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© 2001 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line.
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In an effort to encourage safer and more responsible trucking, Nissan Diesel SA is to subsidise the prices of certain genuine parts, specifically safety critical parts such as brakes.
"We have seen some horror accidents caused by trucks which not only costs thousands of Rands in damage but has also led to the loss of valuable lives of other innocent road users," says Frans Cloete, executive vice president of Nissan Diesel South Africa. "This puts even more pressure on industry stakeholders to provide constructive solutions to this poignant problem."
According to Frans Calitz, senior manager of parts operations at Nissan Diesel, the biggest problem in the trucking industry at the moment is the uncontrolled supply and fitment of inferior parts - or else good quality parts but inferior workmanship.
"It is a little known fact that 90% of the time, something as safety critical as brakes on trucks are not fitted by manufacturer-appointed dealers. A traffic officer can't simply do a roadside check on a truck to see if its brakes are working properly as they are usually contained in sealed units. The solution, therefore, lies in ensuring that only quality parts are used and that they are fitted by properly trained technicians," says Calitz.
The South African trucking industry is very competitive and according to Calitz, with pure profit in mind, a number of operations have sprung up over the years that are able to provide a "cheaper" service because they are not expected to conform to certain standards.
"And in an effort to save money and stay ahead of competitors, truck operators are cutting corners by choosing to buy these cheap products as it is a regular maintenance expense and the price of genuine parts are perceived to be expensive. The problem with most of these unaccredited operations, though, is are that they are supplying parts or service that are simply substandard," says Calitz.
According to Calitz, this is exactly why Nissan Diesel decided to launch an investigation into what he terms these illegal and often dangerous practices. "And the results were horrifying."
(See photos 1 - 5). "Looking at these examples, you will no doubt share the concerns of the Nissan Diesel team. However, we were also privileged to see examples of how brakes are supposed to be relined."
(See photos 6 - 8).
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lining, although of a good quality material, was forced to fit on the brake shoe. Look at the crack in the material as well as the areas of the brake shoe that are not covered. |
Although a large piece of this brake shoe was broken off, the bonder regarded it to be fit for use.
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don't need to be a skilled technician to see that these rivets will not be able to keep the brake shoe and lining together. |
This lining on this brake shoe simply came loose. |
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Note
the welding on this brake shoe. |
Quality fitment ensures that the lining covers the entire brake shoe, when viewed from above as well as from the side
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...and this is what a properly fitted rivet should look like. |
Addressing the general perception that genuine parts such as brake pads are more expensive than grey products, Calitz says that if you do a comparison on a pure cost per kilometre basis, this myth is quickly dispelled. "In the long run, you will end up paying more for the maintenance of your trucks when you use inferior quality parts or workmanship," he says.
To try improve the situation, Nissan Diesel SA went out and negotiated the lowest possible prices from suppliers on behalf of its customers. Where these were not obtained, Nissan Diesel has undertaken to subsidise these parts at its network of dealerships across South Africa.
As part of the process, the company also enlisted the assistance of some of its biggest fleet owners to provide insight from an operator's perspective. "Fleet owners obviously have unique requirements when it comes to their specific field of operation and by nurturing a long-term relationship with our clients, we are able to address the critical risk areas."
The installation of any part of a truck's braking system is a highly specialised process usually done by a bonder through the use of specialised equipment. To ensure these bonders adhere to the highest standards, all bonders affiliated to a Nissan Diesel dealership will now have to adhere to a set of stringent standards as set by Nissan Diesel.
"This relates to the parts and the workmanship used to maintain and repair Nissan Diesel trucks and the trailers used to transport freight," says Calitz.
Nissan Diesel's initiative forms part of a larger effort by truck manufacturers and National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) to improve the safety of trucks on South African roads. "There are many operations out there that provide service in varying degrees of quality and through this project, we want to separate the good from the bad," says Calitz.
Now that's what we call added value service. Well done to Nissan Diesel.
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