Author:charleen-clarke
Farewell to Andrรฉ Cilliers June 16, 2021 Andrรฉ Cilliers, managing director of BPW Axles, is retiring with effect from June 30, 2021. I would like to pay tribute to someone who I regard as one of the trucking industryโs nicest guys. In my decades of writing about the transport industry, Iโve really been blessed. Not only have I got to drive some of the most incredible vehicles on the planet but, more importantly, I have met some truly amazing people. […]
Truck sales get the green light! May 14, 2021 Finally! Truck sales in South Africa are getting the green light! In March 2021, light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales improved by a substantial 52,4%, medium truck sales by 11,6% and heavy truck and bus sales by 35,2% compared to the corresponding month last year. As at the end of April, LCV sales were up 46,9% compared to year-to-date April 2020, medium truck sales were up 19,1% and heavy truck and bus […]
Enough is enough April 20, 2021 Iโve said it before: doing business in Africa is not for sissies. But, right now, things are becoming unbearable for transport operators and truck drivers alike. Enough is enough! Iโve decided to write this column following the death of a truck driver. His name was Robert Sakala and he hailed from Malawi. Robert was in the wrong place at the wrong time. For Robert, that โwrong placeโ was the perpetually long queue to the […]
New direction for DAF? March 19, 2021 Could the launch of the new (to South Africans) DAF CF and XF signal a new direction for the company in this country? Iโve never quite understood the situation with DAF in South Africa. When Iโm in Europe or the United Kingdom, DAF trucks are commonplace. Last year, the company enjoyed heavy-duty market leadership in the Netherlands (31,8%), the UK (31,6%), Poland (23,7%), Hungary (27,9%) and Bulgaria (25,4%). The Dutch truck manufacturer also […]
UD Trucks launches two new Croner models February 19, 2021 UD Trucks has kicked off 2021 on a high note with the launch of two new Croner models. CHARLEEN CLARKE reports that this is one of many positive developments at the company. 2020 was a challenging year for us all โ UD Trucks included. As Rory Schulz, UD Trucks Southern Africaโs marketing and sales director, notes: โ2020 was a year where our lives changed dramatically and the way we had […]
Meet the coolest bakkie on the planet! February 19, 2021 I have found my new bakkie! You can watch it in action on the video below. But sadly, I wonโt ever be able to drive it โฆ I have decided to kick off the year on a fun note. So, instead of penning a column on the woes of our economy, the challenges faced by our industry and the many tragedies associated with the pandemic, I am going to write […]
Brits make R421 million by renting out their driveways! December 17, 2020 UK homeowners made ยฃ21 million (about R421 million) in 2020 simply by renting out their vacant driveways to motorists needing somewhere to park, new research by YourParkingSpace.co.uk reveals. Indeed, despite various lockdown restrictions the online parking portal is actually reporting strong growth this year in the demand for rented driveways near workplaces as a result of Covid-19, because many workers are choosing to drive rather than take public […]
No โho, ho hoโ: Coca Cola cancels Christmas Truck Tour December 17, 2020 For the first time ever, CocaโCola has cancelled its popular Christmas Truck Tour. This is disappointing โ but completely understandable โ news for lots of people, for whom the Truck Tour marks a fun, festive moment to get together over the Christmas period. A statement by the company has explained that, throughout the pandemic, its main priority has been to support its people, partners and communities. โThatโs […]
Michael Dietz: steering Daimler Trucks & Buses through 2020โs challenging waters December 16, 2020 This has been aย challenging year for the transport industry โ both here in South Africa and all over the world. However, as CHARLEEN CLARKE discovers in this exclusive interview with Michael Dietz, CEO of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA), itโs ending surprisingly well for the manufacturer and distributor of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso commercial vehicles โฆ What a year itโs been for Dietz! Quite […]
What a LOUSY year December 16, 2020 Anyone who knows me will tell you this: I always try to remain positive. Iโm a glass-half-full kind of person. However, while I remain massively grateful for my health, 2020 has tested my positive mindset like you cannot believe. I know that the same applies to every transport operator and truck driver in this somewhat broken country. Back in March, we had no clue how dreadful this year would be. Sure, the economy […]
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