Author:charleen-clarke
Volvo Buses enters new e-mobility era April 25, 2024 In what may well be THE bus and coach story of the year, Volvo Buses has launched the BZR Electric: a global platform for city, intercity, and commuter operations. CHARLEEN CLARKE travelled to Gothenburg for the launch, which was held at the remarkable World of Volvo. All the big guns were at the World of Volvo – and they came out with those guns blazing. Volvo Group CEO and president Martin […]
X-Series wins Truck of the Year Australasia 2024 March 22, 2024 The new Western Star X-Series is the 2024 Truck of the Year Australasia! It has emerged victorious after edging out competition from Scania and Volvo. I know what you’re thinking: why am I writing about a competition in Australasia? Well, when it was launched last year, I was invited to judge this extremely prestigious contest. I accepted immediately for two reasons: I think it’s very interesting for South African […]
SONA 2024: even more disappointing than expected February 14, 2024 We all knew that Cyril Ramaphosa would use his State of the Nation Address (SONA) for electioneering. He’s a politician, after all, and he was speaking in an election year: he would never have been able to resist the opportunity. What we didn’t expect was a litany of lies and ridiculous promises. Anyone in transport and logistics – and indeed the country en masse – was hoping for positive news […]
Bah humbug! Transnet ruins Xmas… and SA too December 13, 2023 It’s Christmas! But instead of saying “Ho, Ho, Ho,” another expression springs to mind: “Bah humbug!” Bah humbug is, of course, the phrase most famously used by Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It’s become synonymous with anyone putting a damper on Christmas – which is precisely what Transnet is doing. As Ian Pettey writes on page 40 of this issue […]
Private sector to the rescue! November 10, 2023 The Western Cape is facing an export crisis, and it needs to bring in the cavalry. “With the good rains we have experienced, our agricultural goods for export are anticipated to increase by 25%. This is a wonderful opportunity to increase exports and to bring in more revenue,” reveals Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities. In direct contrast to this opportunity, there has been significant deterioration at the […]
MAN makes eBus history November 16, 2023 History has been made! The first MAN Lion’s Explorer 12 E has been delivered outside Europe. Its destination? None other than South Africa. CHARLEEN CLARKE joined the celebrations as the vehicle was delivered to Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) in Cape Town. An electric bus? But South Africa has insufficient electricity, and there are no government subsidies in place. Electric buses just aren’t viable in this country! That’s what the critics of electric […]
Japan Mobility Show: A journey of discovery November 17, 2023 The Tokyo Motor Show is now called the Japan Mobility Show, and this year’s theme was “Discover a future you can’t wait to navigate”. CHARLEEN CLARKE joined the 1.1 million visitors who poured through the gate to make that discovery. The 2023 Japan Mobility Show was fascinating – not least because it was the first time in the history of the two companies that Isuzu and UD Trucks shared a […]
From hero to zero November 1, 2023 I was so chuffed to take a ride in the incredible Volta Zero at the recent IAA Mobility fair in Munich. Little did I realise how significant that test drive would be… The IAA Mobility exhibition was an absolute blast. There were all sorts of cool vehicles to be seen. Being a truckie, I sought out the trucks, and I found two: a VDL Hydrogen ePower based on a DAF CF Electric and […]
We’re backing the All Blacks! September 25, 2023 Relax, dear readers. I’m not referring to the Rugby World Cup. Instead, I am referring to an amazing competition in New Zealand, which aims to make our industry better, cleaner, and more efficient. We’re supporting this initiative and calling for local entries from truck drivers – who could win bundles of cash! The competition is called Trucking Toward a Better Future, and it is being organised by New Zealand Trucking Media and Resilienz, […]
SaferStops: a driver’s knight in shining armour August 24, 2023 I’m a huge fan of any initiative to help truck drivers, so the launch of the SaferStops Association has me cheering from the sidelines. I believe that truck drivers have one of the worst jobs on the planet. It is fairly tedious and quite thankless. The hours are long. They spend most of their lives away from their families. In Africa, it’s downright dangerous too. It is thus that the […]
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