This story has nothing to do with trucks but everything to do with the health and well-being of truck drivers. It’s all about that healthy stuff called ‘water’ and making it easily available – and affordable – to drivers out on the road.
Yes, FleetWatch knows Coke is the preferred drink of truck drivers but if the government’s proposed sugar tax on ‘sugar sweetened beverages’ – read Coke and other fizzy soft-drinks – comes about, you can expect to pay some 25% more for a Coke. So, best get used to drinking water I suppose. And let’s face it guys, although I too am a Coke fan, water is healthier, I suppose.
This is why the timing of Engen’s national rollout – after a successful pilot at four forecourts – of its ‘Pure Water On Tap’ water bars, is spot on. The project came from the requests of customers for quality and affordable water and will enable customers to either refill their own bottles or purchase pre-filled supplies at reduced rates.
“A refill using your own bottle will cost around R1 per litre. So a customer who brings in a 5L bottle will only pay R5 to top up. Purchasing a pre-filled bottle also sells at a lower price. A 500ml prefilled bottle costs around R4.50,” says Seelan Naidoo, Engen’s Retail Business Manager.
Another advantage is that for every litre purified, there is an additional two litres of water that can be recycled and used by dealers as grey water, and stored in JoJo tanks.
“Approximately 35% of the total water category sales at our pilot sites can be attributed to the water bars. There has been a noticeable increase in the amount of top up customers,” says Naidoo.
Customers have the option of buying pre-filled bottles of pure water in 500ml, 750ml, 1L and 5L containers or topping up their 5L, 10L, 20L, and 25L bottles. While the theatre of the ‘Pure Water On Tap’ water bar is a drawcard, the health benefits of the end-product are innumerable. This is put down to the technology whereby pure water is forced across a membrane, leaving impurities behind.
Engen’s sales and marketing general manager, Joe Mahlo says: “As South Africans grapple with water quality, restrictions, drought and water constraints, we believe our ‘Pure Water On Tap’ offering is one way in which our customers can access good quality fresh water at affordable prices. In a small way, this concept assists customers in mitigating a dry future and activates a conservation mind set while also cutting back on costs.”
Good one Engen. This will be welcomed by many truck drivers out there.
