By Matthew van den Heuvel, Joint Group CEO of Econorisk. Econorisk is a leading independent risk & short-term insurance advisor. Developments in technology are evolving at a rapid pace and while this is exciting, a truck driver still plays a crucial role in the logistics industry. Drivers are one of the most important assets in…

By Matthew van den Heuvel, Joint Group CEO at Econorisk The commercial transport industry is steered by a string of events – some more controllable than others. While the economy may be tough and directly impacting the transport market, through partnerships we can navigate it and manage the risks that may occur. It is important…

Keeping DAF Trucks on the road earns Babcock the DAF Service Dealer Award Now entering its 10th year as southern Africa’s sole importer and distributor of DAF Trucks, Babcock’s Transport Solutions business continues to grow from strength to strength. Most recently, the business was presented the Sales Operations Best Service Dealer of the Year award…

As the sole supplier of DAF Trucks in southern Africa, Babcock has over the past nine years propelled the brand into a leading market position. An increase in demand for these reliable, robust and cost-effective trucks has seen sales of both new and used vehicles soar to record heights. Helping to meet this demand is…

Babcock International Group, sole importer and distributor of DAF Trucks in Southern Africa, has just completed an entrepreneurial deal with a relatively new entrant into the SA road freight market for ten long-distance haulage trucks. The brand new DAF XF105.460 units were delivered to Maxillaria Logistics’ Alberton premises in mid-May, and were immediately put onto…

FAW Trucks believe that having the right commercial vehicle solution for each specific need is key to getting the best value for money as well as ensuring road safety and efficiency. During their 29-year history in South Africa FAW Trucks have continually expanded their model range to the point where they now offer a variety…

2022 was a bumper year for FAW Trucks South Africa with a number of key achievements that saw the brand firmly stamp its authority on the South African commercial vehicle market. FAW remains committed to offering its customers high quality products, that are well suited to local conditions and users and come standard with high…

South Africa has one of the highest road death rates of any country in the world and the bulk of these deaths occur during the festive season. FAW Trucks believe that a little bit of prior planning and patience towards other road users can go along way in making our roads safer. FAW Trucks take…

Ford’s long and proud history in South Africa is inextricably linked to the city of Port Elizabeth (now known as Gqeberha) – after all, it’s where Ford Motor Company of South Africa was founded in 1923. Some 41 years later, Henry Ford II officially opened the Struandale Engine Plant. With an investment of R8-million in…

Ford South Africa is excited to announce its partnership with Faces, a renowned name in mountain biking, road cycling, and adventure-endurance events. This collaboration aims to connect the Ford brand with like-minded individuals who embrace adventurous pursuits in rugged spaces. Ford will provide Faces with a fleet of built-tough vehicles for their events, giving ‘advendurance’…

Engineered to go further off-road without compromise, Ford’s new Ranger Wildtrak X is built to help owners tackle daily adventures and weekend escapes with a host of new trail-ready technologies and equipment. Packed with capability and designed to help customers press on where others would be forced to turn back, the Wildtrak X is the…

At an exclusively hosted handover ceremony in Zimbabwe, FUSO Trucks and its authorised general distributor, ZIMOCO celebrated their newly-formed partnership with Baker’s Inn with a substantial delivery of 50 FUSO FE7-136 brand-new trucks. In line with the company’s vehicle replacement policy, the first 50 units handed over form part of the massive order of 250…

FUSO Trucks, a part of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa has added four new models to its successful line-up and has facelifted five of its existing models with new significant and technologically advanced features. The new models are the FI12-170, the FJ18-280S (short wheelbase), the FJ18-280L (long wheelbase) and the FJ26-280. The four new…

FUSO Trucks, a part of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, strengthened its commitment to the South African truck market by introducing an incredibly generous offer to local transporters.  This is an attractive proposition especially for start-ups, SMMEs, smaller fleet owners needing to extend their fleets and those who wish to expand their fleets at…

Hino Motors Limited of Japan has announced that it will compete in its 34th Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January 2025 as it aims to build further on its record for reliability in this gruelling cross-country raid. It has notched up 33 consecutive finishes since taking part in the 1991 Dakar Rally. Since its…

Hino ended 2023 on a high note in terms of its customer experience ratings in the DataTrack survey for the fourth quarter of the year. Not only was Hino No. 1 in the combined score, but it also took top position in all three evaluation categories – sales, service, and parts. Hino scored 98.96 out…

Team Hino Sugawara is aiming for its 33rd consecutive finish in the gruelling 2024 Dakar Rally which takes place in Saudi Arabia from 5 – 19 January. Hino, the lone Japanese manufacturer in a field of mainly Western and Eastern European trucks, will enter the Hino 600 diesel-electric hybrid truck that it debuted in 2023….

