TruckX 2015 amplifies industry commitment to safety in the long haul

The Future Group, in association with Ctrack and Standard Bank, proudly hosted the 2nd Annual TruckX Conference and Awards ceremony at the Sandton Convention Centre on July 9. The one-day event successfully highlighted the biggest and best with regard to commercial vehicles and ancillary products for South Africa’s fleet, trucking and logistics sectors.

The event also saw the inaugural launch of the TruckX Exhibition that ran throughout the day. The exhibition featured 32 stands with leading brands – including 16 trucks and three trailers – on display and allowed delegates to interact with industry representatives while hearing about latest developments including new products, technologies, skills development and environmental sustainability initiatives.

The conference formally commenced with a keynote address from DigiCore, supplier of Ctrack, CEO Nick Vlok. He said it was an honour for Ctrack to be involved once again especially given that it was the company’s 30th year in the transport industry. Vlok attributed their long-term success to a balance of innovation, reliable products and good service. In conclusion, he expressed his thanks to Standard Bank for coming on board as a co-sponsor and to the panel members for their participation.

In his address, the Group Motoring Editor of Times Media, Wynter Murdoch, said the event was about the products, services and people who represented South Africa’s trucking and logistics industries, which daily delivered a significant portion of the country’s GNP.

He commended the Awards programme for its continued recognition of achievers as voted for by members of the commercial vehicle industry, and concluded by announcing that the award ceremony would see two drivers inducted into the inaugural Driver Hall of Fame.

The conference session consisted of two panel discussions chaired by media personality Jeremy Maggs. The first discussion addressed the topic: The Role of IT, Infrastructure and Risk Management in Improving Fleet Operations, with special emphasis on possible effects the industry faced if Government approved proposed legislation to ban the use of trucks on public roads during peak traffic hours.

The panel consisted of Toni Fritz, Head of Vehicle and Asset Finance: Business and Commercial, Standard Bank; Ricardo Coetzee, Managing Executive: Automotive, Innovation Group; Hein Jordt, Managing Director: CTrack Fleet Management Solutions; Ray Singh, Managing Director: Unitrans Customer Solution Development; and Anton Cornelissen: Managing Director, Heavy Haulage, Santam.

Overall, the panel of experts agreed that the best chance for the proposed legislation to work effectively was through the creation of a platform that would enable Government and fleet operators to co-operate, while improper application would have serious, negative impact on the country’s economy.

The second panel addressed the Cost of Road Safety, with the emphasis on reducing fleet risks. Panel members consisted of Adv Johan Jonck, Director, Arrive Alive; Rory Schulz, Managing Director, UD Trucks SA; Harneet Luther, Executive Director, Tata Automobile Corporation SA; Dr Paul Nordengen, Research Group Leader, Asset Management, CSIR; Keith Dye: Head of Vehicle and Asset Finance, Standard Bank and Themba Baloyi, Executive Director, Discovery Insurance.

Panellists agreed that the root of the topic was about saving the lives of all road users. Some of the key points raised included:

• Fleet risk was a combination of several factors, including a lack of national driver regulation;
• Industry should encourage more fleet owners and drivers to join regulating bodies such as the Road Transport Management System (RTMS);
• Law enforcement regarding trucks needed to be policed by specialised traffic officers;
• Product suppliers should actively participate in supporting driver training.

The Awards Ceremony
The TruckX 2015 Award ceremony consisted of 15 different categories with the master of ceremonies, well-known TV and stage personality Alan Committee, announcing the finalists and winners.

The votes were collected, processed and audited by independent research house Media Insights. The full list of award categories and winners was as follows:

CATEGORY	WINNER
Truck Tyre Manufacturer	Bridgestone
Fuel Brand	BP
Truck Lubricant Brand	Castrol
Commercial Vehicle Insurer	Auto & General
Third Party Logistics Provider	DHL
In-house Logistics Provider	DHL
Truck Stop	Engen N3 Harrismith
Trailer Manufacturer/Body Builder	AFRIT
After Market Services Truck Brand	Mercedes-Benz
Fleet Passenger Car Manufacturer	Toyota
Light Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer	Toyota
Medium Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
Heavy Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer	Volvo
Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
Driver Hall of Fame	Nehemia Nage from NWK Logistics and Sagie Govender from Global Petroleum
Truck of the Year	Joint Winners – Mercedes Benz Actros & Volvo FH

Visit the gallery for more photos of TruckX 2015.