Lantic Logistics has purchased 20 new MAN TGS WW 26.480 BLS truck-tractors to augment its existing fleet comprising seven derivatives from five competitor truck manufacturers.

The Gauteng-based fleet, owned by prominent property developer Faan Hartzer, secured haulage contracts to transport chrome and other ore from the mining belt in North West province to Richards Bay.

“The poor capacity of South Africa’s rail infrastructure to service overland logistics requirements has made the long-haul truck transport industry an attractive proposition for entrepreneurs. In a matter of a few months, we have grown to the extent where we’ve had to almost double the size of our fleet with new trucks and trailers,” states Hartzer.

Following extensive comparative testing between various truck models, Lantic Logistics deployed a demo MAN TGS WW 26.480 into the fleet, supplied by MAN’s flagship Centurion dealership.

“Our primary concern is to keep our fuel consumption as low as possible. After clocking up just over 14 000 km in six weeks, the MAN TGS WW 26.480 demo model outperformed its rivals, effectively slicing 10% off our diesel bill,” explains Hartzer.

“Key factors for us when purchasing the trucks were the fuel economy supported by the driveline warranty, allowing us to keep our operating costs down while enjoying a healthy degree of costpredictability,” concludes Hartzer.

Picture: Forging a new partnership – [from left] Chris Dreyer, Leon Meintjies, Henk Dique, Faan Hartzer and Mike Macdonald.