Unitrans is the top transport operator in South Africa, Toyota rules the roost when it comes to light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles and MAN is the premier supplier of buses in the country. These findings emerged at the 2007 FOCUS on Excellence awards banquet, which took place on October 31 in Midrand.

The winners of the 2007 FOCUS on Excellence awards were announced at a gala banquet, attended by over 300 transport industry captains. The awards evening was sponsored in part by Motorite, the largest independent motor-related insurance administrator in southern Africa. This year, a number of new awards were announced, including Best Removals Company, Best Supplier of Vehicle Tracking and awards for excellence in the fields of parts and service support. Companies were also rewarded for their efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS and their programmes aimed at preserving the environment.

According to Charleen Clarke, editor of FOCUS on Transport and Logistics magazine (which convenes the awards on behalf of the industry), the objective of the FOCUS on Excellence awards is to acknowledge the overall contribution made by various role players within the road transport and logistics industry in this country. “We evaluated commercial vehicle and service suppliers by assessing the views of the people who use them every day. It is a highly competitive market, but now we know who is the ‘best of the best’!” she explains.

The comprehensive opinion poll (which entailed over 3 400 questions) was conducted by respected market research company, Scott Byers. Operational for 20 years, Scott Byers produces the quarterly Comparative Customer Satisfaction Monitor (CCSM), which names the transport industry’s top achievers in the all-important field of customer satisfaction. Opinions were sought from owners and managers of road transport fleets who own or operate at least 10 vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of more than 3 500 kg. These names were randomly selected from thousands of current records drawn from the Scott Byers truck database.

The Toyota Hilux – which has, over the years, built a reputation for quality, durability and reliability – was named the Best Light Commercial Vehicle (GVM below 3 500 kg) for the second year in a row. Its never-say-die ruggedness has led to it being dubbed “The Workhorse of Africa”. The latest version is stylish, with more rounded lines and a steeply sloped windscreen offering better aerodynamics. It is also roomy and extremely affordable, and its popularity has certainly stood the test of time. The other finalists in this category were Hyundai, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Accordian Investments (Tata).

The Toyota Dyna, which was introduced to the South African market in 1965, won the Best Medium Commercial Vehicle category (GVM 3 500 to 8 500 kg). Since its introduction into the South African market, the Toyota Dyna has grown from strength to strength and it is now the undisputed MCV market benchmark. South Africa has embraced the Dyna to such a degree that this country is the most successful export market for the range outside of Japan, whilst the Dyna has also been the number one selling MCV in South Africa for over two decades. It comes as no surprise, then, that it has won the award for best medium commercial vehicle for the second year in a row. The other finalists in this category were Isuzu Truck, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Fuso and Nissan Diesel.

Making it three in a row, Toyota also won the Best Heavy Commercial Vehicle category (GVM 8 500 to 16 500 kg), with its popular Hino. The other finalists in this category, in alphabetical order, were Isuzu Truck, Mercedes-Benz, MAN Truck & Bus and Nissan Diesel. The motto “Toughness has never looked this good” sums up the essence of the Toyota Hino brand. South Africa’s truck market is one of the most competitive in the world and, with such fierce competition, Toyota SA Trucks has had to deliver a complete package in order to maintain its position as market leader in the HCV segment. “It has achieved this admirably,” well-known radio personality and master of ceremonies at the awards banquet, Roger McCleery, noted.

Best Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicles were named in two categories: GVM 16 500 to 22 500 kg and GVM over 22 500 kg, and both categories were won by Mercedes-Benz. The other finalists in the 16 500 to 22 500 kg category were MAN Truck & Bus, Nissan Diesel, Toyota and Volvo. The over 22 500 kg GVM category was also contested by MAN Truck & Bus, Nissan Diesel, Freightliner and Volvo. Mercedes-Benz is the top seller in this segment, and its extra-heavy models include the Axor and Actros ranges.

MAN Truck & Bus won the hotly contested Best Commuter Bus category, beating Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Volvo. MAN Truck & Bus’ Lion’s Explorer range recently added to the manufacturer’s enormous product palette, while building on MAN’s years of experience in manufacturing city buses, to continue the company’s tradition of transporting commuters safely and efficiently. This tradition was exemplified by the fact that MAN Truck & Bus walked away with the award for best commuter bus for the second year running. Mercedes-Benz won Best Touring Coach, where it was up against MAN, Scania and Volvo. Mercedes-Benz’s O 500 RSD 2036 chassis is ideal for high profile, luxury coaches, combining the utmost in travel comfort with maximum passenger capacity.

