduced yet

The esTablishMenT?rOcKing


nEWvEHICLES

windows and 12 v power sockets, other innovative

features include 92 litres of under-seat storage,

a tray and storage compartment in the middle

seat back, and an integrated phone holder in the

driver’s door. This is designed to keep the phone

out of reach so that the driver can only use the

standard Bluetooth hands-free system.

A full suite of safety features includes ABS

anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce

Distribution; Electronic Stability Program, Load

Adaptive Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Trailer

Sway Control and Hill Launch Assist.

On the road, the chassis cab rides exceptionally

smoothly and comfortably, even unladen. Each

(including the Jumbo models), proved very wieldy

and nimble around the obstacle courses Ford

had set up for us to tackle.

A very interesting challenge was an alley-

docking parking manoeuvre that we had to

complete using only the Jumbo panel van’s

optional reversing camera. It was a piece of cake

– it even tells you exactly where to stop so that

there is enough space to open the rear doors!

The new Transit and Tourneo range is priced

from R359 900 for the Transit Single Chassis

Cab 2.2 TDCi MWB, rising to R559 900 for

the 18-seat Tourneo 2.2 TDCi. Both ranges are

covered by a standard four-year/120 000 km

comprehensive warranty, a five-year/unlimited km

corrosion warranty and three-year/unlimited km

roadside assistance. Service plans are offered as

a dealer option. |FOCUS

Below: Alley docking the Jumbo model using only its reversing camera was a cinch.Bottom: The chassis cab model is smooth and comfortable on road.


nEWvEHICLES

points to South Africa’s poor fuel quality –

the correct engine had to be made available,

meaning other markets at the level of Euro 5

or 6 took priority.

The engine available in South Africa is

rated at Euro 3. It is essentially the same

three-litre, 16-valve 4P10 common-rail

turbodiesel unit as offered on the higher

Euro-rated models, but without the Selective

Catalytic Reduction and its required AdBlue

urea solution.

Five model options are offered at launch

with payload ratings ranging from 2,5 to

five tonnes: the FE6-130 manual (96 kW

and 300 Nm), FE7-150 manual and Duonic

(110 kW and 370 Nm) and FE8-150 Duonic

in single and double cab (110 kW and

370 Nm).

The engine is fitted with a three-stage

exhaust brake as standard, and also

features a new cartridge-type

oil filter to improve

service costs. Regarding gearbox options, the

Canter LIFT brings another first to the South

African market: a double-clutch gearbox. You

might have already fathomed that it’s called

Duonic – and it’s a rather clever piece of kit.

Unlike a conventional automatic or

automated-manual (AMT) gearbox, a dual-

clutch unit pre-selects the next gear so that,

when it is engaged, there is no loss of torque

or any shift-shock – a boon for maintaining

momentum when lugging around a

heavy load.

The Duonic offering is quite intelligent. It

features a maintenance-free wet clutch for

reduced maintenance costs. There is an Eco

mode that keeps a strict eye on engine revs,

shifting earlier and keeping the engine in the

The next generation of the popular Fuso Canter has been launched locally. GAVIN MYERS attended and

found the whole shebang quite LIFTing

we have

LiFT-OFF

The decision-makers at Daimler

Trucks and Buses must’ve

known they were on to a good

thing when, in 2003, the decision

was taken to buy equity in Mitsubishi Fuso.

Ten years down the line, global Fuso sales

accounted for 37 percent of Daimler’s total

truck sales …

Not only was 2013 a good year for

the brand’s sales, but it was also the 50th

anniversary of its Canter range; of which

there have been seven previous generations.

And, now, the latest eighth generation –

known as the Canter LIFT (for Light-Duty

International Future Truck) – has landed on

the African continent.

Having sold over 100 000 units, since

originally launching in 2010, the LIFT enters

the South African market with an impressive

reputation. It was subject to three-million

kilometres of testing, was the first commercial

vehicle to win a Car of the Year special

award in its home market last year and

was awarded Ireland’s Best Energy Efficient

Product Award.

At this point you may be asking why

it took four years for the LIFT to arrive

on local shores. The answer, according to

Fuso product manager Duncan Prince, again


Canter LIFT rides exceptionally comfortably.

Standard wide-angle mirrors on the larger

models make for easy manoeuvrability.

The company says that safety, driver

comfort, extended reliability, high durability

and low cost of ownership are what make

the Canter so popular. We were able to

experience the first two and, to prove

its seriousness about the rest, Fuso is

offering the LIFT with service intervals of

up to 25 000 km and a two-year unlimited

kilometre bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Pricing is also exceptionally keen, the FE6

starts at R295 000, while the FE8 Double Cab

rounds the range off at R403 000. Clearly

the Canter is not the best-selling truck in the

Daimler stable without good reason. |FOCUS

green band at all times. The transmission also

has a creep function for easy parking and the

driver can shift gears manually if required.

The gear lever has been relocated

to the dashboard; one of the numerous

improvements the Canter’s interior

has benefited from and one that allows

comfortable seating for two front passengers.

A “multi-info” display takes centre stage in the

instrument binnacle, conveying all manner

of pertinent information to the driver. The

cab also gets a driver’s airbag, enhanced

storage capacity, power windows, central

locking, air-conditioning and a radio/CD with

two speakers.

On the road the Canter lived up to its

promise of an easy drive. Left to its own

devices, the Duonic box shifts so seamlessly

and smoothly that the only indication of this is

the continually lowering revs. In Eco mode it

shifts into the highest possible gear without

delay and rides the engine’s torque plateau

to maintain momentum.

Braking is strong thanks to the exhaust

brake and dual-calliper disk brakes fitted all-

round, these aided by the ABS anti-lock system

with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Fuso

has also fitted as standard front and rear

stabiliser bars for better chassis stabilisation

with a heavy load.

Although the launch units were fitted

with bodies, they were unladen, so the effect

of this suspension improvement wasn’t

apparent. However, it can be noted that the

nEWvEHICLES

Clockwise from left: Good looking and easy to drive, the Canter LIFT is also comfortable and spacious in single and double cab. Godfrey Hani, head of Fuso Trucks SA, says the launch of this vehicle is a defining moment for the company.


FOCUS OnRTMS

rogan Brent, managing director

of Manline Mega, is a man

on a mission – he wants to

lead the way in the abnormal

loads industry and says that Manline Mega’s

accreditation shows its commitment

to operational excellence, continuous

improvement, governance and sustainability.

With depots in Durban, Johannesburg,

Harare and Lusaka, Manline Mega is a

substantial player in the market. It runs

50 trucks (Mercedes-Benz and Volvo; soon

to be exclusively Mercedes-Benz) with the

capacity to move a maximum payload of

90 t. A total of 20 new trucks are on order

to cope with growth and, by the end of

October this year, the entire fleet will be

under a year old.

But back to the game in which Manline

Mega participates. Abnormal transport

has a rotten reputation – in some cases,

deservedly so. Manline Mega, on the other

hand, prides itself on being a reputable

and ethical company. As Brent notes wryly:

“I’m the world’s biggest worrier. I need to

do things right – otherwise I lie awake at

night.”

Practically, this smoothed the road

to RTMS accreditation – because this

industry-led, government-supported,

voluntary, self-regulation scheme is, after

all, about doing things right and sticking

to the rules of the road. As one of the

founders of RTMS, Paul Nordengen, from

the Centre for Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR), explains: “RTMS is not

rocket science. It’s about doing things the

right way.”

Still, this accolade is not to be sneezed

at – otherwise there would be scores of

abnormal trucks proudly brandishing the

distinctive yellow RTMS logo.

To all intents and purposes, Manline

Mega sprang out of the RTMS running

blocks in June last year, when the company

(previously called TCS Logistics) was

acquired by Barloworld Transport.

As Adrian van Tonder, chairman of the

RTMS national committee and senior

manager at Barloworld

Manline Mega has made history! It is the first South African company dedicated to

the transport of abnormal loads to have earned Road Transport Management System

(RTMS) accreditation. CHARLEEN CLARKE celebrates this success at the company’s

head office in Durban

coMpany’s Mega coMMiTMenTa Mega


??????????????

Transport, notes, RTMS is a way of life

within the group. “We have the greatest

number of RTMS-accredited vehicles in the

country. As a group, we are sticking our

hands up and saying we are doing things by

the book. We are voluntarily complying with

the rules of the road,” he explains.

Now that the company has made history

within the abnormal transport industry on

this continent, Brent would

like to see the

entire sector lift its game. And it’s clear

that the sector as a whole has quite a long

way to go …

According to Brent, abnormal transport

is the most complicated and difficult sector

in the transport industry. “Customers

rely on us to move their machines safely,

reliably and ethically, but the environment

is complex and, unfortunately, filled with

challenges. The risks are monumental and

high-value loads are expected to move

through Africa with no consideration for

anything but price,” he reveals.

“Our RTMS is not a marketing or tick-

box exercise. This is a statement to the

industry, the public and the Department of

Transport that we will be compliant. We will

do it right and we will move the loads.

“RTMS is Manline Mega’s commitment

to the public in South African and our

neighbouring states that we are committed

to doing business the right way and

the smart way. We will not play in this

industry with anything other than 100-

percent commitment to this system,” Brent

stresses.

Can RTMS and its increased support

from the industry make a difference

within this industry? We’d bet

on it … |FOCUS

The Manline Mega team celebrates its RTMS accreditation. RTMS contributes to preserving road infrastructure, improves road safety, ensures driver health and well-being and improves productivity. Pictured from left are: Andrew Nicholson (Barloworld Transport), Paul Nordengen (CSIR), Rogan Brent (Manline Mega) and Adrian van Tonder (Barloworld Transport).

“RTMS is Manline Mega’s commitment to doing business the right way and the

smart way. We will not play in this industry with anything other than 100-percent

commitment.”


Making a

spLash

PMA

The annual Professional Movers Association (PMA) Congress delivered a mix of fun and business for its

delegates. TONY MILLS reports

Friday morning saw the business side of

the congress take place in the conference

hall. Delegates were entertained by two

motivational speakers; Myan Subrayan,

with his “Never give up – the best lies

ahead” presentation and Wolfgang Riebe

who presented “Discover your magic”.

Both presentations were filled with humour

and each carried its own message of

inspiration.

Sponsors were also given the opportunity

to showcase their products and give

updates on the latest developments in the

industry.

In the evening, a trip around the bay on

board the cruise boat, the Jester, included

the “Pirates of the Caribbean” dress-up

theme party, with splendid costumes worn

by the enthusiastic delegates. The prize

for the best-dressed couple went to Johan

and Maryna Muller. Shaft Packaging kindly

sponsored the wine for the cruise. The only

casualties reported were a couple of queasy

tummies caused by motion sickness!

The Boardwalk Hotel and

Casino, in Port Elizabeth, was

the venue for the 2014 PMA

Congress. Port Elizabeth,

known as the “windy city”, contradicted its

reputation and gave the delegates almost

perfect conditions for the duration of the

congress.

Thursday, registration day, was followed

by a Hawaiian evening, held at the pool deck,

complete with a Hula Hula competition,

kindly sponsored by PETport.

www.altech.co.za

www.isuzutrucks.co.za

www.crownrelo.com

www.stuttafordvanlines.co.za


PMA

Above, clockwise: The Pirates of the Carribean cruise and Hawaiian evening showed that the removals industry knows how to have fun!

