Focus August 2015

AUGUST 2015 | R85.00

On Transport And Logistics focusontransport.co.za

One fleet

200 Freightliners, countless happy customers

Could HCVs become haulage heroes?

Testing the latest lightweights in the Arctic

Supply chain survival: management failing

Building a public transport environment

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b |FOCUS| August 2015

Cover

AUGUST

One of the biggest Freightliner fleets conists of more than 200 vehicles. Find out why on page 8.

contents 18

On Transport And Logistics Published monthly by Charmont Global Unit 17, Northcliff Office Park, 203 Beyers Naude Drive, Northcliff, 2195. P O Box 957, Fontainebleau, 2032, South Africa Tel: 011 782 1070 Fax: 011 782 1073 /0360 EDITOR Charleen Clarke Cell: 083 601 0568 email: charleen@focusontransport.co.za Assistant Editor Gavin Myers Cell: 072 877 1605 email: gavin@charmont.co.za

10 HEAVY TIMES

SUB-EDITOR Jeanette Lamont Cell: 083 447 3616 email: jeanette@charmont.co.za

A proposed ban on vehicles in excess of nine-tonnes from urban areas for six hours a day has the industry up in arms. With many pertinent questions to answer, we ask how (should this legislation be forced on the industry) this might affect the heavy commercial

JOURNALISTS Jaco de Klerk Cell: 079 781 6479 email: jaco@charmont.co.za

vehicle segment of the market.

14 MANAGEMENT: A WEAK LINK IN THE (SUPPLY) CHAIN?

Claire Rencken Cell: 082 559 8417 email: claire@charmont.co.za

Rapid change is a permanent feature in the economy. This is highlighted in the 12th supplychainforesight study – released by Barloworld Logistics. With new technologies,

INDUSTRY CORRESPONDENT Frank Beeton Tel: 011 483 1421 Cell: 082 602 1004 email: frankb@econometrix.co.za

cut-throat competition and competitive ecosystems, the ability to make key shifts and transform from within is becoming essential for survival.

22 HEAVY-DUTY HEELS

TECHNICAL CORRESPONDENT Vic Oliver Cell: 083 267 8437 email: voliver@mweb.co.za

Since August is Women’s Month, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what women have achieved in the local transport industry.

PUBLISHER Tina Monteiro Cell: 082 568 3181 email: tina@focusontransport.co.za

32 A VAN TEST – IN THE ARCTIC Seen as the top set of trials in Europe, the 2015 instalment of the annual Arctic Van Test

ADVERTISING SALES Margaret Phillipson Cell: 083 263 0451 email: margaret@focusontransport.co.za

has showed how similar modern competitor vehicles have become.

50 BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

CIRCULATION MANAGER Bev Rogers Cell: 078 230 5063 email: bev@focusontransport.co.za

The recent Southern African Transport Conference featured an array of sessions about urban public transport development in South Africa. Are our cities on the road to public transport greatness?

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Nelio da Silva email: nelio@focusontransport.co.za

50

PRINTING Camera Press © Copyright. No articles or photographs may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from the editor.

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REGULARS 2 Steering Column 4 Wheel Nut 6 Vic’s View 7 Letters 40 Global Focus 46 Short Hauls 48 Naamsa figures 49 Subscription form 54 Global bus 55 Hopping off

August 2015 |FOCUS| 1

steering column

Wanted:

youngsters in our industry The skills crisis is one of our

EduTrans: ACT Engineering, African Bank,

industry’s greatest challenges.

Bandag, Brainwave Careers, Checkpoint,

Some of the various careers discussed in

Elite Fibre, Ford Motor Company of South

EduTrans include those of driving instructor,

Africa, Foton Trucks SA, Hino South Africa,

vehicle technician, motoring journalist, panel

Irizar, Kanu Commercial Body Construction,

beater and road planner.

After all, without diesel mechanics, for instance, the

challenges facing the “wheels” sector.

wheels of our industry will stop

Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Peugeot Citroën

Significantly, the information contained

turning. At Charmont Media

South Africa, The Recycling and Economic

within the guide is truly practical. For instance,

Global we are doing our level best

Development Initiative of South Africa

the guide contains essential information on

(Redisa), UD Trucks Southern Africa and

these various professions – advantages,

Volvo Trucks South Africa. A very special

disadvantages, required studies and earning

thanks to MAN Truck & Bus South Africa for

potential.

to address this crisis with a guide called EduTrans – A Guide to

Careers in the Wheels Game

In addition, for the first time, EduTrans will

sponsoring the cover.

Many university and further education

u Ed A

GU

ID

E

TO

CA

a tr

RE

ER

S

IN

TH

E

be available to learners on their mobile devices.

nS

E M CONTENTS GA S LSouth IntroductionE to the African Automotive and Transport H E Industries Educational Institutions W

CAREERS study advice

Career and study advice Bursaries and Scholarships Industry Apprenticeships and Internships Learnerships through merSETA Training programmes

2 4 8 9 10 12 16

Company profiles MAN Truck & Bus SA Volvo Trucks Southern Africa UD Trucks Southern Africa

19 22 24

Careers Administration/PA for any automotive related office Advanced driving instructor Aftermarket sales Aftermarket engineer Auctioneer Bus or taxi driver Business manager CEO of international motoring/trucking company Classic car restorer Commercial sector buyer Damage estimator Dealer principal Factory worker Fleet manager Motor industry Ombudsman Motor technician Motoring journalist Motoring/Truck industry engineer Panel beater and spray painter Petrol station attendant Producer on a motoring show Public relations Publisher in the automotive industry Racing car driver Racetrack marshall Road construction Road planner Roadside assistance Service/Aftersales consultant Service station owner Supply chain specialist Tollbooth operator Truck driver Tyre technician Used car dealer Vehicle branding Vehicle inspector Vehicle finance advisor Vehicle sales executive Welder Parting thoughts – Is the automotive industry for me?

28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72

CAREERXPLORA ON MXIT - YOUR MOBILE CAREER GUIDANCE SUPPORT

FACTORY WORKER

How many cars or trucks do you think are on the road? About a million? Actually, there are about a million vehicles in the Gauteng province alone. But where do choices, choices – that’s what you are Choices, all these cars come from? Answer: from the thousands of factory workers in with during high school. What you decide faced South Africa. will affect the rest of your life, so you need to choose carefully …

Lame stuff:

Many overseas companies have factories – called

Putting the same old piece on a car everyday may path will you choose? What subjects What career

subsidiaries - in our country that they use for

will you choose? What do you want to be when get a bit boring after a while. An international

export purposes. We build the cars for them and

youfactory grow up? company can also close the doors of their

they take them away on big ships for delivery

at short notice, which could leave you without a job.

If you are struggling to decide which subjects to choose, or if you have no idea what to do when you

Paperwork: Inside these factories there are various “lines” that work on all the tiny components needed to build a car. Factory workers assemble them piece by piece until a fully assembled car finally rolls off

leave school, then welcome to CareerXplora – the The only paperwork needed is a matric certificate.

Mxit app with all the answers.

Training is given on the factory floor. This means you can walk in and they will show you to Thishow Brainwave Careers (NPC) mobile career operate the heavy machinery. Various outsidehelpline is an innovative, virtual helpline, guidance

into the sunset. Most of the modern assembly line

courses are also on offer to help you onwhere your path any person using a cellphone, can seek

is motorised, but factories still need people to add

to greatness.

career-related advice via the Mxit platform.

in that all-important human element. Machines may be smart, but they’ll never be as smart as you.

Key differentiators of CareerXplora are:

Bucks:

take up the reigns.

• inexpensive to use; 000 and • text based (social platforms are the language of R10 000 depending on the level at which the youth); you work on the assembly line. International • easy to access – anywhere (internet cellphone companies actually use South Africa based); because

Cool stuff:

of the cheaper labour rates so unfortunately • help isbig provided to all – regardless of age, race, amounts of money are not involved. religion or gender.

Expect Some of these machines still need humans to operate them, and that’s where factory workers

to

earn

between

R4

The highly qualified management team are Tar, and concrete for that matter, needs to be exceptionally knowledgable and have been a precisely mixed to work. Some of you may know part of the process from the beginning of Career how skilled you need to be to mix a potion in Xplora. The facilitators are friendly and have science class. This is exactly the same thing, only up-to-date knowledge on all things career related. on a bigger scale. Precision is really important in this job. As important as being an engineer For career related support please log-on and many would argue. Road surfaces need to be chat with the knowledgeable facilitators at just right … The tar needs to be mixed with care CareerXplora! and it takes ages to get the surface correct.

More than that, different roads require different

The CareerXplora app on the android surfaces. So, not just slapping some tar on the platform will be available for download ground then. from the Google Play Store in July.

manufacturer will still look after you. You probably

career guidance quiz and thereafter biographical

get a huge sense of satisfaction when you drive by

information is captured.

I

Paperwork:

Working outside in the sun all day with your

You don’t need a degree to do construction. Most

road-building mates is really cool. You won’t have

construction companies train their employees to

to work in some stuffy office and the scenery

do the job they hired them to do. All you need is

changes every day. And how many people get to

a love of the outdoors and some strong biceps.

Bucks:

CareerXplora (previously MobieG) was launched more than 79 441 learners with career

Lame stuff:

Not a lot of money to be made. Expect minimum

This is one of the most physically tiring jobs

wage as a construction worker, but you can make

you can do. In the summer the heat can get

more money when you become a foreman or

unbearable, not to mention the cold in the winter.

team leader.

information, guidance and tertiary information.

8

Charleen Clarke

Cool stuff:

drive on something they built?

on March 12, 2012, and has already supported

EDUTRANS, a FOCUS ON TRANSPORT magazine social investment initiative published by CHARMONT MEDIA. Compiled with the assistance of interns from the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.

It can be dangerous working on a road where cars go flying by at 120 km/h.

LOG ON DETAILS:

The learners first register when completing the

a car that you most probably helped put together.

We all know what road workers are. They are the

or waving orange flags. But this statement is Due to Brainwave Career’s main focus in career rather unfair. Building roads really is hard work. guidance, a Career Chat Room has been set-up in You might think that you just scrape away the Randburg. Because social exchanges operate via bushes and throw on some tar, but it’s a lot more the internet, there are no geographical borders. difficult than that.

Factory workers are well taken care of. Safety is paramount and even if something goes wrong, the

Without roads we would be nowhere. Literally. From the very first time tar was discovered, accidentally by the way, man has been building roads to get from one place to another. guys standing next to the road not looking busy

Building cars is big business in South Africa.

around the world.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORKER

ends

and training (FET) options specific to the

In partnership with the Mxit- and Android-based

industry are discussed, as are the availability

CareerXplora, from the renowned Brainwave

of bursaries, scholarships, learnerships and

Careers, the reach of EduTrans will extend to

training programmes.

thousands of more youths.

am hugely proud to tell you that

EduTrans was introduced in order to

“The response we have received from

thousands of copies of EduTrans are

alleviate the skills crisis within the wheels

educational institutions, thus far, has been

currently being distributed to schools

game in South Africa. According to the

fantastic. They are hungry for resources such

and educational institutions across

latest Adcorp Employment Index (a monthly

as EduTrans and we are proud to be able

survey conducted by JSE-listed human

to provide South Africa’s learners with this

South Africa.

Published by Charmont Media Global,

capital management group, Adcorp), there

valuable booklet,” says Tina Monteiro, EduTrans

publisher of FOCUS, EduTrans provides

are currently as many as 829 800 unfilled

publisher.

learners with advice to help them decide

positions for highly skilled workers across a

on a career; opening the eyes of learners

wide range of occupations in South Africa.

to the plethora of career possibilities in the

Many of these positions apply to the

Charmont Media Global has a limited number of run-on copies of EduTrans available to FOCUS readers. Please contact

motor and transport sectors, which are also

Bev

It has been made possible thanks to the

desperately in need of people with hands-on

should you wish to acquire some copies.

unfailing support of a number of forward-

and practical skills – diesel mechanics, for

Alternatively, view the online flipbook on our

thinking companies in our sector.

instance.

website (www.focusontransport.co.za) on our

automotive sector.

I would specifically like to thank the

In fact, the skills shortage has widely

following companies for their support of

been described as one of the single biggest

2 |FOCUS| August 2015

Rogers

at

bev@charmont.co.za

mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play. |FOCUS

STEERING COLUMN

THE LATEST CONTENT FROM THE WORLD OF FOCUS,

NOW IN THE PALM

OF YOUR HANDS! • Get the latest content or download the entire magazine • Never miss a weekly FOCUS newsletter • Interact with FOCUS on Twitter and Facebook • Check out the latest multimedia content from the FOCUS YouTube channel • View image galleries from industry events DOWNLOAD it FREE for a limited time only from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store NOW!

ON TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 3

wheel nut

The

Rise of machines … … and the fall in the skills to operate them. As motor vehicles become more automated, there is a risk of drivers becoming overly complacent that the vehicle will take care of everything on their behalf. And, as younger generations of drivers take to the roads, they might eventually lack the skills that experienced drivers usually gain over time

Gavin Myers

T

here has been much hype recently about automated vehicles undergoing ever-increasing advances in development. Indeed, you would have read in the July edition of FOCUS that the very first licensed autonomous truck has hit the road in North America.

Daimler’s head of truck product engineering said, at the launch of his new Freightliner Inspiration Truck, that its autonomous drive was never designed to replace the driver.

It’s there to make his job easier; allowing him more time to tend to administrative tasks from his mobile office and reducing fatigue levels.

4 |FOCUS| August 2015

Recently I’ve also been lucky enough to have sampled a number of vehicles that boast some rather advanced radar- and camera-guided safety features. These include technology such as radar-guided cruise control that could bring the car to a complete stop and then speed it up again in accordance with traffic conditions ahead.

A few have featured sophisticated selfparking capability, where they will parallel or reverse park themselves, and then pull out again when you’re ready to leave. One particular car will even steer itself back into its lane should the driver let it wander too far over the dividing line, and recognise signs on the side of the road.

The most amazing piece of news is that these are all everyday cars that many of our readers could afford to buy. Of course, the multi-million rand “luxobarges” continue to introduce this sort of technology at an increasing rate, as different manufacturers battle it out for tech supremacy.

The worry is that – while this technology is, indeed, impressive and may, in some cases, be life saving – it does bring about the possibility of motorists becoming exceptionally lazy; relying too much on the machine and landing themselves in trouble.

Those among us who have been driving for a decade or more might be able to resist this, but what about the new generation of drivers?

At the recent Southern African Transport Conference I heard a talk about the need to develop a hazard perception test for novice drivers.

I began my driving career at the point where conventional cruise-control systems were long established and electronic safety aids, like anti-lock brakes and traction/ stability control, were beginning to make an appearance in almost all vehicles in most showrooms (my first seven years of driving saw me learning the basics in cars that were equipped with none of these, mind you).

Nonetheless, as Karien Venter, researcher at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Built Environment, waxed

lyrical about her research, I couldn’t help remember myself as an 18-year-old novice driver and think: “I can’t believe I actually did these things and had that attitude”.

Venter began by quoting international research, which states that novice drivers lack the ability to perceive threats in their driving environment. Their perception of risk and situational awareness takes time to develop, as does their ability to coordinate these abilities with that of physically driving a vehicle.

