Capital Equipment News June 2017

HEAVY COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

a segment that has many other players offering much larger engines on their truck offerings. The smaller engine capacity translates into better fuel economy, but still offers maximum power for the task at hand. Meanwhile, the aerodynamic cab on the FJ 26-280C reduces wind resistance, thus improving the truck’s fuel efficiency. It also comes with an Intelligent Instrument Cluster, with Green Band and Trip Mileage Indicator, as standard. The variable green band in the instrument cluster shows the zone in which the truck is operating at maximum efficiency. The new offering also comes with Power Take-Off (PTO) as one of its several standard features. “This is a regular requirement in the construction industry, as PTO supplies power to other equipment,” says Makitla. With versatility in mind, the FJ 26-280C can be used as a tipper or mixer. The engine service intervals have been increased from 15 000 km on previous offerings to 20 000 km on the new truck. Transmission service intervals have also increased to 45 000 km or 1 200 hours. Construction conditions are often char- acterised by challenging underfoot condi- tions. To meet FUSO’s reliability promise, the FJ 26-280C comes with a durable chas- sis frame to handle heavy loads. The chas- sis has full depth long members with 9 mm thickness and flange depth of 284 mm. The heavy duty suspension and axles with diff-lock allows it to handle difficult underfoot conditions. “The multi-leaf bogie type suspension allows the truck to han- dle all type of loads. Its heavy duty crown wheel (390 mm in diameter) with thick teeth allows for more contact area for long life,” says Makitla. “The truck comes with inter-wheel and inter-diff locks for con- struction conditions.” Safety was also paramount in the design phase of the truck. The standard front and rear anti-roll bars increase the vehicle’s stability, while the differential lock assists to reduce one wheel from spinning, mak- ing the truck safer and easier to operate in conditions that offer little or no grip. Strategy and outlook Hafkamp tells Capital Equipment News that FUSO’s ambition in southern Africa is to double its share of market (SOM) by 2020, compared with that of 2015. The brand has enjoyed continued increase of SOM growth in recent years, recording a 0,6% increase in the 2014-15 financial year, before its 1,3% in 2015-16 and 0,7% increase in the year-to-date. A roadmap for doubling its SOM by 2020 is based on six key elements: sales growth,

Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa has expanded its FUSO family with the launch of the new FJ 26-280C heavy duty truck for construction.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa invested in excess of R3 million into its East London plant to ensure it was ready for the increase in FUSO CKD production.

growth. “We will continue to expand the FUSO family to 2020 and beyond in the different segments of the market,” says Hafkamp. “The focus is on filling the prod- uct gaps, where necessary,” adds Hassim. In terms of outlook, Hafkamp is encouraged by the prospects of growth for the local truck market at large. He notes that the market has seen a steady 3% increase in the first four months of 2017 compared with the same period last year. He looks forward to a positive year overall, on the back of decreasing inflation, increasing consumer spending and favourable exchange rates. Felix Homburg, Head of Production at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, considers Africa as a great market to be explored, and believes that South Africa will become the biggest volume driver for FUSO’s CKD assembly among some of the developing markets. b

customer centricity, digital solutions, brand awareness, FUSO dedication and best people. With a rapid evolution of digitisation as companies realise that digital transformation is critical to survival in the new world order, Hafkamp says introduction of fleet management solutions to the FUSO range ranks highly among key initiatives towards the envisaged growth of the brand. In terms of brand awareness, Hafkamp believes while FUSO leverages the strong repute of the Daimler family in the mar- ket, there is an increased need for a FUSO dedication in the dealer network to further drive the growth of the brand. “To grow the brand to the heights we envisage, we will also need qualified people. As a result, we will continue to invest in people and skills to further capacitate the strength of our workforce,” says Hafkamp. Product expansion, informed by market needs, is a key strategy for FUSO’s future

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