Road Transport
“Only one
truck works
for Africa”
– the FAW 28.380FT
truck tractor says BHL
What more can a truck
manufacturer wish for than a
customer who not only sings
the praises of its brand and
its aftersales support, but
also claims that for their own
operation there is “only one
truck that works in Africa”?
B
uks van Rensburg, manag-
BHL have been running 70 of the
ing director of Buks Haulage
FAW 28.380FT side-tippers, transport-
Limited (BHL), which primar-
ing copper concentrate from the mines
ily uses these FAW units
in Zambia to the countries smelters.
in its 130-vehicle fleet, has made
Thereafter the robust 29 FAW flat decks
this exceptional accolade for the FAW
transport the beneficiated material from
28.380FT (commonly called the J5).
the smelter, over 2 400 kilometres from
Van Rensburg’s claim is no mere lip
service. To bear out this claim, he has
Ndola, Zambia, to Walvis Bay, Namibia,
for export to China.
literally put his bucks on the table by
“Treacherous roads with the worst con-
ordering a further 100 FAW vehicles
ditions ever seen – dirt tracks, potholes,
to back-up the 99 units he already
sludge, sand and rubble. Hard on any
has – all of them the robust FAW
truck and driver, and capable of virtually
28.380FT.
breaking the camel’s back – the vehicle’s
“I took the decision in October last year
that all my replacement vehicles will be
and the driver’s – in very quick succession,” explains Van Rensburg.
the same FAW 28.380 truck tractor in
register a subsidiary of BHL in Namibia
– one with a side-tipper trailer supplied
to pick up on the increasing business
by Afrit Trailers and the other with a
opportunities being generated in sub-
flat deck.”
26
Just this year Van Rensburg decided to
future. We use it in two configurations
Saharan mining operations.
• logistics in action • october 2014