FleetWatch

From the Editor’s Desk August 28, 2026 Life can be snuffed out in a matter of seconds – sometimes by forces completely beyond our control. I’m sure that by now most readers have seen the horrific images and videos coming out of Nepal, where a catastrophic flash flood on the border with Tibet, China, destroyed homes, roads and bridges – and took hundreds of lives. The numbers are still changing as rescue teams search through mountains of mud and debris.

South Africa’s truck OEM arena is becoming increasingly competitive with established manufacturers facing strident opposition from new brands, most notably from China. For MAN Truck & Bus South Africa (MTBSA), the appointment of new executive leadership with MAN captaincy experience in the Chinese market may prove to be the antidote to threatened market share and the fuel for its next phase of growth.

South Africa’s trucking industry has always had a warm heart and despite tough trading conditions, continues to demonstrate ubuntu by investing in the people and communities that keep it ticking over. This spirit of giving back permeates fleets and a broad spectrum of trucking suppliers. One such organisation is UD Trucks Southern Africa, an OEM actively engaged in uplifting people’s lives through community initiatives, youth development, skills training and education programmes.

Sponsored Blog Keeping commercial vehicles on the road requires more than routine maintenance. Fleet operators and workshops face constant pressure to reduce downtime, manage parts complexity and maintain vehicle safety and efficiency. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring a clean, reliable air supply for braking systems, particularly in harsh operating conditions where moisture and contaminants can compromise performance.

South Africa’s automotive and manufacturing sectors have played a huge role in building the technical skills, industrial capability and employment opportunities needed to support long-term economic growth. Local vehicle assembly plays an important role in that equation, creating opportunities not only on the production line but across engineering, logistics, quality, maintenance and management.

For professional truck drivers, distraction is not simply a personal road-safety issue – it is a fleet risk with potentially serious consequences for people, vehicles, cargo and businesses. A momentary lapse in concentration behind the wheel of a heavy commercial vehicle can have far-reaching consequences, making the growing number of distractions in today’s connected vehicles an issue that fleet operators and drivers cannot afford to ignore.

Peak season is a stressful time for working folk, to be sure. For the FMCG and road freight industries, holiday periods are show-time – with intense pressure on personnel, inventory and vehicles. As such, close alignment between the FMCG trade and trucking fleets is essential, where early visibility of FMCG demand, promotions and inventory requirements ensures the right trucks are in the right places at the right time.

From the Editor’s Desk August 14, 2026 I don’t often give politicians a thumbs up. In fact, I’m generally rather sceptical about what comes out of their mouths, particularly when it comes to promises about what they are going to do rather than evidence of what they have actually done. So, when I received a press release this week from the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, my first reaction was: Here we go again. But then I read it.

Bulk fuel distribution is a risky business and only the most professional personnel get to manage the tanks and tankers that feed the petrochemical supply chain. Traditionally a male vocation, the fuels industry is breaking barriers by promoting women to senior positions. Women’s Month provides an opportunity to look beyond gender statistics and focus on individual success stories like that of Engen Langlaagte Terminal’s Lerato Ntuli, its first woman Terminal Manager.

Our guess is that it will be a long time before we see this emulated in South Africa – if ever – but it’s interesting to note that in the USA, robots are moving boldly into the warehouse-truck interface arena as FedEx expands its collaboration with physical AI company Dexterity to implement autonomous trailer loading at its Hagerstown Hub in Maryland, USA.