FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
COMPANY PROFILE
TFL SEP
17
With a footprint in more than 30 countries, Weichai is the largest high-speed, power diesel
engine manufacturer in the world. It has an annual production capacity of 80-million kW, with
engines ranging from 40hp to 10 000hp. Its manufacturing capability is diverse, ranging from
small-bore engines for light trucks, excavators, forklifts and marine applications to powerful
Weichai series engines for bus, tractor, engineering and marine applications. To remain at the
forefront of technological competitiveness, Weichai employs more than 800 advanced R&D
engineers.
While a wide range of specialised bodies can be built on the 2628 chassis, Derick’s requirement,
thus far, has been for 10m³ tippers, which carry mostly soil and tar, and water tanker bodies.
“We do an average of 5000km per month with these vehicles,” he says.
Polson Vervoer has grown steadily in the past decade having consistently secured new
contracts since inception. Today it employs 221 people and runs a fleet of more than 43
vehicles. To cope with the growth, Derick recently invested in new offices, which he built
adjacent to his massive yard, which he shares with Leithcon.
“Our business is thriving,” he says. “Our PretoriaWest facility is a constant hive of activity and
while the economic environment has obviously been tough for a few years we have continued
to grow because of the good service we give and the excellent relationships we have built
with our customers and suppliers, including, of course Deon and Powerstar Brits.”
Bob Wang, Powerstar South Africa, CEO, says he is delighted with the relationship that exists
between Powerstar Brits and Polson Vervoer. “This is the how we like to do business. When
there is a genuine partnership between our dealers and their customers, the customers are
able to get the best out of our unusually reliable and tough vehicles. In this way, there’s a
win-win situation created for all involved.”
He says that the excellence of Powerstar engineering and R&D is an important factor in
the success of the Powerstar operation in South Africa. “During 2012, we expanded our
team of engineering and technical experts to be able to deliver high-end consultation with
respect to early technical trouble-shooting and solutions. This has paid off significantly with
our reliability levels, which were world class, improving even more,” he maintains.
He adds that, in addition, international representatives from Weichai and other suppliers are
based at the Powerstar Pietermaritzburg plant to expedite and resolve any required technical
changes with their corresponding operational division in China. “In this way we are constantly
able to ensure that our vehicles keep up to date with the demands of local businesses and the
local environment in general,” he concludes.
Polson Vervoer has 20 Powerstar trucks in its
fleet most of which are either 10m³ tippers or
water tankers.
“My experience with
Powerstar is that downtime is
virtually eliminated. Firstly the
vehicles are strong, rugged
and reliable, and, secondly,
because they are mechanically
simple my team can often
do the repair on the spot. In
cases where we need spares,
they are easy to get hold of
through our Powerstar dealer
and, very importantly, they are
reasonably priced.”
