FOCUS on Transport and Logistics

27/10/2025

🚚💨 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗹?

When the last diesel engine disappears from our highways, what will we miss more – the noise, the fumes, or the feeling of power?

In Finland, Kia’s already bottled nostalgia with a petrol-scented air freshener for EV drivers. It’s said to have a motor oil base, a metallic note, and hints of jasmine as well as birch tar.

Could truckers be next – maybe a “Diesel Dawn” diffuser for the cab? 😏 And fake noises?

What do you think?

👉 Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/jpiuIkS

24/10/2025

🔥 Ever seen grandmothers on a mission? In Nelson Mandela Bay, a group of fearless “tannies” are taking on truckers to save the iconic “Smartie Bridge” – and they’re not messing around! 🚧

These local women aren’t waiting for someone else to fix things. When trucks started tearing across the bridge, the tannies stepped up, raised the alarm and forced action. They’re showing us how everyday citizens can challenge big businesses and protect their communities.

The tannies aren’t being polite. They’re relentless. (They're even thinking of throwing dog poo at the trucks.)

Who are you supporting? The tannies or the truckers?

Read the incredible full story here: https://shorturl.at/QKaKc

23/10/2025

🥳 FOCUS was among the 600+ attendees that marked another record-breaking turnout for the ECG Conference 2025 in Amsterdam!

Opening with a gala dinner, the event featured a great line-up of keynote speakers and panels covering critical topics for the finished vehicle logistics sector.

👀 We look forward to next year's edition, to be hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 15-16 October 2026. See you there!

22/10/2025

𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀
🚜 Japanese multinational Kubota recently unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-powered, self-driving tractor at World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

🌱 Combining AI-driven autonomous technology with zero-emission hydrogen power, it is well positioned to address the simultaneous need for decarbonisation and labour savings in the agricultural sector.

🔋 The design builds on Kubota’s long-standing expertise in agricultural machinery development, integrating technologies for configuring and controlling hydrogen fuel cell systems optimised for tractors.

🌍 Kubota’s innovation could help shape the future of sustainable farming, should field trials be successful.

❓ Could you picture this tractor in action on a South African farm? 🤔

21/10/2025

𝗡𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀! 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗯!

📢 Australia just did something most of us in South Africa keep talking about but never do – they’re giving truck drivers big discounts on healthy meals at bp truck stops.

Yup, instead of another greasy pie and energy drink combo, Aussie drivers can now get up to R180 off nutritious, freshly prepared meals – thanks to a partnership between Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds and bp.

So here are the questions:
👉 When will we stop pretending stale sandwiches count as “food”?
👉 Why are South African drivers – the backbone of our economy – still forced to survive on chips and Coke?
👉 If Australia can make wellness part of the logistics chain, what’s our excuse?

It’s time to talk seriously about driver health, nutrition, and dignity. You can’t expect a man (or woman) to move the nation if we can’t even feed them properly.

❓ What do you think? Would a similar programme work here? Or would South African truckers say, “Keep your salad, just fix the roads!”👀

18/10/2025

😟 Business has never been more challenging than now, Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Škoda Auto told delegates at the 2025 ECG Conference in Amsterdam. He noted that the EU’s stringent 2035 ICE ban is in strong contrast with relatively low BEV market growth and pe*******on in Europe. Localising production could drive Chinese European market share up to 14% in 2030, he predicted.

❌ Like many lobbyists, Zellmer opposes the EU Commission’s requirement to register only electric cars by 2035 – those with zero grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre. He says many German politicians have misunderstood the issue, and that the CO2 emissions problem should be solved with consumers, not out of political obligation.

⛹️‍♂️ “In the EU, we have too many rules,” Zellmer said. “It's like a soccer player playing with a backpack full of rocks. And every day, someone puts a new rock in it.” 🪨

📈 Škoda’s strategy is freedom of choice while complying with EU CO₂ regulation. It will expand its all-electric portfolio, launch further improved plug-in and mild hybrids, and it will also bring highly efficient ICE models to market.