This, it was suggested, could be down to the fact that a person’s brain is not yet fully developed by the time he or she takes the wheel. Novice drivers need to learn to control their vehicle, react to different road characteristics and conditions and drive safely.

Making this more difficult is the fact that the personalities, as well as social and peer influences, of younger drivers manipulate their behaviour and ability to perceive risk.

Novice drivers, therefore, tend to be more aggressive and reckless and take more risks.

This is not a good thing when they are already more prone to distraction, as well as the loads placed on a driver by fatigue and monotonous roads ...

Furthermore, the novice driver will tend to increase speed in complex road situations, while the experienced driver will reduce speed.

Unfortunately, Venter says that there is still a lack of research into the problem.

This means the development of a hazard perception test (and its inclusion in the process of acquiring a learner’s licence) might be some way off.

The younger generations of drivers might not be too perturbed. They’d probably be happy to let the automated technology (that is filtering into even the more basic vehicles on the road), help them along – just as we’ve become accustomed to allowing modern technology to do in so many other aspects of our lives.

As a relatively young driver myself, and someone with a deep passion for road safety and the need to increase the skills of drivers, I tend to find that more worrying than comforting. |FOCUS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 5

vic’s view

The troubles of truck accident

repairs Getting your commercial vehicle back on the road, as soon as possible after it has been in an accident, is a major benefit in this tough economic environment. What factors stall the repair work and how can you get it completed as quickly as possible?

I

n these tough economic times, where

vehicle. Your investigation should include the

Another factor that can cause a delay is

profit margins are under the spotlight,

common panel parts that may be necessary

the panel shop that you and your insurance

no commercial vehicle operator can

to get your vehicle back on the road quickly.

company select to do the repair. Good repair

afford to have vehicles standing, while

As most truck and bus manufacturers

shops know the importance of providing a

the panel beater waits for parts or the

now insist that genuine parts be used, if the

fast turnaround time and pride themselves

go-ahead from the insurance company, as

vehicle is still within the vehicle warranty

on offering a seven- to ten-day delivery period.

vehicle standing costs are extremely high.

period or on a maintenance contract, your

Ensure that your insurance company selects

investigation should include the price of the

a professional accident repair shop.

For example, a three-axle truck tractor that is coupled to a set of super-link trailers

genuine parts from the manufacturer.

The quality of the repair will also

costs an estimated R4 000 a day while

Repair parts pricing should also be

have a direct effect on the resale value

the vehicle is in the repair shop. An owner

investigated, as this could have a direct

of the vehicle. To ensure that the work

still has to pay the vehicle instalment,

effect on your insurance rate and the lifetime

has been done professionally, get involved

crew, insurance, licence and overheads –

operating cost of the vehicle. The difference

together with your insurance company in

irrespective of whether the vehicle is on the

in prices of common parts between one

the final inspection and acceptance of

road working or standing in the repair shop.

truck supplier and another can be as much

the vehicle. It is not only the quality of the

Plus, it is not generating any profit.

as 20 percent.

cosmetic appearance of the vehicle that is

Lack of parts is one of the major

A quick response from your insurance

factors that can stall a vehicle repair. On

company, and examination of the work to

Often vital components like radiators

investigation, it was found that some truck

be done to repair the vehicle, is another

are not replaced, but are instead poorly

and bus manufacturers provide a quick and

important factor. Time is often lost while

repaired to save costs; this could result

fast parts service while others don’t.

waiting for the insurance assessor, getting

in an expensive engine failure later

the approval to do the job and guarantee of

on once the vehicle is back on the

final payment.

road. |FOCUS

My advice is to investigate the availability of parts when buying a new commercial

important.

One of this country’s most respected commercial vehicle industry authorities, VIC OLIVER has been in this industry for over 50 years. Before joining the FOCUS team, he spent 15 years with Nissan Diesel (now UD Trucks), 11 years with Busaf and seven years with International. Do you have a comment or thought you would like to share based on this column?

Visit www.focusontransport.co.za and have your say!

6 |FOCUS| August 2015

FOCUS

letters Hijacking a reality

Your story about truck hijackings in the June edition of FOCUS was spot on. Crime rates in South Africa are expected to continue their upward climb as economic and social conditions deteriorate – a trend that is already being evidenced in the sharp climb in hijackings of trucks, cars and cargo, which are then sold into the illicit local and cross-border markets.

Approximately 50 percent of stolen and hijacked vehicles are disposed of within South Africa, 30 percent are exported to other countries, while 20 percent find their way into chop shops and the second-hand parts market. As long as cash-strapped consumers are prepared to look the other way to save a buck and fuel demand, criminal syndicates will continue to operate and flourish.

Our own truck hijacking statistics showed an increase of 16 percent in the last financial year, which ended in February 2015. This aligns with similar figures released by the Road Freight Association, which reported 1 150 truck hijackings across the industry during the same period.

Economic stress causes an increase in criminal behaviour. During the financial

crisis of 2008/9, truck hijackings in South Africa soared by 61 percent when compared with South African Police Service (SAPS) stats for 2006/7. During the recovery years of 2011/12, the incidents fell by 42 percent.

Various studies also state that there are many additional factors that drive this trend, including the presence of youth gangs, drugs, alcohol consumption and the availability of firearms. Crime is also exacerbated by high levels of perceived or real corruption, instability in our law enforcement agencies, and perceived low prosecution rates of criminals.

Tackling youth unemployment has to be our single most important focus going forward.

Unemployment poses a high risk to social stability in South Africa. Business and government must find common ground if we are to prevent the ticking time bomb of a forecast that, by 2020, there will be ten million young people who are not economically active.

John Edmeston Global CEO, Cartrack Holdings

To clarify …

I have just read your kind words regarding the FOCUS conference in the online magazine and was truly humbled. I think Gavin Myers did a fine job of encompassing my speech and I appreciate the effort he made.

I would have only praise expect for one small point of accuracy. After summarising the rand/ dollar issue, the article reads: “It’s also why mechanics are expected to produce high-quality, safe repairs and fast turnaround time …”

That is not the case. It is not our volatile currency that causes this – it is the fact that too often operations and their clients’ demands take priority over all other elements, which gives rise to

this bad practice of workshops and maintenance appearing low on the priority list.

But, thank you. I had prepared what is essentially my talk, minus the anecdotes and names and so on, but feel that your piece covers it better than I could have done.

Jim Ward General Manager Technical Unitrans Freight and Logistics

Thanks for the great feedback, Jim, and for clearing up what was meant in the rand/dollar paragraph for our readers – Ed. August 2015 |FOCUS| 7

cover story

Willowton Logistics and Freightliner keep

delivering

One of the most comprehensive Freightliner fleets in South Africa is owned by Willowton Logistics

T

he ability to deliver to every single customer, every single time, has made Willowton Logistics a respected leader in the local transport industry. Helping to make this possible is the company’s fleet of more than 200 Freightliners.

“Quite simply, Freightliner is our partner because its trucks provide excellent value for money, unmatched reliability and frugal fuel consumption,” says Frans Henning, MD of Willowton Logistics, having taken delivery of 61 trucks as part of the company’s latest order.

Established in Pietermaritzburg seven years ago as a subsidiary of Willowton Oil, the company provids transport solutions to a number of clients in a variety of different sectors including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). This has resulted in its fleet being made up of taughtliners, refrigerated, tanker, container and skeletal trucks.

Willowton’s reputation to execute all its customers’ requests “quickly and effectively” has earned it the trust of Sappi, Clover, Sasol, Coca-Cola and a host of others.

“A large number of our customers use the just-in-time business model and it is imperative for us to be able to deliver goods at the exact time they need them. We continue to reap the

8 |FOCUS| August 2015

benefits of our fleet as we can do this with our Freightliners,” says Henning.

With the transport and logistics industries being increasingly competitive, Henning highlights how crucial it is for a player in this space to use every single factor as an added advantage.

“It is important for an operation such as ours to run a fleet that offers very low running and maintenance costs. We did not have to look further than Freightliner as these trucks continue to offer us exceptional return on investment,” he adds.

“There are a number of much larger listed companies out there that take over smaller operations very easily, and so it is vital for us to offer our customers competitive pricing, while offering the fastest delivery time. This is one of the major reasons why we add to our fleet every three years or so. It ensures that the Freightliners are less likely to break down and we can keep our customers satisfied,” he says.

Having bought most of its vehicles from Garden City Motors in Pietermaritzburg, Willowton’s Freightliners are powered by Detroit Diesel engines; a company that is wholly owned by Daimler AG. This in-house engine ensures that the trucks continue to perform at the highest standards.

Henning is quick to add that it is not only the machines that make Willowton such an influential player in the segment, but, more importantly, it is the people who are the heart of the operation.

“Our drivers are a most important part of the entire equation and we value them dearly. As Freightliner is a leader in modern technology, we make use of all the training it offers. We really endeavour to take good care of our drivers by providing trucks with a comfortable ride quality, as they spend a lot of time in their ‘offices’,” he quips.

“Then there is the outstanding and mutually beneficial relationship that we have with Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz South Africa. Through this we feel like part of the family, as we have access to everyone from top management right down to workshop staff.

“Running only Freightliners means that trade-ins are easier. All the trucks are also serviced by the same dealer and we can reward our drivers, as we can compare apples with apples. All of these factors mean that we remain as competitive as we can be, retaining our valued customers, thanks to Freightliner,” concludes Henning. | FOCUS

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

August 2015 |FOCUS| 9

HCV market

More (light)

heavies for local distribution?

A proposed ban on vehicles in excess of nine-tonnes from urban areas for six hours a day has the industry up in arms. With many pertinent questions to answer, we ask how (should this legislation be forced on the industry) this might affect the heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) segment of the market

10 |FOCUS| August 2015

HCV market

A

s we know, the HCV segment

reaction to a perceived increase in carnage

the problem – a lack of enforcement and

of the market consists of

on the roads that involves goods vehicles,

corruption.

vehicles in the 8 501 to

the Association’s CEO, Sharmini Naidoo,

16 500 kg gross vehicle mass

said that a lack of professionalism by some

businesses negatively impacted by virtue

(GVM) category. This means that, while the

operators has cast the industry in a negative

of losing half their daytime working hours,

majority of the segment would be affected

light and done a lot to damage to the already

operators would probably need to increase

by the proposed ban, there is a very small

waning credibility of the transport industry.

their fleet size with smaller vehicles –

Without

wanting

to

have

their

part of it that falls outside of the stipulations.

“Comments by the Department of

such as the lightest HCVs or even the

This brings rise to many questions: will

Transport to regulate where it sees fit

biggest medium commercial vehicles. This

buyers of larger vehicles opt for those they

are very worrying. It’s the legislator’s

suggestion is one of the many factors that

can buy in this segment so as to avoid

right to legislate and regulate, however,

would lead to a rise in operating costs

the ban? Will the HCV segment rise to be

it must do so to achieve a legitimate

that would, ultimately, be passed onto the

bigger than the medium and extra-heavy

purpose. The acid test should be whether

consumer.

commercial vehicle (EHCV) segments?

the legislation serves such a legitimate

How much impact could running even

Would buyers opt for vehicles in the upper

purpose and whether there are means to

a smaller HCV have, though? Leslie Long,

reaches of the MCV segment and would

achieve it. In many instances this is highly

senior manager marketing and demand

the EHCV segment dwindle?

questionable and there is no obligation

planning at Hino South Africa, explains

proposed

to justify the proposed legislation or to

that most transport applications cannot

legislation? At the recent Road Freight

consider stakeholders concerns,” she said.

replicate the same productivity with smaller

Association (RFA) convention (see the July

Naturally, the proposed legislation has

vehicles, as the consumption implications

edition of FOCUS for the full report) this

been severely slated for, among other

was a topic of intense debate. With the

things, the harm it will cause to the

“If a smaller vehicle saves an operator

restriction on driving hours announced in

transport industry and the economy, while

20 percent on his fuel bill compared to

not actually addressing the root cause of

a larger vehicle, and he has to get two

First

though,

why

the

are just too great.

smaller vehicles to replace one larger

August 2015 |FOCUS| 11

»

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Future-proofing our clients supply chains

Smart stands for sustainable, measurable, adaptable, resourceful and transformational solutions.

At Barloworld Logistics, we go to great lengths to design, implement, operate and manage smart supply chain solutions.

Simply put, ethical, economical and environmentally friendly solutions. Solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiencies and improve carbon footprints.

With innovative software and cutting edge technology we’re able to track, monitor and measure the impact on the environment at every turn.

Our culture of operational excellence enables us to find new ways to minimise waste while maximising productivity, profitability and performance.

While world-class corporate governance and global best practices ensure we create a sustainable future for our clients’ businesses as well as our own.

A

To see how our smart supply chain solutions can improve your triple bottom line, call Mike Fanucchi 011 445 1600.

12 |FOCUS| August 2015 www.barloworld-logistics.com

B

HCV market

one, he will see an increase of 60 percent in his fuel costs,” he explains.

(In other words: eighty percent of the original single large vehicle’s operating costs, per vehicle – 80 x 2 – equals 160 percent of the operating costs of the original single vehicle – representing 100 percent. Hence a 60 percent increase in costs.)

“We may not see an effect on the HCV market as a whole, but rather on the operating conditions of transport companies.

People will not be happy to buy down and won’t be able to afford it,” Long says. “It just does not make sense for them to have to have extra vehicles running around.”

With all players in the HCV segment producing these and other vehicles locally, the legislation could have a potential

Should proposed legislation come into effect, heavy commercial vehicles – like these Hino 500s – might be some of the biggest roaming our cities.

implication on local vehicle production. “What if all truck operators stop buying trucks for six months because they don’t know what to do?” asks Craig Uren, COO at Isuzu Truck SA. “Our factories would be slowed down, we’d have to re-address our production runs and possibly get rid of some of our labour, which would create further unemployment.

“That’s completely against government’s fundamental aim of growing the GDP and creating employment!” he says. “Take a massive distribution centre in Midrand, Gauteng, for example, which would probably land up being shut down … it’s there in the first place because the location makes it easy to move goods around Gauteng. Trucks and buses are fundamental drivers of our economy.”

Clearly, banning large goods vehicles creates more problems than it solves – for both operators and vehicle manufacturers alike. The real question is, though, what the eventual implications might be for the South African economy? The industry can only fight the legislation through its various channels – and wait and see. |FOCUS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 13

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Management: a weak link in the (supply) chain?

Rapid change is a permanent feature in the economy. This is highlighted in the 12th supplychainforesight study – released by Barloworld Logistics. With new technologies, cut-throat competition and competitive ecosystems, the ability to make key shifts and transform from within is becoming essential for survival

T

he study, which is entitled:

to this year’s survey represented a broad

and reasons behind it. An embedded system

Embracing

Change

for

a

variety of companies by size; ranging from

of constant communication and planning

Sustainable

Future,

reveals

those turning over R1 billion or more per

should also be present.

that most organisations are

annum, through to smaller entrepreneurial

Stubbs adds that one of the study’s

poorly equipped to anticipate major market

businesses with a turnover of less than

most important findings was an impending

shifts and adapt accordingly. “The greatest

R50 million.

shortage of leadership, visionary and change-

obstacle is to change people,” explains

“Given its unique scope and depth, the

management skills within organisations.

