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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2017
display and today we have nine, which makes us very proud.”
Discussing volumes in the construction sector, he says around
200 vehicles are sold annually in the construction sector and of that
80% is normally either the tipper application or mixer application.
Then of course the water tankers, brick carriers, road sweepers, and
compactors – all of which make up the remaining 20%. During 2016,
we saw quite a big move towards the 8 x 4 tipper versus the normal
6 x 4, which historically has been the bigger mover.”
“It’s an important segment for us to compete in,” Taftman
points out. “Because 200 vehicles in our total volume (which is
around 1 550 vehicles annually), is still a big portion. We managed
to sell our first vehicle in 2015, and in 2016 we sold 24 vehicles,
bringing us into second position in the market. This year, there many
opportunities in the tipper market but we are also focusing on the
mixer segment, together with the other applications which make up
the remaining 20%.”
Steenkamp says it is worth mentioning that not an average Joe
Soap can sell into the construction arena. “It is far more than just
a vehicle; one is selling the body as well, all of which is part of the
solution offered to the customer. Our sales team has been in the
industry for many years; they have the knowledge, experience and
understanding of the industry and the customer’s specific needs.”
Training solution
A training solution is offered with every new vehicle sold. Scania
offers many solutions from a training perspective including
instructor-led training in the classroom to on-the-road training in
various facilities.
“We are moving towards many solutions in terms of on-road
training, and the vehicle itself is also a training tool,” Steenkamp
explains. “There is information shared with the driver within the cab
itself indicating his driving patterns and habits, and we also do a lot
of data downloading from the vehicle which is proactively shared
with the driver.”
The Scania-developed in-house fleet management system
consists of the entry package which is free of charge and then two
higher performance packages aimed at increasing the productivity of
the fleet. All that is required is a communicator unit installed in the
vehicle and an email address for automatic reports.
Looking at the construction industry from a vehicle perspective,
Taftman says the South African commercial vehicle market is based
on four segments: light commercial, medium, heavy and extra heavy.
“The extra heavy starts at 16,5 tonnes and upwards and this is the
vehicle and the load; in other words the weight of the complete
vehicle as it stands on the ground.
“Trucking is a tool to make money, and the vehicle that can
generate the highest profit back from the investment is the winner.”
He believes it’s a numbers game.
“It is slightly different in terms of a construction vehicle,”
Steenkamp asserts, “because the driving factors are different.
Payload is crucial with uptime also being important.”
Increased payload
This was confirmed by Christiaan Fourie from Fourie Sands who has
just purchased his first new Scania Twinsteer. The man is modest
and says the machine has been on trial for the last three weeks and
is doing phenomenally. He has second-hand Scania horses which
have more than proven their worth. “I have one operation where I
use my sliding bins but where they can only manage five loads, I am
now able to do about nine or 10 loads with my new Twinsteer. My
turnaround time is much faster.”
Asked about the general feeling in the industry in terms of
Twinsteers, he says “everyone is going for the twins with the trailer.
One can move about 40 tonnes where one can only move 30 tonnes
with the sliding bins.
“The new machine is lighter on fuel and guarantees a higher
payload with minimal cost. There is also a lot less wear and tear than
with the larger sliding bins.”
The last person
Construction World
spoke to was Theuns Naude,
key accounts manager for construction, who is upbeat about the
construction industry in the Western Cape in particular. “We have
grown over the last two years, we have loyal customers and our
product is good. Uptime is key and this is the same in the
readymix industry.
“We recently handed over two Cone Mixers to Chris Tate at Haw &
Inglis, and he is saving about R30 000 a month on fuel. “Scania has
always been known for its fuel consumption and it is fantastic to
Loyal customer: Christiaan
Fourie from Fourie Sands has
purchased his first new
Scania Twinsteer.
Scania’s classic concrete mixer is one of the lightest three-axle
mixers on the market.
Diversifying into other segments: The Scania water bowser.
have our customers coming back
to us with positive feedback.”
Haw & Inglis has also purchased
eight Twinsteers.
He says there is a buzz in
the air. “Providing unique
solutions for our customers is
just a formality; there is nothing
we can’t do. We are out there,
we are supplying and I believe
things are turning around in the
Western Cape.”
Judging from the many people
attending the onstruction Day
and eavesdropping on some of
their comments, Scania is well on
its way to becoming formidable
force in the construction
equipment market.