33 / 40
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
JANUARY 2015
31
PARTS & ACCESSORIES
MICHELIN PUTS SAFETY FIRST
for cross-border trailer requirements
E
very day of the week, thousands of
trucks take to the roads – most of
them on long-haul journeys of deliv-
ery. But how safe are those journeys? A re-
cent study indicates that in excess of 60%
of trucks in South Africa are not roadwor-
thy – a figure that should provide a serious
wake-up call to every truck owner in the
country.
Not only are trucks poorly maintained, driv-
ers are often incentivised to arrive at desti-
nations earlier than scheduled. This results
in them skipping the necessary rest breaks
and driving faster to make up time. In fact,
it is not uncommon for drivers to work a
straight 24-hour shift – with predictable
consequences.
In order to address these problems, new
laws are being promulgated which hold the
consignor, the consignee and the trans-
porter liable for accidents. Michelin Tyre
Company SA, well known for its promotion
of safety in the transport industry, advises
truck owners to ensure that:
• Every driver’s licence is checked for va-
lidity.
• Drivers have regular eye tests, blood
sugar and blood pressure tests as well
as TB tests.
• RTMS accreditation is obtained and
the COF (Certificate of Fitness) and
PDP (Professional Driver’s Permit) are
renewed annually.
• Tyres and brakes are regularly checked
and maintained.
As a leader in tyre technology, Michelin
Tyre Company SA set up Truck Service
Centres (MTSC) throughout South Africa
to provide a convenient, high quality, safe-
ty-focused service to the truck and bus
industry. The affordable services on offer
include alignment and balancing, fleet in-
spections, stripping and fitting, tyre repairs,
tyre re-grooving, pressure checks, surveys
at the point of sale and on-site vehicle ser-
vices.
Jaco Venter, partnership programme man-
ager at Michelin Tyre Company SA, says,
“We aim to assist truck and bus companies
to make profits that are not at the expense
of lives or vehicles.” With the Festive Season
behind us and the prospect of ever increas-
ing busy roads and high traffic volumes
ahead of us in 2015, it’s good to know that
Michelin always puts safety first.
b