Author:focus-on-transport
As the global recession claims more and more victims, the truck industry has had to come up with ways to stay afloat. Readers of the quarterly review articles in FOCUS will be aware that the South African market for commercial vehicles over 3 500 kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), for the initial six months of 2009, was 48.2% of the total volume of sales recorded during the equivalent period one year earlier.
Sweden has long been synonymous with products of strength and quality, and Swedish steel is no different. As the intellectual property of Swedish-based manufacturer SSAB, strong and durable Swedish steel has revolutionised heavy industries across the world. Now, through a partnership with SA Truck Bodies, it looks set to transform local transport as well.
While most manufacturers feel the pinch of the global recession, Tata gears up its bus production. Having recently revealed the future direction of its goods vehicle product plan by way of the new World Truck series, Tata Motors Limited has completed a major investment to increase the tempo of its bus production at three dedicated manufacturing operations.
Which companies are at the top of the game within the transport industry? All has been revealed, with the announcement of the 2009 Focus on Excellence Awards finalists…
When Mercedes-Benz launches a vehicle, you can be sure the event will be memorable, particularly when the manufacturer in question has both trucks and cars in its arsenal โ and is in the mood to showcase both, writes NADINE VON MOLTKE.
Since the turn of the millennium, the trailer industry has enjoyed a number of very positive years. But like virtually every other sector of the economy, it has experienced a severe reversal of fortunes over the last 18 months. GG VAN ROOYEN examines the current state of the industry.
What do six โstrong menโ, a crazy crane operator and a monster machine man have in common? Theyโve all tried to put a dent in SSABโs versatile Swedish steel wear plate, Hardox. And none have succeeded.
In a joint project with organisations like the European Union, the Swedish Energy Agency, various fuel companies and the transport industry, Volvo Trucks recently launched a project aimed at establishing the viability of dimethyl ether (DME) as a biofuel.
After a slow start, Johannesburgโs first phase of bus rapid transit (BRT) finally came online in late August, three months later than originally planned. But the cityโs excitement over the new public transport system was to be short lived as BRT buses came under fire โ literally.
The days of the milk man delivering milk to our doors might be long gone, but we still rely on the delivery of fresh milk to our supermarkets, each and every day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. FOCUS chats to Douglasdale Dairy about maintaining the cold chain and keeping the milk flowing.
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