Capital Equipment News January-February 2024

of UD Trucks Southern Africa, comments that 2023 was not always an easy year but that the company strengthened its holistic proposition, focusing on delivering transport and service solutions that South Africa needs today. “In pursuit of this goal, we have accomplished various objectives, including achieving retail excellence, introducing innovative transport solutions, enhancing our aftersales offerings to reduce total cost of ownership, and improving parts availability at dealers, leading to further improved uptime and resale value for our customers, among other accomplishments. With improved cost of ownership and uptime ultimately driving customer satisfaction,” he says. According to Van den Heede, some of the success is attributed to UD’s commitment to after-sales services and the brand’s continued investment in South Africa, where brand recognition is strong and growing – and where UD is offering transport solutions. Total Cost of Ownership and service and maintenance contracts are part of UDTSA’s offering, and they aim to offer the best, cost-effective solutions. “In the past, a part of our consumer base had their workshops for maintenance. We’re seeing a shift where that is fading away because running an in-house workshop is becoming unsustainable and even unaffordable,” says Van den Heede. “It becomes complicated when fleet owners have trucks from four or five OEMs, and a personal workshop needs to service these vehicles. For instance, getting all the right parts plays a role in owners opting for service and maintenance contracts. At UDTSA, we take these pain points away,” explains Van den Heede. Last year, the UDTSA brand was renewed in confidence when it officially opened its doors to a more prominent, more prominently located dealership in Cape Town. The new dealership in Cape Town, together with many other investments in the network, continues to be proof of the ongoing investments in customer satisfaction. New partnerships One of the newest announcements from UD Trucks to kick off 2024 is the SVI Armoured UD Kruzer. This follows a venture between UDTSA and SVI Engineering, a leading specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa. The SVI-converted UD Kuzer truck offers its driver and front passengers comprehensive B6 protection

The new Quon, a legacy truck with exceptional sales, that is proving highly successful in the heavy-duty market in South Africa.

Strong 2023 sales, driven by heavy-duty truck demand amid rail issues, showcase UD Trucks’ rising prominence locally.

UDTSA achieved 9.2% growth in the new vehicle market, emphasising service agreements, ensuring predictability, peace of mind, and uptime.

The collapse of local rail increased demand; 18,458 heavy-duty trucks were sold in 2023, emphasising trucks’ pivotal role.

Beyond sales, UDTSA’s focus on after-sales services, maintenance contracts, and customer satisfaction enhances trust in the market.

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Trucks and 8251 Light Duty Trucks. He adds that since the country is now relying on the movement of goods by load, the strong performance of Heavy-Duty Trucks is expected to keep its momentum. But moving commodities plays just a part in UD Trucks SA’s meteoric

rise in sales. After-sales service and maintenance contracts are also making UDTSA a strong competitor in the South African truck market. Building trust Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director

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