In terms of brand loyalty, few partnerships in South Africa’s trucking industry match the one between Ruah Transport and Hino. Since starting his business in 2007, Jacques Baird, founder and owner of Ruah Transport, has relied exclusively on Hino trucks – trading or selling them only once they’ve clocked an impressive 1.2 million kilometres. That level of loyalty doesn’t come easy – it’s earned through consistent reliability, service excellence and long-term partnership.
Baird bought his first Hino 500 in 2007 – a 1324 model with a GVM of 13 tons and a 240 hp engine. The truck served faithfully for a decade before being sold in 2017, having covered 1.2 million kilometres. Encouraged by its performance, he added a second Hino in 2008 and a third in 2020, never once considering another brand.
“I have bought only Hino trucks as I had substantial personal experience driving them as well as managing a fleet where I keep tabs on feedback running costs and downtime,” says Baird. “I was so satisfied with the first Hino’s I bought that I have not purchased any other brand of truck since those early days. We are not only impressed with the overall reliability and durability of these trucks over many years, we’re also very satisfied with the Hino after-sales service.”
50th Hino and counting
After managing the operation single-handedly for 15 years, Baird recently celebrated the purchase of his 50th Hino – a milestone few operators reach with such brand consistency.
The Ruah Transport fleet now includes 32 drawbar links behind Hino 500 1627 freight carriers, alongside a fleet of 8-ton solid-side load box models. The newest additions are five Hino 500 Series 1627 freight carriers with solid panel load boxes.
Hino Honeydew in Johannesburg supplies all of Ruah Transport’s new units, while Hino Pomona handles servicing for the Heidelberg-based business. The fleet runs routes across South Africa and into neighbouring countries including Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Eswatini, serving a mix of major contracts and ad hoc transport needs.
Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Hino SA, concludes: “We are very proud of the long-running relationship between Ruah Transport and Hino, especially the positive comments about our dealers’ after-sales service which is an important pillar in Hino’s global Total Support strategy. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ruah Transport on reaching the remarkable milestone of their 50th Hino truck.”
Editor’s comment: Fleet loyalty of this calibre doesn’t happen by chance – it’s built over years of dependable product performance backed by a dealer network that delivers on its promises. Ruah Transport’s 18-year relationship with Hino reflects the strength of long-term partnerships grounded in trust and service reliability. In a world where uptime defines profitability, this kind of loyalty speaks volumes.
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