Author:vic-oliver
Avoiding front tyre blowouts February 7, 2025 A blowout of a front tyre on a heavy-duty truck or bus can be extremely dangerous, as the driver loses all steering and directional control – especially if the vehicle is loaded. This, writes VIC OLIVER, often results in a very serious and sometimes fatal road accident involving other vehicles. Although I have never had the misfortune of experiencing a front tyre blowout on a vehicle whilst I have been driving, I have […]
Key performance factors in road transport January 6, 2025 Maintaining a competitive and profitable transport business means keeping careful watch on a host of key performance indicators, says Vic Oliver. The start of the New Year is as good a time as any for road transport operators to re-examine the management of key performance factors in their business. Competent management saves money and increases profits, but practices and processes need to be continually monitored, refreshed, and upgraded – especially given […]
Inspect the unexpected January 8, 2025 Regular 30-minute inspections of fleet vehicles will lower maintenance costs and reduce unnecessary and costly roadside breakdowns, writes VIC OLIVER. Most truck manufacturers marketing heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) in South Africa have extended the service intervals of the vehicles they sell. In long-distance operations, service intervals have been stretched to over 50,000km. With some more recent models, and in certain markets, this has been extended to over 100,000km! This is great for operators, allowing […]
Become a Better Truck Driver! January 3, 2025 Improving the skills of truck drivers will reduce the number of accidents and the risk of drivers being killed or seriously injured on our roads. Take our self-test here to see where you can focus on improving or refreshing your approach to driving. Although many of the accidents involving trucks are not caused by professional truck drivers, following a defensive mode of driving and adopting a positive attitude will help drivers to […]
Inspect the unexpected January 15, 2024 Regular 30-minute inspections of fleet vehicles will lower maintenance costs and reduce unnecessary and costly roadside breakdowns, writes VIC OLIVER. Most of the truck manufacturers marketing heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) in South Africa have extended the service intervals of the vehicles they sell. In long-distance operations, service intervals have been stretched to over 50,000km – and in some of the more recent models this is getting closer to 100,000km! This is great for operators, […]
Keeping your view crystal clear January 15, 2024 Over many years of auditing heavy vehicles, VIC OLIVER has been amazed at how many truck drivers fail to keep the front windscreens of their vehicles clean. The lack of a crystal clear view may even be the difference between life and death… Many drivers start their journey with a dirty windscreen, without checking that there is sufficient water in the windscreen washer holder. Windscreen wiper blades are another oft forgotten check […]
Don’t tire of tyres February 1, 2023 As the second highest variable cost factor in a long-distance trucking operation, truck owners and fleet managers cannot afford to ignore the management and control of the tyres in their fleet, says VIC OLIVER. With the high spike in fuel costs that South Africa has witnessed over the last few years, many long-distance truck operators have applied their full focus to fuel consumption, but have neglected the management of tyres – to their […]
While drivers of heavy articulated vehicles are often blamed when their vehicles jackknife, sometimes these incidents are beyond their control Two recent horrific road accidents in the Roodepoort area of Gauteng involving heavy-duty articulated vehicles that jackknifed and spilled their entire loads into the road, prompted me to write this article. After both accidents the roads, were closed for several hours, resulting in massive traffic delays and very frustrated motorists. The general public is always very quick to blame the […]
Early signs of rising operating costs for heavy vehicles in 2020 are clearly evident. Truck and bus owners therefore need to take action to control and minimise these costs Road transport operators cannot always pass on rising costs to their customers. Therefore, the only way to stay ahead and continue to make a fair profit is to reduce operating costs. The best people to reduce vehicle operating costs are the men or women behind the wheel, as they have complete […]
Truck operators are asking some serious questions about the future of the e-tolls The procrastination by the ANC and the other authorities involved in the decision of whether or not to scrap the Gauteng e-toll system has led to unfair competition between truck fleet owners who pay their daily Gauteng e-toll fees and those operators who refuse to pay. While law-abiding truck fleet owners pay their daily e-tolls, many truck owners have never paid and others have recently stopped paying, […]
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