The traditional golf day took on an interesting twist. Numerous awards and special prizes were handed out.

2

Saturday dawned with perfect weather

for the golfing event held at Wedgewood

Golfing Estate, some 30 km west of Port

Elizabeth. Sponsored by MiX Telematics,

the competition took on new rules of

engagement. The golfers were responsible

for getting the ball from the tee to the

green; the non-golfers then took over and

had to finish off with the putter.

Non-golfers were, therefore, more than

just spectators; they were participants

sharing in the fun and excitement that goes

with the game. Judging from some of the

antics on the green, it was evident that the

desired mix of camaraderie and enjoyment

had been achieved.

The prize giving was held later that

evening at the “Phantom of the Opera Ball”,

sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, and what a

wonderful event it turned out to be! Once

again, stunning costumes were on show.

Those not dressed for the theme were

impeccably turned out in formal evening

dress, giving the event an “oldie world”

feeling.

During the evening, numerous merit

awards were handed out to sponsors

and partners, the grand prize being the

presentation of a key for a Mercedes-Benz

Actros 1844 LS/36 for a three-month

period, which was handed over to the lucky

winner, Ian Pettey, by Mpho Nkhumeleni,

national sales manager, Mercedes-Benz

Truck Division.

Biddulphs International was also

presented with a certificate in recognition

for its loyal and longstanding support of

the PMA and its Congress.

Martin Oosthuizen delivered the PMA

President’s report in which he highlighted

the achievements made by PMA during

the year.

Oosthuizen also gave a special thanks to

all the sponsors that supported this year’s

Congress: Mercedes-Benz, MiX Telematics,

AMI, Pets en Transit, Trudon/Yellow Pages,

Fuso, MSC, Volvo, PETport, Shaft Packaging

and Boxlee.

At the conclusion of the President’s

report, sincere thanks were extended to

Congress coordinator Catherine Larkin

and her amazing team at CVLC, for keeping

the event running smoothly and taking

so much pressure off the PMA National

Executive. |FOCUS

numerous merit

awards were handed out, the grand prize being a

Mercedes-Benz Actros.

not very often do I get to put

a light vehicle to the test so

thoroughly that it could be

considered actual work. The

primary precluding factor: most commercial

vehicles must carry some sort of load to be

thoroughly evaluated. Working for a magazine

(and not a transport entity) makes regularly

finding such a load tricky. Seats and seatbelts

make people movers the exception …

So I certainly got lucky when the delivery,

to our offices, of a long-wheelbase (LWB)

Volkswagen T5 Transporter Crew Bus

coincided with my moving house. The Crew Bus

attempts to be all things to all people. It has five

comfortable, spacious seats and a separate

load area. I could move the household contents,

load in everyone lending a helping hand and

put the vehicle through, possibly, the most

thorough FOCUS LCV review yet.

The passenger and load compartments are

separated by a sturdy metal cage bulkhead,

secured with six sets of nuts and bolts. Out it had

to go; it’s possible for one person to do. Removal

and installation would definitely be easier and

less cumbersome, however, if it were fixed by a

series of latches instead.

A simple pull of a strap unlatched the rear

passenger bench seat so it could be to be tipped

forward and removed.

We were now close to the maximum

6 700 litre load volume (up from 4 800 litres).

Incidentally, the load compartment measures

2 000 x 1 692 x 1 394 mm (1 244 mm

between wheel arches); gross vehicle mass

is 3 000 kg, gross combination mass is

5 300 kg and payload is 925 kg.

Loading and unloading through the

two side sliding doors and standard rear

tailgate was an easy affair. For commercial

applications, though, the fitment of the

optional side-opening rear doors (at R3 700)

would be better suited and more convenient.

The vehicle’s floor is padded rubber

throughout – fantastic to prevent damage to

property – and six lashing points are fitted.

The front passenger compartment features

numerous stowage spaces including double door

pockets and a paper tray on the dashboard.

Our test vehicle was fitted with Volkswagen’s

superb 132 kW, 400 Nm four-cylinder

turbodiesel motor, à-la BiTDI Amarok. This sweet,

smooth and powerful motor provides sustained

urge throughout the rev range (max torque is

produced between 1 500 and 2 000 r/min)

and didn’t raise a sweat moving the multiple

loads. VW claims fuel consuption of 8,2 l/

100 km and CO2 emissions of 217 g/km.

It is coupled to a six-speed manual

transmission, our version also sporting VW’s

4Motion all-wheel drive. The stretched wheelbase

and traction from the 4Motion system ensures

the vehicle is stable and surefooted. It rides

exceptionally comfortably, too.

Visibility and manoeuvrability are

very good for a vehicle this size (rear

park distance control is another option

worth ticking).

The Transporter is fitted with an impressive

array of safety features including: daytime

running lights; dual front airbags; ABS anti-

lock brakes with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce

Distribution) and EBC (Engine Brake Control);

ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme)

with Brake Assist and Hill Start Assist; and

traction control.

At R478 900, with a two-year/unlimited km

warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty,

it is a bit more expensive than rivals like the new

Toyota Quantum Crew Cab, but on par with the

Mercedes-Benz Vito. (Watch out for a similar

competitor from Ford, expected around the time

you read this.)

So, following a couple of days of thorough

transportation work, how did the Transporter

fare? It’s large, well spec’d, comfortable, and

has a fantastic engine. Our main gripe is the

cumbersome bulkhead and, locally, the 4Motion

system really is superfluous. Nonetheless, it

performed faultlessly.|FOCUS

GAVIN MYERS puts Volkswagen’s Transporter Crew Bus through

one of our most thorough reviews yet

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FOCUS OnSHIPPInG

it is said that early human migration

began when the pre-modern Homo

erectus first migrated out of Africa

over the Levantine corridor (a relatively

narrow strip between the Mediterranean Sea

to the northwest and an expanse of deserts

to the southeast) and the Horn of Africa to

Eurasia – about 1,8 million years ago.

As for the Americas … it is noted on

HowStuffWorks – a site with nearly 40 million

visitors each month – that, at the time, some

icy conditions helped humanity’s migrating

endeavours into this region.

“A massive sheet of ice, combined with

lower sea levels, formed a bridge between

Siberia and Alaska,” writes Ed Grabianowski, a

contributing writer for HowStuffWorks, in his

piece How Human Migration Works.

“There have long been competing theories

that early humans crossed the Atlantic Ocean,

from Africa to South America, or via the

Caribbean, or from Europe to Greenland and

then on to North America,” Grabianowski

adds. “While it may have been possible to

make such a trip using available seafaring

technology, it is unlikely that a large-scale

migration occurred in such a way.”

Nonetheless, sea travels have etched

themselves into history with tales of the Vikings

(who raided and traded from their Scandinavian

homelands across wide areas of northern and

central Europe), Christopher Columbus (whose

voyages led to the first lasting European contact

with the Americas) and Jan van Riebeeck (who

established the initial Dutch settlement in the

future South Africa).

These days, although it still plays a major

role, exploration isn’t the main purpose

of seafaring. “Even in our modern, speed-

Humanity has been crossing oceans for millennia, initially in search of

new lands and later for trade … it’s no wonder that transporting goods

by sea freight still plays a major role in the global economy. JACO DE

KLERK casts his net wide to reel in the lowdown of the effects of this

form of transport and its related activities

successharbOUring


driven and globalised economy, 90 percent

of everything still travels as it did almost

500 years ago,” writes Natasha Geiling on

Smithsonian.com – which looks at topics and

subject matters researched, studied and

exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution (a

group of 19 museums and galleries and nine

research facilities administered by the United

States government).

In her piece How the Shipping Industry is

the Secret Force Driving the World Economy,

Geiling speaks to Rose George – an author who

spent several weeks aboard a container ship,

sailing from England to Singapore, resulting in

her book Ninety Percent of Everything.

“You’d be surprised at how many people

think that everything comes by aeroplane,

which it doesn’t because it’s so expensive,”

George tells Geiling when discussing the

public’s perception at large, during her

interview. “Even a freight aeroplane can carry

an absolute fraction of what a ship can carry.”

The shipping industry isn’t only a cog in

the global economy because of its freight

forwarding capabilities, however, as it also

serves as a massive employer …

Rob Deane, general manager of Elgin

Brown & Hamer South Africa (EBH SA), part

of the DCD Marine Cluster (which includes

EBH Namibia and DCD Marine Cape Town),

notes that the shipbuilding and ship-repair

industries, internationally, employ millions of

people and thus have the capability to add

substantially to a national economy. This is

because of the forward and backward linkages

associated with job creation, also known as

the “multiplier effect”.

“It is not just about a shipyard creating

jobs, it is the entire shipping industry supply

chain that creates forward and backward

linkages in relation to job creation,” explains

Deane. “For example, if a growing shipyard

requires more steel, the steel company will

require more people, as will the steel mill and

so on, all the way back to the mine.”

He adds that transport, fuel, electricity and

administration will also all be impacted by growth

and job creation. “The forward linkages relate to

increased spend by employees on houses, fuel,

electricity, water, and so on – which, in turn,

generates income in those sectors.”

One example, within the DCD Marine

Cluster itself, is EBH Namibia’s investment in

infrastructure in Walvis Bay. “As long as there

is sustainable growth, the knock-on effect is

job creation, not only for employees, but for

subcontractors and suppliers as well – the

impact is felt down the line,” says Deane. “In

Walvis Bay we are seeing this effect already.

The whole town is benefiting as a result of the

growing shipyard.”

This isn’t the only economy that has been

influenced by the Cluster’s activities. The other

example landed DCD Marine Cape Town and

its client Saipem an award from the Western

Cape provincial government in recognition for

the recent work done on the Scarabeo 7 – a

semi-submersible drilling rig.

“It is an honour to be recognised by the

Western Cape government for the hard work

and time that DCD Marine Cape Town has

invested to ensure that we put Cape Town on

the global map as a rig repair destination of

choice,” says Gerry Klos, general manager of

the company. “The award also recognises our

valued client Saipem for the role it has played,

by bringing in this significant project and

thereby boosting the local economy.”

The Scarabeo 7 project consumed a total

of 3,2-million man hours, brought in more

than R1 billion in revenue to the province

and created 1 193 jobs. It also provided

downstream employment through the

subcontractors assigned to the venture.

Alan Winde, Western Cape minister of

economic opportunities, adds: “This project

has delivered a massive boost to economic

growth and job creation in the Western Cape.

The DCD Marine shipyard is an important

player in the province’s maritime industry and

is attracting significant foreign investment,

specifically in the rig repair industry, which is a

key growth sector.”

He says that the oil and gas sector employs

8 500 people, of which 3 000 work in rig repair

and maintenance. “We are grateful to both

companies involved in this massive project for

the role they have played in helping to build a

sustainable local economy. The world-class

service DCD Marine Cape Town offers makes

it an asset to the Western Cape.”

Jan van Riebeeck would be

proud … |FOCUS

harbOUring The shipbuilding and ship repair industries,

internationally, employ millions of people and thus have the capability to add substantially

to a national economy.

FOCUS OnSHIPPInG

at the turn of the century, Africa

was still referred to as the

hopeless continent, but this has

changed drastically over the

past decade. Unprecedented growth rates

are a dime a dozen.

Stellar examples can be found in sub-

Saharan Africa, as the World Bank points

out: “The region’s growth prospects remain

favourable despite emerging challenges, such

as weaker commodity prices and tighter global

financial conditions. During the period from

1995 to 2013, the region performed strongly,

with an average annual gross domestic

product growth rate of 4,5 percent.”

