COMPANY PROFILE
2014
Volvo
Committed to Southern Africa
company profile
Committed to Southern Africa
Editorial: Lauren Grey Production: Chris Bolderstone In October 2013, Volvo Trucks SA released 15 new truck models into the Southern African market, reaffirming the company’s commitment to the region and marking “one of the most intensive and exciting periods in the history of Volvo Trucks.”
Internationally renowned for its heavy commercial vehicles and diesel engines, Volvo Group has evolved alongside the modernisation of man since it was founded in 1927. With operations in more than 185 markets, the company prides itself on understanding the individual transport needs of different regions, allowing it to offer tailored solutions for diverse operating environments around the world. Vovlo’s commitment and understanding of these different operating environments was demonstrated last year after its South African trucks division announced plans to enhance its service delivery and product offering.
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VOLVO TRUCKS SA With its impressive portfolio, and operations in the region dating back more than 13 years, Volvo Trucks SA is considered one of South Africa’s leading truck manufacturers; the company currently has 15 dealers in the country and employs approximately 500 people. Managing Director, Torbjörn Christensson says that understanding Southern Africa’s transport needs is very important to the company as it holds “untold potential” as a developing region. “We believe that the region holds untold potential and we are therefore committed to contribute to its successful development by providing products and services that suit southern Africa’s very unique business and operating
VOLVO TRUCKS SA
conditions,” Christensson says. “We are making these investments in order to more effectively support our dealers and customers going into the future.” However, in order to strengthen the company’s future success in Southern Africa, Volvo Trucks’ president, Claes Nilsson says that it is becoming increasingly important to keep careful pace as it develops as a region. “Going into the future, it is becoming more and more important to explore and understand a region’s local operating environment, and to adapt our business in order to meet our customers’ transport requirements. “Operating in South Africa for over 13 years, we believe we are able to meet these unique requirements and offer
our local customers total transport solutions and support.” Nilsson says that as transport operators expand their operations throughout the region, Volvo Trucks SA has to be there to capture this market demand and support customers every step of the way.
NEW MODELS In support of Nilsson’s statement, Volvo Trucks SA recently launched 15 new truck models, strengthening its position in the South African market and reaffirming the company’s dedication to the region. The company launched its award-winning range, the FH, as well as the new FM and FMX ranges in October, continues on page 44...
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VOLVO TRUCKS SA
“The Volvo FH forms the backbone of our product offering and we believe it is also the foundation of Volvo Trucks’ continued market development”
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company profile continued from page 41... marking a “new era” in the history of the company, according to Christensson. “With the launch, we now have an almost entirely new product offering for our customers,” he says. The launch of the new ranges will allow Volvo Trucks SA to expand its footprint across the region and effectively capture the market demand for such vehicles. “The launch of the FH and FM/ FMX model ranges signals of one of the most intensive and exciting periods in the history of Volvo Trucks. “With the most modern and innovative Volvo line-up ever, we now have an outstanding ability to help customers in all segments to improve productivity and profitability,” says Nilsson. Each of the new trucks offer a wide range of benefits for the drivers; all cab environments have been renewed or upgraded with the focus on creating an effective, ergonomic, comfortable and safe workplace. Volvo Trucks SA has already spent many months training its dealer staff in order to effectively support their customers. Innovative support offerings include a new telematics system, a mobile phone application and numerous fuel saving features to effectively assist fleet owners in cutting their transport costs.
