October is Transport Month in South Africa, an initiative introduced by the Department of Transport in 2005 to raise awareness around the industry as a whole. This year’s theme – ‘Together we move South Africa Forward’ – resonates strongly with FAW Trucks as it continues to strengthen its foothold in the local market by providing products that are affordable, dependable, and suited to often challenging local operating conditions.
“Transport Month reminds us just how vital the transport industry is to the South African economy. FAW Trucks is proud to be able to contribute to a sector that continues to show remarkable resilience and innovation in the face of numerous prevailing challenges,” says Yongjun Li, CEO of FAW Trucks SA.
According to Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, this year’s Transport Month is celebrated against the backdrop of a pandemic that continues to devastate the world. In the wake of this devastation, this year’s campaign focuses on positioning the transport sector as a key enabler to the country’s economic reconstruction and recovery. The ravages of the pandemic have given way to new opportunities for a new economy to emerge and this new economy will give impetus to Government’s transformation objectives and will enable the creation of space for small, medium, and micro enterprises to drive economic growth and job creation.
FAW Trucks not only supports the Government in its vision and objectives but also sees the emerging informal sector as a major growth area. This is a key driver of the company’s philosophy of providing vehicles that are exceptionally easy to operate, with uncomplicated maintenance and service requirements, at a very competitive price.
In the current challenging economic environment, transport and logistics operators are under constant pressure to expand the scope of their fleets in order to capitalise on all available opportunities. For businesses to be viable, initial capital outlay and running costs need to be balanced against quality, durability, and capability, and over the past 27 years, FAW Trucks has consistently checked all these boxes.
Overall lifetime costs on FAW trucks are crucial to the good reputation of the brand locally. When one takes into account the relatively low initial capital outlay, together with the build quality and the extensively proven reduction in downtime, FAW’s commercial vehicles provide fleet owners with unparalleled value.
“The South African commercial vehicle market is a very competitive one,” explains Li. “Customers expect their trucks to be tough and durable, as well as fuel-efficient, lightweight and technologically advanced and FAW Trucks remains committed to delivering on these unique local requirements.”
Further proof of FAW Trucks’ commitment to the local market is provided by the various achievements and accolades the company has already celebrated this year alone. In the first quarter of 2021, the brand took the top spot in the Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) segment of the local market for the first time. In April a significant milestone was reached when the 7 000th locally assembled vehicle rolled out of the Coega manufacturing plant, while in July the 8.140FL-AT was introduced in response to strong demand for a value-for-money automatic offering in the medium-weight segment of the commercial vehicle market. FAW Trucks’ most recent achievement was receiving a Silver Award in the 2021 NADA Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey.
“We are understandably proud of our own achievements, but as we celebrate Transport Month, FAW Trucks wishes to salute all role-players for their achievements and the valuable contribution they continue to make to the sector. At the same time, we wish to reaffirm our commitment to moving South Africa forward by doing what we do best: providing trucks that are built in South Africa, for Africa,” Li concludes.
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