The organisation adds that there are

variations in economic performance across

different groups of countries. “Within the

‘resource-rich’ group, the gap in growth

between oil and non-oil countries has

narrowed. At the same time, several countries

within the ‘non-resource-rich’ group, such as

Ethiopia, Mozambique and Rwanda, have

achieved sustained high growth rates for over

a decade.”

South Africa is, however, one of a few

countries with a growth rate lagging behind

the levels achieved before the start of the

global crisis. This ties in perfectly with what we

reported in The transporter’s guide to Africa

in June 2013 … Here Russell Lamberti, chief

strategist at ETM Analytics – an independent

consulting firm in Johannesburg – states

that South Africa’s role as the gateway to the

continent is being challenged.

“There is this perception that South Africa

is the gateway to Africa for investors, but I

don’t think that is true at all – in the modern

world you can fly to Lagos or Nairobi, get all

the information you need on the ground there,

and do business,” he notes.

He adds that there are exciting

developments taking place in eastern and

western Africa while South Africa and the

southern African region are at risk of being left

behind. “As it stands, South Africa is the most

well-capitalised and sophisticated economy on

the continent – with great institutions, a great

banking sector and some great interest rates.

We don’t need to be told that South Africa is

a more developed place than the Democratic

Republic of Congo or Ghana, but the rest

of the continent is changing more rapidly in

terms of dynamism.”

All hope isn’t lost, however. We southerners

are doing our part – especially when it comes

to railway development, with “billions” making

the headlines. One example is the Trans-

Kalahari Railway project, a 1 500 km heavy-

railway line estimated at N$100 billion (R100

billion) that will link Botswana’s coalfields with

the existing railhead at Gobabis in Namibia

and, thus, Walvis Bay.

Another is the R51-billion deal that the

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa

(Prasa) and Gibela Rail Transportation – a

It’s no secret; Africa is no longer the “Dark Continent” as it

houses countries that feature some impressive economic

expansion, but the “dark ages” did leave their mark … While

Africa focuses on getting its rail transport back on track,

the developed world is looking at ticketless travel,

automated freight transport, maintenance drones

and faster driverless trains by 2050

for ToMorrow Train-ing


FOCUS OnRAIL

joint venture led by Alstom and co-owned

by local shareholders Ubumbano Rail and

New Africa Rail – have for the supply of 600

commuter trains (3 600 coaches) over the

next ten years.

This is but the tip of the iceberg of things

to come, however, if you look at what the

developed world has in mind … Arup – an

independent global consultancy providing

professional services in management,

planning, design and engineering – has

revealed a vision of the future of rail travel in

light of trends such as urban population growth,

climate change and emerging technologies.

Future of Rail 2050 foresees predictive

maintenance of rail lines by robot drones;

driverless trains travelling safely at high

speed; freight delivered automatically to its

destination; and smart technology able to

interface with mobile and wearable devices

to improve passenger experience and enable

ticketless travel.

The report is based on developments

from current Arup rail projects, as well as

insight from Arup’s Foresight + Research +

Innovation team (a multi-disciplinary group of

researchers, scientists, academics, strategists

and consultants) and global contributors.

The company has been involved in many

of the world’s high-speed rail, metro and

driverless train projects; including High

Speed 1 (which connects the international

high-speed routes between London and Paris

and London and Brussels), the Heathrow

Personal Rapid Transit system in the United

Kingdom, Cityringen Metro in Copenhagen, as

well as the creation of Beijing South Railway

Station and the redevelopment of St Pancras

International Station.

With the increasing frequency of extreme

weather events, the report looks at future

construction and maintenance techniques

to reduce travel delays and shape railway

resilience.

It predicts intelligent robots building new

(and retrofitting old) rail infrastructure. Swarm

robotics, a theory based on swarm behaviour

among ant and bee colonies, could see small

robots working collaboratively on major railway

repair and structural testing. Monitoring

drones would enable rail operators to perform

advanced maintenance on tracks, eradicating

lengthy journey delays and line closures.

To further increase efficiency and speed

of travel, Future of Rail 2050 suggests that

automated systems will optimise the running

time of passenger trains and increase the

reliability and safety of the network.

Driverless trains, for example, would

be in constant communication with one

another with sensors embedded in rail

infrastructure; travelling in close succession

and responding in real time to their location

on a given track.

On the freight side of things, Arup states

that this activity is due to increase globally

by up to 250 percent by 2050. The report

foresees dedicated elevated platforms and

underground pipelines to transport goods,

freeing up rail and highway infrastructure for

passenger travel.

Freight pipelines would, according to Future

of Rail 2050, use intelligent aerodynamic

pods and embedded sensors to provide an

energy efficient and low-maintenance method

of delivering goods in heavily populated urban

areas.

However, even if things are freed up for

commuters, intermodal transportation is the

name of the game when it comes to a smooth

and convenient passenger experience. Rail

needs to be fully integrated with other modes

of transport … Arup says that greater internet

connectivity will provide passengers with

accurate, real-time updates on train times

and connections to other transport modes,

complete with optimum pricing.

Ticketless technology will also remove

gate lines in stations. Authorisation to travel

will be universal and payment processed

automatically when the journey is taken,

allowing a seamless connection between

various modes of transport.

Future of Rail 2050 points out that this

could be achieved through interoperable

electronic passes (valid for trains, businesses,

car sharing schemes and bicycles) or through

personal accounts, which would authorise

travel and automatically process payment –

removing congestion at ticket barriers and

eliminating unauthorised travel.

“The global urban population is growing

rapidly and by 2050, around 75 percent

of the world’s population will live in cities,”

says Colin Stewart, Global Rail Leader at

Arup. “This places huge pressure on transport

infrastructure and resources, but also creates

a significant opportunity for rail, which relies

on passenger density to function most

effectively.”

He adds: “The challenge will lie in juggling

the responsibility of providing reliable travel

for millions while simultaneously tailoring each

journey for the individual.”

Stewart concludes: “However, by rapidly

developing technology and taking bold steps

to overcome capacity and cost challenges,

through maximising efficiencies, the rail

renaissance can deliver a future where rail

is the backbone of our travel system, linking

major urban hubs and feeding into multi-modal

transport networks for the benefit of the

passenger.” |FOCUS

Train-ing


FOCUS OnRAIL

There are exciting

developments taking place in eastern and western Africa while

South Africa and the southern African region are at risk of

being left behind.

??????????


WHEELSWORLD On

how much do you know

about the Middle East? You

probably know that the region

has strong historical and

religious significance; that it’s characterised

by constant fighting between the Israelis and

Palestinians and wars against the Iranians

and Iraqis; and that the endless deserts

of its oil-rich Arab states are dotted with

ultra-modern, nod-to-excess cities that are

growing at a substantial rate.

But did you know that the region is

made up of 18 individual countries; including

Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon and

Turkey? Did you know that it is home to the

lowest point on earth – the Dead Sea – at

427 m below sea level; as well as the tallest

building in the world: the Burj Khalifa in the

United Arab Emirates (UAE)? At 829,8 m, it’s

twice as tall as the Empire State Building!

What about the fact that 89 percent

of the UAE’s population is made up of

immigrants? Or that the country’s capital,

Abu Dhabi, is building a city with no cars,

zero carbon emissions and a university that

will specialise in green technology? (As you

may have noticed, the UAE has a lot to boast

about …)

It would stand to reason, then, that the

region’s transport make-up is wide and varied.

Well, if you can imagine it, then in the Middle

East, it will serve as some form of transport

… While the region’s location would make it

ideal for trade between north Africa, Europe,

Russia and Asia, years of turmoil in many

of its countries has hampered its transport

and logistics development in many areas.

Nevertheless, delving into its commuter and

commercial transportation provides for some

fascinating reading.

Air transport is currently the subject of

large investment in the region. According

to the World Bank, it plays an important

role in the economies of the Middle East,

contributing US$ 116 billion (R1,2 trillion) to

the region’s gross domestic product.

In fact, according to the International

Air Transport Association (IATA), the region

reported an increase in air freight tonne

kilometres of 16,5 percent at the end of

2013 – well above the global average of

6,5 percent.

Should you find yourself on the streets of

Turkey or Northern Cyprus, you might decide

to travel by dolmus (pronounced dol-moosh).

These are similar to South Africa’s own

minibus taxis (packed to the brim, they too

Connotations of the Middle

East abound, but the region is

also poised to be a significant

transport and logistics hub.

It also offers its commuters

some very interesting modes

of transportation

poised for

greaTness?

??????????????


WO R L D O N W H E E L

S

WORLD ON WHEE

LS

like to stop wherever is convenient which, in

some cases, is highly regulated in Turkey.).

These “share taxis” run set routes, which are

cleverly identifiable by the colours in which

the taxis are painted.

Formal bus services are, however, quite

a reliable and respectable form of transport

in the region, running regular local, long-

distance and cross-border routes.

Commuter rail services seem to be quite

limited in the region, this mode of transport

predominantly serving freight. Some areas,

such as Israel and the UAE, are rapidly

expanding their rail networks with a mix of light

and heavy rail, while neighbouring Jordan and

nearby Kuwait and Yemen have (respectively)

little and no rail infrastructure at all.

Turkey’s rail network is far more

impressive though; transporting 9 000

million tonne-kilometres of freight in 2010

and offering a comprehensive mainline and

high-speed commuter service.

Of course, the region is not all desert,

and travel by boat or ferry is often also an

option. The abra (a traditional boat made of

wood) provides a cheap and easy trip across

the Dubai Creek. Dhows in various forms are

also a familiar sight in areas including the

Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Ferry services are

widely described as “practical” … Of course, if

you find yourself at the Dead Sea, you could

always just jump in and float across …

Last, but not least, I’ll bet that one of

your first mental images when reading the

words “Middle East” was of camel-back rides

across the desert. Well, away from the main

centres, that is still an option … Camels (and

horses) are very popular for tours in areas

such as the ancient Jordanian city of Petra,

for example.

There’s no doubt that transport in the

region, ranging from centuries-old boats to

modern air transport, is as varied as it

comes. The region is highly accessible by air,

sea and land but, while it is moving forward

in some pockets of excellence, as a whole it

requires massive investment to reach its full

potential as the logistics hub it could be.

Global management consulting firm, Booz

and Company, notes that the region requires

the development of a strong domestic

transport and logistics sector, a “strategic

must for further economic development of

Middle Eastern countries” – its favourable

location an opportunity waiting to flourish.

Imagine then, what wonders might be to

come in countries like the UAE … |FOCUS

greaTness?

This modern dolmus runs on a Marmaris (in

Turkey) route – identifiable by its blue colour.

GLOBALFOCUS


back in 2001, when preparing

to write my first article on

the global commercial vehicle

industry, I did some research

into its history. On consulting my copy of

The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial

Vehicles, by Georgano and Marshall Naul,

published in 1979, I discovered that more

than 2 500 separate manufacturers had

been active in the industry since 1886.

In more recent times, however, many

formerly independent names have been

absorbed into major groupings, while others

just quietly slipped away. Pressures from low

margins, intense sales competition, expensive

compliance with ever-tightening environmental

legislation, rapidly advancing technology and

numerous global and regional economic crises,

have caused a contraction in the number of

participants – to the point where there are a

great many less operating today.