Kate Stubbs, executive of marketing and

survey offers an important view of how

“While in all the previous supplychainforesight

communications at Barloworld Logistics.

leaders are dealing with massive shifts in

surveys, the lack or shortage of skills has

“Leaders are required to create the context

the local and global environment,” explains

been viewed as a major business constraint,

and environment for change in order to effect

Stubbs.

it is the first time that a lack of necessary

“Many companies are poorly equipped to

leadership and visionary skills has been

research

deal with change and are often caught flat-

identified as a skills gap at managerial level.”

conducted by the consulting firm Frost &

footed,” she adds. “They are always behind

Sullivan, on behalf of Barloworld Logistics,

the curve and are forced to catch up with,

Embedding change

the report gathered the views of over 370

and react to, trends – at great cost.”

management

change seamlessly and successfully.”

Based

on

independent

Those companies that can’t adapt risk

Barloworld Logistics points out that, in

losing everything to those that can. Strong

many organisations, change management is

More than two-thirds (66 percent) of the

and visionary leadership is essential for

mishandled. Companies typically establish a

respondents hold a director-level position,

tackling and managing change. It should be

team to implement predetermined changes.

demonstrating the relevance that supply

viewed as a strategic process, with a clear

This team is usually not involved in the

chains play in business today. Respondents

and comprehensive picture of the objective

monitoring of the need for change, nor does

professionals

representing

companies

across South Africa.

14 |FOCUS| August 2015

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

it have the vision relating to what needs to

identified and articulated need to do so.

found to be rare – if not entirely absent –

change and why. It operates on an ad hoc

Indeed, the issue may well be identifying

basis, without a consistent and established

the need to change before being forced to

within many management teams.

The lack of relevant skills was a key element

strategy.

do so by circumstances – which relates to

of concern among respondents, and reflects a

This is a fundamental strategic error.

the required executive function of seeking

sentiment that has been expressed for several

Managing change is essentially an executive

and anticipating change for continuous

consecutive years. Yet, this year the response

function, which requires the support and

improvement.

indicated that the concerns regarding skills

input of all those affected by it. Instead of

In addition, there appears to be little

shortages could be related to the lack of

handing the issue to one team, change needs

confidence in the ability of organisations

visionary leadership and the need for change

to be a permanent item on the executive

to identify and respond to trends. Only

management skills – and not purely to the

agenda. It is encouraging to note, however,

42 percent of survey respondents said

vocational skills of the workforce and lower

that businesses are becoming aware of the

their organisations are constantly in touch

level management, as previously stated.

need to prioritise change management and

with anticipated shifts in the market and

approach it differently.

predicting game-changing trends.

Few could argue that investment in skills and expertise is the best approach for long-

The Barloworld Logistics supplychainforesight study revealed a lack of leadership and skills at management level.

Respondents in the supplychainforesight

With regard to capabilities to implement

term business success. Today, the skills

study ranked the ability to anticipate change

change within organisations, 45 percent

required are different – and businesses need

and adapt quickly as their second top-ranked

of respondents believe it is well executed,

to recognise this.

business constraint. When coupled with

but

seven

Forward-thinking organisations need to

the highest-ranking business objective of

percent responded that it is extensive and

identify what skills they have, understand the

identifying and managing change, this clearly

comprehensive.

trends that will impact the business, and then

highlights the acknowledgement that change

needs

improvement.

Only

“With these activities being vital to the

identify the types of skills and abilities they will

success and sustainability of businesses, the

need in future to best adapt to and evolve

lack of competence is a worry,” adds Stubbs.

with market shifts.

to change, thereby breaking old habits or

The right skills

up management expertise in the area of

relationships, which is invariably a leadership,

Identifying and anticipating change is a

identifying and managing change will be

management or communication issue.

specific skill that needs to be present within

best positioned to leverage new trends and

It would appear that it is less about the

leadership teams, along with the ability to

opportunities – and enjoy sustainable, long-

willingness to change than it is about the

manage change. Increasingly, these skills are

term growth,” concludes Stubbs. |FOCUS

is disrupting the way companies operate.

On a similar note, respondents ranked the top supply chain challenge as the willingness

16 |FOCUS| August 2015

“Without doubt, organisations that build

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You’re not buying this.

What you’re buying is so much more than a truck. It’s a commitment. A partnership.

A whole solution designed and built around the working life of a vehicle, where Total Operating Economy is more important than just the initial purchase cost.

Uptime is crucial. If the vehicle is not working, it’s not generating income. That is why the highest levels of reliability and durability are built into every model in our extensive range.

As a one-stop shop, the complete vehicle is also supported by one of the most proficient service networks in SA. Offering the greatest availability of parts and assistance, whenever and wherever you need it.

Payload is the next big thing. We have engineered our trucks to be the lightest yet strongest they can be. This is the key to offering the greatest payloads on the market.

And then there’s the fluctuating cost of fuel. With Scania you can be confident that you are operating one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the market. We can proudly say that this has been the case for decades.

Adding all this up, also taking the cost of R&M, finance, insurance and residual values into consideration, you will understand why we focus on total operating economy.

So if you’re just buying trucks, we’re probably not the supplier for you. But if you’re buying a partnership, a commitment, a total construction solution, then we should talk.

There is a better way.

August 2015 |FOCUS| 17

focus on MINING People have been extracting minerals for thousands of years … We use them for decorative purposes, to construct vital infrastructure and in life-saving technologies – it’s no wonder that so much is dependent on the mining sector. We delve into the relationship between the transport and mining industries

M

ining has been around for thousands of years.

According to Ian Shaw, author of The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (published by Oxford University Press), Ancient Egyptians mined malachite (a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral) at Maadi, an affluent district in the south of Cairo. Shaw adds that Egyptians used the bright green malachite stones for ornamentation and pottery.

Increased construction led to expeditions into Wadi Maghara, on the Sinai Peninsula (which wasn’t part of Egypt at the time), “in order to secure minerals and other resources not available in Egypt itself”, between 2 613 and 2 494 BC. Quarries for turquoise and copper were also found at “Wadi Hamamat, Tura, Aswan and various other Nubian sites.”

The oldest mining site is, however, reportedly located in Swaziland. “Many ancient tools were found during initial mining operations in 1964 by the Anglo-American Corporation at the Ngwenya mountain range,” the Swaziland National Trust Commission’s website points out.

Three ancient mines were indentified and named the Lion, Castle and Stag caverns.

“In 1967, charcoal nodules from some of

the more ancient mine entrances were sent to both Yale and Groningen radiocarbon laboratories where Carbon 14 testing was carried out,” notes the site.

“A date of about 41 000 BC was obtained, making this the oldest known mining operation in the world. However, as this is the extreme range of carbon dating, the mines may be even older than this. It is thought these ores were mined until at least 23 000 BC. At Lion Cavern it is estimated that at least 1 200 t of soft haematite ore, rich in specularite, had been removed in ancient times.”

The mining industry is also playing a major part in the present day … “The mining sector is as important to Scania as it is to the South African economy,” explains Chris Swanepoel, from Scania South Africa’s mining division.

“We rely heavily on mining projects and on the transport of minerals.”

He adds that if the mines are doing well, there is material to transport. “If the mines aren’t doing well, then the reverse applies.

As much as a struggling mining industry knocks the South African economy, it has pretty much the same effect on all the truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).” These industries really are interconnected.

You scratch my

back …

18 |FOCUS| August 2015

“We are relatively new in the mining game, including in-pit type trucks, but we’ve evolved tremendously and have taken into account what the mines want, especially with regard to safety standards and requirements.”

Swanepoel points out. “We’ve built various offerings around that. We have done a lot of work in the fields of falling object protection systems (FOPS) and roll-over protection systems (ROPS) in our trucks.”

He continues: “We can offer staff carriers to move personnel in and around the mine that are FOPS and ROPS certified and comply with the legal requirements. We really have looked at the specific requirements of the industry to provide solutions that meet all the safety requirements.”

The mining sector is a difficult one in which to operate. “All the OEMs are in the same boat,” Swanepoel tells FOCUS. “As a market, it is hugely demanding, so the trucks run a very heavy-duty cycle. They’re expected to never break down – and, when they do, they’re expected to be up and running in a very short period of time.”

focus on MINING Scania is overcoming this challenge by offering different service contracts at various premiums. “Obviously, we’d like to look after the fleet from start to finish, but we have other solutions where we can put a technician in the customer’s workshop or handle the running of the workshop – it is all down to finding the right solutions for the customer.”

“The mining sector is also very depressed at the moment,” Swanepoel points out. “The current trend is to ‘baton down the hatches’ and make use of what they’ve got, so it is a very challenging time.”

The harsh conditions are also having a massive effect on operators. According to Standard Bank, transport operators, who are a key component of the economic fabric of rural towns, are finding it increasingly difficult to operate in an environment where pressure on margins, volatile fuel prices and increased operating costs are placing a stress on their profitability – especially in cases where they rely on a “single contract” for their survival.

“These smaller transport operators often operate outside large metropolitan areas and primarily serve the agriculture and mining sectors, but their role in their local and regional economies is often underestimated,” says Toni Fritz, head of Vehicle and Asset Finance – Business, at Standard Bank.

“Without these transport contractors, farmers and mine operations in far-flung corners of the country would find it difficult to move products and commodities,” she adds.

“Within their towns – where fuel, service and supply facilities, drivers and local labour rely on the transport sector – their contribution to the economy is even more important.

“Some of these smaller operators rely on single, medium to long-term contracts with a single customer to finance their operations.

Although this gives them certainty over the contract period, there are several factors that restrict them from opening up their businesses to further opportunities,” says Fritz.

These inhibiting factors include: • Trailers that are customised to a customer’s specific needs. If a transporter is carrying coal, for example, the trucks in the fleet are configured to meet these particular requirements. It is, therefore, difficult to carry other loads that do not fit the configuration of the

vehicle, or run the risk of contamination.

• Single contracts (especially in the mining sector), often involve collecting raw material at one point and conveying it to another. The cycle is then repeated. For the operator, this means having to return to the originating point without a revenue-producing load.

• In a crowded market, where operators are forced to aggressively reduce margins to obtain business, smaller operators can often work off a lower cost base than larger transport companies, but they have to work their equipment harder. This has consequences for fleet reliability, as scheduled maintenance can sometimes be sacrificed to meet delivery deadlines or to bolster margins.

“The primary responsibility of any bank is to manage risk and ensure that transport operators are able to meet their commitments,” says Fritz. “This sometimes requires that customers’ cash

August 2015 |FOCUS| 19

focus on MINING

flows are ‘stress-tested’ to assess their sustainability under different scenarios. In this case, the ability of the operators to diversify their operations and the strength and duration of single contracts become critical factors.”

She adds: “There is no doubt that many small contractors are beginning to feel the strain of the ongoing economic downturn.

As soon as signs of financial stress become evident, it is important that operators approach the bank for assistance and advice.

As soon as this step is taken, plans can be put in place to assist viable operations to meet their financial challenges.”

The future does hold some hope, however, as Swanepoel points out. “The

future is pretty bright. The market can’t hold this negative trend forever and when it turns, we have to be ready. We’re waiting in anticipation for the turn, because it will come, and it will come with a fair amount of haste.”

This will be wonderful for OEMs and operators alike. |FOCUS

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August 2015 |FOCUS| 21

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT

Heavy-duty

heels Since August is Women’s Month, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what women have achieved in the local transport industry

W

ith one profession after

Another trailblazer in the world of

at the Strathclyde University in Scotland. The

another opening up to

transport is Wilna Steyn, chief financial

first intake of two employees included a

female participation, it

officer, Africa, at the Babcock International

female employee, who was recognised as a

was only a matter of

Group. “I have been involved in the transport

future business leader.

time before the fleet world started producing

industry for nearly five years now. Prejudices

“Management is actively working to

its first women leaders. Ernita van Dalen is

against women still exist in the workplace,

increase the role of women within Babcock on a daily basis. Women have the power to

one of these pioneers. She is shaking things up, not just by being one of the first women in the job, but also by introducing new ways of doing things.

As national office manager at Essential Foods, the grain division of Pioneer Foods, she is responsible for, among other things, the administration of the company’s total fleet of trucks and forklifts. “It was tough in the beginning,” she says. “You could see people weren’t all that comfortable with a woman coming in and questioning things.”

She pioneered the use of Standard Bank’s Managed Maintenance service in the company. Through this, the servicing and maintenance of each vehicle is

“Initially I thought that you have to be really tough to be in this industry, but later realised that all you need is to strike a balance and that you are able to be tough and still maintain your femininity.”

shape and change the transport industry.

Our greatest power lies within our ability to create room for everyone to contribute, make things happen and build a team that can bring about change and achieve goals together,” Steyn adds.

Valentia Hobbs has been general manager for marketing communication at Volvo & Renault Trucks South Africa for the past two-and-a-half years. She has been in the commercial vehicle and automotive industry for over ten years, though, even tackling the petroleum industry, at Total South Africa.

“Initially I thought that you have to be really tough to be in this industry, but later

tracked and managed by a centre of experts, who ensure that mechanical

but far less so than a few years back.

realised that all you need is to strike a

workshops don’t overcharge or carry out

After all, women make up more than half of

balance and that you are able to be tough

unnecessary work.

our population, so excluding them from the

and still maintain your femininity. There is a

transport industry would result in it being less

place for women in all industries in order for

evolved than others,” she says.

a business to be successful,” Hobbs says.

Transaction authorisation was another service that she introduced to the company

women

“Businesses and companies are evolving,

Bank’s Fleet Management Card system. It

apprentices within the Babcock apprentice

I have seen a major transformation over

automatically vets fleet card transactions

school, something we did not have five years

the years where women are included in key

and declines those that exceed certain

ago. In addition, the company develops talent

decision-making and play active roles within

parameters.

by sending employees on an MBA programme

organisations.”

when she moved the fleet to Standard

22 |FOCUS| August 2015

“We

currently

have

three

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT

In line with this, Hobbs describes the many initiatives that the Volvo Group has in place to promote diversity and inclusion, which are aimed at developing a culture and Pic courtesy of Justin Grant Photography

working environment where everyone can do their best work.

“Apart

from

the

obvious

ones

such as women in senior management roles

and

development

programmes

for women, Volvo has an apprenticeship programme for diesel mechanics where women are encouraged to apply. We have

two

women

on

our

current

programme and three who have completed the programme already and are qualified diesel mechanics.”

Her advice to aspiring women: “With all the opportunities available, you can make your mark and be challenged. You just have to be bold enough to take the step!”

Opposite: Babcock’s Wilna Steyn says women have the power to shape the transport industry.

Above: Volvo’s Valentia Hobbs says there are now more opportunities available to women than before.

took place on July 30 and 31, at the Monkey

Similarly, the second annual Women in

Women in other transport sectors are

Valley Resort in Noordhoek, Cape Town. The

Rail and Logistics Conference will be held

also aiming to break the mould, to inspire a

conference discussed women’s involvement

on August 20 and 21, at the Amabhubesi

new generation and improve diversity. The

in the business base that underlies port

Conference

third annual Women in Maritime Conference

operations.

