As the South African logistics industry continues to undergo a shift, with cargo increasingly being moved by road rather than rail, UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) is sharpening up its service and feature offerings for heavy-, medium- and light-duty trucks.

At a press briefing hosted by the company on January 31, MD Filip van den Heede said among the latest offerings are anti-fuel-theft and vehicle recovery services.

He added that the company would also launch enhanced Quon UD Connected Services related to safety.

For example, UDTSA’s vehicles currently incorporate features that reduce driver fatigue through automatic speed adjustment to vehicles ahead, as well as driver monitoring for physical signs of fatigue.

Moreover, UDTSA’s driver alert system regularly gauges the drivers’ level of concentration, while a stability control feature detects hazardous conditions such as sharp curves and slippery road surfaces and stabilises the truck against unwanted drifting, sliding or rollovers.

Since fuel accounts for 67% of costs to operators, compared with 45% ten years ago, UDTSA is focused on fuel efficiency and anti-fuel-theft measures to add value for customers.

The company enhances fuel efficiency by installing idling stop and start systems on its trucks and offers detailed telematics related to fuel use.

UDTSA sales director Rory Scultz confirmed that the company continues to investigate, through research and development the use of e-fuels, or synthetic fuels, and hydrogen-powered hybrid vehicles for increased fuel savings and reduced emissions in future.

Notably, UDTSA was the first original-equipment manufacturer in South Africa to introduce Euro5 technology to the market, in 2019, which is the emissions standard currently used in Europe.

UDTSA last year introduced its Craner bus to the local market and in neighbouring countries as a sustainable mobility bus solution.

The company continues to advance its “better life” strategy which was launched in 2020 and prioritises contributions to a better society and end-to-end environmental sustainability.

For example, UDTSA has increasingly invested capital across its dealerships in the country to enhance their waste, water and energy management practices, as well as to enhance the retail and customer experience at each dealership.

Meanwhile, the new heavy-vehicle market registered a growth rate of 9.2% in 2023, with 32 169 units sold, compared with 29 455 units in 2022.

Heavy-duty trucks comprised 18 458 of the units sold, with medium- and light-duty trucks trailing behind at 5 466 and 8 251 units sold, respectively. According to Van den Heede, this reflects consumer strain in the low-growth economic environment, as well as high inflation and high interest rates, while the solid heavy-duty truck sales reflect the ongoing move from rail to road.

Van den Heede says that, in UDTSA’s case, the company has a growing order book but sometimes struggles to translate the orders into sales owing to supply chain issues that continue to loom following global disruptive events including Covid-19 and the Ukraine war.

In fact, he regards 2023 as a volatile, unstable, complex and ambiguous year, with regular instances of global disruption and ongoing supply chain challenges.

Encouragingly, UDTSA achieved a 44% growth rate in service agreements last year, which ensures more predictability and overall uptime for customers.

Roughly half of UDTSA’s vehicles on the road has a service agreement in place.

Owners can expect peace of mind with maintenance using UD Trust Service Agreements, which include maintenance plans based on vehicle use. It covers optimal preventative maintenance and reliable inspections.

Quon trucks are also supported with UD Extra Mile Support solutions that tap into the full UD network to access vehicle support which benefits owners throughout their vehicle application and lifespan – spanning across vehicle handover training programme, manufacturer’s warranty, UD Road Support, on top of reliable servicing by qualified technicians with genuine parts and UD Connected Services.

Van den Heede looks forward to this year being a transformational year for the company as it continues to put customers at the core of its activities and developments.