Top Drivers Wanted
Manline is always looking for top drivers. Minimum requirements: - Valid code 1 4/ EC driver’s license - Valid PrDP - 25 years of age or older - Minimum of 3 years Superlink and/ or Triaxle experience - Contactable references - Ability to read and write English - South African Citizen - Clear criminal record. Call them on 083-3333339 to hear where the next tests are. Unitrans need Code 1 4 drivers in Sasolburg who have 3 years recent articulated driving experience with Hazchem certiticate. Shift work and long distance. Apply online only. More from unitransufamsupport@ pnet.co.za or call 0861 CAREEER The Driver subscribes to the SA Press Code that prescribes news that is truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. If we don’t live up to the code please contact the Press Ombudsman on 011-484 3512/8 or on ombudsman@presscouncil.org.za.
News to inspire professional drivers of all size vehicles in southern Africa
Nr 36, September 201 5
How not to defuse KZN's taxi route battle TAXI drivers were up in arms, again. after eThekwini Metro Police impounded nearly 300 vehicles without transport permits in a futile attempt to stop the ongoing turf war in this KwaZulu-Natal city. As Daily News reported, the operation was part of route permit enforcement, and comes at a time when the minibus taxi industry in Durban is “on the brink of war”. In May, when a similar clampdown was enforced, the Durban city centre was shut down amid violent protests by taxi drivers and owners. Police fired teargas and rubber bullets at mobs of taxi drivers who damaged buildings and municipal vehicles. The Daily News quotes sources within the Metro Police confirmed that an order to stamp out route permit violators was issued at the weekend. “The officers arrived at work and were told to go out and look for those who either had not displayed or did not have valid route permits. “Minibuses, buses and even
Sonke is reported to have close links to President Jacob Zuma’s taxi boss nephew, Mfundo Gcaba. Zamokuhle recently took Sonke to court regarding its dispute over routes between Durban and the South Coast and Gcaba said they have been keeping the peace since. After keeping mum on the violence in the area, prompting The Driver to point out the different strokes for different operators in KwaZulu-Natal last month, Transport MEC Willies Mchunu finally condemned the multiple shootings in a media statement released on a Sunday. Mchunu said: “We condemn Weapons recovered after one taxi rank shooting as operators battle these senseless and cold-blooded each other to take over routes on the south coast of KZN. murders in the strongest possible Photo: News24 meter taxis were impounded for During May's violent strike, city terms.” non-compliance,” one source mayor James Nxumalo acceded The statement is a brave said. to the taxi operators demands, step from the provincial Once a taxi has been but the details of the deal government's usual silence impounded the driver is released reached between the city and the when it comes Zumaand once the owner provides taxi bosses were never revealed. suspects shooting proof that they own the vehicle, The shootings were related to a connected taxi drivers in KwaZuluthey are arrested and charged. dispute between Port Natal. The traffic court then imposes a Shepstone’s Zamokuhle Long The MEC said law enforcement fine, sometimes of up to R5 000. Distance Taxi Association and agencies had been instructed to The owner pays the impound rival operator, the Sonke Long “work around the clock” to bring fees and the taxi is released. Distance Taxi Association. the perpetrators to book. - DR.
Lower license fees in KZN? TAXI owners and fleet operators in South Africa's second biggest economy can look forward to the same or even lower licence fees. This after the Transport Department tabled a report before the KZN Legislature’s transport committee that showed fees are too high compared to the rest of South Africa., Transport officials told the committee that KZN’s fees were 27% higher than in Mpumalanga, where fleet operators are currently registering their trucks in order to save well over a million rand, according to just one large fleet manager The Driver spoke to. The report states that KZN ranked the highest in cost in 5 out of 8 categories of licence fees; that licence fee increases have not been aligned to the
Consumer Price Index over the past decade; that the cost of registration was too high especially for poor rural communities; and that an increase in the fees could draw “negative criticism to the department”. Committee chairman Mxolisi Kaunda proposed the department consider reducing tariffs for a period to entice fleet operators back into the province. The department told KZN to get in line with its plan to standardise motor vehicle registration and licence fees across the country. Transport Department head Sibusiso Gumbi admitted that KZN was among the most expensive provinces to licence a vehicle. “We continue to lose (fleet) operations to Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape,” he said. -- DR
Weird wheels around the world
One man's circus stunt is another man's taxi; and nowhere is this more true than in the Far East, where anything extreme that can happen on wheels, happens.
