Construction World August 2017

BOTH PHOTOS: Truck cranes on Jacobs Transport’s new Scania trucks demonstrate their capacity.

Jacobs Transport’s colourful livery on one of the company’s recently acquired Scania G410 units.

“The advantage of our dealership network is that they are all Scania-owned,” said Strachan. “So wherever a truck needs attention, that dealership will have access to all the customer information on our central database – and can attend to them without delay. Where there is no dealership in an area, we have a Scania approved service provider.” Coetzer said this support network was an important benefit, as Jacobs Transport operates throughout a number of southern African countries. “We travel and work all over this region, so we need that assistance – we need that assurance that we are covered, to help manage the risks of our business,” he said. The next important factor in the purchase decision is the durability of the truck; this is a function of its advanced design and manufacturing excellence, and makes for longer life and lower cost of ownership. He highlighted how the quality of their trucks could be measured in the way they age. “When a truck ages well, this has a huge effect on our target of a minimum eight-year lifespan,” said Coetzer. “We find that they cost little more to maintain as they age; they are the kind of trucks that you want to keep for eight years, as they still deliver the same value and reliability.” He said the durability of the Scania vehicles means that the value they add to the business every day remains more or less constant; they also still have a resale value when the business needs to rejuvenate the fleet. Coetzer emphasised the importance of considering the overall life-cycle cost of truck ownership – the big picture.

“The initial capital cost is not our main

concern when selecting a vehicle,” he said. “We have decided on Scania trucks because of what they can offer, in terms of bringing value to our business. “Take the turn-around time during servicing, for instance. The way Scania manages their operation is important to us; it means that I can take a problem to their workshop manager, and I know there will be a quick decision, and action will follow. We don’t have lengthy procedures or processes that cost us money, while a truck stands idle.

clients,” said Jacobs. “They want to know what our carbon footprint is, and it needs to contribute to their own sustainability targets. Our Scania trucks, with their advanced engineering and lower emissions, help us do that.” Like Scania, its customer Jacobs Transport is finding success through quality, innovation and a never-ending quest to meet and exceed their customer’s expectations. 

“In this respect, nobody can beat Scania South Africa’s approach and efficiency; they outclass everybody.” A factor of increasing importance to transport companies and their clients is the issue of exhaust emissions. “For us, it is a selling point that our Scania trucks have low carbon-emissions ratings, especially for our larger corporate

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2017