Capital Equipment News January 2019

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS NEWS

Strauss Logistics takes delivery of 44 FAW truck tractors

Harare-based liquid fuels distribution giant, Strauss Logistics, recently placed an order for 44 FAW 33.420FT truck tractors with Choice Diesel Mozambique, which recently became FAWs’ first and only sales and service dealer in Mozambique. The truck tractors were sourced and supplied by FAW South Africa, having been assembled at the company’s Coega plant in the Eastern Cape. The units were driven to Johannesburg recently where bull-bars and flat-deck trailers were fitted before they were taken to Harare for licensing and registration. The FAW trucks will be used by Strauss Logistics to transport general cargo from Durban right up to Kolwezi in the DRC and are expected to travel in excess of 100 000 km per year. Additional trucks in the company’s fleet will operate on the Beira Corridor which links Mutare in Zimbabwe to Beira and Tete in Mozambique. This is the first time Strauss Logistics has bought FAW trucks, having originally relied on a number of used European and North American brands to haul Chinese-sourced fuel tankers throughout Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. Zimbabwe’s Strauss Logistics is a leading Leading vehicle tracking and telematics provider, Ctrack, has launched its BX500 and BX600 range of wireless, ultra-com- pact GPS tracking devices. Ideal for use in cars, trucks and motorbikes, quads, golf carts, delivery vans and generators, the new devices are also designed to track non-powered assets like containers, trail- ers and packages. Both BX models are ultra-compact, meaning that the units can be concealed in cargo easily, and both have enough memory to record 25 000 trips. Featuring adaptive tracking, the devices make use of accelerometers, as well as data from GPS transmitters, to intelligently detect movements and send live updates. Either model can be scaled to provide continuous tracking information or just once a day in order to preserve internal battery life. The BX500 model is powered by remov- able Lithium batteries, which can last up to four years when providing a single, daily tracking update. With a robust internal battery pack, the BX600 model can be recharged using the provided micro-USB cable and compact charger. Several BX600 units were recently used

• 44 FAW 33.420FT truck tractors for Strauss Logistics • To travel over 100 000 km per year • Strauss operates over 200 trucks

The FAW trucks will be used to transport general cargo from Durban right up to Kolwezi in the DRC.

road and rail distributor of petroleum products in Central and Southern Africa. The company was established in early 2010, having started as a trading company which outsourced its transport needs to third parties. Today it operates over 200 trucks and more than 60 rail tank cars. Serving second tier retail customers as well as large in- dustrial and commercial fuel users, Strauss Logistics moves diesel, petrol, Avgas, Jet A1, Ethanol, White Spirits and liquefied petroleum gas across the SADC region. Darren Da Silva, chief operations officer

at Strauss Logistics, explains that he travelled extensively to China to witness the production of the company’s tankers, some of which were custom-designed for Strauss Logistics. He subsequently adopted a positive view of Chinese manufacturing and design. The FAW brand was later recommended to him by Choice Diesel Mozambique’s managing director, Wayne Greenwood. Choice Diesel became a full FAW sales and service dealer in Mozambique in August 2018. b

Ctrack launches ultra-compact tracking devices

The BX500 model is powered by removable Lithium batteries.

• The BX500 and BX600 have enough memory to record 25 000 trips • The BX500’s Lithium batteries can last up to four years when providing a single, daily tracking update • Can be configured to roam across multiple 2G, 3G or 4G networks in South Africa

to monitor the progress of the recent Sasol Solar Car Challenge, with great success. Each device recorded an average of 96 hours of driving time, having been charged once before the event commenced. The BX600 model is further equipped to detect tampering. This feature makes it ideal for high-value cargo applications. Both tracking devices are enclosed in rugged housings that are made from sturdy

ABS/Polycarbonate plastics. Ctrack’s BX units can be remotely con- figured and updated over the air and, using a single micro-SIM, can be configured to roam across multiple 2G, 3G or 4G net- works in South Africa. With either of these devices, business owners can now be in control of every aspect of their business, knowing where all their assets are and whether they have been moved or not. b

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