Words like ‘uptime’, ‘service’, ‘reliability’ and ‘innovation’ are ever present in truck OEM marketing speak – and rightly so. By the same token, South Africa’s local trailer manufacturers – as vital to the industry as the prime movers – should be guided by these best-practice watchwords. Serco, one of the country’s leading truck and trailer body builders, certainly walks the talk, continually proving that top-notch homegrown engineering and astute customer focus can drive operational resilience and customer value in challenging times.
“Despite economic headwinds, Serco has navigated 2025 with resilience and strategic focus, delivering growth through innovation, customer partnerships and operational excellence,” says Serco CEO Clinton Holcroft. “Stand-outs are our on-site repair facilities and the quick-opening curtain systems which help customers cut down time and labour costs during loading operations.”
He notes that trends show customers are stretching asset lives while selectively investing in efficiency improvements.
Strategic growth through partnerships
A major milestone for the year was Serco’s successful completion of a complex, multi-site vehicle body replacement project for Clover South Africa. “That project showed our ability to scale across manufacturing sites, maintain consistent quality and operate as an extension of a key customer’s logistics function – exactly the kind of partnership we want to be known for,” Holcroft states.
Growth remains tangible, he says, with expansion underway at Serco’s Boksburg facility, adding 1 500m² for repairs and 600m² for manufacturing and steel-processing operations.
“The added undercover workspace will enable us to increase capacity and service levels to our customers in Gauteng,” says Holcroft. “The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and will include the use of rainwater harvesting to improve the efficient and sustainable use of water in our business.”
Investment in capacity and sustainability
Further capacity development is also planned for KwaZulu-Natal, where Serco has secured larger premises for its after-sales repair business in Durban. The new site, expected to be operational by April 2026, will significantly boost repair capability for truck and trailer bodies in the province.
“Added to this, we are refining our ‘speed bay’ model to give customers same-day or next-day turnaround for smaller repairs,” Holcroft explains. “Finally, we are accelerating the product development of operationally efficient body systems (load/unload speed and durability) and new materials to increase durability and weight saving in our vehicles.”
Cautious optimism and continued innovation
Holcroft says he is “cautiously optimistic” about 2026, with a healthy order pipeline but on-going pressure on order volumes due to the slow economy. Serco’s core strengths, he says, lies in its industry experience, multi-site capacity, strong after-sales footprint and innovations such as its fast-opening curtain siders and Ferro-foam refrigerated trailers.
Opportunities ahead include replacement of ageing fleets as interest rates ease, lighter body designs for low-emission conversions and increasing demand for rapid repair services. Currency volatility and tariff uncertainty, however, remain key challenges for the sector.
Holcroft adds: “Our purpose remains to give customers the edge. For 2026 we will focus on reducing our customers’ total cost of ownership through innovation and faster service to improve vehicle uptime.
“Practically, that means improving repair turnaround times across our network, reducing lead times for new vehicle bodies through investment in plant capability and launching customer-facing service innovations that translate into measurable fleet productivity gains.”
Despite economic pressures, he notes, Serco has proven its resilience and ability to grow through customer partnerships and operational excellence.
“With new technologies, expanded capacity and a focus on sustainable, high-performance solutions, we’re confident that 2026 will be a year of meaningful progress for our business and the transport sector as a whole,” Holcroft concludes.
Editor’s comment: Serco’s example underscores the critical role local manufacturing depth plays in South Africa’s transport economy. By combining customer intimacy with continuous investment in innovation and sustainability, the company not only strengthens its own resilience but supports the operational efficiency of the country’s logistics backbone. In a tough market, that level of commitment sets the benchmark for smart, adaptive trailer manufacturing.
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