Author:focus-on-transport
A recent global survey of small to medium enterprises by TomTom Telematics has identified five of the top challenges faced by fleet managers Fleet operators are faced with several challenges that impact both productivity and profitability, according to a recent international survey conducted by TomTom Telematics. While efficiency is perceived to be the foundation upon which good fleet management is built, most fleet managers who responded to the survey said they found themselves immersed in routine administrative tasks that were […]
Fuso Trucks, a part of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, has extended its local model line-up and added new features to popular derivatives in its range Japanese truck manufacturer Fuso has introduced four new models to South Africa – and facelifted a further five – in a bid to capitalise on the brand’s growing popularity in the southern African region. Speaking in Centurion at the launch of the FI12-170, the FJ 18-280 in short- and long-wheelbase form, and the […]
High demand for light commercial vehicles in South Africa is driving a consumer trend that signals a shift away from the passenger-car market. WYNTER MURDOCH reports South Africa’s light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment represents one of the few sectors of the automotive market that appears to have retained significant consumer backing, despite the crippling effect of the country’s recessionary economy on purchasing power. New-vehicle sales figures for July indicated that, while the total market dropped by 3,7 percent to 46 […]
Mitsubishi’s improved, fifth-generation Triton bakkie feels nearly as refined as a comfortable SUV and, for a pick-up, proves remarkably easy to manoeuvre – whether in town or when driving off-road. It boasts other attractive attributes, too. WYNTER MURDOCH reports. Following hard in the wheel tracks of the newly launched Eclipse Cross SUV, Mitsubishi Motors South Africa recently unveiled locally its new Triton double-cab bakkie – the vehicle making its debut here less than six months after its international reveal. The […]
Linked, in part, to the “stagflationary” state of the Turkish economy, every segment of the country’s commercial vehicle market has been contracting drastically over the last two-and-a-half years. Just how bad are things expected to get, and what are the ripple effects? LIANA SHAW investigates An excerpt from a recent article in IHS Markit, reported vehicle production in Turkey had plunged 15 percent year on year, according to data from the Turkish Automotive Manufacturers’ Association. Haydar Yenigun, GM at Ford […]
Obtaining vehicle finance remains a monumental hurdle for commercial operators, and the current bleak economic outlook in South Africa is not helping. LIANA SHAW investigates. When asked whether vehicle finance was readily available in the current economic climate, John Loxton, head of fleet management and leasing at WesBank, responded: “I don’t think there is one universal response that would cover this question. For start-ups, it remains a very challenging prospect, especially given the current headwinds faced by the industry. For existing […]
FAW Harrismith, which opened in March this year, is now a full FAW sales and service branch and part of the growing FAW South Africa dealer network. The Free State facility was previously independent, selling FAW vehicles as well as a number of passenger cars and bakkies. FAW South Africa, however, decided to purchase the dealership outright and then invested considerably in its renewal and repurposing. FAW Harrismith recently sold its first new truck since reopening – a FAW 6.130FL […]
A battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros is being put to the test in daily operations by a German transport company. The 25-t vehicle, operated by Logistik Schmitt, travels between a warehouse in Ötigheim, southern Germany, and Mercedes-Benz’s Gaggenau plant in Rastatt, a distance of about seven kilometres. The vehicle is used in place of a conventionally powered truck to transport transmission housings, covering about 168 km daily as part of a demanding, three-shift operation. The truck is said to have a range […]
Land Rover’s new Defender has been put through its paces under the watchful eye of all-terrain experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the latest stage of its global testing programme. The prototype vehicle recently visited the IFRC global fleet base at Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, ahead of its public debut later this year. Land Rover engineers demonstrated the Defender’s on- and off-road capabilities before the IFRC’s fleet experts took to […]
The Tata Ultra, built on the core philosophy to provide the best value for money offering to the customer, is a result of extensive feedback from customers and is specifically engineered for the South African market. “Since its introduction, the Tata Ultra – dubbed the business utility vehicle – has been well received in the South African market. The positive response has encouraged us to launch the Ultra Plus 1418 at Ultra 814 AMT at this month’s Futuroad Expo to […]
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