With fuel prices remaining high in South Africa and contributing to the steep increase in the cost of living and doing business, ISUZU Motors South Africa has set out to prove the exceptional fuel efficiency and budget-friendly capabilities of its D-MAX bakkie range – in particular its frugal 1.9 Ddi models. Over the years The…

The statement that Isuzu is ‘with you for the long run’ is exactly the reason why ISUZU has become the overall leading brand in trucking for the past 10 years. Trucks, especially ISUZU trucks, are forecast to have a first economic life before major overhaul of at least 10 years. It’s this long-term view that…

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino), Isuzu Motors Limited (Isuzu) and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) announced they would jointly plan and develop light-duty fuel cell (FC) electric trucks for the mass-market. The joint initiative is expected to contribute to the realisation of a hydrogen society, as well as carbon neutrality by…

Twelve days of competition, five thousand timed kilometers of racing and more than fifty hours on full throttle onboard the trucks. That is a big picture of the last two weeks for the crews of PETRONAS Team De Rooy IVECO, that could not count with Gerard de Rooy in the line-up due to a back…

IVECO was crowned once again winner of the FIA European Truck Championship 2019, repeating its success at the 2018 edition. It has dominated the FIA European Truck Racing Championship 2019 with the Die Bullen von IVECO Team, which took the lead right from the first event in Misano and maintained its position throughout the season…

After its latest victory at the “De La Sarthe” circuit in Le Mans (France) and with one week until the final Grand Prix (6-7 October) in Jarama, Spain, IVECO can already lay claim to be the winner of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship 2018, following a dominant display throughout the whole season with a…

While it won’t set its rear-wheels on fire when it comes to performance, the JMC Boarding 2.8 is blessed with 84kW of power at 3 600rpm and a gutsy 235N.m of torque from as low as 2 300rpm JMC is a relative newcomer to the South African commercial vehicle market, having found favour with local…

Joachim Drees, chairman of the Executive Board of Man Truck & Bus AG, and his board colleague Dr. Ulrich Dilling, responsible for production and logistics, handed over the first electric trucks of the type MAN eTGM at the Steyr production site at nine member companies of the Austrian Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL). This also…

MAN Trucks SA, taking long-haul trucking to the next level Having notched up a string of fuel efficiency benchmarks since its release in Europe in 2008, the Euro 5 MAN TGX 26.540 6×4 BLS (XLX) EfficientLine truck-tractor now makes its official debut in southern Africa at a launch ceremony at MAN Truck SA ’s Pinetown…

60 MAN TGS 26.440 long-haul units have been added to the Imperial Cargo fleet.   Imperial Cargo has procured 60 MAN TGS 26.440 truck-tractors to service its line-haul operations in southern Africa. The new vehicles will join the 44 MAN TGS 26.440 units currently operating in the Imperial Cargo fleet, which now numbers a total of…

The automotive business council, NAAMSA, recently released the 2023 new vehicle statistics and for the fourth consecutive year, Mercedes-Benz Trucks claimed the market leader position for heavy commercial vehicles reaffirming why the Mercedes-Benz Actros won the NAAMSA Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year award in 2023. The Arocs range for construction and distribution, significantly grew…

In conclusion of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Mercedes-Benz Actros in South Africa and to recognise the significant role loyal customers played in the success of the product locally, Mercedes-Benz Trucks launches a limited number of 25th Limited Edition Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks to the market, now available at MercedesBenz Truck dealerships nationally, while stock…

On the 27th of July, Mercedes-Benz Vans HQ unveiled its new midsize series, including the new Vito and V-Class models. The new midsize combustion-engine vans offer a distinct upgrade in terms of design, equipment, driver-assistance systems and functionality, which follows the company’s refocused business strategy of more luxury in private life and more premium in…

Bob Wang, Chief Executive Officer of Ever Star Industries (Pty) Ltd, is highly excited about the company’s new venture starting this month. Ever Star Industries is broadening the Powerstar-branded range to include light and medium commercial vehicles from the Foton stable, including 3-ton, 5-ton and 7- to 8-ton vehicles. This follows a joint venture between…

Powerstar V3 is ready for any heavyweight bout. Just like a heavyweight boxer, the Powerstar V3  stands – waiting, concentrating, muscles taut and skin glistening with perspiration – its energy pulsating through its 26-ton body. The hulking mass is the V3 2642 6×4 premium long-haul truck tractor, the flagship product of Powerstar, a truck brand of…

Park Village Auctions is gearing up for a remarkable commercial vehicle sale this November. That’s the word from PVA’s Natashia Goosen who says that fleet managers typically welcome the chance to acquire affordable, reliable used vehicles stemming from genuine bank repossessions and liquidations. “All manners of logistics and earth-moving operators are in for a treat….

