Hauling over 92 000 tons of freight and generating more than R10.3-million in revenue while clocking up over 1-million kilometres without giving any major problems is a truck any transport operator would want.
That is exactly what a 2008 UD 440 6×4 truck tractor has done for Honey Lotus Farms, a transport company situated just outside of Nigel in Gauteng.
Operating mainly as a commodity transporter, Honey Lotus Farms is owned by Richard Burns. The company currently has a fleet of 40 trucks, with ambitious plans to expand its operations exponentially over the medium term.
The stalwart of the company’s fleet is the 1-million km UD 440 which just keeps on producing a great return on investment for the company. “The truck still has all its original parts and it simply keeps on going,’ says Burns.
Burns’ partner in the business, Elfie Mgidi, was also, coincidentally, the vehicle’s first driver. “According to our company’s replacement policy, we should already have replaced this UD440 some time ago but it just keeps on going without giving any real problems,’ says Mgidi.
The company’s vehicles that are still under warranty are serviced by UD Trucks Middelburg, while the older vehicles are serviced onsite at the company’s workshop.
“It’s a pleasure working with a company like Honey Lotus Farms which has such a high level of professionalism and expertise and we are looking forward to maintaining a long and successful partnership with them going into the future,’ says Willie Linde, dealer principal at UD Trucks Middelburg.
UD Trucks’ current Quon range of heavy duty trucks has evolved from the foundations laid by its durable and respected predecessor, the UD440. The range enables UD Trucks to maintain its commitment to provide transport operators with the lowest lifecycle costs possible.
Transport is not an easy industry to succeed in. It takes a cunning business sense, careful planning, a keen eye for opportunities and a healthy dose of creativity to make a success of any transport business. It also takes a good truck and Honey Lotus Farms has this in its UD 440 stalwart.