❓ What do YOU think of the EU regulations that effectively ban new combustion engine vehicles from 2035? Is this something you would like to see happen in South Africa one day?

👇 Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

17/10/2025

𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗩𝗟 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
We’re at the sold-out ECG Conference 2025, hosted by the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG). The organisation represents the interests of over 200 member companies and partners, across all transport modes at EU level: road, rail, maritime and fluvial.

As introduced by ECG president Wolfgang Göbel, the conference theme this year is “Changing Technology in a Changing World: The Power of Efficiency Through Innovation in Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL)”.

The address by Major General Ulf Häussler, NATO’s director of Operations and Planning, will be followed by a market update from Colin Couchman, executive director of Global Light Vehicle Sales Forecast at S&P Global Mobility.

Then, for the first time in ECG history, the conference will be addressed by the head of a motor company – Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Škoda Auto.

And that’s just Session 1! Follow us for more updates from this exciting event.

https://fleet.ie/

15/10/2025

𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿

Daimler Truck has announced that it intends to sell its Nakatsu plant in Japan after consolidating its Mitsubishi Fuso operations at the Kawasaki plant, as part of the Japanese truck-unit merger with Toyota Motors.

Daimler and Toyota plan to consolidate their manufacturing footprint into three sites from five by the end of 2028, in a bid to achieve efficiencies.

Full story: https://buff.ly/MTS0R5Q

15/10/2025

🚛🏆 MAN Max Mileage Master: entries now open!

MAN Truck & Bus South Africa has launched Max Mileage Master – an incredible competition to find the highest-mileage MAN truck (built 2007 onwards) that’s still in daily operation.

It’s about celebrating real-world durability when robust engineering meets responsible ownership – think prescribed services, OEM-approved parts and lubricants, plus a committed after-sales network.

👉 Who can enter: MAN operators with eligible trucks in Southern Africa.

👉 What to submit: truck details + verified odometer reading.

👉 Enter here: man.eu/za

We look forward to sharing standout entries and the stories behind those epic kilometre counts! Stay tuned!

15/10/2025

Look what we're driving today!

14/10/2025

Big news for the transport and logistics community!

Buffalo Truck Stop has officially opened in East London – a first-class facility designed with drivers, fleets, and logistics professionals in mind.

From secure parking and hot showers to overnight accommodation, wellness clinics, and top-tier workshops (Scania, Aero Truck, Hi-Q), this is more than a stop – it’s a destination.
Grab a bite at Steers, stock up at PnP Go, or freshen up at the laundromat and truck wash.

Find us on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sop3Wy3M4uDXxptD8

One workshop/warehouse unit (±490m²) still available to let – act fast!

14/10/2025

✈️ A poll of thousands of air crew from over 100 European airlines ✈️ has shown that:

⚠️ +10% of respondents did not even report safety incidents
⚠️ 42% believe their managers prioritise scheduling over safety
⚠️ 82% do not feel able to challenge these demands

☹️ This results in a “culture of fear”, where “the shift towards in-flight sales responsibilities risks diluting the safety-centric nature of cabin crew work” (https://buff.ly/CTOXH0a).

📉 The Ghent University researchers found the situation has worsened over the past year, caused by fatigue from long working hours and pressure to reach commercial targets.

😴 One in three pilots and almost half of cabin crew said they sometimes hesitate to declare themselves unfit to fly, with exhausted staff too intimidated to challenge management decisions.

The authors concluded that: “While commercial pressures may make such practices attractive for airlines, they come at a cost to worker wellbeing, safety standards and professional integrity.”

👉 Have YOU ever been afraid to report a safety violation in your job? Share with us below…

A new report from Ghent University has revealed that pilots and cabin crew feel unable to report safety concerns or declare themselves unfit to fly for fear of negative career consequences.