ZF partners with Truck Test 2026

ZF Aftermarket is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with South Africa’s premier independent commercial vehicle benchmarking platform, Truck Test, with the aim to maximise mobility uptime and safety on South African roads.

Scheduled to take place from 10 to 12 November 2026, this collaboration reinforces ZF’s commitment to driving innovation, fleet safety and performance excellence while providing an objective platform to showcase the premium quality of its holistic product portfolio of original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-quality parts and components.

The road freight industry serves as the critical backbone of South Africa’s supply chain, directly accounting for over 85% of the country’s total freight payload and capturing roughly 75 to 85% of all overland cargo. The broader logistics sector represents 11.8% of the national GDP, with key freight arteries like the N3 corridor carrying over 9,000 trucks daily.

“In this demanding operational environment, maximising mobility uptime, safety and vehicle efficiency is paramount for fleet operators navigating volatile overhead and input costs,” says Lorraine Houndsome, ZF Aftermarket head of marketing Africa.

Truck Test 2026 – organised by FOCUS on Transport & Logistics – offers an uncompromised, real-world evaluation format to prove vehicle capability. This year’s edition is set to make history as the biggest truck test ever staged in South Africa and the largest of its kind on the African continent. 

Featuring 20 of the nation’s leading extra-heavy trucks, the rigorous circuit runs for more than 1,000km from the Engen Blockhouse on the R59 near Johannesburg, down the N3 to Durban and back.

To eliminate variables and ensure strict transparency, all competing truck tractors utilise identical standardised Afrit trailers loaded to identical legal weight limits. Human bias is eliminated through independent Ctrack telematics and TruckScience specialist truck configuration and axle-weight calculation software. To ensure consistency across the test, every vehicle is also fuelled with the same Engen-supplied diesel, while truck tractors pull identical trailers supplied by Afrit.

Ultimately, the comprehensive test calculates an indisputable Payload Productivity Factor that fleet operators trust implicitly when making informed, high-value procurement decisions. “This rigorous environment makes the test an ideal canvas for ZF to demonstrate how our integrated system technologies optimise real-world vehicle dynamics,” notes Houndsome. These include WABCO’s advanced braking, stability and control technologies, such as ABS and EBS, engineered for South Africa’s demanding operating conditions. “These solutions are critical for accident reduction, regulatory compliance and driver assistance, supported by an expansive local aftermarket network that guarantees swift parts availability,” she says.

ZF’s manual and automated transmission systems and drivelines empower fleets to optimise fuel consumption and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), while enhancing driver comfort. In addition, ZF Genuine Parts delivers OEM-quality reliability, secures extended component lifecycles and minimises critical breakdown-related downtime via efficient nationwide logistics. 

Beyond providing industry-leading hardware, ZF Services South Africa bridges OEM development with local workshop performance. “By offering hands-on technical training, diagnostics, remanufacturing and specialised troubleshooting support, ZF acts as an end-to-end solutions provider focused on bolstering fleet reliability,” explains Houndsome.

As such, she believes the partnership with Truck Test 2026 underscores ZF’s commitment to innovation, performance transparency, and long-term industry partnerships. “In an industry where operational margins are won or lost on fuel efficiency and uptime, our holistic portfolio – provided under one trusted brand – proves that premium product quality translates directly to lower operational TCO and safer national roads,” she concludes.