Maintenance crisis looms

The South Africa trucking industry is facing a crisis in that there are more vehicles in service than there are people to maintain them. FleetWatch correspondent Jack Webster explores the situation and spells out the realities.

Chapter V of the National Road Traffic Act (Act No. 93 of 1996) deals with the Fitness of Vehicles and includes Sections 37 to 44 which covers the registration and grading of Testing Stations, the Roadworthiness of Vehicles and the Roadworthy Certificate. But the Act only covers the basic 'enabling' aspect. The real meat of the roadworthiness is in the Regulations and Chapter VI, Part One deals with testing stations, grades of testing stations and the testing of vehicles, all covered in detail in Part One, Regulations 128 to 148 inclusive.

The examination and testing of vehicles is carried out in accordance with the test procedure prescribed in the South African Bureau of Standards Code of Practice SABS 047, and by qualified vehicle examiners registered and appointed as prescribed in Regulations 1B and 1C.

Given all this, it is clear that the roadworthiness of vehicles is well covered by legislation but - how effective is the legislation?

Firstly, if a vehicle passes the roadworthy test, the registering authority with which the testing station is registered issues a Certificate of Roadworthiness on Form CRW. This Certificate is headed with the title.

Certification of Roadworthiness (National Road Traffic Act, 1996)

It would be reasonable to assume that this Certificate would ensure a vehicle is roadworthy and in good mechanical condition. However, at the bottom of the form, the following note is printed:

In effect, this note makes the Certificate - which is required by law - worth no more than a giving a list of statistical information relating to the vehicle.

It is common knowledge that immediately prior to a roadworthy test, a vehicle is serviced and 'prepared' for the test. What happens to the vehicle between annual roadworthy tests relies entirely on the servicing and maintenance of the vehicle.

Danger ahead
It is in this area that the industry is facing a manpower crisis and both the authorities and the industry would do well to take note of the dangers facing the industry both now and in the future. The following facts must be realised:

In 1981, an in-depth study was done for the National Transport Policy Study which included an analysis of the vehicle population (a statistic no longer recorded by the Department of Central Statistical Services). In this study, the number of diesel engined trucks, truck-tractors and buses was recorded at 203 352.

Here we are extrapolating but based on annual new vehicle sales of around 6 000 per year over the 20 years since the study was done, this would mean another 120 000 vehicles have been added to that total. Taking an annual scrap rate of say 20%, the total current population of diesel driven vehicles would therefore be:

203 352 + 120 000 - 7 000 = 343 352

To this must be added the large number of tractors and other diesel driven farming and forestry vehicles - say around 150 000. This brings the total number of diesel driven vehicles to 494 352. To make life easier, let's round it off to 500 000.

Investigations reveal that the accepted norm for servicing medium to heavy trucks, truck-tractors, buses and tractors is based on two major services per year (average kilometers 150 000/year) allowing 13 hours per service plus ten minor services at 15 000 km allowing three hours per service. Assuming servicing time at 46 weeks per year, this brings the total hours required for servicing 500 000 vehicles to 608 695 hours per year, split as follows.

Assuming that a mechanic works 45 normal working hours per week, the number of mechanics therefore required to service 500 000 vehicles will be:

How many diesel mechanics?
The question that now needs to be answered is: How many diesel mechanics are presently registered and employed to service the 500 000 trucks, truck-tractors, tractors and buses?

From the Internet, we established that according to the breakdown of the population register, there were 36 000 registered mechanics in the motor industry on 31 December 2000. That's encouraging you might say but this figure includes panel beaters, auto electricians, motor mechanics and diesel mechanics. Unfortunately, the statistics do not separate the trades so it is necessary to try do some estimating - and here we have drawn on the help of people involved in the industry.

Firstly, if we assume that 18% of the 36 000 are auto electricians and panelbeaters, totalling say 6 400, it means there would be 29 600 motor mechanics and diesel mechanics. If it is further assumed that the servicing of medium and heavy diesel driven vehicles involve much more complex and time-consuming servicing than motor cars, mini-buses and bakkies - but there are around five times as many light vehicles than heavies - it is assumed for the purpose of this exercise that 35% of the 29 600 are diesel mechanics. This means South Africa has 10 360 diesel mechanics to service 500 000 trucks, truck-tractors, buses and tractors.

It still doesn't look too bad but then we must take off from this figure the mechanics not engaged in servicing vehicles but rather engines, gearboxes and other components - plus mechanics working in the field of major repairs and breakdowns?

And still further, there is a need to service and maintain the large numbers of diesel driven earthmoving and construction equipment which are not included in the vehicle population. In this industry sector, there is an acute shortage of mechanics.

Matter further complicated
To further complicate matters, the National Qualifications Framework Policy being promoted by Government has reintroduced the system of modular "Job Specific" work activity. Under this system, electrical jobs can only be done by an auto-electrician, a diesel engine can only be worked on by a diesel mechanic and only a qualified motor mechanic can work on a motor car.

This may be good thinking in terms of job creation and skills qualifications but can the industry afford this luxury. And if it can, when do we start training the specialised trades?

If we want roadworthy vehicles which are regularly and properly serviced and maintained, then the authorities and the road transport industry must embark on an urgent campaign to encourage and attract more young people to join the industry as apprentices to be trained at bench level.

The bottom line is that for the period January to December 2000, we were putting more new vehicles into service than there are people to maintain them. It is all very well to train lawyers, accountants, economists and other such professionals. However, if the wheels of vehicles don't keep turning, the economy will grind to a halt.

There are plenty of people out there anxious to learn and work but they must be harnessed and trained. The accompanying table of apprenticeship registrations in the trades of Panel Beaters, Auto-Electricians, Motor Mechanics and Diesel Mechanics for the period 1994 to 1998 provides proof of this.

Compare the numbers with the table showing sales of new, medium and heavy trucks, truck-tractors and buses (excluding Tractors) for the year 2000 and you will see the widening gap between the number of vehicles being put into service and the number of people entering the industry to service these vehicles. It is widening.