One of the problems facing any

commentator, looking at this industry from a

global perspective, is the absence of a credible,

independent, single source of information

providing the absolute volumes of product

produced and sold by each manufacturer, or

group of manufacturers. One of the reasons

for this is the lack of unanimity on the definition

of a “commercial vehicle”.

Ideally, we should be able to separate

pickups (bakkies) and car-derived vans from

broader analysis, but opinions differ widely on the

parameters of light commercial vehicles (LCVs),

with particular reference to the larger European

integral vans and the Asian light trucks, which

fit conveniently into the South African medium

commercial vehicle (MCV) category.

One of the better reference documents

that we have seen is KPMG’s Competing in

the Global Truck Industry, published in 2011.

But the vintage of this study, and the fact

that it only considers vehicles with a gross

vehicle mass (GVM) of six tonnes and above,

thus excluding significant chunks of the two

categories mentioned previously, compromises

its value to any 2014 commentary.

For this reason, we have decided to use the

participant list from the South African truck

market, as reflected in our Quarterly Reviews,

as the basis for this analysis. In many ways,

the local market is a microcosm of the global

market, although its very small size (around

one percent of the world total) must always be

borne in mind when considering the broader

picture.

The one problem with using this methodology

is that it largely ignores the rapidly growing

importance of several Chinese manufacturers

in the global context. However, we will make

every effort to ensure that our comments and

predictions reflect the global perspective. Please

also note that we have used light, medium and

heavy commercial vehicle terminology as the

segmentation model in this review, which would

approximate to South African medium, heavy

and extra-heavy categories, respectively.

DAIMLERIn terms of this particular article, the Daimler

family is made up of Mercedes-Benz trucks,

buses and vans, Freightliner trucks and vans,

Fuso trucks, Western Star trucks, Thomas Built

buses, BharatBenz trucks and Setra buses.

From most points of view, Daimler is held

as the global leader in the commercial vehicle

business, and its constituent brands cover

all geographic regions and every segment of

In his monthly review of global news for local truckers, FRANK BEETON takes a step back from his usual

newsgathering to discuss the future prospects for global truck makers. Controversial? You bet!

Truck ManufacTurers – who will

endUre?


GLOBALFOCUS

the global market. It has also adopted a policy

of great transparency in the evolution of its

global family, with no effort to disguise the inter-

dependency of its brands, and the considerable

mobility of products and components across

these brands.

In recent years it has developed a successful

rationalised global engine family for its heavy-

duty products, and this is being progressively

rolled out across Europe, North America and

Asia.

Daimler is a technology leader in the

industry, and its most recent innovation is

Future Truck 2025, which has been used to

demonstrate autonomous vehicle technology in

a heavy-duty truck application.

There can be little doubt that the Daimler

family is fully committed to its commercial

vehicle business, and has a well-established

and clear strategy that should position it for

continuity into the future.

Its biggest challenge, however, is likely to

be maintaining its grip on industry leadership,

particularly in the face of growing Chinese

influence, both inside and outside of global

alliances. To counter this, Daimler may well

consider additional acquisitions of smaller

companies to bolster its global throughput.

In January, 2009, Daimler announced that

it was to establish a truck joint venture with

Beiqi Foton Motor Company, and in February,

2012, the Chinese government issued a

business licence for the two companies

to commence operating the US$ 1 billion

(R11 billion) 50/50 partnership now

known as Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive

Company, Limited.

Daimler had also established an earlier

Chinese joint venture to build Vito, Viano and

Sprinter vans with Fujian Motor Industry Group

Company, and this has subsequently been

renamed Fujian Benz Automotive Company.

vOLvO GROUPIn slightly more than a decade, Volvo AB has

risen to become one of the most influential

groups in the global commercial vehicle

business – a process that is not yet complete.

In a complex series of acquisitions, share

trades and cooperative arrangements, the

Group has acquired a product portfolio that

includes Volvo Trucks and Buses, Renault

Trucks, UD Trucks, Mack Trucks, Eicher Trucks,

Prevost Buses and Nova Buses, in addition

to some marine and construction-related

products.

Initially, the individual brands appeared to

retain considerable independence, but this has

progressively evolved into a situation where

component exchanges, particularly in respect

of engines and transmissions, have become

commonplace.

In 2012, the Group announced a new

global structure, with clear lines of geographic

responsibility allocated between the Americas

(Mack), Europe/Middle East/Africa (Volvo/

Renault) and Asia Pacific (UD). This arrangement

is apparently evolutionary, with considerable

crossover between brands still evident, but

recent developments have given strong hints

that the strategy is taking hold.

Early in 2013, it was announced, in a

highly significant move, that Volvo had paid

US$ 890 million (R9,9 billion) for a

45 percent shareholding in Dongfeng

Commercial Vehicles in China. This association

was a logical progression, given that UD Trucks

and Renault Trucks already had connections

with Dongfeng, but the implications of a Group

association included the creation of a potentially

world-leading alliance (in 2010, Dongfeng was

already at the top of the >six tonne GVM world

rankings with more than 300 000 unit sales).

Recent media reports have suggested

that the formalisation of this relationship is

imminent, and its subsequent rolling out into

the global environment will be of immense

interest to industry observers.

During the past two years, Volvo has

introduced some revolutionary technology into

the commercial arena, including the first series-

production applications of independent front

suspensions, and dual-clutch transmissions in

heavy trucks.

The Group’s main issue, moving forward,

appears to be over-concentration by its

principal brands at the upper end of the payload

spectrum. This has been exacerbated by the

loosening of equity ties between it and the

Renault-Nissan light vehicle alliance.

Although some cooperation still prevails,

the ready availability of European van and

Asian light-truck products from Renault and

Nissan can no longer be taken for granted, and

alternative sources for entry-level products,

such as Eicher in India and Dongfeng in China,

are coming more sharply into focus.

With the enormous critical mass that will

be brought into the Volvo family by DFCV, the

Group’s future seems to be secure, but we still

anticipate some brand reshuffling to achieve

a more even coverage of important market

segments in the years to come.

ISUzUIsuzu Motors is the first independent

manufacturer to be reviewed in this analysis.

A 45-year period of equity association with

General Motors started in 1971, when GM

bought a 34-percent shareholding in the

Japanese company, and ended with the sale of

GM’s last shareholding in 2006.

Today, cooperation between the two

organisations only persists in some marketing

and product joint ventures. The 5,9 percent

Isuzu shareholding, purchased by Toyota

following GM’s exit, is hardly large enough to be

greatly influential, and has left Isuzu very much

the master of its own destiny.

This Japanese manufacturer is a

substantial business, having sold some

690 000 vehicles in the 2013 fiscal year,

although this figure also includes pickups

(bakkies). Nevertheless, Isuzu is a global

leader in the light-truck market, has good

coverage of the cruiserweight category,

and a reputation for being a leader in diesel

engine design and manufacture.

However, the operating characteristics

of the domestic Japanese heavy-duty truck

market calls for vehicles that differ somewhat

from broader global standards of engine

displacement, power output, drivetrain

configurations, crew sleeping accommodation

and payload capability. This makes it difficult

for Japanese manufacturers outside global

partnerships to provide competitive heavy-duty

export products for overseas markets.

Isuzu’s business profile would, in our

opinion, make it an ideal candidate for inclusion

in a broader global alliance, and it is notable

that, in 2011, the company acknowledged

that it had held discussions with Volkswagen

(VW) over possible non-equity co-operation,

involving “pickup trucks, diesel engines and

larger trucks”. Isuzu’s strong global position

in light and medium trucks, and its continuing

North American business – despite erstwhile

This group has enormous energy and potential, and may yet gather further

manufacturers into its fold.

»


GLOBALFOCUS

partner GM’s withdrawal from the heavier

truck market – would fit snugly into the VW

business model (discussed further on).

However, with VW’s well-publicised quest

for global industry leadership, it is unlikely to

team up with any smaller manufacturer on a

purely cooperative basis, as this would reduce

the benefit of incremental sales volumes being

added to the VW family tally. We advise readers

to be on the lookout for further developments.

HInOIn some respects, Hino is in a similar position to

Isuzu, being a Japanese-domiciled manufacturer,

without international allies in the commercial

vehicle industry apart from a residual connection

to Scania, which currently involves support for

the Swedish product in Japan, and some joint

truck marketing in South Korea.

However, Hino differs radically in that it is

positioned wholly within the giant Toyota family,

and, as such, seems very unlikely to enter any

partnerships falling outside of that area of

influence, and is apparently not vulnerable to

any takeover threats.

Hino is a strong participant in the global

light and medium truck market, and has even

produced its own unique products to suit the

North American preference for bonneted

cruiserweights.

Hino has also paid more than average

attention to the heavy-truck arena, when

compared to other Japanese competitors,

with the development of double sleeper cabs

as an example, but faces a similar lack of

suitable high-power engine options to compete

internationally with vehicles in this category

sourced from Europe and the United States

(US).

Future in-house development of such

options seems unlikely, given the Toyota Group’s

massive concentration on the light vehicle

categories, and the extremely high development

costs associated with creating solutions to

the stringent environmental requirements of

First World markets. Although the buying-in

of components from independent suppliers

cannot be ruled out, this option does not seem

to fit well with general Toyota family DNA.

vOLKSWAGEn GROUPAlthough Swedish heavy-truck and bus specialist

Scania is next in the South African pecking

order, it is now common knowledge that this

manufacturer has recently moved wholly within

the Volkswagen sphere of influence, joining MAN

Nutzfahrzeuge and Volkswagen Commercials to

form another potentially world-leading alliance

of commercial vehicle enterprises.

As currently constituted, the Group is

strongly represented across most vehicle

categories, including buses, in Europe and

South America, while MAN has established a

wholly owned medium/heavy truck presence

in India.

In 2009, it also acquired a 25-percent-

plus-one-share interest in leading Chinese

truck manufacturer Sinotruk (Hong Kong)

Limited, part of China National Heavy Duty

Truck Corporation (CNHTC), for €560 million

(R8 billion).

In terms of the accompanying agreement,

MAN licensed its TGA truck, engine, chassis and

axle technology for inclusion into a new SITRAK

product series tailored to emerging markets,

and undertook to provide Sinotruk with ongoing

support for production and localisation.

The Indian and Chinese arrangements

have plugged important gaps in MAN’s,

(and, by extension, VW’s) geographic global

coverage – although, up to now, only the Indian

products have found their way into international

distribution through the Group’s official channels.

Notwithstanding, the Group’s global product

portfolio is still strongly biased towards heavy

trucks, buses/coaches, and integral vans, with

some medium-truck coverage in Europe, and

strong light/medium truck participation in

South America.

With Volkswagen’s well-publicised quest

for overall global motor industry leadership,

it seems likely that more comprehensive

coverage of the global light and medium truck

segments will be an early priority for the Group.

This is supportive of the contact with Isuzu,

mentioned previously.

Isuzu’s great strength in these areas, and

the potential benefit of its influence on VW’s

Amarok pickup, are compelling arguments in

favour of a VW/Isuzu alliance. In return, Isuzu

would presumably obtain access to MAN/

Scania technology in the heavy truck arena, to

the benefit of its HCV performance in markets

such as Australia and South Africa.

In our view, these are still very early days

for the Volkswagen Group’s truck empire. The

recent finalisation of VW’s takeover of Scania

The Volvo Group has become one of the most influential in the global commercial vehicle business.


will result in a higher degree of rationalisation

between MAN and the Swedish truck maker

than has been possible up to now, although this

is likely to be well below the radar in terms of

marketplace awareness.

