Win this Swiss Peak flask and holder
For a chance to win this memory stick with Swiss Peak metal flask and cool bag from Fiat Profession, tell us how often Greyhound drivers undergo a heatlh check. See overleaf for the answer and SMS it with your name to 073 062 4674 . The winner will be announced in the next edition. One entry per person and free SMSses welcome. Deadline to enter 27 July. Congratulations to bakkie driver Byron Bernard! He won the mini 7 Gig memory stick from FAW Trucks in our May edition.
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News to inspire professional drivers of all size vehicles in southern Africa
Nr 40, June-June 201 6
EU Truck plans will also work in SA IT is not only in South Africa where towns want truckers to buy diesel and then dissappear, with very few making space for drivers to eat, sleep and ablute. Most of Europe to has this attitude, as explained by Daimler board member dr Wolfgang Bernhard at the International Press Workshop of the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles show, which will take place in Hannover, Germany from 22 to 29 September. Explaining the seven levers a truck operator will have to pull to reach the emission targets set by the EU by 2020, the Daimler boss also called for Australia style road trains to be allowed to drive across European borders, which is now allowed at the moment. "A long combination vehicle must be able to cover long distances. Only then can you realise its full benefit. But today
on below). But that is in the future. To make money today, diesel truck operators need to pull finger on all seven levers that are available to make trucking effcient. These are tractor, trailer, tires, fuel, operations, infrastructure, and fleet renewal, said he good herr doctor. "At Daimler Trucks we’ve proven this integrated approach works in practice: In 2015 in our field test our optimised truck saved 12 to Photo: 14%. The long combination vehicle Mark even achieved 17%.We’re Smyth continuing to build on that test right one cannot drive a long combination border – but also behind the border now. We want to put into practice what we tested in 2015, making it for reassembling the long vehicle from the Netherlands to combination vehicle. It’s a waste of robust and affordable. Lower Saxony – although both of "As you can see, we can look time and money. It’s absurd." them allow it. Dr Bernard hinted Daimler is also forward to the truck of tomorrow. "I have to uncouple the vehicle Even more so, because Europe has ahead of the border. And one has to working on an electric truck, and you read it here first the prediction the opportunity to be in a leading allocate the cargo to two vehicles. position. Let’s work towards that that the will be a turbine electric To do this, one also needs together!" --WR. appropriate truck stops: ahead of the hybrid like the Nikola 1 (reported
DESPITE all the reservations this newsletter still has about the truck that sounds to good to be true, over 7,000 American truck operators had no such doubts. They all paid a $1500 "refundable
deposit" to Nikola Motor Company, handing founder and CEO Trevor Milton R33,9 billion ($2.3 billion) to start the com-pany to build the new trucks. Inspired by the same genius, Nicola Tesla, who Elon
The Mercedes Future Truck 2025 and its project leader, Georg Stefan Hagemann
Nikola I truck does not sound too good to be true to Americans who hand over $2,3 bln Musk named his electric cars after, Milton said the technology in the “Nikola 1.” is at least a decade ahead of any other truck out there. In saying so, Milton ignores Wrightspeed, who makes turbine-
gas hybrids drive-trains, and Mercedes-Benz's plans. Will Milton deliver on the Nikola 1like Elon Musk did with his Tesla cars, or will it be a runner, like SA's Joule car? Watch this space. --WR.
Greyhound gives good training
The Driver News asked on of the best known bus fleet operators how they equip their drivers for a tough job.
ALL Greyhound attend a Greyhound driver training program that focuses on defensive driving and which is registered with the Trans-port Education Training Authority. We asked what topcis are covered by the raining. The answer includes: • “Plan road transport service delivery” with topics regarding various driving conditions, better driving economics, driver licensing requirements, and calculation of various vehicle operational costs.
June-July 2016
•“Long distance coach / bus services” includes topics regarding documentation required on passenger carrying vehicles, amenities and equipment that benefits the passengers, luggage handling procedures, how speed and road conditions could impact on the stability of the vehicle, and the importance of customer satisfaction. Focus points of all training include specific training interventions related to the operation of the coach, safety and efficiency requirements stipulated by manufac-
turers and Greyhound management: Drivers also receive training to use of cruise control, automatic intruder, fuel monitoring and uphill start. Training in how to use cruise control may sound very basic, but bear in mind what happened when Sakhekal Logistics also though all drivers know this and failed to show Sanele May, the difference between an engine and an exhaust brake. May ploughed through dozens of people at the bottom of Fields Hill in Pinetown
after being in the wrong gear at the top of the hill. Greyhound further anticipates trouble on the road and give drivers specific training on how to react or handle crisis or emergency situations. Drivers are also briefed and kept up to date regarding passenger special needs, road and weather conditions In terms road safety, drivers carry out vehicle brake tests and emergency stop proce-dures, communicate on dangerous situations which arise and may use alternative routes in the interest of safety. Grehound drivers also receive refresher training every six months and annual health checks. Each driver's performance is benchmarked against that of his colleagues and top performing drivers are recognised with get certificates in certain instances, for example where drivers are complemented for exceptional customer service -- DR.
Fiat Fullback/Triton joins other bakkies against the Hilux
MAYBE the espresso they drink in Italy is full of grappa, the Italian mampoer, for the managers seem confused. For at the launch of the new Fiat Fullback one-ton and double cab bakkies, they had it said this bakkie has no competition in SA. Last time we checked, there are 1 5 on ton bakkies competing with the for the crumbs from the Hilux table, and seven of them are cheaper than the Fiat's entry level workhorse at R233,000. Now that Prospecton is building thousands of new Hilux bakkies a month, (most of them for export), the Hilux is back to being not just the best-selling bakkie in SA, but the best-selling vehicle overall After the Hilux, Ford is selling its Ranger as fast as it can deliver. Isuzu is third in
sales, then comes the rest. So the Fiat has a lot of competition with lesser-spotted bakkies like the Foton Tunlander, JMC Vigus, Mahindra Scorpio, Nissan NP300, Tata Xenon and VW Amarok. Unlike the Ranger, the NP300 and Hlux, which are all made in SA, the Fullback is made in Thailand. It has either a 2.4 petrol or a 2.5TD mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, all from the Mitsubishi Triton. Wheels are either 205R1 6C or 245/65R1 7, both big enough to handle potholes. The 2.4-petrol produces 97 kW and 202 Nm.The 2.5 turbodiesel will be mapped to make either 94 kW, 1 00 kW or 1 31 kW respectively, with torque figures between 200 Nm and 400 Nm, selling for R469,000. Looking very neat, the 201 5 Mitusbishi Triton. Change the badge to a Fiat and you have the new Fullback single cab now on sale in SA.
Contact the drivers at The Driver News by SMS on 073 062 4674, e-mail us on thedriverdigest@gmail.com. see more on www.drivernews.co.za