When I recently had a face-to-face interview with Scania South Africa’s newly-appointed Managing Director, Raimo Lehtiö, his soft-spoken approach on the one hand, but his firm stance on solutions and achievement on the other, reminded me of a gentle giant. “Just call me Raimo,” he said and so we proceeded. Raimo Lehtiö appears to characterise…

Scania South Africa’s aftermarket activities are in for some changes regarding its customer aftersales support systems Mark Erasmus, who was appointed Scania SA General Manager: Services at the beginning of August, aims to be ahead of the curve. He is highly motivated and passionately committed to meeting emerging trends in customers’ changing demands regarding aftersales…

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has launched an initiative to train under-privileged youth from Africa under the SkillPro program, in an effort to enhance employability for the African youth. Judas Tlou Kobo and Lesego Faith Banda were the two students selected under the programme and were invited to participate in the company’s intensive…

TATA International Africa donated over R120 000 to Operation Smile South Africa at a ceremony in Cape Town on Friday 22 November. The donation serves to contribute to the costs of surgery to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities, and provide education and training on the deformity. “We are honoured and privileged…

Thomson’s Towing and Panelbeaters, based in White River, Mpumalanga, owes much of its success to the hardworking Tata trucks in its growing fleet. An Automobile Association partner, the company currently operates six Tata trucks comprising Tata 713, 813 and 913 medium and heavy-duty LPT models. One of these, a Tata 713, stands out from the…

Through a meaningful collaboration to mark Mandela Day, on 25 July 2024, UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) and SaferStops Association (SSA) rolled up their sleeves to donate winter hampers to approximately 350 truck drivers at Vaal Truck-Inn Truck Stop – situated next to the N3. This initiative underscores UDTSA’s unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility…

In a show of remarkable improvement towards transformation in the workplace and communities within which the company operates. UD Trucks Southern Africa was recognized for spearheading Women and Youth Empowerment and Most Improved BBBEE OEM at the naamsa Annual Accelerator Awards hosted at Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand. Naamsa’s Annual Accelerator Awards are considered the most…

UD Trucks Southern Africa is entering a new era with the appointment of a new managing director. Filip Van den Heede will be replacing Gert Swanepoel, who is retiring after 32 years with the company. “It has been an incredible journey with UD Trucks, and it is truly the people and the relationships with customers…

Johannesburg – Niels Wichmann has been appointed as the new Head of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand effective 1 August 2023. Wichmann replaces Steffen Knapp who has been appointed as the brand head of Volkswagen Taiwan.  Wichmann, 51, joins Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) from Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg where he was the head of Product…

The new Volkswagen Amarok will officially go on sale in South Africa on 18 March 2023. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sold over 830 000 units of the first-generation Amarok globally. The outgoing Volkswagen Amarok was launched in South Africa in 2010 and has sold 42 450 units in the local market to date. The new Volkswagen…

South Africa’s most popular car brand is Volkswagen while the country’s most popular model is the Toyota Hilux. That’s according to the 2022 AutoTrader Car Industry Report, which has just been published. The report contains many other interesting findings too – such as the fact that the average price of used cars increased by 16%…

Volvo Car South Africa is pleased to announce an exciting new limited-time offer that provides local buyers of Volvo electric vehicles (EVs) with three complimentary benefits, further reinforcing the brand’s steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional value. Customers qualify for the promotion – which is limited to the last quarter of 2024 – by purchasing any…

Volvo Car South Africa is pleased to report that the new Volvo EX30 is already proving exceptionally popular with local buyers, having accounted for almost a third of total electric vehicle (EV) sales in the country over the first four months of 2024, while also claiming the title of SA’s best-selling electric car. Over the…

Volvo Car South Africa is excited to announce that the first Moss Yellow examples of the new EX30 have made local landfall, bringing an expressive new hue to this game-changing fully electric car’s colour palette. While yellow is not a shade typically associated with modern-era Volvo models, it is a hue that has featured throughout…