The need to optimise market coverage may

lead to some realignment of brand positions,

and there is also potential to roll out the VW

Brazilian Constellation and Volksbus ranges to a

wider global audience, possibly using alternative

branding. This group has enormous energy

and potential, and may yet gather further

manufacturers into its fold.

TATAIndependent Indian manufacturer Tata Motors,

which absorbed the Korean Daewoo heavy-

truck operation in 2004, has ploughed its

own furrow in the commercial vehicle arena

since shaking off the last vestiges of Daimler

shareholding in 2010.

Tata established a diesel engine-building

joint venture with Cummins in 1994, which

enabled the replacement of some elderly

Daimler-derived engine types. The Korean

Novus heavy-duty range was subsequently

extended downmarket to include cruiserweight

models, powered by Iveco engines, reflecting

the parent company’s car-building relationship

with the Fiat Group. In 2009, Tata revealed

its new Bertone-styled medium-to-heavy-duty

Prima “World Truck” Series, to be built in both

India and Korea.

Tata remains the dominant player in the

Indian domestic market, but is facing increasing

competition from global players, including

erstwhile partner Mercedes-Benz’s indigenous

BharatBenz products, the Volvo Group, through

its Volvo-Eicher associate, and MAN.

The Tata industrial empire is vast,

and seems fully capable of keeping its

vehicle manufacturing subsidiary out of

foreign hands. However, should Tata have

ambitions to expand its export business

outside of its present sphere of influence in

and around the Indian sub-continent, South

Korea and Africa, it may need to consider a

partnership.

The Fiat/Tata relationship seems to have

lost momentum, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

is fully occupied with getting its own house in

order, but some future cooperation involving

Iveco still seems a possibility.

IvECOGlobal Focus recently reported on the

emergence of CNH Industrial as a major global

force in the mechanised world. To recap, the

group is now the holding company for the Fiat

empire’s capital goods manufacturing interests,

and includes an agricultural equipment division

(Case-IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr),

a construction equipment division (Case

Construction and New Holland Construction),

and a commercial/industrial vehicles division

(Iveco, Magirus, Iveco Astra, Iveco Bus (formerly

Irisbus), HeuliezBus and Iveco Defence

Vehicles).

It is also the home of FPT Industrial,

the supplier of engines and powertrain

components for automotive, industrial and

marine applications to both Fiat-related and

other independent brands.

As the commercial vehicle manufacturing

member of this substantial family, Iveco would

seem to have a secure future, and it also has

an important opportunity to build business in

North America in concert with Fiat Chrysler

Automobiles. Parent CNH Industrial already

has a substantial presence in North America,

through its Case-IH, Case Construction and New

Holland branded operations, so the addition of

a commercial vehicle element should not be

too difficult.

FCA’s Ram Commercial Truck operation has

already absorbed some of Fiat’s European van

products into its line-up, so a move upmarket

using Iveco or Astra products must be under

consideration.

While the North American obsession with

“conventional” or bonneted cabs will need to

be taken into account, the existence of Iveco’s

suitably configured PowerStar extra-heavy

truck tractor in Australia provides one possible

avenue to satisfy US requirements.

Although based in Europe, where it has

a strong presence across most commercial

vehicle categories, Iveco also has extensive

operations in Asia and South America. In 2009,

Iveco reportedly built and sold more trucks in

China than in the rest of the world combined.

Iveco’s single-partner Chinese joint ventures

include Naveco Nanjing, producing Daily vans

and the Yuejin range of 3,5 to ten tonne GVM

cab-over-engine models, SAIC-Iveco Hongyan

(SIH) building Genlyon, Tampa and Hongyan

heavy trucks, and SAIC-Iveco FPT Hongyan

manufacturing engines.

The recently introduced Iveco Leoncino cab-

over truck design is built by Naveco to cover

the GVM range from 3,5 to six tonnes, and is

exported to Eastern European, Middle East and

African markets.

The visually similar, but larger nine to 13 t

GVM Iveco Vertis is built in Cordoba, Argentina,

for the Latin American market, while the heavy-

duty on-road Iveco 682 tractor, recalling an

iconic Fiat model name from the past, is a

tailored edition of the Chinese SIH Genlyon, for

Chinese and international markets.

Iveco also recently announced an

aggressive move into the South American

passenger vehicle market, using a full range

of bus and coach chassis built at Iveco’s plant

in Cordoba.

With these extensive offshore operations,

and the strength of CNH Industrial behind

it, Iveco looks well positioned to survive and

expand its operations in markets where it is

presently under-represented.

GLOBALFOCUS

»


FAW

This Chinese group is a substantial business by

any standard, with annual production running at

nearly three million units, many of which carry

the branding of joint-venture partners including

VW/Audi, General Motors, Mazda and Toyota.

Unlike its own light-vehicle operations, and a

number of rival Chinese truck manufacturers,

FAW has chosen to keep its truck business

separate from joint ventures with foreign

partners. This has probably delayed progress

to some extent in the export market, but it has

left the company the master of its own destiny.

The recent opening of an assembly plant at

Coega in the Eastern Cape, following a 20-year

presence in South Africa, is indicative of its

determination to succeed.

FAW’s product line-up is extensive, covering

most market requirements, and, in our opinion,

the group is destined to become a major force

in the global commercial vehicle industry over

time.

POWERSTARBeiben-Truck, the Powerstar product source, is

a much smaller vehicle-building operation than

FAW, with annual production at around 40 000

units, these being primarily heavy-duty trucks.

However, it is part of the huge and highly

diversified Norinco Group, which is also heavily

involved in armaments and military equipment

manufacture. This association may be

sufficient to insulate Beiben from the Chinese

Government’s oft-repeated call for greater

consolidation of its domestic motor industry.

AMH/AADThis group is the South African representative

of South Korean manufacturer Hyundai,

and its Kia subsidiary. The Hyundai family

participates across all sectors of its domestic

Korean commercial vehicle market, including

buses, but its export activities are currently

concentrated on HD Series light trucks shipped

to neighbouring South-East Asian countries,

Australasia and Africa.

Some Hyundai coaches were shipped to

South Africa for use during the 2010 Soccer

World Cup, but, despite their continuing

presence, there has been no apparent follow-up

attempt to capitalise on those initial sales.

The Hyundai family is growing as a global

vehicle manufacturer, currently being ranked

number four in the world pecking order, but

there has been little indication, up to now, of any

ambition to pursue a similar growth trajectory

for its heavier commercial vehicle activities.

The recent announcement of local South

African assembly of HD Series trucks for the

African market, however, may be an early sign

that corporate strategic thinking is shifting in

that direction.

FIAT/PEUGEOT/CITROEnThese three European-style integral van

manufacturers are primarily major players

in the light vehicle arena. Their futures are,

therefore, not substantially dependent on

the commercial vehicles that fall within the

parameters of this article, so we will not

venture any comment on their prospects for

survival in this context.

DAFBabcock DAF in South Africa is the sole

representative of Paccar, the only remaining

US-controlled family of multi-national truck

brands. The group currently consists of

Peterbilt, Kenworth, DAF and the last vestiges

of the once mighty Leyland truck empire,

although this name now only adorns Paccar’s

UK assembly operation.

Paccar’s main areas of interest lie in North

and South America, Europe and Australasia.

Notably, the Kenworth brand is the long-running

leader in the Australian heavy-duty segment,

while DAF is a market and segment leader in

a number of European countries, including the

United Kingdom.

In terms of vehicle size, the Paccar product

range is biased towards the upper end of

the payload spectrum, although DAF medium

trucks do well in the markets where they are

sold. The group, however, has no presence

in the light truck and European van areas of

the global market. Whereas the American

brands have traditionally embraced the “kit

truck” philosophy using bought-in driveline

components, recent efforts to popularise

Paccar’s own DAF-designed engines have met

with some incremental success.

Paccar’s business profile suggests that

possible suitors looking for cooperation or

outright acquisition cannot be ruled out, and

there have been recent rumours that the

omnipresent Volkswagen is showing some

interest. Predictably, these have been denied

on both sides, but VW’s hunger for global

leadership does tend to increase the frequency

of such reports.

Paccar’s trend towards increased in-house

component sourcing, and the headlong

industry race to greater complexity in First

World markets will, however, place additional

financial burdens on this traditionally profitable

group, so its future may depend on fair winds

in its principal markets, which have not been

too prevalent of late in Europe. Our position

would be to put Paccar on watch for further

developments.

JMCJiangling Motors Corporation is another

Chinese enterprise, which builds around

200 000 passenger and light commercial

vehicles per annum. However, it has gained

The Constellation from Brazil may extend its global footprint as Volkswagen’s truck strategy rolls out.

GLOBALFOCUS

»


GLOBALFOCUS

www.sika.co.za


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.

significance recently through its association

with the Ford Motor Company, which now holds

a 32 percent shareholding in JMC.

Regular readers will recall our earlier

reports of Ford’s apparent renewal of interest

in the truck business, through activities in

South America and Turkey. In April 2013, it

was announced that Ford Otosan (Turkey) had

licensed Ecotorq engine technology to JMC,

and its affiliate JMC Heavy Duty Vehicle Co.,

Limited, for use in domestic Chinese and export

commercial vehicle applications.

Notably, the two companies have cooperated

in the Chinese production of Transit vans since

1995, and it follows that any expansion of Ford’s

trucking revival outside of South America, the

Middle East and China may well involve a pivotal

role for JMC.

vDLVDL Bus and Coach is a specialist manufacturer

of bus chassis and fully built buses and coaches,

producing much smaller volumes than the other

manufacturers covered in this survey. VDL’s

bus chassis manufacturing division has its

roots in DAF’s formerly spun-off bus operation,

and it still draws some major components from

Paccar.

As a stand-alone commercial vehicle entity,

VDL would appear to be an obvious takeover

candidate, but the VDL Group has diversified

into other areas such as the contract mass

assembly of light vehicles for major car brands,

so its future is not wholly dependent on bus and

coach sales.

InTERnATIOnALAlthough not ranked in the South African market

since the third quarter of 2013, Navistar

International Corporation is the elephant in this

particular room, and we need to include the

American manufacturer in this discussion.

We have frequently expressed our dismay at

International’s sudden, and largely unexplained,

disappearance as a vehicle supplier from the

local truck market. This highly respected brand

has been present in this country for nearly a

century, and, until last year, it still maintained

a significant presence, especially in the extra-

heavy commercial vehicle (EHCV) segment.

We fully understand the difficulties which

afflicted Navistar’s pivotal engine manufacturing

business in North America, and its need to

stabilise its home business, but we do not

understand why it has continued to develop

new Caterpillar-branded products for Australia,

where it had a minimal market presence,

while seemingly abandoning the South African

market where, in a good month, it regularly sold

100 units or more!

On the surface, Navistar International

looks ripe for a takeover, and there have been

rumours of predatory interest, once again from

VW, which already has a link through MAN’s

2008 licensing agreement that has enabled

the building of Navistar’s MaxxForce 11 and

13-litre engines for its US product range.

However, as pointed out frequently in

Global Focus, the widely held perception of

this company, as primarily a manufacturer of

extra-heavy trucks, is somewhat inaccurate,

because it also holds a significant presence

in the lighter payload segments of the North

American market, in school bus manufacture,

and as a leading global manufacturer of diesel

engines.

