According to George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, Truck Test 2022 generates essential data for transport operators. “Any transport operator wishing to invest in new trucks will carefully study these findings. After all, a new truck typically costs upwards of R2 million. Transport operators want to acquire trucks that deliver the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO). Truck Test 2022 clearly helps transport operators identify which trucks fit that bill. This is why AutoTrader is a proud sponsor of Truck Test. We believe very strongly in the power of data; it is integral to the AutoTrader business model,” he points out.
Three-day event
Truck Test 2022 – which enjoyed the support of leading major industry players and was organised by FOCUS on Transport & Logistics magazine – was a three-day event, which started at Engen Blockhouse south of Johannesburg on May 31.
The organisers have paid tribute to the valued Truck Test 2022 partners and sponsors:
- AutoTrader sponsored the event
- Engen sponsored the fuel used on the test
- Afrit sponsored the trailers
- Ctrack sponsored the tracking devices
- Vibro sponsored the loads
- Specifications and results were compiled by TruckScience
- ADA was responsible for logistics
- BPW, Loadtech and Standard Bank also sponsored the event
Level playing fields
Significantly, the eight extra-heavy trucks that were tested competed on distinctly level playing fields. This is vitally important to an event such as Truck Test. Firstly, all the trucks travelled on the same days. This is very important; weather and congestion can make the world of a difference. Then, all the trucks were fitted with telematics from Ctrack. They all ran on Engen Dynamic Diesel 50ppm with Pro-Drive. They were all hooked up to Afrit trailers. Even the loads were the same; they all carried bricks made by Vibro.
Very scientific affair
There is no subjectivity at Truck Test; it’s a decidedly scientific affair, which is bolstered by the expertise and guiding hand of a team of technical experts from TruckScience. There is a considerable amount of work that happens long before the trucks leave for Durban. The loading of the bricks is just one such event.
On Truck Test, the flatdecks carried about 10 500 bricks while the tautliners had a whopping 12 000. The bricks had to be positioned very precisely. Before the loading even started, the team from TruckScience gave each of the truck manufacturers very complicated technical drawings to ensure the correct load distribution. The organisers certainly didn’t want the trucks to be overloaded; that would be illegal and unsafe. But they also wanted to fully test the vehicles’ capabilities – so they didn’t want them to be horribly underloaded either. It was a fine balancing act that caused many a sleepless night.
All the technical manoeuvring prior to the actual event however dimmed into memory on May 31 when the trucks arrived at Engen Blockhouse to have their tanks topped up with Engen Dynamic Diesel 50ppm with Pro-Drive. Last-minute checks – including tyre tests – were conducted before the fleet of trucks was parked overnight.
Seeking the best trucks (and the best drivers too)
Then the eight trucks were driven to Durban and back again on June 1 and 2. It’s a route of 1100 km. The goal of the event, of course, was to find the best trucks in the land.
While the trucks were tested, so too were the drivers. Each truck manufacturer enters a team of two people: one driver and one observer (who is placed in the truck of a rival manufacturer). While the observer’s role is important, the truck driver can make or break the event for the truck manufacturer. The guys (and yes, they were all men) behind the wheel of the trucks were vitally important. Drivers who practice fuel-efficient driving techniques use about 35% less fuel than those who do not! So, the eight truck drivers had to concentrate and work really hard over the 1100 km route.
Commendably, the eight drivers brought their trucks back to Engen Blockhouse without any incidents. Thereafter, the team from TruckScience spent many hours scrutinizing the data before formulating the results, which will be eagerly studied by every single transport operator in South Africa who is thinking about buying a truck.
Best of the best
There are numerous aspects to the results that are massively significant to transport operators. One of the most important things that they will ponder is the Payload Productivity Factor achieved by each truck. The Payload Productivity Factor = Payload (tonnes) x Ø speed (km/h) / (Ø fuel consumption (ℓ/100 km) + Ø AdBlue consumption (ℓ/100 km). The Mercedes-Benz Actros 2652LS/33 RE emerged triumphant in this regard. The truck that performed best purely in the fuel consumption stakes was the MAN TGS 26.480 6x4 BL SA TM.
Martin Dammann, customer success manager at TruckScience, comments that Truck Test 2022 has really highlighted the fuel consumption improvements achieved over the last 10 years. “When comparing the results for this test to the one conducted in 2012, also on the Johannesburg to Durban route, the fuel consumption has improved by an average of 9% for the tridem flatdeck combinations and an astonishing 12% for the tautliner interlinks. The average speeds have remained roughly the same, therefore the lower fuel consumptions are also a direct improvement on the overall productivity.
“These improvements can mostly be attributed to the new technologies introduced by the manufacturers, which include more efficient driveline configurations, aerodynamic enhancements and driver-assist features to optimise the momentum of the vehicle. The driver still plays a critical role, however not so much in terms of the skill to drive the vehicle, but rather to understand and correctly apply the different technologies that actually drive the vehicle,” he notes.
So, there you have it. Now we can answer the question beyond any doubt: which are South Africa’s best trucks?