Johannesburg. |FOCUS

Join us on our

Centre

in

Randburg,

cyberstoep

Earth – A stoep, stoop, porch, veranda or portico (whatever tickles your colloquial fancy) is loosely defined as a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor. It is, however, more than that …

It’s a place where you can enjoy a sundowner after a hard day’s work, a place where you kuier with friends and discuss whatever is on your mind, or where you cuddle up with a good book on a glorious day. It doesn’t have to be a physical place, built out of bricks and mortar either …

Charmont Media Global has launched its CyberStoep, where all these activities are happening digitally. This website aims to entertain as a flock of journos review, give their opinion and write about absolutely anything and everything under the sun.

“Charmont’s two flagship magazines (FOCUS on Transport and Logistics and SHEQ MANAGEMENT) are performing exceptionally well, but they are very specialised publications,” says Jaco de Klerk, CyberStoep’s Stoep Manager. “CyberStoep, on the other hand, allows us to diversify our offering, which means more material for our readers and an array of topics for our journalists to write about – in short, fun all-round.”

This “diversity” is exactly what sets the Stoep apart from other lifestyle websites, which mainly focus on a certain demographic, specific market segment or product offering. “There is no topic too controversial, place too far-flung or product too scarce that can escape our Stoep’s chitchat,” adds De Klerk.

Catch more at www.cyberstoep.co.za

August 2015 |FOCUS| 23

FINANCE and INSURANCE

Finding the right vehicle at the

right price

One of the goals of commercial vehicle finance and insurance is to make it easier for owners or operators to run a successful business. Clients need the best vehicles available at the most affordable prices. We take a look at who’s offering what …

S

everal

original

manufacturers own

in-house

UD Financial Services also offers a range

which clients have the option to rent the Tata

their

of products and services as part of its aim to

Novus 7548 6x4 truck tractor. (Turn to page

financing

provide a complete and convenient service

34 for more details.)

equipment have

departments. MAN Financial

throughout a vehicle’s lifespan. These vehicle

When it comes to commercial vehicle

Services, for example, aims to build long-

financing products include options such as

insurance, there are also many options

term and trustworthy relationships with

instalment sales, financial and operating

available. Insurance Underwriting Managers

its customers. “We do this by offering

leases, rentals as well as full-maintenance

(IUM), for example, strive to deliver innovative

customised products that make it possible

agreements.

insurance solutions and services.

Founded

in

2004

by

certified

for companies to plan and calculate the costs

Owning and operating trucks, or other

of their projects,” says Wanda van Rooyen,

heavy-duty commercial vehicles, is an

professionals, IUM began as an administrator

business support and insurance manager at

expensive exercise. Increasing costs of

in the industry. Since 2010, IUM has grown

MAN Truck & Bus SA.

diesel alone can force some truck operators

into a fully-fledged insurance underwriting

“MAN Financial Services can offer

out of business. Truck finance specialist,

manager.

unique industry and commercial-vehicle

TruckFinancing.co.za, aims to make obtaining

IUM offers insurance brokers extensive,

expertise. The company guarantees reliable

truck finance easier, with flexible finance

comprehensive, cost-effective and tailor-

partnerships, personal contact, competitive

options for owners and operators who may

made insurance solutions, allowing clients

and fair market prices, customised solutions,

not meet stringent prime lender criteria.

one point of contact to access a wide range

transparent and unique processes and short

The lenders at TruckFinancing.co.za

lines of communication with quick decision-

understand that vehicle owners need to

IUM has an extensive range of commercial

making,” she adds.

keep overhead costs low. If truck operators

insurance products and services. Its core

don’t have a good credit rating and an

products are underwritten by Guardrisk

provide flexible financing and insurance

established

Insurance Company Limited.

solutions, for both new and used vehicles,

customers, finding sources of finance for

A sluggish economy can be a formidable

buses, trailers and ancillary equipment.

commercial trucks through conventional

foe when applying for any type of business

lenders can be difficult.

finance, or purchasing insurance. So make

Scania Financial Services strives to

Scania Finance and Insurance offers

company

with

long-term

of products.

instalments and frequency tailored to clients’

For those who wish to rent a vehicle,

sure you opt for flexible solutions, which give

needs, variable interest rates and package

rather than buying one, there are also options

you predictable costs and manageable risks,

solutions – including insurance, repair and

available. One such offering at the moment is

for a profitable business at the end of the

maintenance, as well as service contracts.

from Tata, in conjunction with Wesbank, in

day. |FOCUS

24 |FOCUS| August 2015

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isuzu truck sa

An Enterprising

future

Isuzu Truck South Africa is changing the way it does business by creating an improved supply chain that enables clients to move forward and grow. GAVIN MYERS explains

“O

ur industry must get smarter for our customers to move forward,” says Craig Uren, COO at Isuzu Truck SA. “The days of simply supplying hardware are gone, which is why we’ve changed our supply chain to allow us to get to market more quickly.”

Explaining the vision, Uren continues: “Our focus is no longer on what leaves the factory gate. Together with our dealers and suppliers, Isuzu Truck SA will have a more integrated relationship with current and future customers during the life of their trucks.”

Uren is referring to the first step in the new Isuzu Trucks “ENTERPRISE” business model, the 100-percent acquisition of Port Elizabethbased KANU Commercial Body Construction and Automotive Chassis Technologies (KANU/

26 |FOCUS| August 2015

ACT). Effective as of August, the new venture will allow Isuzu Trucks to have the capacity to initiate and build products according to customer specification.

“Everything can now be processed from one point of contact when buying trucks from us,” says Uren. It is expected that up to 30 percent of vehicles that leave Port Elizabeth assembly plant of Isuzu Trucks will have KANUbuilt bodies fitted.

Significantly, Uren explains, this means that the time taken to buy or replace a truck is drastically reduced. Customers will now be able to get on the road within weeks, instead of months …

“This is a logistical solution that will have benefits for us, the bodybuilders and the customers. For a small operator, the process of procuring a replacement truck, for example,

can take up to three months after it has been bought, built, sent round the country to have a body fitted and then back to be delivered.

That’s too long, and during this time they lose a lot of revenue.

“Likewise, we can provide a large operator a full turnkey supply with consistent build quality,” he says.

Bringing with him vast experience in all aspects of the assembly line, current plant manager, Sipho Sandla, will join the Isuzu Truck South Africa executive team and take on the role of GM of the KANU/ACT operation in Port Elizabeth. The current owner, Tony Wright, will stay on in an advisory capacity for a minimum of 12 months.

“Costs and other market negatives suggest we need to do things differently, be more proactive, box smartly and challenge

isuzu truck sa

the status quo. To do this we have to find opportunity in adversity,” Uren says, alluding to more to come for a really integrated relationship with customers during the life cycle of their trucks.

The adversity Uren talks about is the current state of South Africa’s economic environment, which is having a direct effect on the local truck market. “Nothing’s changed locally over the last two years; the variables just ebb and flow and shift the balance. Eskom is currently having a huge influence, causing havoc on productivity. As such, the truck market has come down quite quickly in the last three months, due to the various impacts on businesses,” he explains.

The impact of the power crisis on business behaviour has created a market fall-off of five percent in the year to date. The extraheavy market is down by 7,5 percent, as is the medium segment, while the bus market has remained flat and the heavy commercial vehicle segment has shown growth of 5,5 percent year to date.

“This growth in the heavy segment is

“This has helped us manage our business

due to behavioural change in the industry – operators are either buying down when replacing large vehicles, or up if replacing smaller ones. They are adjusting their capacity options and trying to find the optimum levels.

We saw this during the financial crisis of 2008/9.”

Uren thus expects the market to end on less than 30 000 units this year (as opposed to the company’s initial forecast of 32 000 at the beginning of the year).

However, slight growth is expected in 2016, but that will be mainly due to replacement cycles and not overall growth of the economy.

“We understand that it’s tough to run a business in this environment, but it is a big opportunity for us to continue to provide to an industry that needs to keep going,” says Uren, who is pleased to report that Isuzu Truck SA has been able to benefit from a stable run between the yen and rand for the last 12 months.

and deal with the other variables,” he says.

Isuzu Trucks currently has a market share of 13,6 percent (at the end of 2014 it was 12,9 percent), which equates to the company growing its volume just on 20 percent a year to date, compared to the same period last year.

“We’re happy where we are, given the market at the moment,” explains Uren. “Each year we strive to retail 4 000 units and we are trending for that in 2015.”

During the course of the third quarter, the Port Elizabeth plant of Isuzu Truck SA is expected to achieve a milestone on 30 000 units produced since the formation of the company in 2007.

There is no doubt that the production facility at Isuzu Trucks will continue to move from strength to strength, especially given the company’s new “ENTERPRISE” business model and the advanced supply chain options it will bring to the brand’s operators. |FOCUS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 27

new vehicles

What customers

want

Hino has expanded the appeal of its medium-weight 300-Series by adding some key models to the range.

GAVIN MYERS experienced them

T

he medium commercial vehicle (MCV) market is currently Hino South Africa’s stomping ground.

During the first six months of this year the company has had a leading market segment share of 24,7 percent.

However, vice president of Hino South Africa, Ernie Trautmann, says this is a highly competitive market segment. The company has, therefore, expanded its 300-Series MCV contender to provide its most comprehensive product offering yet in this segment.

The expanded range, which will help the company achieve its target of 4 000 unit sales by year end, comprises three new crew-cab derivatives and four new automatics. An approximate body and payload allowance of between 3 390 and 5 950 kg is still on offer.

In response to customer feedback, the 714 and 915 manual transmission models are now available with a crew cab.

The 300 crew cab provides safe and spacious transportation for up to seven people and is already proving popular with municipalities, utilities and telecommunication providers. Rear passengers benefit from their own heating and air-conditioning system as well as cup holders.

28 |FOCUS| August 2015

The existing 815 automatic transmission crew-cab model has had its wheelbase shortened – again in line with customer feedback.

The six-speed automatic transmission fitted to this model is now also offered on the 614 and 714 short-wheelbase models.

This smooth-shifting torque-converter ’box includes overdrive fifth and sixth gears for improved fuel economy. Drive goes to a fullfloating, single-reduction hypoid rear axle.

All Hino 300 models are powered by a four-litre, four-cylinder Hino turbo-intercooled diesel engine in one of two states of tune – either 100 or 110 kW of power and 392 or 420 Nm of torque respectively.

Hino was very specific with its decision to equip the 300 with an automatic transmission and not an automated-manual transmission (AMT). Says Leslie Long, senior manager, marketing, product and demand planning at Hino South Africa: “The automatic provides smoother, optimal shifts with less lag between them. There is a lot less wear and tear on the transmission components and there is no clutch to replace. An automatic transmission is more effective from an efficiency point of view.”

Typical customers interested in the automatic models are cash-in-transit

companies, the mining industry and bakeries – for which the company has developed a specific vehicle.

Hino feels that the new crew cabs (with their shortened wheelbase) and automatic models will help combat driver fatigue by easing the driving process and enhancing manoeuvrability.

This comfort and ease of driving was aptly demonstrated in the high-speed driving and simulated manoeuvrability and parking challenges Hino had lined up for us, at the media launch held at the Gerotek testing facility outside Pretoria.

Trautmann is, understandably, confident that the new additions to the 300-Series range will make Hino even more competitive in South Africa’s keenly contested MCV market. “The enlarged range emphasises the importance we place on customer and dealer feedback, while our customers continue to benefit from our strategy of continuous improvement,” he says.

An array of value-added Hino-Care services, including a 24-month/unlimited kilometre warranty, towing assistance and 24-hour roadside assistance, enhance the value proposition of the 300-Series. |FOCUS

H100

HD72

STARTING FROM

STARTING FROM

• 3-Year/60 000km Service Plan • 5-Year/150 000km Warranty • 5-Year/150 000km Roadside Assist • 1.3 Ton Load Capacity • Versatile Dropside Deck • Chassis Cab

R195 526

(ex VAT)

• 1-Year/60 000km Service Plan • 3-Year/200 000km Warranty • 3-Year/200 000km Roadside Assist • ABS with EBD • Chassis Cab

R335 000

(ex VAT)

H100 and HD72, proudly assembled in South Africa www.hyundai.co.za/commercial-vehicles

GAUTENG: Apex, Boksburg, Germiston, Kempton Park, Centurion, Heidelberg, Roodepoort, Sandton, Edenvale, Strijdom Park, Vereeniging, Wonderboom, The Glen, Weltevreden Park. WESTERN CAPE: Milnerton, Brackenfell, Paarl, Somerset West, Paarden Island. EASTERN CAPE: East London, Port Elizabeth, George. NORTHERN CAPE: Upington. FREE STATE: Bloemfontein, Welkom. KWAZULU NATAL: Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Pinetown, Mobeni. LIMPOPO: Bela-Bela, Louis Trichardt, Polokwane. NORTH WEST: Brits, Mafikeng, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp, MPUMALANGA: Witbank, Ermelo, Lydenburg, Nelspruit.

SMS ‘MIGHTY’ to 33362 and we’ll call you. SMS charge R1.50 August 2015 |FOCUS| 29

T HE J UPITER D RAWING R OOM (CT) 46654/E

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WORLD ON

WHEELS

king Kei of Japan

Japan has come a long way since the ravages of the Second World War; the tiny vehicles that have mobilised the nation certainly had something to do with this. GAVIN MYERS investigates possibly the smallest vehicles to have featured on the pages of FOCUS

J

apan is an interesting place. On the one hand is the country’s modernday economical prowess and high living standards: Japan has the world’s third-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the world’s fourthlargest economy by purchasing power parity.

Its population is said to enjoy the highest life expectancy of any country in the world and the third-lowest infant mortality rate.

On the other hand, the country is deeply rooted in its long-evolved culture. Its architecture, gardens, clothing and cuisine are famous the world over.

30 |FOCUS| August 2015

Visiting the country, even reading about it, is mind-boggling, and understanding how all the ultra-high-tech modernity and cultural values come together is fascinating. It’s impressive, yet almost paradoxical.

While the Japanese Archipelago consists of 6 852 islands, 97 percent of its land area is made up of just four of these islands. It’s population of 126 million is the world’s tenth largest and, with 9,1-million people living in capital city Tokyo, the greater Tokyo area is the world’s largest metropolitan area with over 35-million residents.

Space is, therefore, a very important consideration in Japan. While the country’s impressive transport infrastructure includes the likes of the country’s Shinkansen high-speed railway lines and its 320 km/h bullet trains,

the country has a love for its home-grown mini vehicles: known as Kei jidōsha (translating to light automobile).

The Kei jidōsha – or Kei cars in English – have been zipping around Japan’s congested cities and narrow roads en masse since the end of the Second World War, when the concept was introduced to stimulate the country’s vehicle industry. This specialised form of motoring is practically unique to Japan; with very few of these vehicles having been marketed outside of the country over the years.

So what makes a Kei so unique? Essentially it’s your everyday vehicle in miniature: maximum dimensions of 3 400 x 1 480 x 2 000 mm, a maximum engine displacement of 660 cc producing no more than 47 kW of power,

LD ON W

H

E E

W

OR

E

LS

LS OR

LD ON W

H

E cab-over design to maximise their load-carrying abilities (remembering the 350 kg limit) with a 1,8-m-long load bed. Dump and scissor-lift beds are also popular.

They cope quite well with their pint-sized powerplants too, as speeds in Japanese cities rarely reach more than 50 km/h. They are said to achieve a fuel economy of 17 km/l, or 5,88 l/100 km. Some Kei trucks are exported to neighbouring countries, although these are often fitted with bigger engines, which are sometimes three-times larger!

