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Coke is it!
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A true trucking enthusiast is transport manager Andries Gous seen here next to one of the first bottling plants used by Namibia Beverages
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Andries Gous behind one of his beloved rigs hauled by a Hino.
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| The world's best-known brand, Coca-Cola, is distributed by Namibia Beverages to remote corners of this dry and beautiful country in terms of Coca-Cola's traditional marketing approach that everyone should be able to enjoy a Coke! And just as for every Namibian transport operator, vehicle reliability is paramount to success in serving consumer demand.
Andries Gous, transport
manager at Namibia Beverages, points out: "We can
experience a vehicle breakdown 980 kilometres from base and
the nearest rescue service point is 400 kilometres away from
us!" This makes rapid communication vital to transport
lifelines in Namibia where cell-phones now play an essential
role in minimising vehicle downtime. |
Namibia Beverages has developed extraordinary transport management experience on specific Namibian routes such as the 160-kilometre journey from Aus to Rosh Pinah. This trip takes six hours and can be achieved in three but the extra time taken in travelling more slowly over bad road conditions means less damage to the truck in terms of vehicle maintenance and downtime.
Johnny Haufiku, the Namibia Beverages Aus-Rosh Pinah driver, is commended for sticking to the slower trip time in terms of vehicle care and asset preservation on this route.
Tyre pressures do not have to be at maximum rating due to slower speeds on certain routes. Andries Gous explains: "We have found that by dropping tyre pressure to match both speed and load, this is translated into the overall performance of a vehicle suspension and chassis shock loads. Tyre pressure can play a bigger role in vehicle maintenance than just impacting on tyre life."
Namibia Beverages has been able to reduce annual tyre expenses from R600 000 in 1999 to an astonishing R250 000 in 2002. Despite careful tyre management, some routes are so severe that tyres are lost on every trip. Such a trip is between Oshakati and Opuwa, a distance of only 400 kilometres.
Echoing the experiences of other Hino and Dyna customers, Namibia Beverages finds the underfoot conditions in Ovamboland particularly tough where they still have a 1985 Hino 14-133 operating. Some 17 years of service have taken a toll on the Hino 14-133 cab but the driveline is still strong and operating.
The preferred distribution truck for Namibian Beverages is the Dyna which Andries Gous described as "an abuse-friendly truck that delivers good fuel consumption combined with reliability".
While long distance haulers clock up distance quickly, the local delivery units are subject to stop-start punishment in spite of short lead distances in delivering Coca-Cola. Engine idling is a constant problem that needs attention. In some instances, 54 hours of engine operation have been measured which include 22 hours of pure idling.
Henk Maree Director of Toyota South Africa Motors Truck Division, concludes: "Throughout southern Africa both Hino and Dyna are associated with the world-famous Coca-Cola. We are delighted that this extends to the varied conditions of Namibia, a market which we consider most important."
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