The Navistar Engine Group also includes the

South American diesel engine manufacturing

concern MWM International, supplying

power units to a number of other prominent

original equipment vehicle and equipment

manufacturers.

However, Navistar’s position as a major

supplier of vehicles and power units to the US

military may well be pivotal in determining its

future, with the US government insisting on

American ownership for security reasons.

COnCLUSIOnReaders must please note that this article

reflects the perceptions of one observer. Given

the scope of the article, it is quite impossible

to cover every possible angle, or to always

foresee the decisions taken in a multitude of

smoky boardrooms. It should also be noted

that some significant manufacturers do not

operate in our market, so they are absent from

the discussion.

This does not indicate disrespect, but simply

an effort to contain an already lengthy article.

We must also recognise that merger and

acquisition activity is sometimes limited by anti-

monopoly legislation that sometimes extends

across national borders.

Our knowledge of the Chinese business

environment, with its many unique

considerations, is also still in its infancy,

so the opinions are offered with no malice,

but after a great deal of consideration, and

research. We do not expect everyone to

agree with our views, and we look forward to

the many debates and discussions that will

inevitably follow. |FOCUS

Hyundai is a rapidly growing force in the global car market. What’s in store for its trucks?

GLOBALFOCUS

??????????????


www.renault-trucks.co.za


HAULSSHORT

DAF’S BIGGEST SInGLE ORDER TO DATE

Ngululu Bulk Carriers (NBC), a company involved in the logistics and transport

of raw and beneficiated mining commodities (mostly for export via the ports

of Maputo, Richards Bay and Durban), is enjoying 133 new DAF XF105.460

FTT 6x4 truck tractors – the biggest single order for new DAF trucks in

southern Africa to date.

The order, valued in excess of R180 million, was placed in March 2014

and the trucks have been delivered to NBC’s Steelpoort and Phalaborwa

operations in batches, over a six-month period, to allow sufficient time to fully

enrol the entire fleet. The final delivery took place in October.

“We’re delighted to have entered into a partnership with a fleet of

the calibre of NBC,” says Jan Maritz, senior sales executive for DAF. “We

attracted this order based on our understanding of NBC’s needs and our

ability to match these requirements.”

He continues: “We expect our relationship with this company to provide a

long-term showcase of DAF performance and our team’s back-up capabilities.

In addition to the size of this order, it is also significant because it proves that

DAF can compete on an equal footing with other European brands in South

Africa.”

DAF sales director, Mark Gavin, adds: “Since Babcock was appointed sole

importer and distributor of DAF trucks in the southern African market, four

years ago, sales have seen impressive growth and the DAF brand will soon

begin to reflect its market leading performance in Europe.”

Maritz says that the order followed the utilisation of a demo DAF

XF105.460 truck in the NBC fleet, which effectively demonstrated the

vehicle’s excellent fuel consumption and general all-round performance.

Soon afterwards, a comprehensive transport solution was negotiated,

which includes technical backup, a repair and maintenance contract and a

finance option. By year end, NBC will have established fully-fledged workshops

at Steelpoort and Phalaborwa, where DAF personnel will be permanently

deployed to maintain the fleet.

The deal also incorporates extensive driver training, both at the DAF

facility in Gauteng and via on-the-road driver education, as well as a “train-

the-trainer” component that will see DAF driver trainers instructing NBC’s

driver trainers.

POWER PROJECT GETS A LIFT FROM vAnGUARD

The heavy-lift, abnormal-transport and plant-relocation

specialist, Vanguard, has completed a successful

turnkey project for the R3,5-billion Dedisa peaking power

plant. Vanguard carried out the transport, offloading and

final positioning on site of the major power-generation

equipment for the plant, located in the Coega Industrial

Development Zone (IDZ) near Port Elizabeth.

Two sets of 191-t gas turbines, 231-t generators and

140-t transformers were transported from the Port of

Ngqhura to the project site at the adjacent Coega IDZ,

where they will help stabilise the national electricity grid

from 2015.

The Dedisa peaking power plant, which will operate in

times of high electricity demand or shortfalls of supply,

will produce 335 MW from the two open-cycle gas

turbines.

The six heavy units arrived at the Port of Ngqhura

in two shipments, according to the Vanguard project

manager Dale Huddy. “After directly discharging the

vessels, we staged the heavy units in our port yard

– in order to relocate the equipment in the required

sequence for delivery. The turbine needed to arrive at the

Dedisa site first, and was loaded onto our 16-axle, three-

file Goldhofer trailer.”

Each Goldhofer multi-axle combination, loaded with

the heavy units, was powered by a push-pull combination

of Mercedes Actros horses.

The generator and transformer were then relocated,

offloaded and positioned on site in a similar fashion, using

a second set of Vanguard’s 600-t gantries in the yard at

the port to lift the units onto trailers.

“The use of our gantry system has several advantages

over the traditional jack and slide technique, including

speed and safety,” says Huddy. “We were able to

complete the transport, offloading and positioning on

site of the first line of units – turbine, generator and

transformer – in just six days, while the second line took

us only three days.”

??????????????


SInGInG FAW’S PRAISES What more can a truck manufacturer wish for than a customer

who sings the praises of its brand and after-sales support, while also

claiming that, for his own operation, there is “only one truck that works

in Africa”?

Buks van Rensburg, managing director of Buks Haulage Limited

(BHL), which primarily uses FAW units in its 130-vehicle fleet, is

referring to the FAW 28.380FT (commonly called the J5).

The MD’s claim, however, isn’t mere lip service … he has put his

money where his mouth is and ordered a further 100 FAW J5 vehicles

– adding to the 99 units already operating in the BHL fleet.

“I took the decision, in October last year, that in future all my

replacement vehicles will be the same FAW 28.380 truck tractor,”

Van Rensburg points out. “We use it in two configurations – one with

a side-tipper trailer, supplied by Afrit Trailers, and the other with a flat

deck.”

BHL has been using 70 of the FAW J5 side-tippers to transport

copper concentrate from the mines in Zambia to the country’s

smelters. The additional 29 FAW flat decks then transport the

beneficiated material from the smelter, over 2 400 km from Ndola,

Zambia, to Walvis Bay, Namibia, for export to China.

In 2015, a new smelter will be commissioned in Zambia, adding to

the haulage business. “I am focusing on Walvis Bay as the export point

for my clients – owing to the faster, more efficient border clearance

procedures and through times, which give my clients faster turnaround

and gives me optimum uptime for my fleet.”

Van Rensburg continues: “We have planned further expansion over

the next 18 months, owing to the new smelter and other increased

mining opportunities. This has enabled BHL to extend our FAW fleet by

a further 100 units, both side-tippers and flat decks. These are due for

delivery through 2014 and into 2015.”

SHORTHAULS

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAn! Iveco first began the import, sales and distribution

of its vehicles in South Africa over 20 years ago,

in 1993, but it has entered a new era … Iveco

South Africa Works, a manufacturing facility based

in Pretoria’s Rosslyn suburb, has been up and

running for a few months now. The joint-venture,

which includes Larimar Group, will be inaugurated

in November.

In anticipation of this milestone event, which will

see the manufacturing of Iveco vehicles in Africa,

the brand is launching the Born in South Africa

campaign, which spotlights the local manufacture

of specific Iveco products for the local market.

“The new Born in South Africa logo depicts

a ‘stamp of authenticity’, certifying the quality of

the Iveco commercial vehicles assembled at the

new facility, all by a local workforce,” the company

points out.

“The commercial vehicles bearing this logo will

be tailored for the African continent to suit the

varied terrain and challenging driving conditions,

which carry a demand for specific vehicle

requirements.”

Medium, heavy and extra-heavy commercial

vehicles, as well as front-engine and low-floor city

buses will be assembled on the premises.

TIME TRUCKInG FLEETS UP WITH nEW vOLvO TRUCKSZambia’s Time Trucking, a subsidiary of Time Trucking Limited,

recently took delivery of three new Volvo Trucks FH models – one of

the first fleet operators to do so in southern Africa.

The company already has 54 Volvo trucks in its fleet and transports

goods to Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. A subsidiary, Time

Commercial Motors Limited, is also an accredited Volvo agent in

Zambia, and is thus responsible for the maintenance and service of

Volvo fleets in the region.

Time Trucking’s managing director, Umesh Patel, says: “We

always aim to provide the best service, on time, all the time. We also

don’t compromise when it comes to quality. That is the reason why we

always choose Volvo Trucks. If you want to be the best, then you have

to have the best trucks and the best people.”

Torbjörn Christensson, president of the Volvo Group SA, adds:

“Volvo Trucks SA is proud to be associated with a regional fleet

operator of Time Trucking’s calibre. We believe that the southern

African region holds untold potential. We are therefore committed

to contribute to its successful development by providing products

and services that suit southern Africa’s very unique business and

operating conditions.”

The three new FH 520 6x4 truck tractors, with high chassis

height, are ideal for the company’s long-haul operations, providing

driver comfort and safety. These units feature the FH Globetrotter

sleeper cab, which boasts a sleeper control panel, roof hatch, ample

storage and air-conditioner.

Technological features include a 3G and WLAN telematics gateway,

I-Shift long-haul and fuel economy gear-changing software, as well as

cruise control.


SHORTHAULS

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EnGEn IS nUMBER OnE … AGAInEngen, South Africa’s most popular fuel and retail convenience company,

has again strengthened its brand leadership. The company has won

the Sunday Times Top Brands award for a record fourth time running,

beating competitors including BP, Shell and Total in the petrol station

category. After rising to joint first place with BP in 2010, Engen won the

award outright in 2011, and then again in 2012, 2013 and now 2014.

Engen attributes its long reign at the top to continued investment

in meeting customers’ needs. “We remain focused on providing a

great forecourt and convenience service experience, and on developing

products that are relevant to our customers,” says Joe Mahlo, general

manager, Engen sales and marketing.

Engen has provided customers with some innovative convenience

partnerships over the years, and pours significant investment into

customer-service training, with interventions including its annual Phambili

Roadshow, Smile customer-service programme and iPad-based distance

learning programme; Engen Learn.

“We have worked very hard to deliver a unique ‘branded’ customer

experience and appealing convenience package,” says Mahlo.

He adds that Engen is optimistic about building momentum for the

brand as recessionary pressures continue.

HYUnDAI CLIPS THE APEx

Hyundai Automotive South Africa has begun production

of its HD series of medium trucks with the opening

of its Apex production plant in Benoni, in Gauteng.

Following an investment of R110 million by Hyundai

Motor Company (HMC) Korea, Imperial and Associated

Motor Holdings, the brand’s HD series of medium-duty

trucks is now being assembled at the 32 000 m²

plant.

Alan Ross, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa,

says that the plant will offer quality comparable to that

which Hyundai strives for at its other plants. “HMC is

sending us qualified engineers from Korea and we have

assistance from our regional headquarters in Dubai, so

we are 100-percent confident of producing vehicles of

the same standard and quality as those coming out of

Korea,” he says.

In due course, the plant will also build the popular

H100 bakkie at the rate of around 4 200 units per

year. About 600 HD series are expected to roll off the

line each year.

Wade Griffin, commercial vehicles director for

Hyundai Automotive South Africa, adds that the current

staff complement of 30 people will expand to 60 at

full production. “These 30 jobs will directly improve a

further 230 lives,” he notes.