Finally we come to the microvan. While they are used more widely than the traditional Kei car or truck, the Kei formed the base for the microvans … In Japan they are known as “Kei one box”.

The Honda Life “StepVan” of the 1970s was the first such vehicle to adopt the style of

W

and the ability to carry a maximum of four passengers or 350 kg payload!

Across the board, lower taxes and insurance premiums than those levied on larger vehicles, as well as exemption from having to make sure adequate parking is available for the vehicles in rural areas, add to their appeal.

Kei cars are distinguishable by their special black on yellow licence plates for private vehicles and yellow on black versions for commercial vehicles.

Oh, did I forget to mention there are also a plethora of Keitora truck and microvan variations? Kei trucks are not only popular for personal transport; they are also used in commercial applications including agriculture, construction and firefighting!

Kei trucks and Kei cars have the same classification criteria. Most Kei trucks are of a

a van. Microvans generally offer two swinging front doors, two sliding rear doors and a large tailgate. Like a regular-sized van, they can be customised for the transport of passengers or goods.

In certain countries, microvans can seat up to nine people (though we can’t imagine very comfortably), although Kei car regulations limits this to only four people in Japan. In the Kei category, engine displacement is also limited.

Like so many other aspects of Japan, Kei cars and their commercial vehicle equivalents are definitely a part of the way of life – almost a cultural symbol. They have also evolved over the years to be technologically advanced in a way that epitomises modern-day Japan.

To anyone else in the car-buying world they might be completely paradoxical, yet undeniably impressive. |FOCUS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 31

ITOY Exclusive

A van test – in the

Arctic Seen as the top set of trials in Europe, the 2015 instalment of the annual Arctic Van Test has showed how similar modern competitor vehicles have become. JARLATH SWEENEY reports

I

t was another extremely close competition between the contenders for the 22nd annual Arctic Van Test (AVT) in Finland. The legendary event is organised by Finland’s Auto Tekniikka ja Kuljetus publication. For the 2015 event, six panel vans were up for scrutiny. They were divided into two categories – one-tonne and 3,5-t gross vehicle mass.

Once again, there were three new vehicles. The new Fiat Professional Ducato was among the debutants alongside the new Mercedes-Benz Vito and Renault Trafic.

The Ducato was challenged by the Ford Transit and Opel Movano, while the Vito and trafic were up against the Ford Transit Custom.

The week-long test began with mechanical checks, and loading and fitting of recording equipment. The vans were then measured with regard to the functionality of their cargo space.

Members of the test team from Scandinavia and Central Europe began the driving element; measuring the turning circle of each vehicle, as the turning circle figures usually differ from those on manufacturers’ lists when driving on snow and with winter tyres.

32 |FOCUS| August 2015

The Opel Movano recorded the biggest difference to the manufacturer’s figure, while the Ford Transit Custom and Fiat Ducato were the closest.

Visibility counts Next up was the reversing test. Reversing is not only about rotating and handling; visibility plays a big part, especially when manoeuvring into a narrow street or gateway. Each large panel van in the AVT had side mirrors with a separate wide-angle section fitted.

Ford had the largest wide-angle mirror and the smallest basic version, so was the best in terms of helping the driver ascertain the van’s rearmost corners and even its rear tyres. The Fiat Ducato had smaller wide-angle mirrors.

The driver was, however, able to improve the view with an electric control and, as a result, it scored the highest points in the test.

Despite smallish wide-angle mirrors, the Opel Movano provided a decent rear view, but, with its 4,3-m wheelbase, getting the van into tight corners was a little difficult.

In the one-tonne group, the Renault Trafic scored the most points, just ahead of the Ford Transit Custom. The Trafic’s side mirrors curved in three directions. In addition, its wide-angle mirror located in the

passenger’s sun visor received much praise from the panel.

With its smaller, car-like mirrors, the Mercedes-Benz Vito faired the worst in the reversing test.

The overall visibility from within the vehicles was next on the list. The AVT has a very simple method of calculating this; called the Madeleine test, it measures how an averageheight driver is able to observe surroundings from the vehicle’s windows and mirrors.

The one-metre-tall dummy (fitted to a sleigh) is moved in front of, and at the side of, the vehicle. After the driver adjusts the seat to find the perfect driving position, he then reports when the dummy gradually goes out of sight, which is then measured and recorded.

After calculating the view from the glazed areas, the blind spots of the rear-view mirrors were then noted.

As on previous outings, Ford did well on this occasion with its two entrants achieving the best scores. The Mercedes-Benz Vito and Renault Trafic models were second and third, while the Fiat Ducato and Renault Movano took second position to the Transit in the bigger class.

While the Vito had the best frontal view, due to the shape of the bonnet, its side view

ITOY Exclusive

could be better. The dimensions of the A-pillars of the Renault Trafic created a small blind spot at the front corner of the van.

The biggest blind spots were, however, found around the nose of the Fiat Ducato.

While its overall view was among the best, its thick A-pillars and large mirrors block some vision on wide areas. The Madeleine test took place at Mäntsälä.

Easy driving The city of Oulu was once again the location for the urban driving tests. Six members of the expert panel drove 25 km on a circular route to analyse the handling, performance and other characteristics of the vehicles.

Also considered were accessibility of the cab, visibility and steering control.

Competition was high in the one-tonne class. Ford and Mercedes-Benz offered the best access to the cabin, while the Vito got more points for front and side visibility.

Renault impressed with the Trafic’s mobile office adaptability, and particularly with the high torque levels and gearing of its 1,6-litre dCi twin-turbo engine. According to the in-cab measurements, the Vito offered the lowest noise levels.

Passage through the cabin of the 3,5-t group was equally as good in each van. The Ford Transit’s excellent driving position, low engine noise and overall visibility were noted, while the Opel Movano’s ergonomics shone strongest.

The Ford’s complex dashboard was criticised, as it takes some time for the driver to get used to it. The panellists called it “button-jungle”. With regard to the load space behind the driver, the Movano was the top choice; items of up to four-metres long can be accommodated, thanks to the open section under the passenger’s seat.

Opel’s new 2,3-litre CDTi twin-turbo engine (from Renault) elevated the German brand into the lead in the city challenge. On the open road, the Vito’s driveability, as a result of its new front-wheel drive system, was rated best.

Another significant aspect of the test was the Traction Control Systems (TCS) and Electronic Stability Programs (ESP) offered by the various manufacturers. Although electronic safety systems have advanced in recent years, there is still room for improvement according to the judges. The driver has still to remain alert and not depend too much on the technology to get him out of trouble.

The Ford Transit Custom gained most points in the ice track tests at Pudasjärvi Airport. The Vito, with its front-wheel drive system, was almost as good, while Renault’s ESP system scored the least points. Fiat and Ford faired best in the bigger-sized van catagory. The Opel, like its Renault Alliance partner, needs to update its ESP system.

Close competition With contrasting market strategies in practically every country in the European Union, a general point structure had to be agreed among the panel with regard to total cost of ownership (TCO).

Price levels of spare parts, servicing, repairs and warranty programmes were all considered. Then, the variations in the annual motor tax, the fuel economy of the vehicles and insurance costs had to be included as well.

Fiat Professional has made the breakthrough in the large panel van (3,5 t) category. The race was extremely close with the Italian marque winning by just one point over the Ford (208 versus 207) and with the Opel a close third on 202 points.

The latest Ducato – an evolution of the previous model – features many innovative high-tech items and received much praise for its overall performance, especially its fuel economy and acceleration. Use of cabin space and number of storage areas, plus its adaptability to turn into a mobile office with folding seats, were well received.

For the first time ever, there was a tie between all three vans in the one-tonne segment. Out of the 240 total points, the Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Renault trio were each awarded 209 points. This indicates the similar technical direction in which the various manufacturers in the light commercial vehicle industry are heading.

August 2015 |FOCUS| 33

ITOY Exclusive

3,5-TONNE CLASS

ONE-TONNE CLASS Driver Points, Urban Area

Ford Transit Custom 8,50 8,50 8,00 7,17 7,00 7,83 7,83 7,83 8,17 8,17 8,33 8,17 8,17 7,50 7,83 7,33 8,00 8,17 8,0

Mercedes-Benz Vito 8,50 8,17 8,17 6,00 7,83 7,50 8,33 8,00 8,33 7,33 7,50 7,33 8,00 7,17 7,17 7,50 8,17 8,00 7,8

Renault Trafic 8,00 8,17 8,00 6,67 8,17 8,17 8,33 7,83 8,33 8,17 8,33 8,50 7,83 8,50 8,67 8,33 8,17 8,33 8,2

Ford Transit Custom 8,33 8,67 8,33 8,50 8,17 8,83 8,00 7,33 0,00 8,17 8,20 8,50 8,50 8,17 7,17 8,33 8,50 8,17 8,33 7,83 8,50 8,2

Mercedes-Benz Vito 7,50 7,83 8,33 8,83 8,17 8,67 8,33 6,83 0,00 7,33 8,20 8,00 8,33 8,83 8,17 8,67 8,67 8,33 7,17 8,50 8,17 8,1

Renault Trafic 8,83 7,17 7,83 8,33 8,33 8,17 8,33 8,67 0,00 7,50 8,00 8,00 7,83 7,67 8,00 8,17 7,83 8,00 8,00 7,83 8,17 8,1

Weight

Ford Transit Custom

Mercedes-Benz Vito

Renault Trafic

40 40 10 10

32,0 32,8 8,3 8,4

31,2 32,4 8,2 8,4

32,8 32,4 8,4 8,1

10 10 40 10 10

8,6 8,5 40,0 9,0 8,8

8,8 9,0 40,0 8,0 9,0

9,2 8,5 40,0 8,5 9,0

40 10 10 240

35,0 9,3 8,3 209

36,0 8,9 8,8 209

35,0 8,9 8,5 209

Weight

Step in cabin and out Easy to find driving position Mirror adjustment Going through the cabin Place for A4 papers Control device Visibility to front Visibility to right Visibility to left Right mirror Left mirror Driving backwards with mirrors Driving around a corner Gear ratios in the city Torque in the city Grip of drive wheels Noise and noise sound Total feeling in urban area Weighted mean

3 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 3

Driver Points, Road Test

Weight

Engine Gearbox Clutch Brakes Suspension Steering Grip of drive wheels Elasticity, acceleration Headlights Cabin Cabin doors Drivers comfort Drivers seat Dashboard Heater controls Heating Equipment Visibility Side mirrors Noise and noise sound Total feeling on main road Weighted mean

2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 3

Test Points Driver points Urban area test Road test Small road without load Handling test Measurements, evaluations Cargo space Acceleration Heating Visibility and backing Noise in cabin Use and service Fuel economy Service intervals, daily service Warranty TEST POINTS TOTAL

34 |FOCUS| August 2015

Driver Points, Urban Area Step in cabin and out Easy to find driving position Mirror adjustment Going through the cabin Place for A4 papers Control device Visibility to front Visibility to right Visibility to left Right mirror Left mirror Driving backwards with mirrors Driving around a corner Gear ratios in the city Torque in the city Grip of drive wheels Noise and noise sound Total feeling in urban area Weighted mean

Fiat Ducato 7,67 8,33 8,67 8,67 7,00 7,33 8,33 7,50 8,00 8,17 8,67 8,50 8,00 8,33 7,83 7,83 7,50 7,50 8,0

Ford Transit 350 7,67 8,50 8,50 8,50 7,67 8,00 8,00 7,83 8,33 8,33 8,67 8,33 7,83 7,83 7,83 7,17 8,33 7,50 8,0

Opel Movano 7,67 7,00 7,83 8,00 8,67 8,17 7,83 7,83 8,33 8,17 8,33 8,17 8,00 8,50 8,33 8,33 8,00 7,50 8,0

Fiat Ducato 8,50 8,17 7,83 8,50 7,83 8,33 8,33 8,33 0,00 7,67 8,17 8,00 8,17 7,67 7,67 8,00 8,33 8,17 8,67 7,67 8,17 8,1

Ford Transit 350 8,50 8,50 8,33 8,50 8,50 8,50 7,50 7,50 0,00 8,33 8,50 8,67 8,50 8,00 7,33 8,17 8,83 8,00 8,50 7,83 8,33 8,2

Opel Movano 8,17 7,83 7,67 7,83 8,17 8,33 8,50 8,33 0,00 8,00 8,50 8,00 7,33 8,17 8,33 8,17 8,17 8,50 8,17 8,00 8,33 8,1

Weight

Fiat Ducato

Ford Transit 350

Opel Movano

40 40 10 10

32,0 32,4 8,3 8,5

32,0 32,8 8,8 8,8

32,0 32,4 7,7 7,5

10 10 40 10 10

9,1 9,5 38,0 7,5 9,0

9,2 9,0 38,0 8,5 9,0

8,7 9,0 38,0 7,5 9,0

40 10 10 240

36,0 9,1 8,3 208

33,0 9,2 8,3 207

33,0 8,8 8,5 202

Weight 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 3

Driver Points, Road Test

Weight

Engine Gearbox Clutch Brakes Suspension Steering Grip of drive wheels Elasticity, acceleration Headlights Cabin Cabin doors Drivers comfort Drivers seat Dashboard Heater controls Heating Equipment Visibility Side mirrors Noise and noise sound Total feeling on main road Weighted mean

2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 3

Test Points Driver points Urban area test Road test Small road without load Handling test Measurements, evaluations Cargo space Acceleration Heating Visibility and backing Noise in cabin Use and service Fuel economy Service intervals, daily service Warranty TEST POINTS TOTAL

August 2015 |FOCUS| 35

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Industry

involvement

Tata talk at

TruckX

Tata featured strongly at the recent TruckX Expo Conference and Awards. We spoke to Harneet Luther, executive director at Tata Automobile Corporation South Africa, about his involvement in the road safety panel discussion and exhibition

S

afety was a key topic of discussion at the TruckX Expo – in more ways than one. In the first instance, the panel discussion on road safety raised some important points. Luther, who was one of the six participating speakers, agrees that this is a topic that requires unbridled attention.

“As mentioned by my co-panellist Johan Jonk, of Arrive Alive, 30 percent of traffic on the N3 highway is made up of trucks, but only nine percent of the accidents are caused by them. The balance is a result of other factors and we need to concentrate on all of these to solve the problem,” he says.

“A topic of this importance needs more time to be discussed in depth, and at least one or two people who make the regulations must attend then we can evolve the areas of discussion to the next level of action.”

Indeed, as an industry, much is being done to combat the scourge of road crashes. As

36 |FOCUS| August 2015

Paul Nordengen, principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) pointed out, there is no quick fix.

However, self-regulation in the industry is helping us get to the goal more quickly.

“The problem of road safety has to be tackled from different angles. The Road Transport Management System (RTMS) is one of the ways to solve the problem. RTMS tries to get operators to self-regulate and now has 8 000 trucks and buses in the programme. This is the tip of the iceberg, but statistics from these companies show a 50 to 60 percent reduction in accident rates,” he notes.

Themba Baloyi, founder and executive director of Discovery Insure, notes that the culture in South Africa needs to change.

“We need to change people’s mindset. That’s when we see behavioural change. We have seen that people who drive better have vehicles that last longer. There’s a reduction

in accidents, which increases profitability.

These are not things that are just nice-tohave; business leaders need to use these tools at their disposal to make a difference.”