Page 2, September 2015
dailypicksandflicks.com
Best UD drivers test skills for Japan PRETORIA- AFGRI driverteam James Mavuso and assistant Hennie Schutte won UD’s first driver competition in South Africa, held at Gerotek this month. They beat 38 drivers send by a dozen fleet managers to compete for a trip to Japan. UD national fleet sales manager, Stefan Bronkhorst, told the assembled driver teams they were competing to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to UD’s factory in Japan, where they would compete in what he described as “the Fifa of UD truck drivers”. Bronkhorst warned the drivers it was a winner-takes-all competition, with no second or third prizes bar certification for the second- and third-placed drivers, and the satisfaction of being rated worthy of competiting for the international prize by their fleet managers for the also-rans. UD’s Geoff Kruger said the assistants also played an important role in the competition — as they do in real life — as they could make of break the driver’s score in delivering boxes with labels and numbers that were deliberately confusing. Kruger said while the 30-minute driver test was quite technical, it was still a “border-line fun event” with only the alley docking and one
(Top) Derick Moima, UD driver trainer and (below) UD fleet sales manager Stefan Bronkhorst. Photos: Alwyn Viljoen
softy sucked air through his teeth as he looked at the gradients. He predicted the very steep climbs and tight turns would make the time-bound UD competition a lot tougher than conventional driver competitions on open roads. The drivers used two fully loaded UD Quon GW 26410 with a tridem trailer to drive, and had to pre-inspect on a Quon CV 26490 under the watchfull eye of UD driver trainer Derick Moima. The stop on a steep down hill that could be considered real tests of teams came from ABI, Afgri , Clover SA, Eqstra, Imperial the abilities of the elite assembly of drivers. But when Retail Logistics, Parmalat, Shoprite Checkers, Unitrans driving along the course, Geelboy Tsotsetsi of Clover SA and Vital Distribution.
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood. ” – Stephen Covey
Isuzu facelifts the KB bakkie
ISUZ this month launched three new models in the 201 5 KB range, as well as an upgraded 250 DTEQ engine. The Fleetside range now has extended and double cab models, while the first 4x4 automatic double cab in the 6th generation Isuzu KB range. The KB 300 LX Double Cabs Isuzu’s gets the latest infotainment and navigation system and the whole range had their active and passive safety systems enhanced. The three new models take to 1 8 the count of Isuzu bakkies on offer, starting at R21 9 400 for the KB 250 Leed 4x2 single cab; R31 7 000 for the new KB 250 D-Teq 4x2 crew cab and R325 700 for the KB250 D-Teq 4x2 double cab. Top of the rance is the KB300 D-Teq LX 4x4 automatic, which makes 1 30 kW and 380 Nm, sells for R529 700. On the other side of the scale, the popular entry level Fleetside workhorses now also boast a radio/CD with Bluetooth linking, and big 245/70/1 6 tyres. The new the 2.5-litre DTEQ makes 1 00 kW and 320 Nm. A five year or 1 20 000 km warranty and roadside assistance and a five-year or 90 000 km service plan form part of the pricing.
