TFL SEP
16
FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
COMPANY PROFILE
ONE SUCH COMPANY’S FLEET
carries the arrowhead logo of the trusted Chinese brand,
viz Polson Vervoer, which acquired its first Powerstar truck in 2005 and today has 20 of them
in its ever-burgeoning fleet.
Based in Pretoria West, Polson Vervoer hires out tippers, water tankers, graders, rollers,
and other machinery to a range of prestigious customers across the length and breadth of
Gauteng, the North West Province and beyond. These include customers such as Phoenician
Earthworks and Demolition, Zero Unlimited Earthworks and Excavations and the Tshwane
City Council, which has used Polson Vervoer for many years on a host of different contracts,
including the Kusile Power Station.
Derick Polson, sole owner of Polson Vervoer, founded the company in 1994 after working for
more than a decade for Leithcon Machinery, owned by his father Leith Polson, a successful
plant hire company in its own right. “Plant hire is in our blood,” says Derick. “My father, my
brother and I are all in this line of business and, apart from being family, perhaps the most
important thing that we have in common in terms of our businesses is our absolute belief in
Powerstar. Together we have more than 60 of these vehicles and they have been an important
contributor to our success,” he says with enthusiasm.
Derick Polson bought his first Powerstar truck in 2005 and was so impressed with the
performance of the vehicle and the service and support he received from Deon van Rooyen,
the Brits Powerstar dealer, that a couple of years later, again through Deon, he bought 12
Powerstar trucks from a plant hire company that was going out of business. In December
2012 he added another four Powerstar trucks to his fleet, and this year he has purchased six
more – bringing the total number in his fleet to 20.
“With many other brands, if you have a problem, there is expensive downtime waiting
for expensive spares, and it is often difficult to repair the problem yourself, because of the
complicated electronics. This, as everyone knows, can cost you the job as your client will simply
get someone else to do it.”
Derick’s main Powerstar choice is the 2628 VX 6x4, one of Powerstar’s most popular sellers
and, like the entire VX range, it is a superior design that Powerstar’s research and design
engineers fast-tracked in order to capture more of the ‘off-road’ market.
The Powerstar 2628 features an improved cab design including, air-conditioning, external
sun-visor and driver-seat suspension – affording extra comfort for drivers and hence improved
productivity – and, using the renowned, powerful and compact Weichai engine, the truck’s
torque output and workhorse capabilities are unquestionable.
Stories of how
Powerstar trucks have
helped South African
plant hire companies
to grow into successful,
profitable businesses
are common.
Derick Polson
, owner of Polson Vervoer, says
that the company has grown steadily in the
past decade having consistently secured new
contracts since inception.
RISING STAR
at Polson Vervoer
