Capital Equipment News September 2018

COVER STORY

have to send the vehicle to a bodybuilder and all the other service providers, we do that on their behalf. Bear in mind that their vehicles require a lot of extras such as belly plates, tailgates, drain valves, hydraulic booms, abrasion resistant liners, handrails, grounding reels and lugs, as well as specialised bull bars, among others. We liaise with all the service providers and make sure that the vehicle is fully spec’d before we deliver,” says Burger. As a result, EnviroServ doesn’t have to deal with various service providers, allowing them to have one point of contact. Another reason for bolstering the fleet with more Scania trucks is that the OEM could readily offer an automatic transmission, which is a key requirement for EnviroServ. The Scania product comes with the OEM's Opticruise automatic transmission. “We were able to offer EnviroServ a vehicle that is fully fitted with Scania products only, including the gearbox and retarders. That was a key competitive edge for us,” explains Burger. Fleet and applications EnviroServ has predominantly bought three Scania models to date, which have been deployed across an array of applications. The company operates 17 P360CB6x4EHZ models, four G460CA6x4HHZ truck tractors and two G410CB6x4MHZ units. “Our application range largely entails the collection and transportation of waste in the industrial sector. Due to the demanding nature of the applications, all our trucks are equipped with Scania’s construction chassis,” explains Seetal. EnviroServ’s fleet comprises skip loaders, RoRos (Roll on, Roll off) front end loaders (FELs) and side tippers, among others. “The Scania product line can support all our application needs, including specialised super suckers and vacuum tankers,” says Seetal. Of the 17 P360CB6x4EHZ units, nine are skip loaders, while four are ROROs and four more units are FELs. Of the four G460CA6x4HHZ truck tractors, two are side tipper links and the other two are equipped with vacuum tanker bodies. The two G410CB6x4MHZ units come in the form of rigid vacuum tankers. EnviroServ has 8-10 year replacement cycles for its truck fleet. The company will run its Scania vehicles for seven years under the extended maintenance plan. Beyond the seven-year period, the trucks will be deployed in a low production environment where they will be used as support vehicles. “We will only replace when they become uneconomical to run, probably after 10 years,” concludes Seetal. b

The Scania product line can support all of EnviroServ's application needs, including specialised super suckers and vacuum tankers.

bought its first Scania truck the very same year. “Initially, the only reason we went the Scania route was because of Naas,” explains Seetal. Why Scania? After initially buying a single Scania truck, Seetal and his EnviroServ team were immediately impressed by both the product and Scania South Africa’s approach to the relationship. Three years later, the company now operates a total of 23 Scania trucks, representing a sizeable amount of its fleet. Meanwhile, five of its 25 owner drivers have also recently taken delivery of their first Scania trucks, and indications are that many more will opt for Scania when their current trucks are up for renewal. From the onset, Seetal was very happy with the upfront capital cost. Given the premium nature of the Scania product, which boasts a range of technologically advanced features as standard, Seetal was surprised to see that Scania was about 5-6% cost competitive than the other premium brand. “We were really happy with Scania’s pricing. It was a very good value proposition for us,” he says. This was complemented by Scania SA’s flexible financing solutions, which saw all EnviroServ’s Scania trucks being purchased using Scania Finance. Before even taking delivery of the first unit, EnviroServ did an extensive six-month testing with one of the Scania vehicles. “From the tests we did with EnviroServ, they were impressed by Scania’s fuel consumption. The truck averaged about 44 ℓ of diesel per 100 km in a skip loading application compared with 48 ℓ they

achieved with the other brand,” says Burger. However, the biggest driver in EnviroServ’s decision to further bolster its Scania fleet was Scania SA’s willingness to tailor the deals to the company’s operating needs. “One of their custom needs was the longer maintenance periods from the normal 60 to 84 months,” explains Burger. “Scania was the first company to offer us the flexibility to increase the maintenance contracts from the industry standard of five years, to seven years. We negotiated for longer maintenance contracts in line with our business needs. For such a big ask, I didn’t necessarily need to go and meet the managing director of Scania South Africa, but Naas was able to sort out all our requirements. This speaks volumes about the company’s flexibility and the empowerment of customer-facing individuals within the organisation,” says Seetal. protocols for their customer service staff to follow, for Seetal, a single point of contact is critical. “Having a single point of contact means that I can pick up the phone and call Naas directly for all my needs. That is way more practical than having to call a hotline and get tossed around from department to department trying to get someone to help you. How customer facing people handle situations reflects on the overall company, and we are very happy with Scania’s approach to customer service,” says Seetal. Speaking of a single point of contact, when EnviroServ orders its Scania vehicle, the OEM will fit all the extras as per the company’s spec before delivery. “They don’t Single point of contact While all suppliers have different

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 6