Cleanest pork, from the farm to the fork Georgie’s Pork is one of only five transporters who can certify the health of the pork they transport in South Africa. The KZN family business has been putting SALA (South African Livestock Auctioneers) pork on KZN tables since 1989 but only launched the brand in 2015, with the promise of “Real Pork. Real Flavour.’ This distinctive new branding is also very prominent on the sides of a new fleet of Isuzu trucks supplied by Key Pietermaritzburg – a moving, eye-catching bill board on our freeways and at KZN chain stores. Georgie’s is also a clever strategic marketing exercise by SALA business partners, Sean Scott and Ryan Bruwer. They explain: “Modern consumers require brand recognition which SALA pork never had.” And with this comes brand confidence where SALA is one of very few South African companies that has FSSC qualifications – Food Safety System Certification. FSSC 22000 is fully recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and is based on existing ISO Standards. “It demonstrates that SALA has a robust Food Safety Management System in place
There can be no health or quality compromise throughout the entire logistical chain from transporting farm livestock to getting this onto the end of the consumer’s meal-time fork. This covers 12 trucks each doing up to ten stop-and-drop situations in a single day. The Georgie’s branding and new Isuzu truck fleet reflect the pride of the business and its FSSC 22000 certification. And this is a new-tech Isuzu fleet equipped with AMT – Automated Manual Transmissions. The SALA drivers have a big . responsibility for a ensuring Georgie’s business partners, Sean Scott and Ryan Bruwer that a valuable truck and cargo Photo: Supplied return safely at the end of a day with completed POD (Proofthat meets the requirements of abattoir, processes pork Of-Delivery) documents. customers and consumers.” products and finally ensures Already, 10.000+ integrity of the cold chain into The two-pedal automatic gearshift that AMT offers organizations over 140 KZN chain stores and also provides less stress, more countries achieved FSSC 22000 further afield. certification. With currently With 230 employees SALA safety and higher productivity – ask any SALA driver. 100+ Licensed Certification processes 2000 pigs every Bodies and over 1,500 auditors week into 600 tons of pork per Getting Georgie’s to market is a worldwide, FSSC mission is to month with delivery through its pleasure with Isuzu AMT. -- Dave Scott. ensure consumer trust in the refrigerated truck fleet. supply of safe food and drinks. It’s a heavy business. Each Matching ISO standards is a Isuzu truck has a driver For further information massive achievement in terms plus two assistants who on refrigerated trucking of diverse integrated operations must rapidly move pork, and Isuzu AMT at SALA. such as 75kg whole carcasplease contact It means full trace-ability of ses to shrunk-wrapped Marc Michaux Georgie’s product line-up individual items, from a at 033 345 2542 or where SALA farms and truck into cold storage. transports pigs, operates an at 082 229 51 09.
“Life is sad for those who feel, funny for those who think. ” ~ Jean de La Bruyere
Page 3, September 2015
Top Drivers Wanted
Giraffe Recruitment, info@giraffe.co.za, wants Code 1 0, 1 4 (Code C/ Code E) drivers for logistics clients in Gauteng. Salary: R1 0k - R1 2k per month Apply before Friday, November 27. Drivers need to apply on www.jobs.giraffe.co.za
HR Solutions, Tel: 011 970 31 66, wants a Code 1 4 driver for a Randburg cllient, to load and deliver cars between Jhb, Pta and Cape Town. Candidates must have, Code 1 4, valid PrDP, and carriers experience. Apply before Nov 22. People Dimension, Tel: 01 2 345 6371 , wants a code 1 4 driver with valid PrDP and SA ID to drive from GP to KZN, Gauteng & Western Cape. Must be First Aid safety certified or trained – optional. Must have a recent medical check certifice. Driver will be paid per trip or per week.
Page 4, September 2015
Tanzania most corrupt for MAN drivers Without good trucks and professional drivers, southern Africa’s economy stops and to spur this economy on, MAN in Pinetown has launched their most powerful truck tractor yet — the TGX 26450 6x4 — alongside two support systems for long-distance drivers. David van Graan, head of MAN truck sales in South Africa, said to prove the abilities of the new truck, adventurer Riaan Manser and Nduna Chari, top MAN driver at Manline in Pietermaritzburg, will cross 11 borders and over 13000 km in the next 53 days, en route to opening the first MAN workshop in Maputo; the first ‘MAN workshops in a container’ in Lusaka; and finally, MAN’s new head office in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. They will be using MAN’s ProfiDrive as well as telemetrics to ensure the lowest operation costs. Manser, who has seen everything Africa has to offer while cycling around the continent, was still surprised at the corrupt Tanzanian customs and cops. His tweets say it best: * It's all going down at the border over a few mosquito nets. They impounding them in case we use them to hurt any Tanzanians. Super efficient. * It's happened. We're sleeping at border. 1 of our cars left with our bags. Weve been ejected
Not only do Tanzania's officials do their best to trap truckers, the roads too can be unkind, as this photo from Riaan Manser (right) shows on his OneMANKann journey with Nduna Chari.
from no-mans land. Shorts & tshirts in Tanzania. * Second full day at this venue. Tanzanian customs border. How was your day? * Our truck has a few unique spares which they're billing us
for. Our film crew gear needed valuation as well. Karibu. * Weve had our truck impounded & us held by Tanzanian police. Not stopping @weighbridge -other side of road.
* After 'settlement' been paid the #tanzanianpolice draws arrow on 'official' sign correcting HIS error #corruption. Once past the border, he again found Africa just gets nicer in the East Coast.
“There is no security on this earth. There is only opportunity. ” ~ General Dpouglas MacArthur