10 year anniversary

Babcock celebrates 10 years of representing DAF Trucks

Operations Director of Babcock’s Transport Solutions business, David Black, elaborates on how Babcock has expanded DAF Trucks’ footprint over the years, and increased sales of DAF Trucks in the region by over 3 000 percent since it became the sole importer and distributor of DAF Trucks, parts and services across southern Africa.

Since signing the dealer agreement with DAF Netherlands in July 2010, Babcock has grown DAF Trucks’ presence across the country through an extensive dealership network to support sales and provide aftermarket services.

Black says Babcock was quick to realise the potential of representing a market-leading European truck brand in South Africa, offering customers in the logistics and transport sectors a competitive, fuel-efficient truck built for the long haul.

DAF Trucks would also complement Babcock’s construction equipment and power generation divisions by providing a transport link in the mining value chain. 

Following the establishment of Babcock’s first DAF Trucks dealership in Johannesburg, a second dealership was opened in Durban to support the busy N3 long-haul route. To meet the needs of customers operating in the mining sector, Babcock then established a DAF Trucks dealership in Middelburg, and there are now DAF Trucks dealerships located along all the country’s major long-haul routes to support a wide range of industries.

“Today Babcock represents DAF Trucks across southern Africa, including Mozambique and Zambia, while strategically located service centres provide support to Babcock’s DAF Trucks dealers. All our DAF Truck customers have access to best in the industry services, and Babcock is fully committed to maintaining customer relationships long after sales are made,” says Black.

This dedicated commitment to customers earned Babcock the accolade of DAF Sales Operations Best Service Dealer of the Year award in 2019, two years after being named the DAF Best Sales Dealer Sales Operations for 2017, a year in which Babcock doubled the sales of DAF Trucks in the country.

“Babcock is wholly committed to representing the DAF Trucks brand in southern Africa, not just through sales, but also by building supporting infrastructure and offering our customers flexible financing options and comprehensive aftersales service,” emphasises Black. 

In addition to the extensive regional network of sales and support centres, these services incorporate quick availability of parts, 24-hour emergency assistance 365 days of the year, and overall total transport solutions designed to maximise earnings per kilometre. Tailor-made repair and maintenance contracts are also available. 

In 2014 Babcock Financial Services was launched and has expanded over the years to include an extensive range of competitive financing options for DAF Truck owners. These include various legal structures, flexible payment terms, competitive interest rates, and quick decisions for credit approvals. All trucks financed via Babcock Financial Services are sold with a repair and maintenance contract tailored to suit the specific application. These versatile, bespoke finance packages make the world-class DAF Trucks more readily available to the local market across a wide spectrum of industry.

This all-encompassing dedication has resulted in Babcock establishing a strong and loyal customer base, including a number of blue-chip transportation companies.

“DAF was founded in 1928 as a Dutch family owned business, and although its face has changed over the years, together we remain committed to retaining close and personal relationships with DAF Netherlands and our DAF Trucks customers,” Black says. 

Built for long-term reliability and driver satisfaction, the DAF XF Series features low operating costs, spacious cabs and high revenues per kilometre to the operator. The top performing DAF CF Series excels in demanding, intensive conditions and is ideally suited to heavy duty industries.

One of DAF Trucks’ standout features is their ability to perform optimally and efficiently in a wide range of climates and applications, with the trucks specifically designed to suit individual terrain conditions. Their day-to-day performance is further reinforced by DAF Trucks’ excellent productivity and fuel consumption which was demonstrated when DAF Trucks received the prestigious International Truck of the Year award in 2018 for outstanding road transport efficiency. 

Highlighting their unwavering commitment to customers, Babcock and its DAF Trucks dealers have continued to provide critical services to the transport sector throughout South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown while complying with strict safety regulations.

Black says that although the global COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed economies worldwide, exciting new developments from Babcock and DAF Trucks are on the cards in South Africa.