FH RANGE The Volvo FH has been Volvo Trucks’ flagship model for almost 20 years, and its new range has been purposefully designed with the driver in mind, providing them with a
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comfortable, profitable and safe ride. “The Volvo FH forms the backbone of our product offering and we believe it is also the foundation of Volvo Trucks’ continued market development,” explains Christensson. “The new Volvo FH range represents the start of a fresh chapter in Volvo Trucks’ history and is therefore an immensely important product platform in which we have invested heavily during the five years of its development.” The launch of the FH range in South Africa followed shortly after it was named International Truck of the Year 2014, chosen by a collection of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle journalists, representing 25 publications. The FH range claims to “push the envelope of what a premium truck could offer”, including maximum uptime, leading fuel economy, reliability, ergonomics, superior handling, active and passive safety, as well as a range of time-saving features. Nilsson says that being awarded International Truck of the Year confirms this, “When we introduced the new FH in Europe in 2012, we claimed that it was pushing the envelope of what a premium truck could offer. The International Truck of the Year award confirms that the Volvo FH lives up to this promise.” With the driver at the heart of the new truck’s development, it was important for Volvo to get feedback from transport operators and drivers during the development phases -3000 to be exact- to ensure the vehicle was meeting their requirements.
Engineering your road to success
VOLVO TRUCKS SA
SAF-Holland is one of the leading global brand names in the manufacture and supply of high-quality systems and components for commercial vehicles as well as buses and recreational vehicles. The company has a strong presence in South Africa and use their know-how, innovative products and perfect systems solutions to meet the requirements of big-name clients across the country. Sales Manager, Steve Russell tells IndustrySA more that the company has a long-standing relationship with Volvo, something which SAF-Holland would be keen to grow. “We’ve been supplying them for around four years. We supply fifth wheels, sliders and couplings.” “Prior to SAF-Holland being in the country, there were a couple of distributors in South Africa and our product is EU approved and used by Volvo in Europe so they were buying the product through a distributor. When we came into the country, Volvo wanted to deal directly with us being an OEM supplier.” SAF-Holland have adapted their processes in order to take maximum control of their products, ensuring quality from initial manufacture right through to delivery. “Our headoffice is in Johannesburg and we were using a third party to store and deliver the fifth wheels in Durban as the Volvo plant is there,” says Russell. “We found that the products were getting damaged in storage and this prompted us to open our outlet in Durban which has been running for around 18 months. This means we have our own people storing and handling the goods and we have control over the product.” In 2014, the company has a number of exciting new products coming into the market which they would like to supply to Volvo. “We have a total no-lube fifth wheel that we have recently bought into South Africa which a couple of our clients are testing. In the New Year we will look to approach Volvo with this. This is a green product, a totally greaseless fifth wheel,” says Russell. Of course, Volvo only use premier parts when manufacturing their trucks and Russell says that SAF-Holland goods are widely recognised as top of the range. “We definitely have one of the best products in the market. The sales numbers worldwide speak for themselves” “We go the extra mile for Volvo, they are an important client to us and we try to look after them as best we can.”
Quality Components & Systems for Truck & Trailer
SAF-HOLLAND South Africa Crn. Crownwood & Modulus Road Ormonde Tel: +27 11 496 3196 · Fax: +27 11 496 3696 · Jo@safhollandsa.co.za
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company profile
“It has been proven time and time again that a driver’s working environment has a direct impact on a transport operator’s costs. When a driver can do his or her job comfortably, efficiently and safely, the work gets done faster and more effectively,” explains Christensson. “This cooperation has prompted a number of significant changes inside the cab that enhance a driver’s time both on and off the clock.” Such enhancements include an improved driver’s seat, allowing the driver a better view of the road, as well as a rearrangement of stalks and controls in order of importance, with the more important ones closer to the driver. The exterior of the truck also holds a range of new efficiencyenhancing features. One example is the optional wireless remote, which aids loading and unloading. With this remote control, the driver can stand outside the truck and adjust the air suspension, operate the tail lift and monitor the axle load of both the truck and trailer. “This system saves the driver a lot of time because he or she doesn’t have to keep jumping in and out of the cab during loading. Not having to repeatedly climb in and out of the cab also benefits safety,” says Christensson. The improvements and enhancements made to the new trucks will also benefit the fleet owners, according to Christensson. “Trucks that are popular with drivers also make it easier to recruit the best drivers in the industry. In turn, because of their effectiveness, they contribute to transport operators’ profitability,” he says. “Volvo FH owners also form part of an entire ecosystem of support which includes servicing, workshops, intelligent services, driver training and much more. When you invest in a Volvo FH, you’re investing in a complete modern transport solution.”
