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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JUNE
2016
Theunes van der Westhuizen, area manager for connected services.
our trucks so that the customer can focus on
running and building their business.”
Drivers of success
A key aspect of Scania’s services to customers
is to improve the quality and behaviour of
drivers. For this purpose, a two-day product
knowledge training course is offered for
drivers at the company’s driving academy.
Training on site is also an option.
“The value of this process lies in
combining our training with the monitoring
capacity of our fleet information system,”
says Van der Westhuizen. “We educate the
driver using real vehicles, which tracks their
performance during training; the idea is for
the employers to be able to compare the
behaviour in the training session with their
performance after training – when they are
back on the job.”
He said that this helps to track the learning
process and ensure that the skills are being
applied in the workplace – where they really
count. It also brings hard data to bear on the
employers’ assessment of driver quality, so
that the right employees can be targeted with
the appropriate follow-up training.
“Driver behaviour is a vital aspect of the
complete solution that we want to provide
to our customers, and we integrate this with
the information that the fleet management
system is providing,” he states. “The sale of
the truck to the customer is only the begin-
ning of an ongoing relationship that needs
constant attention and engagement.”
Contracted services
Scania provides contracted services as a
comprehensive package to cover the cost
of repairs and maintenance of the range of
construction and other vehicles in the range.
“There are various options that we offer
customers, including extended warranties,
to ensure the maximum possible up-time –
which is often the first priority for contractors
working on tight construction deadlines,” he
says. “This gives the owner peace of mind,
knowing that their monthly costs are fixed
and that the vehicles will operate at peak
performance with little risk of unforeseen
down-time.”
The value of these arrangements is not
limited to smaller operators with minimal
infrastructure, according to Van der West-
huizen; even larger companies with their
own workshops can make good use of
these offerings.
“If you are a large construction company,
for instance, with your own workshop facilities,
Scania can even take over the management of
your workshop activities in accordance with
your specific requirements, carrying out the
necessary maintenance and repairs so that you
can focus on your core business. We obviously
have a depth of capacity and expertise in
working on our vehicles, as well as the neces-
sary systems and tools, so for us it is easier
to ensure the high levels of up-time that the
customer would like,” he concludes.