Author:jaco-de-klerk

Fault-finding gets a cool upgrade July 15, 2026 Meet Dr Cool: Schmitz Cargobull’s new AI service assistant for transport refrigeration units. It diagnoses faults, suggests fixes and never clocks off. JACO DE KLERK reports. Fault-finding can take hours, as you have to go through various steps – often blindly – to discover what’s wrong. But Schmitz Cargobull has a cool AI solution that can remedy this problem. Speaking to journalists at the VDA’s Media Summit in Frankfurt, which FOCUS attended […]

From blowouts to data-driven fleets June 10, 2026 The tyre hasn’t changed much in a century. The intelligence surrounding it has, however, and mining fleets adopting real-time monitoring technology are already counting the cost savings. In her piece, “Tyre innovation vs production pressure: can SA keep pace?”, Julia Tew writes that South Africa’s tyre industry faces pressure from cheap imports, plant closures and rising costs, while global innovation advances smart, connected and sustainable tyre technologies. “These include Goodyear’s SightLine technology and Continental’s ContiConnect […]

Charged for change February 2, 2026 The explosion of last-mile delivery is quietly transforming the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market. As e-commerce volumes surge and cities clamp down on emissions, fleet operators are re-evaluating what powers their LCVs – placing electric drivetrains firmly in the spotlight. Mordor Intelligence, an online market research provider with a global reach, estimates that the LCV market size will grow from US$525.71 billion this year to US$707.17 billion by 2031. That’s a compound annual growth […]

Data is the new diesel February 23, 2026 From a US$7.22-billion global telematics boom to Spar’s ambitious Eastern Cape rollout, JACO DE KLERK discovers that the data-driven revolution in supply chains is no longer coming – it’s already here. Not so long ago, a warehouse manager’s most sophisticated tools were a clipboard and a radio. Today, that same manager may be watching a real-time AI-powered dashboard that tells them exactly which forklift is overdue for a service, which delivery route […]

Green aviation soaring to new heights? October 28, 2025 A recent WMO report paints a grim picture for our climate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have reached record heights, potentially warming the planet further and leading to more extreme climate events. Thankfully, it seems as if the aviation industry is joining the good fight to lessen the effects of CO2. News agency Reuters highlights the findings of the new report by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), […]

Used trucks: When oldies aren’t goldies February 24, 2026 As the global used truck market accelerates toward US$92.52 billion by 2034, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that the growing movement of older commercial vehicles is becoming a major contributor to air pollution. JACO DE KLERK reports. Fortune Business Insights, a global market insights and consulting services provider, highlights that the global used truck market size was valued at US$58.16 billion in 2025. “The market is projected to grow from […]

Biofuel’s dirty secret October 22, 2025 Global demand for biofuels continues to rise, despite them being responsible for 16% more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than the fossil fuels they displace… JACO DE KLERK reports. A recent study by Cerulogy*, a global consultancy that specialises in alternative and cleaner fuels policies, on behalf of Transport and Environment (T&E), has revealed that global biofuels production emits 16% more CO₂ than the fossil fuels it replaces. It also consumes vast areas of agricultural […]

Eyes popping, not rolling? August 5, 2025 Chinese companies are dominating the passenger car market, but what about light commercial vehicles (LCVs)? JACO DE KLERK explores whether this will happen in SA. The year 2015 delivered some interesting events. NASA’s Dawn probe entered orbit around Ceres, a dwarf planet in the middle main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, becoming the first spacecraft to visit a small planetary body. Scientists also announced the discovery of a previously […]

SA joins the (new) power play September 29, 2025 Love them or hate them, alternative drivetrains are set to take over the transport industry. Geared towards transporting goods over short to medium distances, medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) are perfect candidates to lead this charge, but will South Africa’s shortcomings cause this revolution to stagnate? Alternative drivetrains have been making headlines across the globe, and South Africa has joined this trend. We covered the latest example in June, with Hino South […]

Smart trailers making things safer? October 15, 2025 The trucking industry is discovering that electrified trailers (eTrailers) offer more than just fuel savings and environmental benefits… JACO DE KLERK reports. Range Energy, a company specialising in trailer electrification technology, has completed vehicle dynamics and stability testing for its eTrailer system at the Transportation Research Center. The results – generated at one of North America’s most advanced independent mobility testing facilities – show that eTrailers can actively enhance safety in ways […]