Also on site is Tailor Made Truck Bodies, which will

manufacture a range of aluminium bodies so that a

complete package can be delivered to customers.

Further exciting news to come from the company

is that its new vehicle in the extra-heavy segment,

the Excient, is undergoing viability studies for local

introduction.

??????????????


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nAAMSA

Light Commercial Vehicles < 3 501 kg Total: 14 942AMH 791Fiat Group 74Ford Motor Company 2 717GMSA 2 607GWM – estimate 181Jaguar/Land Rover 33JMC 26Mahindra 234Mercedes-Benz SA 12Mitsubishi Motors SA 90Nissan 2 798Peugeot Citroën SA 11Renault 15TATA 112Toyota 4 747Volkswagen SA 494

Medium Commercial Vehicles 3 501 – 8 500 kg Total: 1 006AMH 22FAW 1Fiat Group 13Ford Motor Company 6GMSA 203Iveco 40JMC 12Mercedes-Benz SA 227Peugeot Citroën SA 17TATA 50Toyota 280UD Trucks 63Volkswagen SA 72

Heavy Commercial Vehicles 8 501 – 16 500 kg Total: 508FAW 21GMSA 116Iveco 6MAN 8Mercedes-Benz SA 37Powerstar 2TATA 60Toyota 128UD Trucks 130

Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicles > 16 500 kg Total: 1 205Babcock DAF 40FAW 30GMSA 46Iveco 34MAN 119Mercedes-Benz SA 304Powerstar 41Renault Trucks 29Scania 178TATA 19Toyota 47UD Trucks 122Volvo Trucks 196

Buses > 8 500 kg Total: 108GMSA 2Iveco 4MAN 40Mercedes-Benz SA 17Scania 32TATA 5Volvo Bus 8

*Source: National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa).

cOMMerciaL vehicLe saLes repOrT FOr aUgUsT 2014Note: For the time being, Great Wall Motors SA (Pty) Ltd will only report aggregated sales data. The GWMSA market split volumes are estimates based on historical trends and forecasting techniques.

On bUs and cOach

The rocky road to IRPTN/taxi industry cooperation

Irizar: 125 years and just getting started

Man Turns The Jacaranda ciTy

green


COvERSTORY

resplendent in bold green livery

(even the seats are bright green),

the city’s intentions of realising a

revitalised commuter bus service

was bright and clear – and, to make this happen,

MAN Truck & Bus is its partner of choice.

Together, over the next three years, the two

entities will drive new vigour into both TBS –

used by an average of 488 441 commuters

every month – and public transport in the city

at large.

TBS took delivery of the first batch (44 units)

of its new fleet of buses during August, at an

auspicious handover ceremony at the operator’s

depot. Present were the City of Tshwane’s

Executive Mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, and

MMC for Roads and Transport, Councillor

George Matjila.

The full fleet of 120 Lion’s City A84

rear-engine, low-entry, Euro-5 buses will be

operational by December. Twelve of the buses

are compliant with the National Land Transport

Act Universal Access Public Transport policy,

providing easy access to the handicapped and

disabled. The full fleet has been procured on a

three-year, full-maintenance lease, after which

the city will take full ownership.

With MAN vehicles already making up the

bulk of the TBS fleet, the two entities have a good

working relationship which, as MD of MAN Truck

& Bus South Africa, Geoff du Plessis, notes,

is made easier by the company being South

Africa’s market-leading bus supplier.

“MAN has worked extensively with local

municipal commuter bus operators. These

relationships provide solid platforms for future

transport projects. The fact that MAN is the only

‘one-stop bus shop’ means greater synergies,

efficiencies and swifter turnaround times.

Today’s event is testimony to the synergies

derived from that competitive advantage,” he

said before handing the key over to Ramokgopa.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better

partner in MAN. Over the passage of time, the

relationship we have has succeeded in offering

our people the best service. I hope and pray

that this relationship continues to grow,” said

Ramokgopa.

“To ensure the city functions in an efficient

manner we need to avoid gridlock. One of

the best ways of doing that is to ensure

that we introduce safe, affordable and reliable

public transport – that’s the contribution

of these buses,” he continued. “We want to

make sure the offering meets international

quality standards. We’re going to be biased

towards mass public transport and significantly

reconfigure the physical construction of the

city space.”

Matjila explained: “The introduction of

this new fleet represents the first step in the

re-engineering of the Tshwane bus service. As

part of the strategy, in the near future we

Green is the new purple in South Africa’s “Jacaranda City”. This much was apparent when the

City of Tshwane’s commuter bus operator, Tshwane Bus Service (TBS), recently took delivery of

a new fleet of buses. GAVIN MYERS reports

Man drives Tshwane

green


COvERSTORY

will look into expanding the reach of our bus

service further afield into areas not serviced

before. For this purpose, 11 new routes have

been proposed and submitted for approval. It is

therefore necessary that, when the new routes

are approved, we are ready to service them with

our new fleet.” TBS will also be a complementary

service to the upcoming “Areyeng” Tshwane

Rapid Transit system.

With many of its ageing buses (some as

old as 26 years) now being retired, the new

fleet is just one key in the plan to drive TBS to

new levels of efficiency. The 45-seater buses

(with capacity for 20 standing passengers)

benefit from several high-tech features. Fitted

to boost passenger ergonomics and comfort

are interior and exterior destination boards and

electronically controlled air suspension.

A door control harness is fitted to prevent

the doors from being opened while the bus is

in motion. The bus is also fitted with grab rails

mounted in key positions, which allow safe entry,

exit and movement in the bus. The passenger

seats are customised and exclusively configured

to support the City’s go-green initiative.

Safety is increased by the fitment of ABS

anti-lock brakes, traction control and on-board

tracking and monitoring systems. Another

feature that will ensure a smooth-running

service, will be the new automated fare collection

system. To be introduced at the beginning of the

next financial year, this will ensure that drivers no

longer handle cash, but merely focus on driving.

MAN is proud that the new fleet is locally

assembled in Olifantsfontein, Centurion, and is

comprised of 80-percent local content. “This is

a proudly South African bus. It has world-class

styling similar to other markets in the world.

These are great examples of how first-world

technologies can be adapted to the needs of

emerging economies such as ours,” said Du

Plessis.

The full-maintenance lease is yet another key

to increase efficiency at TBS. This will see MAN

technicians handle all maintenance of the fleet

over the next three years at the TBS premises.

At the same time, the company will transfer skills

and knowledge to the City’s own technicians.

(MAN will also conduct driver training.)

“We’ll be transferring skills to young people,

so it’s important that we have an appreciation

that we are growing the City’s pool of skills,”

noted Ramokgopa. “As we migrate to mass

forms of public transport, we know that the

important issues of reliability and maintenance

are taken care of, thanks in part to the work

MAN is doing.”

Ramokgopa closed the ceremony thus:

“Future generations must continue to enjoy the

same benefits that we do today. We must give

them the best possible opportunity to resolve

the challenges they’ll meet in the future.”

With a revitalised public transport fleet

and increased efficiencies to come from

TBS, future generations can – literally and

figuratively – look forward to a much greener

City of Tshwane. |FOCUS

Geoff du Plessis, MD MAN Truck & Bus SA, celebrates the handover of 120 new buses to City of Tshwane executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa and MMC for roads and transport, councillor George Matjila.


according to Ross Esson,

economist at Pegasys Strategy

and Development, there are

three constraints hindering the

delivery of improved public transport: trust,

capacity and time.

“We have a one size fits all approach that

doesn’t factor in the different requirements of

the metros,” he says of South Africa’s current

drive for IRPTN implementation.

“It is a detailed high-spec, high-cost

system that requires a complete and radical

transformation of the industry. To do that,

we get into a long discussion about how it will

happen and, within that, there are conversations

about transformation,” he continues, adding

that municipalities themselves are ultimately

responsible for funding, while there is currently

a massive skills shortage in public transport.

“Some of these issues represent the

nature of the beast, but there are others

we need to start addressing more clearly,”

he notes. Esson and his colleagues advise

a staged approach, but, before that can be

implemented, trust and capacity (between and

within government and the taxi industry), need

to be addressed.

Esson again points to the fact that local

governments are suffering from funding

constraints and the lack of local skills. “That, in

itself, is difficult for a local government that has

been tasked with this responsibility,” he says.

Pointing to what is required from the

minibus taxi industry, Esson notes that the first

constraint is a change in the way the industry

does business.

The recent Southern African Transport Conference brought to light a number of interesting research

papers, including how working with minibus taxi operators and delivering public transport systems could

be done better. We explore how South Africa’s approach to implementing Integrated Rapid Public

Transport Networks (IRPTNs) could be improved

signsWarning

TRAnSPORTSYSTEMS


TRAnSPORTSYSTEMS

“Currently, fares come directly from

customers, while, in the future, funds will come

directly from government on a structured

basis. The relationship between government

and the industry is important because,

currently, the industry exists in a regulatory

environment. In the new system it will be on

a contractual basis with constant feedback

between the parties.”

He notes that while taxi owners are

currently individual businesses, they will become

shareholders within the new system. “But what

happens after the 12-year contracts have

expired? There is uncertainty … Thus, because

of this, and the trust relationship between the

two parties, this process will take time.”

During this time, Esson notes, there is no

real improvement in public transport services

… The process must take place before full

implementation.

Esson’s staged approach suggests a way

of implementing pieces of the puzzle according

to the available capacity of government and

the taxi industry at each point in time. “We

get to the same place, but we see a constant

improvement of the passenger experience

over that time,” he suggests.

“We need better infrastructure, service,

customer experience and subsidies of services.

So what can we achieve now?” he asks.

“First, we need to look at infrastructure:

bus shelters, passenger information systems,

improved taxi ranks, call centres. In the second

stage, we propose a business model that

doesn’t completely change the industry’s

current model – offer a limited amount of off-

peak contracts and contracts for routes that

are not currently subsidised. By creating that

relationship, you provide subsidy and create

an understanding in the industry about the

benefits of formalisation.

“The final stage is the establishment

of a vehicle operating company, managed

by government, with a revised, upgraded,

capitalised fleet with a limited number of

contracts and drivers, who are formalised with

medical aid and pension.

“This staged proposal allows us to see

an incremental improvement in passenger

services, allowing us to get commuters used

to the quality of service, without all the upfront

transactional costs,” he notes.

Cost, warns Neeth Leitner (also from

Pegasys Strategy and Development), is another

element that is going to make full, successful

implementation of the system difficult – especially

when compensation is such a big factor.

“We need to be cognisant of the fact

that each project doesn’t operate in a

bubble. There are countrywide implications,”

he begins, describing compensation as an

exchange for the owner-operators’ surrender

of their current economic rights, to generate

a livelihood through their licences and

businesses.

“If we assume that there are 150 000

taxis in South Africa, it amounts to

R170 billion if all those taxi-owner operators

are compensated. That number doesn’t

include compensation for private bus

operators, which would also be significant.

“With the current funding restrictions –

and what needs to be spent on in terms of

infrastructure, planning fees, vehicles, and so

on – it will take up to 170 years to fund the

compensation obligation for the whole country.

“It’s not a viable way forward. It’s

unaffordable to the country. We’re effectively

paying double, and setting precedents from

which it will be very difficult to remove ourselves

as we move forward,” he warns.

Leitner adds that the result will be an “over-

capitalised inability to expand” as there will be

no money left. “The rest of the country will be

left unchanged because of the precedent set

in the first phase of these projects.”