As Luther points out, these tools could even be the vehicles themselves, which is where the second example of safety comes in.

“As an industry we have started introducing more safety features to our vehicles. It’s important in terms of both saving lives and keeping fleet up-time to a maximum.

“At a hand over to an operator, we emphasise the various dos and don’ts for safe and economical operation of the vehicle.

It’s a moral responsibility on our side and we try to encourage customers to have our consultants train their drivers. The operator is investing in an asset, which should not be spoiled by an untrained driver.”

As such, Luther explains, at the Tata stand after the panel discussion, all the safety

Industry

involvement

Above right: Harneet Luther (centre) talks safety with industry colleagues.

Right: Tata’s Braam Walters shows an expo visitor what the Prima has to offer.

Far right: From left: Harneet Luther, executive director; Behram Sabawala, CFO; Madhu Singh, area manager Southern Africa, Tata Motors; and Sharyn Moodley, marketing manager.

features that can save a vehicle from a crash have been incorporated in the new Tata Prima. After only eight months on the market, the Prima is also proving to operators that it is an economical and tough-as-nails vehicle.

“Take up of the Prima has been excellent and we have seen repeat purchases. One customer ran a vehicle for over six months, 24-hours a day, for up to 5 000 hours in typical operation, which is the equivalent of 300 000 km in eight or nine months.

“The customers have confidence in the product and it has outperformed expectations. It’s a real value truck and the service that is expected is for us to back it up,” he says.

Madhu Singh, area manager – Southern Africa, Tata Motors elaborates. “At Tata we believe in ‘smart engineering’ – we don’t believe in over-engineering our products to the point that they become unaffordable to our customers and unviable in terms of cost per kilometre. That’s why the Prima is called the ‘World Smart Truck’.

“The biggest satisfaction for an OEM is customer loyalty. When a customer comes

back to repurchase your product, you know you have a winner at hand, and that is what the Prima is!”

Needless to say, both Luther and Singh were happy with the attention both the Prima and the recently facelifted Novus V3TXF received at the exhibition. “Operators have seen the products on the road, which makes them feel comfortable to enquire about them.

The financial options on the V3TXF and Prima also make them attractive to buy,” Luther says.

For example, on the 75-t gross combination mass Novus V3TXF – with its Cummins 385 kW (480 hp) engine and Eaton UltraShift transmission – Tata offers, in association with Wesbank, a four-year rental scheme. For the operator, this means he has the security of a fixed monthly rental amount for a vehicle that is off the balance sheet.

Some of Tata’s valued customers were in attendance, too. Pim Pieterse, owner at D&H Plant and Machinery, has been running two of the new Primas, a single-axle horse and a 1518 roll-back. “We’re happy with them.

There have been no problems, and we will buy more if we need to add to the fleet. The back-up and service from Tata is good, too,” he says.

Likewise, Tony Alexandra, dispatch fleet manager at South Ocean Holdings, comments that he has seven Tata’s in the South Ocean’s fleet and three in the sister company’s fleet.

“We took delivery of our first Tatas in January. We bought some four-tonne LPT813s, eight-tonne LPT1518s, a ten-tonne LPT1918, and a Prima horse. They deliver copper cables and electrical accessories, mostly running local routes with one or two to Polokwane and Nelspruit. They do so without the frills and get the job done! So far so good!” he says.

Says Singh: “Events like this are a good opportunity for the trucking industry to come together to showcase its products, collaborate with suppliers and network with customers. We need to win the hearts of customers! That is most important for us. If we can do that we have done our job!”

That is sure to make any operator feel

August 2015 |FOCUS| 37

FOCUS ON AIR

T

he IATA points out that aviation’s

“It is an economic necessity, and aviation’s

standards, proportional, well-targeted, fair,

role as a catalyst for economic

intangible benefits make it a force for good

and clear about what is expected.

growth is evident as goods to

in the world. So there is a tremendous

“These common-sense principles are

the value or some US$ 6 trillion

common interest with governments to

best achieved through a process of rigorous

(around R74 trillion) find their way to global

support safe, efficient and sustainable

consultation that includes a focus on keeping

markets via air transport. It’s no wonder that

global connectivity that only air transport

the compliance burden to a minimum.”

the Association has advocated for an even

can provide.” Tyler adds that, while there

More importantly, aviation can only deliver

deeper partnership with governments, based

has been tremendous progress over the

its significant social and economic benefits if

on global standards.

last few years, customers still see security

it has adequate, cost-efficient infrastructure

and border controls as points of pain in their

capacity to meet growing demand. “We seek

journeys.

to work in partnership with governments

“Aviation is built on partnerships and the relationship with governments is key,” explains Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general

“We must join forces to encourage

based on the global principles that they have

and CEO. “Airlines and governments are

governments to align on a risk-based

agreed through the International Civil Aviation

well aligned on safety, but in other areas of

approach, adopt global best practices,

Organisation (ICAO),” says Tyler.

governmental responsibility – infrastructure,

recognise equivalent measures by other

“Transparency and consultation will

security, regulation, and the environment

governments, stop wasteful and paper-based

ensure that what is built matches business

– there are opportunities for a deeper

processes, and make full use of available

needs, at a price that is affordable and

partnership.”

technology,” Tyler emphasises.

mutually beneficial.”

This call came in Tyler’s Report on the Air

This is exactly why the IATA advocates

Transport Industry to the 71st IATA Annual

for new regulations aligned with global

infrastructure

He adds that there are several critical

General Meeting and World Air Transport

standards. “Our message is that regulation

alignment is needed. These include: finding

Summit, which was held in Miami.

challenges

where

more

needs to be smarter,” notes Tyler. “To start,

a solution to expand airport capacity in the

“For nations, connectivity is much more

the benefits of any regulation must outweigh

southeast of the United Kingdom, keeping

than a competitive advantage,” he continues.

its costs. It should be consistent with global

costs at Hong Kong International Airport

Ready for

lift-off?

This year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), some 3,5-billion people and 55-million tonnes of cargo will travel safely by air over a global network of 51 000 routes. JACO DE KLERK discovers what is needed to develop this booming industry further

38 |FOCUS| August 2015

FOCUS ON AIR

competitive as it funds construction of a third

Africa, but aviation also faces considerable

infrastructure, that offers the right capacity

runway, improving efficiency in Chinese air-

challenges. For its potential to be realised,

at the right price, is essential for the

traffic management and addressing the high

correct policies must be developed. Smarter

growth of sustainable air services across

cost of fuel in Brazil and Africa.

regulation, and a focus on delivering the

Africa. “The ICAO has very clear guidelines

This is important as aviation is vital to

safety and connectivity commitments of the

on infrastructure funding – and Africa has

the African continent. “The great continent

African Union, will be crucial to establishing

an opportunity to be a leader in this field

of Africa covers more than 30-million

Africa as a global aviation powerhouse.”

by developing its infrastructure in close

kilometres,” Tyler points out. “It is home to

Tyler identifies key challenges that need to

consultation with the industry.”

more than a billion people. It is host to some

be addressed:

• Environment: “The industry is committed

of the most diverse and challenging terrain to

• Safety: “Safety must always be our first

to meeting its carbon emissions targets.

be found anywhere, and, between its growing

priority. Africa experienced zero jet hull

In particular, our goal of carbon-neutral

cities lie some of the most remote and

losses in 2014; an excellent result. The

growth from 2020 is of utmost priority.

inaccessible communities on earth. It is air

all-aircraft accident rate, however, remains

The negotiations, for a global market-based

transport that binds this incredible continent

considerably higher than the global average.

measure to tackle carbon emissions from

together.”

The Abuja Declaration commitments by

aircrafts, are entering a crucial phase ahead

He adds that aviation is the lifeblood

African governments must be followed up

of the 2016 ICAO Assembly. It is vital that

of Africa, supporting 6,9-million jobs and

with action to increase compliance with ICAO

African governments support a workable

US$ 80 billion (nearly R987 billion) in gross

standards.”

solution, in order for a measure to be in

domestic product.

IATA is moving forward with assistance

place in time for the industry’s 2020 goal of

“It sends African goods and its people

for airlines that are eligible for the IATA

out into the world, and brings in economic

Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). For airlines

Our continent’s aviation industry faces

investment, tourism, trade and aid. Without

ineligible for IOSA, a new IATA Standard Safety

similar challenges to those in the rest of the

aviation, Africa would be a more fractured

Assessment (ISSA) has been developed.

world, but it does hold great potential.

and constrained continent. With aviation,

• Smarter regulation: “African nations have

Tyler continues: “For too long, Africa’s

it can better realise its ideals of regional

an opportunity to enact smarter regulation

aviation potential has been overlooked, but

integration, peace and prosperity,” says Tyler.

to enable better aviation connectivity.

the reality is that Africa is an emerging

Implementation

Yamoussoukro

economic power in the world. Two decades

regulators and industry to take action to

Decision will open up air routes within the

ago, Africa’s market had the same potential

drive aviation connectivity and infrastructure

continent and provide opportunities for more

as China’s.

development in Africa for the economic and

than five million additional passengers a year.

“Since then, China has moved far ahead,

“Those African governments yet to ratify

but Africa still has that potential – and it must

The IATA urges governments, safety

social development of the continent.

of

the

carbon-neutral growth.”

“Africa is set to be one of the fastest-

the Montreal Convention 99 and Montreal

be developed correctly. Smarter regulation,

growing aviation regions over the next 20

Protocol 14 treaties on global standard

and a focus on delivering the safety and

years, with annual expansion averaging

airline liability and the treatment of unruly

connectivity commitments of the African

nearly five percent,” notes Tyler. “This opens

passengers, should do so without delay.”

Union, will be crucial to establishing Africa

up incredible economic opportunities for

• Infrastructure: The provision of appropriate

as a global aviation powerhouse.” |FOCUS

August 2015 |FOCUS| 39

GLOBAL FOCUS

R

egular readers will be well aware that Global Focus has made a habit of keeping a close watch on developments in the Australian truck market. That market is probably more similar, in both size and composition, to our own South African version than any other on Planet Earth.

It’s not identical, however, because Australia is further down the compulsory emissions road than we are (the current ADR 80/03 standard approximates to Euro 5), and Aussie operators still tend to favour American trucks at the top end of the mass spectrum, whereas local truckers have swung increasingly to European brands in recent years.

Australia has a number of truck specialist shows, of which those in Brisbane and Melbourne are the most significant, and provide us with a convenient window into new model arrivals and emerging trends that may influence future market direction “down under”.

New Actros hits Oz The 2015 Brisbane Truck Show, which was held from May 14 to 17, at that city’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, provided the venue for the first public appearance of the latest generation Mercedes-Benz Actros in Australia.

This state-of-the-art European product series, together with the Arocs construction line-up and the Antos distribution family, are due to enter the Australian market in mid-2016. This suggests that Daimler Trucks is more comfortable exposing its latest generation global engine technology to Australia’s Euro-5 equivalent fuel quality than

to South Africa’s predominantly Euro-2 level.

Despite its acknowledged leadership position in much of the global truck market, Mercedes-Benz has long been considered to be an under-performer in Australia. Every effort is now being made to improve this situation with the new range. These measures will start with an extensive period of operator evaluation and testing, to eliminate any potential problems prior to retail launch.

The Australian line-up will cater for a wide spectrum of applications from local distribution to road trains, with engine displacements of eight, 11, 13 and 16 litres, and outputs of up to 470 kW (630 hp).

Another interesting new product, on view from the Daimler Trucks family, was the Western Star 2800, with a driveline specification that includes the Cummins ISBE6 engine and Allison 3000-Series transmission.

Based on the Freightliner Business Class range, this mid-sized (16 to 22,5 t gross vehicle mass (GVM)) two- and three-axle bonneted distribution truck range, has been positioned poles apart from the premium haulers usually associated with the Western Star brand.

This reflects the unique distribution model employed by Western Star in Australasia, where the brand, together with MAN, is distributed by the Penske Commercial Vehicles organisation, and is not managed by Mercedes-Benz Asia/Pacific alongside other family brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso.

Navistar Developments In sharp contrast to its diminished position as a vehicle supplier in the South African trucking scene, Navistar International has been cranking up its involvement in Australia.

Last year, the group’s Australia Pacific operation dropped its increasingly redundant NC² title to become Navistar Auspac. It also recruited Tim Quinlan, who is well known in the South African trucking community, as its managing director.

It has also recently announced that the International truck brand will be returning to the Australian market, presumably alongside the CAT Trucks badge, which has been used to rebuild Navistar’s presence “down under” following its formal separation from the earlier joint venture with Iveco in 2010.

The Brisbane show was used as the launch venue for the new CT630HD model from CAT Trucks, which is specifically intended for double and triple road-train applications up to 131 t gross combination mass (GCM).

The impressive standard specification includes a 15,2-litre CAT C15 engine developing 410 kW (550 hp), 18-speed Eaton Fuller RTLO 20918B gearbox, 6,5-t Meritor MFS front axle, 22,7-t Meritor RT50-160GP tandem rear bogie, and Hendrickson Primaax EX road-friendly rear air suspension.

Other features include a reinforced chassis, raised normal

BUSY BRIZZY TRUCK SHOW

In his monthly review of global news for local truckers, FRANK BEETON takes a look at interesting exhibits at the Brisbane Truck Show, updates developments at Daimler’s Indian commercial vehicle operations and reveals a surprising turn in relations between General Motors and Isuzu 40 |FOCUS| August 2015

GLOBAL FOCUS control cab, high-flow twin-cylinder air compressor, and increased air-cleaner capacity with centrifugal pre-cleaner.

Other Interesting Exhibits Volvo Group exhibits at Brisbane were mainly centred on customer experience rather than new products, although group member UD Trucks did celebrate its 80th anniversary with two new Condor cruiserweight models; the PD 24 280 RAA and the MK Tipper.

The former model is a 23,5-t GVM, 6x2 freight carrier with 206 kW (280 hp) output, offering a choice of nine-speed Eaton manual or six-speed Allison automatic transmissions.

The 180 kW (240 hp) MK Tipper has a payload capacity of 5,5 t carried in a factory-fitted

tipper body, and is equipped with an Allison automatic transmission.

Hino is also celebrating an anniversary (this being its 50th year in the Australian market), with a new FE 1426 Auto model, while arch-rival Isuzu exhibited its FYJ 2000 8x4 chassis with agitator (mixer) superstructure.

Scania provided a pre-Australian launch viewing of its R730 V8 Euro-6 flagship model, while Paccar’s DAF brand exhibited a new 8x4 variant of its XF105 line-up.

DAIMLER’S GROWING INDIAN CONNECTION During 2010, Daimler AG sold the 5,34 percent shareholding, that it had held since 1954, in Indian manufacturer Tata Motors.

The German manufacturer, through its Mercedes-Benz truck brand, had been the

technology supplier for the initial range of indigenous commercial vehicles produced by Tata. It had refrained from direct competition with those vehicles in their own domestic market while the partnership held firm.

However, Tata subsequently moved to an increasingly independent course, which included the establishment of a diesel engine manufacturing partnership with Cummins, the acquisition of Daewoo’s South Korean medium- and heavy-truck manufacturing operations, and some engine sourcing from Iveco. This latter arrangement has more recently evolved into a business relationship with Fiat Powertrain Technologies.

After the equity-based relationship between Daimler and Tata was terminated, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles was established with the objective of moving aggressively into the local commercial vehicle market.