VOLVO FM/FMX Alongside Volvo’s FH range, the FM and FMX models have also been released for the South African market; although the two are closely related to the FH series, they are designed to be Volvo’s
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most versatile heavy truck range, Christensson explains. “Firstly, the FM is a highly efficient truck platform that takes especially steering and handling in this industry segment to a whole new level. Meanwhile, the Volvo FMX is extremely robust and packed with innovative solutions, and is comfortable to drive even in challenging operating conditions.” While the FM and FMX range is in essence identical to the FH, there is one vital exception: the cab is placed lower down, making it easier to get in and out and making it ideally suited for specialised tasks such as car transport, where part of the load can be placed above the cab. The lower-placed cab means that interior space in the FM/ FMX Series is less than in the FH, owing to the larger engine compartment cover between the driver and passenger seats.
VOLVO FM SERIES Thanks to its impressive flexibility and transport efficiency, the new Volvo FM is the all-rounder of the Volvo Trucks range, and one of the company’s most important models. “With its multiple application areas, the Volvo FM is one of our most important models, and the new version takes a huge
“Operating in South Africa for over 13 years, we believe we are able to meet these unique requirements and offer our local customers total transport solutions and support” step forward in every major area,” says Christensson. “It embodies our very latest technological advances, progress on and off road is more stable, and the truck is more comfortable and efficient. Most importantly, the new Volvo FM is easy to customise to suit individual transport requirements.”
VOLVO TRUCKS SA While the Volvo FM is productive and economical for the customer, it also offers the driver a completely new working environment; the in-cab environment is designed with the driver in focus. The result is an effective, ergonomic and safe workplace with increased space for the driver and more storage capacity than before.
“This is a high-priority area for our construction customers. The new air suspension is tailor-made for construction work without compromises or connection to other segments,” explains Christensson. “The suspension system features automatic ride-height control and with ground clearance of 300 millimetres, the result is excellent get-you-there ability.”
VOLVO FMX SERIES
COMMITTED
Unlike the FM range which was designed to be an all-rounder, Volvo’s FMX has been specifically developed to make driving in construction applications easier and safer, including a robust bumper, advanced steering and a new comfortable rear. “We believe the FMX range sets a new standard when it comes to robustness, handling and driver comfort. With its launch, Volvo Trucks breaks new ground in the construction segment,” says Christensson. “The new FMX bases its personality on its honest, capable image. What you see is exactly what you get. A fully equipped tool, one hundred percent ready for hard work.” One of the most essential qualities for a construction truck is a high ground clearance, and the new FMX truck has just that. Volvo has created the air suspension GRAS-G2 for up to three rear axles, implemented locally on the FMX 440hp 8x4 rigid.
Furthermore, as part of Volvo’s commitment to southern Africa, the Group has also announced plans to establish a new integrated 11,500m² parts facility in Johannesburg. The Group intends to consolidate the logistics services for its South African operations and create one distribution centre, resulting in customers and dealers benefitting from a more streamlined and effective parts operation. The new incorporated Volvo Group SA Distribution Centre will house all the parts warehousing, logistics and distribution services for Renault Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Bus and UD Trucks under one roof. It will be established on the company’s existing site in Johannesburg, which will be expanded and upgraded from 4500m² to 11,500m² and is close to the company’s headquarters in Jet Park. The project is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014.
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We repair accident damaged trucks, over 3 tons, and provide the best possible service in the industry. In so doing we intend to create new and maintain all current relationships with our loyal customers and road users. Hermans is currently on the panel of all Commercial Insurance Companies. We are also proud to be the only panel beater who is factory approved by all major commercial manufactures. Pinetown - Kwazulu-Natal Pinetown Kwazulu-Natal P.O Box 237 New Germany 3620 Tel: 031 701 3822 Fax: 031 701 8902 Email: info@htar.co.za
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