Leitner suggests that, in a new public

transport system, accessible value should

be the focal point; starting with the vehicle

operating company, the shareholding

of which will lead to profit share, capital

value, employment and network value-chain

opportunities.

“Compensation must be considered as

a package and not just a cash payment

from government. This moderates upfront

expenditure of cash compensation, and

cash flow issues are mitigated. It also taps

into previously neglected areas of value and

reduces the overall cost of compensation.

“It offers true long-term empowerment

and gives us the ability to mix and match; one

size fits all is a difficult approach to take.”

With 21-million trips per day taken on

public transport, 15 million of which are

by taxi, the poorer part of the population

is hardest hit. These people spend up to

40 percent of their income, and 25 percent

of their time, on transport. “We’ve taken a

particular approach and this is an opportune

time to reflect and start seeing if there are

alternatives or ways to add to and improve on

it,” Esson notes. His and Leitner’s papers both

illustrate the importance of this. |FOCUS

FROM THE FLOOR“What if subsidies were some sort of

incentive, for example, for good performance

or grants for the cooperative? Subsidies can

be a deterrent to improvement.”

“We need to be a bit more modest in

interpreting what the public transport policy

says and actually allow for a more modest

approach in developing these systems.”

“If we have trust between the taxi industry

and municipal governments the project will

build itself.”

“One needs to look at the process of an

incremental approach in the space it’s

implemented. In some instances there may

need to be radical interventions.”

“The current solutions don’t take into account

how to build government and industry

capacity.”


bacK seaT

TRIBUTE

“My decision to

retire came from

something my

father told me

many years ago …” Mansingh tells me. “Retire

before it’s too late, while you still have the time

and money in the bank to enjoy life,” the 61-

year-old says.

A well-known figure in the local bus industry,

Mansingh has lived his passion for the industry

since 1987.

Jan-Cees Santema, managing director

of VDL Bus & Coach, recalls: “VDL entered

the South African market in 2004. We felt

the front-engined product was a good fit for

the local market; it had enjoyed success in

Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, western Africa

and Zimbabwe for many years.” The company

decided to enter the market with Tyco (then a

subsidiary of Imperial) to import VDL chassis.

That’s where the company met Mansingh.

“Tyco and Imperial then parted ways,”

Santema continues. “Sam was responsible for

sales and we asked him to join forces with us

in Holland. Together we started the company

VDL Bus & Coach SA – the sole importer of the

product to South Africa.”

Santema is full of praise for his colleague

(not necessarily former colleague, mind you,

as, although Mansingh will not be involved in

running the business, he still owns a share of

the company). “I’m proud that he and the staff

have been very dedicated to us, they work very

hard and have a lot of fun.”

That sense of fun – palpable among

the company’s staff – is clearly a result of

Mansingh’s influence. “I’ve always had a

philosophy that, when I come to work, I don’t

come to work – I come to play,” he explains.

“And it’s been excellent, I’ve enjoyed being

here. VDL has been so exciting to work with.

Yes, we’ve had ups and downs, but we always

achieved whatever we set out to achieve. The

market has been good to us and the product

is respected; I think that is the most important

thing.”

Together, Mansingh’s philosophy and VDL’s

culture are clearly the drivers of this success.

“One of the advantages is that VDL doesn’t

have a huge company hierarchy, we can get

a decision made immediately. There’s no such

thing as us and them. VDL’s motto is ‘strength

through cooperation,’ you need harmony and

cohesion. It’s important,” Mansingh says of the

local concern’s working relationship with its

parent company.

“It’s part of our culture. The business is family

owned and we see the South African operation

as part of the family,” Santema continues, as

Mansingh explains that his colleague will take

the post of managing director, based in Holland,

while Sharon Coopsamy will be responsible for

running the local office. “It really will be business

as usual,” he assures.

Mansingh is happy that he’ll be able to

witness the company’s continual move forward.

“But first, my three-month round the world

cruise …” he concludes. |FOCUS

Sam Mansingh (left)

and Jan-Cees Santema

have built VDL Bus

& Caoch SA into a

respected company.

At the end of August, VDL Bus & Coach South Africa said farewell to its managing director, Sam Mansingh, the man who brought the brand to our market. GAVIN MYERS attended the party and got one final interview

“It’s been excellent, I’ve enjoyed being here. The

market has been good to us and the product is respected.”

Taking a


STOPSBUS

IRIzAR CELEBRATES DUAL AnnIvERSARYIt may have entered the South African market only ten years

ago, but, as Irizar celebrates that milestone this year, the

company also celebrates 125 years of existence.

“To date, we’ve delivered 820 coaches in all the countries

in and around southern Africa including Namibia, Botswana,

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique,

Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa,” says Paul Nel, director

of Irizar South Africa.

“We have walked a path with our customers and

suppliers while the Irizar product has continued to evolve

to suit their, and Africa’s, requirements,” he says of the

journey thus far.

“Operators are looking for a reliable partner – not just

a good product, but a good after-sales network as well,”

adds Gotzon Gomez, export sales director. “We consider

ourselves a premium manufacturer and there is a segment

of operators in Africa looking for such a product and a good

after-sales service. Our African customers are as important

as our European customers and that’s why we offer them

exactly the same products.”

Gomes is confident the continent’s coach market will

continue to grow and says the company will continue to

invest, offer the latest products and improve service. “Irizar

has been continuously growing since 2008. We’ve been in

a very strong financial position and are investing a lot in new

products and technologies,” he adds.

Technology is a very important aspect of Irizar’s future, so

much so that the company has invested in Creatio, its own

research and development centre that focuses on future

technology. The centre has developed the Irizar Electric City

Bus, the multiplex software that manages every aspect of the

vehicle, as well as technology such as adaptive cruise control,

lane-departure warning and a driver-fatigue detector.

All its vehicles are also tested for durability at the Idiada

Applus+ facility in Barcelona as well as being driven for up

to two million kilometres on the open road. “We design our

coaches to last a minimum of 15 years,” notes Gomez.

“The key is to offer our customers an attractive package,”

he says. Clearly this is what the company has always done,

and will continue to do, quite successfully.

GETTInG THE RRT DUCKS In A ROW

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are

popping up across South Africa in most

of the major municipalities … Some are

delivering better results than others. In

Rustenburg, best known for its surrounding

platinum mines, preparations for the 2016

launch of the Rustenburg Rapid Transport

(RRT) system is well underway – despite a

few challenges.

During 2013, a four-phase project

implementation programme was

announced, which has now been further

defined. Amogelang Kgoathe, design and

construction manager for the RRT system,

explains: “This is a major infrastructure

programme and so it makes sense that we

introduce services in smaller phases. The

first reason is that we do not want to

wait until all the infrastructure is complete

before starting services, as this will be an

ongoing project and we want to deliver to

the residents sooner rather than later.”

She continues: “Also, with each phase,

we know we will be learning and gathering

insight to make the next phase better and

more efficient, thereby strengthening our

business model.”

Phase 1 will now be divided into three

operational launch dates (Phase 1A, 1B

and 1C), while Phase 2 remains unchanged.

Phase 1A and 1C will see operations start

in March and October 2016, Phases 1B

and 2 will come into effect in 2017 and

2018 respectively. Phase 3 and 4 will

follow.

Kgoathe adds that the RRT team

remains committed to ensuring that

local residents are employed and benefit

from the infrastructure investment. Since

the start of the project’s construction, in

mid-2012, a total of 926 jobs have been

created on the infrastructure programme.

According to the RRT, the platinum

strike earlier this year had a noticeable

effect on the construction programme, as

mine waste was being provided at no cost

and being used as fill for the roads.

During the strike, these materials could

no longer be accessed, and the project had

to source alternative fill material at a cost

that impacted on the project. “We are now

back on track and are able to recycle mine

waste for use in the road construction.”


vIC’SvIEW

HOPPInGOFF

Vaughan Mostert is a senior lecturer in the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Johannesburg. He developed a love for public transport early in life, which led to a lifelong academic interest in the subject. 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.

been warning us about the high cost of moving

freight around South Africa (SA) – R227 billion

at the last count – but no similar calculation has

been done for people in motor cars.

My guess is that it is around R400 billion

a year. “So what?” I hear you say. “It’s private

expenditure and we can spend it any way

we please.” Fair enough, but 50 percent of

motor car travel is work related – a South

African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)

statistic. So, whether we like it or not, another

R200 billion or so should be added to the cost

of “doing business” in SA.

Sadly, for CoJ, Busa, the Opposition to Urban

Tolling Aliance (Outa) and just about everyone

else opposed to e-tolls, scrapping them won’t

make the problem go away. You don’t create

a strong middle class by giving people cheap

cars, cheap fuel and free roads. You can only

do it by making it unnecessary for so many of

them to go to work by car in the first place.

The richest countries today got there because

grandpa went to work on the train.

So, the message to CoJ, the Chamber

of Commerce and Industry and any others

who have strong views on e-tolls is this: our

focused denial about private motoring costs

has provided fertile soil for the awarding of

contracts for questionable transport projects

such as Gautrain, GFIP and BRT.

CoJ, as the biggest municipality in South

Africa, should be giving leadership by fixing the

appalling state of public transport within its

jurisdiction. Business groups should be robustly

questioning the failure of local, provincial and

central government to sort out the ongoing

fragmentation of public transport throughout

the country.

The role (or absence) of the academic world

should also be scrutinised. Remember that one

university thought that e-tolling was a good idea

… That’s what happens when universities place

“sponsored” and “contractual” research above

their real mandate, which should be to carry out

rigorous, independent research.

It remains to be seen whether the e-toll

panel will recommend ground-breaking

measures to stem the mismanagement,

neglect and corruption in transport matters.

These measures are not rocket science.

Several government policy documents, as

well as previous columns in the Hopping

Off series, have spelt out what should be

done, but we lack the will to actually make

it happen.

I am not optimistic that the e-toll panel

will connect the dots, given our history of

denial and ignorance of transport issues. Nor

do I believe that bumper stickers, websites,

slogans and legal action can fix our transport

problem.

So, we are between a rock and a hard

place. Our “aspirant middle class” is in for a

long wait. |FOCUS

It’s still too early to predict the outcome of the e-toll review process, although, at the time of writing, all

indications are that everyone is against the scheme – with one exception …

of aspiraTions and

cOrrUpTiOn

That will, predictably, be the “cosy

club” of civil engineers and

consultants.

Let us never forget that this

debacle has its origins in the Gautrain, which

was forced through without proper analysis.

It provided useful experience for “the cosy

club”, which then pushed the Gauteng Freeway

Improvement Project (GFIP) through its various

stages.

At the moment, similar comments apply to

the different bus rapid transit (BRT) schemes

now underway in certain South African cities.

BRT should be robustly questioned, but that

isn’t happening, allowing “the cosy club” to

continue in business.

In the meantime, however, some

interesting submissions have been made to

the review panel. Let’s briefly look at two of

them. First, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ)

has apparently learnt that the “aspirant

middle class” is being hurt by e-tolls. Another

group, Business Unity (SA) (Busa), has told

the panel that the “unprecedented rise

in the cost of doing business” will have

“consequences” for economic growth.

(Saturday Star, August 30.)

Well, it’s about time someone woke up to

the already high cost of private motoring and

its corrosive effect on the economy. For ten

years the Council for Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR) State of Logistic Survey has

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Focus October 2014

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