The backbone of our economy

PEUGEOT BOXER A late entry to this sector was the Peugeot Boxer with the 350MH medium wheelbase Boxer. A long wheelbase model was added to the stable last year.

They're the unsung heroes of our economy. We refer to the bottom end of the truck market where vehicles like the Sprinter, the Iveco Daily City Truck, the Peugeot Boxer, the Toyota Dyna and others are opening new applications for South African businesses. FleetWatch has decided to incorporate these vehicles into our pages and in this, our first feature on the lighter side of trucking, Patrick O'Leary looks at the van sector where versatility reigns supreme while Jack Webster discusses some misnomers.

IVECO The most common application - the van

When the van concept was introduced into South Africa some years back, I didn't really see this as great shakes for the distribution fraternity. After all, Woodstock was long gone and the old Combi-type vans were mainly being used by the few left-over stragglers of the free-living hippie brigade of the '60s who made love in the park while America made war in Vietnam. That's hardly a business application.

I had a van once. It was a VW Combi panelvan with swing doors on the side. Many of these 'vans' were luxuriously kitted out with fridge, stove, cupboards, beds and all the other trappings of van success. However, my DIY skills didn't quite make the grade so I opted for the stark, minimalist look as practiced by some of the world's most famous interior decorators. I chucked a few crates of beer and some throw-away foam mattresses into the back. Great fun was had by all.

MOBILE WORKSHOPS The Sprinter has enabled companies to take service to a customer's site

Based on this background, it was hard to see what Iveco - which pipped Mercedes-Benz to the post in introducing the van concept to South Africa - was excited about when they introduced the TurboDaily in 1994. So what did they see?

The answer is: A future that would not only add value to the company in terms of burgeoning sales but would also provide the market with one of the most versatile commercial vehicle concepts yet to hit South Africa. Just when everyone thought all had been done, the van introduced a totally new mindset into commercial vehicle applications in this country.

EMERGECY SERVICES It has also enabled fast and efficient response from emergency services

As a matter of interest, Mercedes-Benz had to swallow hard when Iveco beat them to it for Merc was intent on opening the market to this new concept by bringing in Germany's predecessor to the Sprinter. However, that would have meant the vehicle would have only been in operation for a year before being replaced by the Sprinter. Residual values would have been eroded so to wait was the responsible thing to do.

It was only in 1996 that DaimlerChrysler was able to bring in the Sprinter and since then, the Peugeot Boxer has also joined as a contender brought in through McCarthy Motor Holdings. Since those early days, this sector has grown in leaps and bounds with the main reason for this success being the versatility of these vehicles. Listen to this:

COURIER SERVICES The 'van' has been a winner in the courier service business	VAN BODY And here is the 'van' in a more traditional commercial vehicle application

When Iveco launched the Iveco Daily City Truck range - the successor to the TurboDaily - at last year's Auto Africa, a press statement pointed out that this European range has - and I quote from the statement: "both volume and mass carrying capacities offering operators more than 3 000 permutations and alternatives in terms of chassis lengths, body types, engines and gearboxes to choose from- customer made for a multiple of applications." That's a pot-full of applications.

WASTE REMOVAL Who would ever have thought a 'van' would be used for waste removal

At the same show, DaimlerChrysler showed off its upgraded Sprinter range and when asked to what he attributed the Sprinter's phenomenal success, Gert Grobler, product manager for light and medium commercial vehicles at Mercedes-Benz, said: "It's the versatility of these vehicles that forms the basis of their success."

And versatile they are with these vehicles finding commercial applications in such diverse areas as ambulances, cash-in-transit operations, school buses, staff buses, rental and courier services, food and beverage distribution, breakdown recovery and other general services. They are now also finding a place in fulfilling the delivery requirements of suppliers offering on-line shopping via the internet.

In terms of market positioning, the number one contender since its introduction has been the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter which has consistently sold more than double the number of its nearest rival since 1997. Last year, for example, 1166 Sprinters were sold compared to 317 Iveco's and 50 Peugeot Boxers.

ALU-SPRINTER According to the lastest predictions, the number of parcels and packages needing to be transported will more than double in the next six yeara. DaimlerCrysler AG has therefore developed a fully operational vehicle study, the Alu-Sprinter, which will provide courier, express delivery and oarcel serviced with a siutable distribution vehicle for tackling this logistic challenge. The use of aluminium increases the payload from 1300kg for the standard Sprinter to 1500kg, while the larger dimensions increase the cargo volume from 13,4 m3 to 15 m3. Power-operated sliding doors at the rear and on the side nearest the kerb, and the absence of a passenger seat, save valuable seconds when entering and leaving the vehicle. This is not yet available in South Africa.

With their new offering in the form of the Daily City Truck range, Iveco is expecting to reach 500 sales this year. Peugeot Boxer sales should also go up with the introduction of a new long wheelbase model , the 350LH, to compliment the 350MH medium wheelbase van. But it's a given that the Sprinter will still be way out in front.

FleetWatch could think of no better way to highlight the contribution these vans are making to the economy than by featuring - via the accompanying photographs - the diverse applications in which they are being used.And no doubt new ones will follow.

In a future edition, we will take a look at the traditional chassis cab offerings at the lower end of the market where, like the van sector, new ground is being broken for South Africa operators. It's a great industry this, isn't it?