This process started in mid-2006 with the importation of heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz Actros tippers for sale to the Indian mining industry. It also invloved the setting up of an arrangement with Sutlej Motors Limited covering the provision of luxury coach bodies for fitment to rear-engined bus chassis.

Construction was then started on a new commercial vehicle manufacturing plant at Oragadam, near Chennai, and products from the Japanese-sourced Mitsubishi Fuso truck range were introduced to India at the beginning of 2010.

August 2015 |FOCUS| 41

»

GLOBAL FOCUS

BharatBenz Appears The indigenous medium and heavy-duty products of DICV’s Chennai plant were branded BharatBenz (“Bharat” is the Hindi language word for India) when production commenced in 2012, and were derived from a selection of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso base models.

In addition to re-establishing the Daimler family as a serious contender for Indian market sales, these commercial vehicles have also been exported to Bangladesh, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Interestingly, the “Benz” suffix seems to have particularly strong appeal in Asian markets, and a number of joint ventures and

GVM ratings of nine tonnes and above to an initial volume of 1 500 units per annum.

The front-engined bus models – mainly intended for school, staff and tourist applications – are being marketed under the BharatBenz name, while the rear-engined coach models, that are to be introduced as part of this expansion programme, will carry Mercedes-Benz branding.

It is notable that British bodybuilder Wrightbus also has a presence in the Chennai plant to mount lightweight aluminium bodies on the BharatBenz front-engined chassis range.

In January, initial shipments of nine-tonne GVM OF series front-engined bus chassis

construction applications. This unit will be powered by the in-line, six-cylinder MercedesBenz OM 457 engine developing 320 kW (430 hp).

It is claimed that it will be the most powerful truck available on the Indian market, which in the past has favoured lower-powered products. The availability of this power option will also be a positive factor in the expansion of DICV’s export efforts to regions such as the Middle East and Latin America.

Early moves have confirmed that Daimler Trucks fully intends to exploit the potential of BharatBenz products and its supporting infrastructure across a substantial global footprint, this being the fifth brand in the

were made from Chennai to the MCV plant in El Salam City, Cairo. MCV has been a business partner of Daimler for some time.

The complete buses, with Mercedes-Benz branding, are now being sold through the MCV sales network in Egypt.

group’s portfolio alongside Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Mitsubishi Fuso and Western Star.

The recent arrival of the DICV OF 917RF bus chassis on the South African market suggests that other products from this source may be under consideration for sale locally.

In an environment where parent Daimler continues to be frustrated by the lack of quality, clean diesel fuel in this country, there must be more than an even chance that

The new BharatBenz 3143, at 320 kW, is claimed to be India’s most powerful truck.

licensing agreements in that region involving Daimler group products have adopted that name as part of branding, in preference to “Daimler” or “Mercedes”.

During May, it was announced that more than 20 000 BharatBenz trucks were already operational in India and that an investment of €50 million (R680 million) was being made to build a specific bus production plant at the Chennai location.

This plant, which was opened in June, will expand the production capacity of buses with

42 |FOCUS| August 2015

A New, More Powerful Indian Truck Model The BharatBenz truck line-up is also being expanded to include a four-axle, 48-t GVM 3143 model, intended for mining and

»

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August 2015 |FOCUS| 43

GLOBAL FOCUS

Looks familiar? Chevrolet’s new 3500/4500/5500 range for North America shows clear evidence of its Isuzu origins.

some BharatBenz products may find their way into Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s product strategy.

GENERAL MOTORS AND ISUZU RE-ESTABLISH THEIR NORTH AMERICAN TRUCK COOPERATION Back in 2009, General Motors (GM) put an end to its long-running North American truck cooperation with Isuzu Motors Limited and closed down the associated marketing and manufacturing operations.

Up to that time, some 470 GM dealers had been active in the very successful sale of medium-duty trucks across the United States (US) and Canada. This decision seemed to end GM’s own-account involvement with any commercial vehicle business larger than pickups or light vans.

By March 2006, GM had disposed of its final shareholding in Isuzu Motors, ending an equity-holding relationship which first commenced in 1971.

Since its own initial entry to the US truck market in 1984, Isuzu had, up to that point, sold more than 400 000 of its products, through both its own 250-strong dealer network, and the aforementioned GM-franchised medium truck dealer outlets.

The joint venture truck range was offered with Isuzu, Chevrolet and GMC branding, and special petrol-powered variants were developed to suit the preferences of those North American operators who elected not to buy models fitted with the alternative Isuzu diesel engines.

Subsequently, Isuzu had to make a new set of arrangements to safeguard its strong position as a supplier to this important market, including the continued production of

petrol-engined N Series trucks, to retain the custom of many US operators still wedded to a type of power unit.

The six-litre, 242 kW (325 hp) V8 engines and Hydra-Matic six-speed transmissions needed for these models continued to be sourced from GM. With the option of using GM assembly plants to build these special petrol-engined units no longer available, however, production was relocated, from September 2011, to Spartan Motors, Inc, in Charlotte, Michigan – a well-known specialist manufacturer of emergency, recreational, defence and delivery vehicles.

With the foregoing as background, we were somewhat surprised to read the joint announcements made in mid-June that the Isuzu/GM medium-duty collaboration was being revived.

However, an earlier announcement, in September 2014, that GM and Isuzu Motors had agreed to jointly develop a new “midsize” pickup for major worldwide markets (excluding North America) had already refocused interest on a relationship that once appeared to be fading, but has never fully gone away.

The most recent manifestations of this joint working were the Chevrolet Colorado and Isuzu D-Max/KB mid-sized pickups, which, despite some differentiating sheetmetal and power options, remained as closely related products.

New Chevy Trucks have Isuzu Roots This latest agreement covers vehicles based on Isuzu’s N-Series “low cab

forward’ light trucks, which are now set to reappear in Chevrolet-branded guise as the 3500/4500/5500 range.

The six-litre petrol engine/six-speed automatic transmission option is to return, alongside alternative three-litre and 5,2-litre Isuzu-sourced turbodiesels.

The petrol-powered Chevrolet models will be assembled together with their Isuzubadged siblings at the Spartan operation in Charlotte.

Clearly, the return of the Chevrolet dealer body to the trucking arena will be a very desirable by-product of this relationship as far as Isuzu is concerned, and must, inevitably, restore another layer of sales volume to N-Series performance in North America.

Inevitably, this further strengthening of GM/Isuzu cooperation will re-open speculation over some renewal of the former equity-based relationship. There have been several rumours suggesting that GM was, once again, looking favourably at purchasing Isuzu equity. This may have been prompted by the recent weakening of the foreign exchange value of Japan’s yen, which has served to make that country’s exports more attractive.

The spectre of Toyota’s relatively minor 5,9-percent shareholding in Isuzu may still be the main stumbling block to the successful conclusion of reported negotiations between GM and Isuzu management, however, and it remains to be seen if this situation is altered in any way in the months and years ahead. |FOCUS

Global FOCUS is a monthly update of international news relating to the commercial vehicle industry. It is compiled exclusively for FOCUS by Frank Beeton of Econometrix. Do you have a comment or thought you would like to share based on this column?

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44 |FOCUS| August 2015

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GEA Refrigeration Technologies August 2015 |FOCUS| 45

SHORT

HAULS Bauma Conexpo Africa about to rumble in

Cummins SA now under one roof

The Bauma Conexpo Africa trade fair for the mining and

With

an

eye

improved

delivery

shorter lead times, lower end-to-

construction industries will take place for the second time

and

end logistics costs, and value-added

on African soil, between September 15 and 18, at the

customer satisfaction in southern

logistics solutions. The RDC has

Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec.

Africa, Cummins has opened a

also facilitated the consolidation of

Marius Smit, Bauma Conexpo Africa’s sales and

20 000 m2 state-of-the-art Regional

various distribution points under a

marketing manager, describes Bauma Conexpo Africa as

Distribution Centre (RDC), filtration

single roof,” Mackell adds.

“the must-attend trade fair for the mining and construction

and coolant manufacturing plant

industry on the African continent”.

in Waterfall Commercial Park,

the

Johannesburg.

Pietermaritzburg

“It’s an opportunity to meet the major key industry players

service

to

customer

Twenty-three employees from Cummins

Kelvinview

and

warehouse

and connect with customers from across the continent and

The new, purpose-built facility is

facilities, as well as 24 employees

to expand your business potential – at one location over four

part of the company’s global strategy

from the Pietermaritzburg filtration

days,” he says.

to move its resources closer to

plant, have been relocated to

customers.

continue their work at the new RDC.

“In 2013, we had over 700 exhibitors take up over 60 000 m of exhibition space,” explains Smit. “Due to the 2

high demand for 2015, we decided to move to a larger venue – the Johannesburg Expo Centre. This time around we have ten country pavilions as opposed to the nine in 2013. We are also expecting over 20 000 visitors.”

This year, visitors can see exhibitors showcasing all their latest developments and technologies at the demonstration area. In addition, IFAT Environmental Technology Africa will run alongside Bauma Conexpo Africa. This trade fair, which is an extension of the Munich Bauma trade fair portfolio, will focus on environmental solutions for the mining and construction industry.

“We will also introduce the Bauma Conexpo Africa Forum, which will feature ‘Country Specials’ focusing on investments and projects in South, East and West Africa. This Forum will be open to all visitors to the trade fair. Bauma Conexpo Africa will also play host to the 110th Master Builders South Africa Annual Congress,” Smit concludes.

Cummins supply chain director

Staff

members by

also

The Bauma Conexpo Africa trade fair is the third

been

international off-shoot of the Bauma trade fair which takes

the need for the RDC was realised

comprehensive training on best-

place in Munich, Germany. Bauma China has been a regular

as a result of a strategy network

of-breed warehouse management,

feature since 2002, with Bauma Conexp India first hosted in

study conducted by Cummins Africa.

materials

2011. The first South African edition was held in 2013.

“The study revealed that, in order

management applications.

46 |FOCUS| August 2015

upskilled

have

for Africa, Ged Mackell, says that

planning

undergoing

and

order

to support our forecasted growth

“In the past, our distributors

on the African continent, Cummins

ordered directly from the parent

would have to invest in supply chain

distribution

capacity and capability that will be

Belgium, Singapore and the United

resilient, competitive and create

States. This resulted in long lead

preference for Cummins by our

times and premium freight costs.

current and future customers,” he

This RDC will service 12 southern

explains.

African countries and enhance our

centres

located

in

“The RDC will vastly improve

brand promise of ‘We are Cummins,

service offerings across the region

you can depend on us’,” Mackell

through enhanced stock availability,

concludes.

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August 2015 |FOCUS| 47

SHORT HAULS

Commercial vehicle sales report for JUNE 2015 Note: For the time being, Great Wall Motors SA (GWM) and Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) will only report aggregated sales data. The GWMSA and MBSA commercial vehicle market split volumes are estimates based on historical trends and forecasting techniques. The totals listed below do not include MBSA figures.

Light Commercial Vehicles < 3 501 kg AMH Fiat Group Ford Motor Company GMSA GWM Jaguar Land Rover JMC Mahindra Mazda South Africa Mercedes-Benz SA – estimate Mitsubishi Motors SA Nissan Peugeot Citroën SA Renault Suzuki TATA Toyota Volkswagen SA

Total: 14 756 549 23 3 139 2 881 145 30 60 188 134 18 49 2 859 14 4 3 97 4 064 499

Medium Commercial Vehicles 3 501 – 8 500 kg AMH Fiat Group Ford Motor Company GMSA Iveco JMC Mercedes-Benz SA – estimate Peugeot Citroën SA TATA Toyota Volvo Group Southern Africa

Total: 804 25 7 21 225 44 16 191 9 40 223 3

Heavy Commercial Vehicles 8 501 – 16 500 kg FAW GMSA Iveco MAN Mercedes-Benz SA – estimate TATA Toyota Volvo Group Southern Africa

Total: 403 37 155 3 4 56 39 72 92

Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicles > 16 500 kg Babcock DAF FAW GMSA Iveco MAN Mercedes-Benz SA – estimate Powerstar Scania TATA Toyota Volvo Group Southern Africa

Total: 759 6 35 55 19 140 363 33 122 25 26 298

Buses > 8 500 kg GMSA MAN Mercedes-Benz SA – estimate Scania TATA VDL Bus & Coach SA Volvo Group Southern Africa

Total: 56 1 27 19 9 9 1 9

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

48 |FOCUS| August 2015

Yellow DAFs for Yellow Jersey East Rand-based container transport company, Yellow Jersey Logistics, is expanding its fleet with ten DAF XF105.460 FTT trucks. The vehicles are being supplied as part of a total solution that includes repair and maintenance contracts.

As the trucks will be used primarily on the Gauteng to Durban route, Freek van Tonder, owner and MD of Yellow Jersey Logistics, had specific criteria for his truck purchase.

“Financing is important and this was addressed through Babcock Financial Services, a dedicated finance company for the purchase of DAF trucks,” he says.

“We also needed to be confident that Babcock would be able to provide full support of these trucks through maintenance agreements, along with a high standard of technical ability and spares availability. Its dealer network certainly met our requirements.

“In addition, since we renew our fleet every 36 months, Babcock offered a trade back after this period, ensuring that our replacement cycle remains intact.

“Driver comfort is another big factor for us and this requirement is well provided for in the DAF XF105.460 trucks. The figures we’ve received on fuel consumption were also very favourable.

“Another plus factor was that while Babcock and DAF are major international concerns, we are enjoying personalised, rapid-response service through one local point of contact. We look forward to receiving all ten vehicles into our fleet in the coming months and to building a strong partnership going forward,” concludes Van Tonder.

???????

SHORT ???????

HAULS

Siemens snaps up Eqstra Siemens

recently

awarded

the

fleet

management contract for its 150 vehicles to Eqstra Fleet Management (EFM). Eqstra was chosen as a partner that could meet the company’s need for a total fleet management solution and provide support through the provision of a dedicated on-site fleet consultant, as well as assist with the management of the extended fleet in Africa.

“Through the tender process we established that EFM is the only fleet management company in the market able to offer all fleetrelated services in-house and on one operating platform,” explains Stephan Mueller, CFO of Siemens.

Another month, another new Volvo dealer Volvo Group Southern Africa has opened a new key Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks dealership in Bloemfontein at an investment of R45 million. It is strategically located next to the N8 route (that connects Upington, Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Maseru in Lesotho). It is also close to other major transport corridors including the N1 between Cape Town, Gauteng and Limpopo.

The dealership will also act as a regional hub of support for the Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks branches in Kimberley and Beaufort West.

“This has been the first new dealership that has been built in South Africa according to the Volvo Group’s new multi-brand image,” says Christian Coolsaet, MD of Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks in South Africa.

Services provided by Eqstra include: full-

“We have taken a long-term view in terms of the expansion of our business and investment in the Bloemfontein dealership.

In the process we are strengthening our commitment to the region and our customers.”

Services offered at the energy-efficient dealership include truck sales, service, maintenance, finance and parts support.

In addition, it offers brake roller testing, 24-hour roadside assistance and parts availability, lifting equipment, auto-electrical repairs as well as convenient restrooms for drivers.