There was a tie in the category for Vehicle Distributor with the Best Sales Support, with MAN Truck & Bus and Isuzu Truck sharing the spoils. For decades, MAN (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German parent company) has been one of the major players in the South African truck and bus market – and it renowned for providing exemplary customer service. Isuzu Truck, on the other hand, is a newly formed company, which came into being at the beginning of this year. It was established specifically to provide service to commercial vehicle customers, and this joint award proves that it is doing a superb job. There were three other finalists in this category: Nissan Diesel, Scania and Toyota.

MAN Truck & Bus was named the Vehicle Distributor with the Best Parts Support, beating fellow finalists Isuzu Truck, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan Diesel and Toyota. MAN is renowned for using innovative technology which impacts on performance.  As a result of this, together with decades of market experience and the highest possible level of technical skill, MAN is able to develop and build top quality commercial vehicles used in many areas of South African industry, including transport haulage, agriculture, forestry, mining, food and beverage and construction. Of course, it is one thing to supply the right product for the job. However, that product must be backed up by superb parts support – and MAN truly excels in this regard.

Nissan Diesel South Africa, a company with a proud after-sales care record, won the award for Vehicle Distributor with the Best Service Support.
Nissan Diesel South Africa has long demonstrated a concerted commitment to consistently improve product and customer support to ensure the best possible vehicle availability and utilisation. This commitment starts with excellent product support from Nissan Diesel in Japan. On a local front, superb customer service is provided by a well established and strategically positioned dealer network throughout South Africa and the SADC region, making the company a truly deserving winner of this sought-after accolade. The other finalists in this category were
MAN Truck & Bus, Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Toyota.

For the second year in a row, BP Castrol was named the Best Supplier of Fuels and Lubricants. The other finalists in this category were Caltex, Engen and Shell. BP/Castrol provides a wide range of diesel motor oil products and services for on-road vehicle fleets including trucks, buses, coaches and taxi fleets, as well as for off-road vehicles. The company has been active in the local market since the 1920s and it has approximately 31% of the South African lubricants market, making it a significant player in this competitive industry sector.

The winner of the Best Tyre category was Michelin, a finalist along with Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Firestone and Goodyear. A global player present in all tyre markets, Michelin strives to lead the way in tyres and mobility assistance. It targets a strategy built around promoting “better mobility” and, on the strength of the outstanding quality of its brands, maintains all-round excellence in innovation, products and services. Michelin has done an outstanding job of engineering tyres that boast operating efficiencies, and are safe and long lasting, making the company a deserving recipient of this award.

Maxiprest – the chief truck, bus and off-road retreader and new tyre distributor in South Africa – was named the Best Supplier of Tyre Services. Since its formation in 1988, the company has positioned itself as a provider of tyre management solutions to all sectors of the tyre industry – covering the spectrum from passenger car tyres to the supply of giant earthmoving tyres. The other finalists in this category were Hi-Q Automotive, Supa Quick and Trentyre.

One of the most hotly contested categories was that of Best Supplier of Trailers and the ultimate accolade went to Henred Freuhauf, which pipped Afrit, CTS Trailers, SA Truck Bodies, Serco and Trailord to the post. Henred Fruehauf’s pioneering approach to trailer manufacturing aims at finding customer-focused market solutions and dates back as far as 1953. In 1970, Trencor purchased Fruehauf South Africa from the Leyland Motor Corporation, establishing an affiliation to the worldwide Fruehauf Corporation – the largest trailer company in the world, with affiliates in 21 countries.

There was a tie in the Best Supplier of Bodies category, with Marcopolo and SA Truck Bodies named as joint winners. Marcopolo is a leading Brazilian bus and coach bodybuilder that boasts eight assembly facilities on five continents. The company has been actively involved in southern Africa since 1996, and has solid relationships with a wide array of respected chassis manufacturers in this region. On the other hand, SA Truck Bodies’ innovative approach to finding customer-focused market solutions dates back to its inception in 1980. All bodies manufactured by SA Truck Bodies are customised according to client specifications. The company services customers nationwide, as well as in Namibia and other African countries. The other finalists in this category, in alphabetical order, were M’Kondeni Motor Garage (MMG), Nash Bodies, Serco and TFM.

