The South African trucking industry, despite an increase in multinational interests, has a proud history of entrepreneurship where both male and female-owned micro fleets have grown to become solid enterprises ranging in size from SME to corporate. One such example is that of Eurico Stork, a former truck technician at Hino Pietermaritzburg who now owns a Hino-dominated fleet of 17 trucks.
Stork began his working career as an apprentice truck technician at Hino Pietermaritzburg in 2014 and soon after qualifying, was promoted to workshop supervisor, a position he held until 2016 when, driven by his entrepreneurial zeal and passion for trucking, Stork resigned and established his own transport company, JKK Transport, buying his first Hino 700 in 2019 with financing from Hino Financial Services.
He has since set up a second company, EJS Transport. In 2024, Stork bought four Hino 700s from his previous employer and currently has a fleet of 17 trucks, of which 11 are Hino 700’s, one Hino 500 and one Hino 300. The remaining four trucks are from Hino competitors.
Sticking with Hino service and parts
Stork has purchased all 13 Hino trucks in his fleet from Hino Pietermaritzburg, where New Vehicle Sales Manager, Vivek Orie, takes personal care of the JKK and EJS Transport accounts. All the Hino trucks have extended warranties and are serviced by Hino Pietermaritzburg.
“I insist on regular servicing at the franchised dealer with genuine parts as I need to have the peace of mind that I’m doing what Hino deems necessary to keep my fleet operating efficiently. I also take out extended warranties on all the trucks I buy as I don’t want to be caught out with high, unbudgeted costs if there should be a major component failure,” says Stork.
Most of the JKK and EJS Transport contracts involve transporting perishables for a few dedicated customers on long haul routes including Durban to Johannesburg and Durban to Cape Town. Stork’s trailers are predominantly tautliners “as they are best suited for large loads,” he says.
Stork’s passion for the technical side of the automotive industry began during his school years and the fact that he now owns his own fleet is “a dream come true.”
“I’m very much a tactile, hands-on person but am grateful to several seasoned, small fleet owners in and around Pietermaritzburg who have been willing to share their experiences and expertise with me. This was particularly beneficial in the early years of my career when their advice and cooperation was most helpful.”
Caring for his trucks and his people
According to Stork, the most important factor in running a transport fleet is the volume carried in terms of return on investment and here it is vital to keep downtime to a minimum.
“I ensure all my trucks are well cared for, so they have long working lives. Right from the start I knew that top quality after-market service was a critical success factor and that is why I have stuck to servicing at Hino Pietermaritzburg and using genuine Hino replacement parts.
“I’m also immensely proud of the way in which I have been able to create employment. From 2021 to date I have grown the number of permanent employees from two to 25. My objective is to keep growing from strength to strength,” Stork concludes.
ENDS
