2016 CON JUNE FINAL LOW RES PDF with links

CONSTRUCTION WORLD

JUNE

2016

he vehicles from the FAW

stable have taken on more

modern designs, new

technical innovations where

appropriate, increased

quality production, safer environments for

all, and ethical practices, as their modern-day

mantra. This ethos has enabled FAW world-

wide to provide ever better vehicles, which

remain easy to drive, easy to maintain and

service, and positively contribute to lowering

the total cost of fleet operations.

Added to this is a growing respect for the

Chinese brand. Similar to Japanese products

post-WW2, international acceptance has had

to be earned. Over the last few years FAW has

proved the brand’s claims of being robust and

durable without compromising performance

or payload. FAW has proved it can produce

good quality vehicles at an affordable price

despite global economic challenges.

Furthermore, FAW Vehicle Manufacturers

SA has proved its commitment to listening to

customers, as is evident from the numerous

adaptations and special adjustments applied

to locally built FAW trucks to suit unique

African challenges.

So too in the local construction sector,

FAW vehicles are becoming more and

more visible on sites as public and private

infrastructure projects continue to spur

the sector on and progressively move the

industry forward. However this is not without

increasing cost pressures and demand for

excellent operational efficiencies.

Affordable, reliable and cost-effective

construction vehicles – whether compa-

ny-owned, hired or contracted through a

second-tier operator– are essential to every

successful and profitable construction project.

Cheng Zhang, marketing and strategy

manager, and spokesperson for FAW Vehicle

Manufacturers SA, says: “In the construction

sector specifically, FAW vehicles have gained

good traction owing to our broad range of

tippers, mixers trucks and dropside or flat-

deck options.

“FAW delivers on all the requirements

of running an effective fleet – whether it is a

multi-vehicle fleet or a single unit. Choosing a

FAW vehicle will provide great cost efficien-

cies in terms of capital outlay, uptime, low

fuel consumption, reliable parts supply and

affordable maintenance,” he affirms.

COVER STORY

Mixer trucks

FAW provides purpose-fit mixer trucks

able to run cubic payloads of either 6 m

or 8 m

with the FAW 33.330FC and the

FAW 35.340FC respectively.

The mixer trucks can conquer the rigors

of any building site. There are few mixers

to match FAW strength and long-lasting

working capability. Both mixer models offer

easy driveability because of a strong chassis

frame, the high standards of all materials

and processes used in the manufacture of the

truck, the drivetrain and the mixer body. The

operating profiles of the FAW mixers are excel-

lent – especially considering their good fuel

consumption figures, be it driving or idling.

The mixer trucks are reputed to display very

low mechanical wear and tear.

Tippers

Exceptionally robust chassis and build

materials are the cornerstones of FAW tippers,

which provide consistently good service on

even the ‘meanest’ of sites. Treacherous

entry/exit slopes, dust, gravel, loose sand and

stone – in fact, any terrain to challenge most

trucks FAW tippers can handle.

The FAW tippers range include the FAW

8.140FD with 3,5 m³ load capacity, the FAW

16.240FD with 6 m

load capacity, the FAW

28.280FD with 10 m

and the FAW 35.340 FD

with 15 m

load capacity. Whether it’s the 4X2,

6X4 or the 8x4 tipper respectively, the FAW

tippers can provide what any construction

project demands. Supporting FAW’s uptime

promise is a host of aftersales back-up

services, and maintenance and parts supply

through a wide dealer network.

FAW trucks

Serving the construction industry does not

end with mixer trucks and tipper vehicles.

FAW also offers a broad range of vehicles to

carry anything – from steel girders, palletised

bricks, boxed tiles and bagged construc-

tion materials; and can take payloads from

5 tonne on its newest addition – the FAW

8.140FL – to over 35 tonne on its extra-heavy-

weight 28.460FT 6x4 truck tractor, depending

on trailer configurations.

Whatever a customer requires – a FAW

truck can do the job; affordably and cost

effectively, with exceptional reliability.

Success on the move

The Coega plant in the Eastern Cape is slowly

adding to its production line, in tune with

demands from customers across a board

range of applications – in construction,

mining, long-haul and distribution sectors.

The local plant’s bodybuilding facility,

adjacent to the main plant, is reviewing the

various Africa customer requests for locally

built bodies onto the FAW chassis cabs

coming from the main production line.

The plant and training facilities, which

were opened in 2014, have allowed the

company to provide its Southern African

client base the benefits of sourcing their vehi-

cles from a plant on the same continent.

Earlier this year another 10 FAW J5

tippers units left the local Coega-based

production plant for Tanzania.

A growing number of Africa truck dealers

who traditionally placed their orders with FAW

China continue to move their orders to origi-

nate out of South Africa owing to the shorter

lead-time for delivery, the high levels of quality

from the South African plant, and the reduced

cost of sourcing FAW vehicles here.

Cheng Zhang explains: “There are many

advantages of sourcing FAW products from

our South African base – the most important

being time-to-market in the Africa countries,

and of course for the SADC and AU, the added

advantage which comes from the import/

export duty agreements,” he adds.

From the cost point of view, the African

buyer can save vehicle import duty between

25% and 40%. Another advantage importing

through FAW locally is that customers can get

their vehicles within 30 days of order; much

sooner than from China, which normally

requires three months between order place-

ment and delivery.

FAW SA says it plans to support sales

in almost all the right-hand drive African

countries. “However, our plan is to assemble

the left-hand drive vehicles to supply to the

African Union countries in future, where they

too can get duty advantages”.

The Tanzania dealer noted that among

their best sellers is the FAW 28.280FD

15 m

tippers used in the many projects and

proving to be a stalwart product in the African

construction sector. With its high payload

capacity, it provides good return on invest-

ment for most any operation.

For aftersales support, FAW SA is already

supplying parts to those African dealers who

import SA-spec models. Some dealers who

import local spec models from FAW, still

source their parts stock from China directly,

because the purchase process is familiar to

them and uptime in not affected.

FAW Vehicle Manufacturers SA indicated

FAW IS ‘FIT FOR PURPOSE’

in construction sector

Reviewing the FAW commercial vehicle range, it is

clear that FAW China has made great headway

in adapting its products to match customer

demands across various world regions.