Author:focus-on-transport

A van for the enthusiasts

The Brits love their vans as much as we in South Africa love our bakkies… So much so, in fact, that pimped-up worker models commonly pop up on the market. The latest is the MS-RT Transit Custom developed in conjunction with the M-Sport Ford Works Rally Team. As such, it features technology and aerodynamic influences from Ford’s works-backed rally team. These include a twin-exit sports exhaust system; a menacing front bumper, grille and diffuser; wide body-arch extensions; sills; a rear […]

Read more

Still strong 17 years on

This year marks the 17-year partnership between the luxury-coach company Eldo Coaches and Scania South Africa. To celebrate this milestone, the two companies have launched a new fleet consisting of ten coaches. The newly launched fleet utilies the Scania K460 chassis and Marcopolo 1350 bodies. Mohsin Moolla, director of Eldo Coaches, says the company plans to introduce this fleet on its long-distance routes. He explains: “We will add these coaches into our Johannesburg to Mthatha, Cape Town to Mthatha, and […]

Read more

Germany transports for free!

The German government hopes to reduce air pollution by cutting the number of private vehicles on the roads and implementing free public transport. WILLIAM GEORGE reports. As is the case in South Africa, public transport is one of the most used modes of transport in Germany. It is estimated that more than ten-billion journeys were made last year. The four popular modes of public transport in Germany include the rapid-transit system operating above and below ground, buses, tramlines and taxis. […]

Read more

FAW expands into Ermelo

FAW Ermelo is the newest sales, service and parts dealer in the FAW South Africa network. The Mpumalanga-based dealership is part of the Ermelo Truck & Tractor Centre (ETTC) Group, which has been successfully operating in the area since 1992. In fact, 25 percent of all new trucks in the town are currently sold by the seven-dealer Group. “We have an excellent reputation here in the trucking industry for delivering exceptional service,” says co-owner Corrie Barnard. “It made sense to […]

Read more

Help to make the PMA Congress a success

The Professional Movers’ Association (PMA) hosts an annual congress once a year for all its members and sponsors to get together and discuss growth and strategy within the South African professional removals industry. This year’s Congress is to be held at Legends Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo. These are a few of the wide range of sponsorship opportunities available: • Room drop • Registration • Truck display and test drive • Pedi village tour • Carnival themed dinner • […]

Read more

The highway heroes search is on!

Hollard launched the 2018 Highway Heroes competition in Sandton on Friday, April 20, to search for the best truck drivers in the country. The competition is in its fourth year, although this is the first year it has been branded by Hollard, which aims to get more drivers involved. Paul Dangerfield, national operations manager and Highway Heroes campaign manager, says: “All too often, trucks and their drivers are seen as a nuisance on our roads, causing hazards and slowing traffic, but they’re […]

Read more

ExxonMobil teams up with Zestcor

ExxonMobil has announced that it has signed a new distributor agreement with Zestcor, which is an experienced South African sales, procurement and supply chain management company. The agreement is designed to support an efficient and reliable supply of high-quality base stocks in the sub-Saharan region. This commercial relationship will expand ExxonMobil’s global presence and provide local customers with additional access to base stocks capable of meeting a broad range of blending needs. “We are committed to providing a reliable supply […]

Read more

Another decade for Unitrans and Pick n Pay

Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions has secured a ten-year contract extension from Pick n Pay to provide the transportation services at the retailer’s flagship Longmeadow distribution centre in Gauteng. Unitrans currently operates a fleet of 327 vehicles from Pick n Pay’s Longmeadow distribution centre. The transport network services 455 Pick n Pay stores in Gauteng and areas as far afield as Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho. “The Longmeadow operation is a world-class facility,” says Theunis Nel, CEO of Unitrans. “We are […]

Read more

Cargo security taken to the next level

There is an increasing need to secure high-value goods in transit and Netshield has heeded the call by releasing its Cell Lock system. The Cell Lock system will allow the unlocking sequence of a door on a cargo unit only when the GPS location and GSM communication modules detect that two or more preselected criteria have been met. These include when the container reaches a pre-allocated geo-fenced environment, within an allocated time, and the distributing and/or receiving supervisor takes action […]

Read more

OEM superpowers unite

Just as last week’s FOCUS newsletter was being signed off, we received word that Hino Motors Limited and Volkswagen Truck & Bus were entering into a long-term partnership to “expand their respective global footprints and get into a superior position to tackle the challenges of the industry”. With the future of transport and logistics in mind, the companies will explore each other’s capabilities to cooperate in logistics and traffic-solution research, existing and new technologies, as well as in procurement. The […]

Read more