A MAN for all seasons

The Diraro Group, one of the leading suppliers of mine-to-port logistics solutions for the mining industry, has thrown its hat into the MAN ring. CHARLEEN CLARKE finds out why.

Marthinus Pretorius, managing director of the Diraro Group, is understandably proud of the company’s achievements. “Today, our service offerings encompass bulk road transportation; bulk rail transportation; bulk mineral storage, packaging and shipping; electrical vehicles; bulk diesel supply and also the supply of commodities. It is our vision to be the leading preferred, strategic dry bulk road transporter/partner of choice for customers, subcontractors, suppliers, employees and investors alike,” he tells FOCUS.

To this end, the Diraro Group has a large fleet of side tipper interlink vehicle combinations, which can execute volumes exceeding 250 000 tonnes per month. “We now employ 220 people, and we have 100 side tipper combinations in the fleet, which includes nine Performance-Based Standards (PBS) side tipper combinations and one PBS drop side combination. We are currently hauling bulk commodities such as lime, iron ore, coal, manganese, silica sand and fertiliser,” he reveals.

Health and safety are paramount at the company. “We strive to comply with national legislation and standards, lessen our carbon footprint, and promote the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being for our employees,” says Pretorius. “In fact, the safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Hence, we have a dedicated team in the safety department that looks after our safety, training and compliance requirements. We strive for service excellence within the parameters of the relevant legislation and all incidents/accidents or near-misses are investigated and the appropriate corrective actions are taken.

“We have implemented and developed a safety, health, environmental and quality (SHEQ) system to address health and safety. There is a buy-in from all employees to contribute and ensure that the systems are maintained and continuously improved. Annual and biannual medical surveillance takes place to ensure that any medical conditions are addressed as quickly as possible. Members of senior management in the Diraro Group have an open-door policy and all employees have the right to address any issue should they feel the need to do so.”

In keeping with this strategy, the group is Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability (SQAS)-accredited, it is a signatory to Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA) Responsible Care, and it has also been Road Transport Management System (RTMS)-accredited.

While the company has the highest ethical standards, it also aims to remain profitable – which is where MAN Automotive enters the picture. “Recently, we took the decision to up our capacity from 69 to 120 combinations during this financial year. The fleet is currently standing at 100 side tipper combinations. The MAN 440 TGS was decided upon as the most suitable for our needs. The new combinations will be integrated into our current business and will be used to transport iron ore and manganese,” says Pretorius.

The Diraro Group purchased its first MAN back in 2014; this turned out to be a very good move. “We selected MAN trucks because they are the best fit for the job that needs to be done. We take into consideration factors such as fuel consumption, spare parts availability and vehicle reliability.”

It’s a decision that the company has never regretted. “The availability and cost of spare parts are good. The vehicle service centres are conveniently placed, and after-sales service is exceptional. We have an average of 40 tonnes of payload for our rigs and the MAN 440 TGS is more than fit for this purpose. Furthermore, it boasts excellent fuel consumption. This is obviously extremely important to us; fuel accounts for 48% of our operating costs,” says Pretorius.

In fact, some would say that the company’s fleet replacement policy is one of its key success factors. “We procure only the best-of-breed equipment, which results in a modern and technologically advanced fleet. This strategy is supported by a meticulously applied preventive maintenance programme affording uptime far above the industry norm,” he adds.

It sounds like this is a policy that makes sense … and cents… too.