Transport group BHL has placed an order for 150 J5N 28.2380FT 6 X 4 trucks with FAW Vehicle Manufacturers South Africa (FAW SA).

The order is made up of 140 trucks with a flatdeck superlink combination, and ten units with a tautliner superlink combination. 

BHL specialises in the transportation of various commodities.

The group’s operations extend into Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Africa, with major routes that include the Copperbelt, from Solwezi, Zambia, to Walvis Bay, in Namibia, and from Solwezi to Kolwezi, in the DRC, and Likasi, also in the DRC.

BHL says it selected FAW SA for the large-scale acquisition owing to its long-standing relationship with the manufacturer, which started in 2012, the group’s competitive pricing, as well as the fact that the local arm of the Chinese truck maker has its own assembly operations in South Africa. 

FAW SA notes that the BHL order will add to its sales tally in a year during which it has managed to increase its market share in South Africa, growing from 4.6% in 2019 (including medium, heavy and extra-heavy trucks, and exports), to 7.4% at the end of September – this in a market that was down by 20% for the nine months of the year.

FAW SA says the domestic truck market is negatively affected by Covid-19, with conditions further aggravated by restrictions on the movement of vehicles owing to border closures and the resultant delays in deliveries, impacting on vehicle sales in general.

The FAW Group has four assembly facilities in Africa – South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria.

Each assembly facility is granted the right to assemble and distribute vehicles, with the corresponding duty to ensure sufficient parts supply in its respective region. 

FAW SA has distribution rights for the Southern African Development Community and distributes directly to Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

FAW SA is likely to add another truck model to its portfolio in the region, as from next year.

The company is currently conducting nationwide testing in South Africa on its new flagship model, the JH6 500 6 X 4 truck tractor, directly targeting the long-haul segment for the first time in the brand’s history. 

Current planning is for the vehicle to go on sale early next year.