“Some of our key fleet owners operate in the region and we are proud to offer them around-the-clock support in order to keep their fleets well maintained and operational,” concludes Coolsaet.

maintenance rentals for all Siemens companyowned vehicles; accident management; driver assessment and driver training tools; 24-hour roadside assistance; a tracking unit with logbook capabilities and recovery; fuel card and fuel management; as well as replacement vehicles.

“This integrated solution allows EFM to deliver direct and measurable benefits to our clients,” says Murray Price, MD of Eqstra Fleet Management. “Through this consolidation, Siemens will achieve improved reporting for decision-making and a significantly reduced supplier management overhead. We look forward to building a solid and sustainable relationship with Siemens.”

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August 2015 |FOCUS| 49

Public transport

Building an environment for public

transport

The recent Southern African Transport Conference featured an array of sessions about urban public transport development in South Africa. GAVIN MYERS attended to find out if our cities are on the road to public transport greatness

I

t’s widely accepted that the roads in and around South Africa’s major cities are reaching their capacity. Our major economic centres are experiencing levels of congestion that desperately need to be alleviated. One way this could be achieved is with optimal provision of public transport, which, in certain instances, is being implemented.

As just one example, in recent times the Gauteng region has benefited from increased road capacity, the introduction of the Gautrain and – like 15 other major cities around the country – the phased implementation of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems as part of an integrated rapid public transit network (IRPTN).

An important aspect of these systems is the spin-off benefits for the areas in which they operate – including infrastructural advances and property development. In other words they are breathing new life into the areas concerned.

50 |FOCUS| August 2015

Speaking about the potential of public transport systems to facilitate development, Stef Naude, director at HHO Africa Infrastructure Engineers, says that public transport is a critical component in urban restructuring, the network effects of which will influence accessibility to urban areas.

“Fixed transport infrastructure, like BRT, holds potential impacts for land values.

Different cities around the world have shown mixed results from BRT, depending on the environment. In Cape Town, for example, MyCiti has been successful in capturing choice users (those who leave vehicles at home and choose to use the system). There has been a general increase in property values in Table View, but not along the trunk route.”

According to Naude, rapid and light rail tends to attract more development, due to its permanence. This is something now being seen in certain areas around the Gautrain system. “The Gautrain has increased densities and introduced mixed use. The land-use

applications surrounding the Gautrain now exceed its capital costs,” he notes.

Naude suggests a public/private development agency be established to maximise the land value opportunities that have been missed in South Africa so far.

“The competing outcomes are to: facilitate spatial restructuring, optimise economic growth, recover costs, generate income and create equitable accessibility. Some South African cities might be ‘golden geese’, while others might need to incentivise their stakeholders. The question is how to identify critical locations,” explains Naude.

In his presentation about transportoriented development (TOD) in a South African context, Geoffrey Bickford, researcher at the South African Cities Network, suggests that developments tend to be peripherally designed. “TOD is a concept from North America to combat the predominance of the car. When we develop around public transport hubs, we must think about a

»

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

August 2015 |FOCUS| 51

Public transport

range of solutions to shift lifestyles and the orientation of how and why people travel.

“There are certain principles that are difficult to package in development: efficient and accessible transport systems, reduced rates of car parking, comfortable walking distance to high-density development and increasing income equality,” he says.

“There is a significant opportunity to bring stakeholders together to have a clear framework of what can be achieved and how to advance a true TOD agenda,” he concludes.

One could look to the node of Sandton for enlightenment. ARUP’s Madeleine Engelbrecht

during peak periods and, at a growth rate of three percent, the travel demand will double in 15 to 20 years. While the Gautrain has had a profound impact, it is limited to those in its catchment areas.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to add to or amend road plans and structured solutions to keep the node accessible. There are many interventions to consider, but we should focus on the less conventional,” she suggests.

“These include intense and optimum use of infrastructure, reallocation of street space, the right land use mix to support

Roger Behrens, from the University of Cape Town, suggests that a travel behaviour change framework is needed, such as the project commissioned by the City of Cape Town.

“Measures to change behaviour can be voluntary or regulatory. They could include financial incentives and penalties. Charging is shown to cause the biggest change, but is the most difficult to implement (look no further than e-tolling for an example),” he explains.

“Our use of travel mode is habitual. When users experience some sort of shock; for example, changing jobs or a car crash, they

Fixed infrastructure such as the Gautrain and BRT systems hold potential impacts for land values. Encouraging commuters to use them is the trick.

suggests that an integrated public transport planning approach could balance demands for road space in Sandton. Although the area has seen some major development by listed corporations in recent times – specifically near to the Gautrain Station – the node is trapped within a residential area.

Engelbrecht points out that Sandton is served by six major corridors with 13 traffic lanes. The travel demand in the area is a big challenge – 100 000 people enter Sandton

52 |FOCUS| August 2015

public transport and alternatives to the car.

We should look at an integrated transport network; densification along visible corridors; strong, safe linkages for pedestrians and cyclists and the reallocation of street space for non-motorised transport.

“There are similar challenges in other nodes around South Africa. We cannot plan traditionally in this instance,” she reiterates.

This is all well and good, but will commuters be convinced to give up their private transport?

are more likely to change their habitual behaviour. It is at this point that we should try to shift their behaviour in a desired direction.”

However, Behrens notes that for a shift in transport behaviour to take place, public transport services must be accessible and the user must feel safe with their new choice, before they will commit to it. Impressive infrastructural developments and ease of access will certainly go some way to enabling that. |FOCUS

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MEDIA GLOBAL August 2015 |FOCUS| 53

global bus

Daimler expands in South America

FRANK BEETON reports on significant investments made by Daimler in Latin America

M

ercedes-Benz commenced

and will replace the previous Bogotá-based

The opening of the Funza plant will bring

the

of

bus assembly plant first opened in 2012. It is

the total of Daimler commercial vehicle

chassis suitable for bus

intended to also provide export products for

manufacturing sites in Latin America to five,

applications in the South

adjoining markets including Venezuela, Peru,

with the others being located at São Bernado

Ecuador and Central America.

do Campo, Campinas and Juiz de Fora (all in

production

American countries of Argentina and Brazil during the 1950s – starting out in both cases

In Colombia, 2 300 Daimler buses

with truck-type chassis that were fitted with

are currently running with the SITP and

bus superstructures by local bodybuilders.

TransMilenio

bus

rapid

transit

Brazil), and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Daimler

estimates

that

the

Latin

(BRT)

American bus market will grow from its

Although some fully integral bus and

operations in Bogotá, making up more than

2014 level of some 36 200 units to stabilise

coach types were subsequently produced

30 percent of the total fleets of those two

at more than 40 000 units per annum. In

in both countries, South America has increasingly settled on a tradition of using separate chassis and body manufacturers.

This has encouraged the growth of giant bodybuilding concerns such as Marcopolo and Busscar on the continent.

The Mercedes-Benz bus range currently offered to South American customers, as

The emergence of South America as a bastion of global front-engined bus manufacture is sure to keep this practice alive, well into the foreseeable future.

well as selected export markets including South Africa, is made up of the LO series of

operators. CKD componentry to feed the new

2014, Daimler’s share of that market, with

front-engined midibuses, OF and OH series

Colombian plant is to be sourced from the

17 600 units sold, was 48,6 percent.

ladderframe chassis with front and rear-

São Bernado do Campo plant in Brazil.

The South African bus market has been

mounted engines respectively. It also includes

Daimler has also recently reported

drawing chassis and complete buses from

the O500 family of “modular” or “buggy”

the sale of 40 articulated Mercedes-Benz

chassis sub-frames that can be integrated

O500MA electric trolleybuses, fitted with

In addition to the front-engined, ladder-

into fully built buses or coaches by the

Colombian-built Busscar bodies, to Quito

frame bus chassis, which are still the

specialist bodybuilders.

South American sources for some time.

Passenger Transport in Ecuador. These

favoured choice of many local operators,

Buses

specially converted vehicles will run on

fully built buses and coaches have also been

recently announced a significant expansion

a 48-km BRT network, with a total daily

shipped across the South Atlantic to South

to its Latin American bus operations, with

throughput of some 430 000 passengers.

African operators when local bodybuilders

Parent

company

Daimler

the opening of a new US$ 2 million

It has been operating since 1995 and

(R24,7 million) manufacturing plant for its

was one of the first such systems in the

wholly owned subsidiary Daimler Colombia

world. Quito is located some 2 800 m

SA, in Funza, near Bogotá.

above sea level and has severe topography,

as a bastion of global front-engined bus

making it a particularly demanding operating

manufacture is sure to keep this practice alive,

environment for public transport.

well into the foreseeable future. |FOCUS

This 11 000 m² facility has a planned production capacity of 4 000 units per annum,

54 |FOCUS| August 2015

have been unable to meet the requirements of particular orders.

The

emergence

of

South

America

hopping off

WHAT HAPPENED TO

APPENDIX F? Last month we pointed to the mysterious disappearance of Appendix F from the website of the Gauteng 25-year transport plan. It was criticised in the March issue of this column, so I’d like to think that there is some connection!

M

aybe we will still be given

public meetings – this time addressed by the

This column has consistently called for

an official reason. In the

Gauteng Premier, David Makhura. Even the

existing assets to be reorganised first – and

meanwhile, its contents

national Minister of Transport, Dupio Peters,

only then to go for new construction.

now

popped up on television.

have

renewed

The most significant part of Appendix F is

relevance, given the events following the

What does Appendix F have to do with

the list of 164 bus routes that are envisaged

messy takeover of Putco by Autopax in

this? Let’s start at page 23: “The turnaround

to cover Gauteng. They are coded red, blue

Mamelodi during the first week of July.

strategy will have to start with government”.

The run-up to this latest crisis started a

Indeed it will, but we seem to be dealing with a

week earlier, on June 25, when Gautrans

government which (at all three levels) seems

announced an increase in the Gautrain

unable, and/or unwilling, to read its own

subsidy from R1 billion to R1,5 billion. (I

policy documents.

hoped – in vain – that “1,5” was a misprint).

Giving more money to the Gautrain, while

On the very same day, Putco – under

other modes are strangled, is probably

contract to Gautrans – announced that it

unconstitutional. (Stop press … accounting

would withdraw services on loss-making

firm KPMG has now been roped in to support

routes in Gauteng. The company had asked

the Gautrain – watch this space.)

for a nine-percent increase in subsidy, while

Two things amaze me: first, how

the province offered only three to five percent.

commuters and voters put up with the

It doesn’t make sense to have a full-blown BRT route, carrying 15 000 people a day, requiring every passenger to change to another route after having travelled only 2,7 km.

So a 50-percent (R500 million) increase

distortions in fares and service levels

in the subsidy to the Shilowa Express seems

throughout the country, and second, the

to be in order, but when it comes to the bus

failure of opposition parties to exploit the

subsidy, there are “financial constraints”. The

wretched conditions in which commuters

and green, each representing a descending

minibus-taxi industry then jumped onto the

have to travel.

level of service. Red routes are BRT routes

merry-go-round, saying: “What about us – we

Actually, even though the DA-run Western

– all 738 km of them, so stand by for some

get nothing.” The taxi spokesman said that

Cape is getting it right with Go!George, it’s

road works coming to a suburb near you.

the situation was “sickening”. This is too true.

getting it wrong with Atlantis and Dunoon in

They will operate at one-minute intervals during the peak time.

their

Cape Town, where a bus rapid transit (BRT)

predictable course – a shoot-out, injuries,

Sadly,

events

then

followed

scheme has been pushed through right next

smashed bus windows, police escorts and

to a virtually unused railway line.

Blue routes will operate every two minutes and will use dedicated curb-side lanes. Green

August 2015 |FOCUS| 55

»

hopping off

routes will run every three minutes and will

which the longest is “Green 78” at 63 km,

reducing, if not completely avoiding, the

run in normal traffic. All routes will have

followed by “Red 1” at 61 km. We need

need for transfers.

minimum 20-minute services at off-peak

at least four routes between Soweto and

If we want to avoid future scenarios such

times and will run for 18-hours a day.

Pretoria alone, and 63 km won’t get us there.

as the one in Mamelodi, we can start right

If Appendix F gets the flagship routes wrong,

now with a vastly watered-down version of

how much hope is there for the others?

Appendix F. Gautrans already has 3 000

So far, so good … now for the problems.

None of the routes have been described in terms of where they actually go, so we are

Then we come to shorter routes, such

buses under contract – it can start to

left to guess how they link with each other,

as “Red 6” at 2,7 km. That one has me

reschedule and redeploy them on more

at which shopping centres they call, at which

scratching my head! It doesn’t make sense

sensible routes, thereby using existing

stations they will connect with trains, and so

to have a full-blown BRT route, carrying

resources to maximum effect.

on. They require 8 059 buses, costing R24

15 000 people a day, requiring every

billion, plus “street furniture” for an extra

passenger to change to another route

government – central, provincial and

R18 billion.

after having travelled only 2,7 km. Rather

municipal – is failing us. Constitutional Court,

combine it with another BRT route, thereby

anyone? |FOCUS

I don’t think much of these routes, of

Sadly,

that

isn’t

happening.

The

Vaughan Mostert developed a love for public transport early in life, which led to a lifelong academic interest in the subject.

He recently retired as a senior lecturer from the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Johannesburg. Through Hopping Off, Mostert leaves readers with some parting food for thought as he continues his push for change in the local public transport industry.

BUS

STOPS Daimler sets the safety standard Daimler AG has forged ahead with the

controllable in difficult situations. This system

development of safety and assistance systems

operates in a similar manner to an electronic

for deployment in its trucks, buses and vans.

stability program (ESP) and is exclusive to

The ambitious goal is to avoid dangerous situations and thus to realise the vision of accident-free driving.

Mercedes-Benz buses.

• The Mirror Cam, which uses exterior cameras and monitors in the cab to improve visibility for

“We have a vision of accident-free driving.

the driver and reduce the risk of accidents.

We are, therefore, continuously developing new

The lower wind resistance, compared with

automatically carries out a full application

safety systems and launching them on the

conventional exterior mirrors, also lowers fuel

of the brakes.

market,” says Wolfgang Bernhard, member of

consumption.

• Attention Assist (AtAs) is able to register

• Active Braking Assist is now in its third

drowsiness at the moment of its onset,

generation and is able to bring a truck or

and warns the driver to take a break. The

While the buses and coaches of the

coach to a standstill if necessary. Further

centrepiece is a sensor that recognises

Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands employ

development will see the emergency braking

steering movements and their speed very

many of the safety systems that are used in

assistance system being able to detect

precisely. This enables the system to detect

the brand’s trucks, there are also features

pedestrians and cyclists.

early signs of drowsiness and warn the driver

the Daimler board of management for Trucks and Buses.

designed specifically for them.

• Advanced Emergency Braking System

with audible and visual signals.

(AEBS) employs a radar system to detect These include:

vehicles in front as well as stationary

“We have set new benchmarks time and again

• A new ATC anti-jackknifing system, which

vehicles. If a collision is unavoidable,

in the field of active safety. We are the industry’s

Daimler engineers have developed to ensure

the driver is warned and the vehicle

pioneer and pacemaker and we have plenty of

that extra-long articulated buses – such as

automatically initiates partial braking.

ideas on how to make goods transport by road

the Mercedes-Benz CapaCity L – remain

If the driver fails to react, the vehicle

even safer,” concludes Bernhard.

56 |FOCUS| August 2015

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hopping off

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