Altech Netstar – a company which pioneered the stolen vehicle tracking and recovery industry in SA in 1994, and is the market leader in terms of size, product range, and an unsurpassed private recovery infrastructure – was named the Best Supplier of Vehicle Tracking. The other finalists were DigiCore, Matrix, OmniBridge and Tracker. Owned by the JSE-listed Altech Group, Altech Netstar employs over 500 people, based at its head office in Midrand, and in regional offices in Durban and Cape Town. In addition to this, franchise offices are located in Bloemfontein, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Nelspruit, and Witbank. Over 10 000 Altech Netstar tracking systems are installed per month, through a network of over 100 fitment centres around the country.

There were five finalists up for the Environmental Excellence Award: Barloworld, Engen, Goodyear, Sasol and Toyota. This important accolade went to the tyre company. Goodyear’s commitment to improved environmental health – for its employees, customers and the planet on which we all live – is the driving force behind global corporate policies and the South African manufacturing plant’s particularly progressive, aggressive change programmes. Goodyear has extended its environmental awareness campaigns to various sectors of its business and has, throughout the year, focused on projects in the fields of waste management, energy and air management whilst ensuring that at all times its product is amongst the most environmentally sound in the industry.  

The award for the Best Social Responsibility Programme went to Scania, which was nominated for this accolade along with Cummins, Goodyear, Imperial Holdings, Lubrication Equipment and Toyota. This year saw the reintroduction of Scania’s driver of the year campaign, a driver training and evaluation programme that has seen the company traverse the length and breadth of South Africa in search of its driver of the year. In addition to filtering out the country’s top Scania driver, Scania also offers its customers a service, by evaluating their drivers’ skills and assisting in training them if they are found wanting. However, it is not only in terms of assisting a severely under skilled workforce that Scania has invested in South Africa, but through a supplementary programme that runs in tandem with the Driver of the Year programme. Scania is extending a helping hand to future generations by promoting and teaching road safety to the families of the drivers involved in the competition.

Yet another important accolade was that of Best Contribution to Fighting HIV/AIDS and this was contested by DaimlerChrysler South Africa, Ford, SKF, Volkswagen and Volvo. The award ultimately went to truck and bus manufacturer, Volvo. The Volvo HIV/AIDS programme (initially planned as an internal project targeting Volvo employees) has evolved and today the company boasts a magnificent programme: “The Star School Project”. This is an initiative designed to help young people in South Africa to believe in the future and live an AIDS-free life. The project was born when the founders of the Thanda Foundation Christin and Dan Olofsson saw how people and specifically children in South Africa were stricken by AIDS. In cooperation with leaders, behavioural scientists, communicators and musicians from South Africa and Sweden, the project came to life. The project is essentially aimed at reducing the number of students who become HIV positive and to inspire them with hope and courage to keep studying and working.

Crown Relocations was named Best Removals Company, after being nominated as a finalist in this category along with Elliott International,
H&M Removals Worldwide, Pickfords Worldwide and Stuttaford Van Lines. Crown Relocations has been helping individuals and families relocate for over 40 years. Each year, the company manages over 60 000 household moves and serves over 3 000 multinational organisations. Crown provides household goods transportation, storage and insurance at both origin and destination. It has a network of over 150 offices throughout 50 countries worldwide. This includes 11 locations in New Zealand, seven in Australia, five in South Africa, 14 in North America and 29 throughout Europe, from Spain to Russia.

Finally, Unitrans was named the Best Transport Operator for the second consecutive year. The other finalists for this sought-after award were Fast ’n Fresh, Hestony Transport, Imperial Cargo, Manline and Value Logistics. Unitrans has been serving the transport, distribution and logistics needs of South Africa for over 100 years. It has many diverse complementary business interests in logistics, distribution, motor retail and associated industries. These include supply chain solutions and re-engineering services, freight and passenger transport, warehousing, break bulk services, vehicle retailing, fleet management and vehicle leasing, insurance and car rental.

Issued on behalf of FOCUS on Transport and Logistics. Tel 011 782 1070.

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