The agricultural industry is an integral part of FAW Trucks’ marketing strategy and the number of customers from this sector has continued to grow over the brand’s 28-year presence in South Africa. Main selling points continue to be durability and reliability, good build quality and finish, and affordable purchase prices and service and maintenance costs.
“The agricultural industry is an important market for us,” says Yongjun Li, CEO of FAW Trucks SA “We religiously participate in the acclaimed Grain SA’s Nampo Harvest Day in Bothaville in the Free State as it provides us with the ideal opportunity to showcase our model range. At Nampo 2022, we not only promoted our products, but also created awareness for the brand.
For 5 days, FAW Trucks customers interacted with us at Nampo 2022, the biggest agricultural show in the Southern hemisphere. Listening to our customers and understanding their agricultural demands, is what makes us who we are and why we love to contribute to the producers of the agricultural sector. This approach won us numerous new and loyal customers and continues to stand us in good stead.”
FAW Trucks’ line-up of freight carriers – consisting of four models – in particular has found favour with customers within the agricultural realm.
The 6.130FL-MT (3.5-tonne) is the smallest commercial vehicle on offer from FAW Trucks and has a body and payload allowance of 4.7 tonnes. It has the distinction of having the lowest cost-per-tonne running costs on the local market and boasts a Cummins ISF 2.8-litre common-rail diesel engine, a fully synchromeshed WLY six-speed manual transmission and parabolic spring suspension for enhanced stability and comfort. Additional standard features include air-conditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB functionality.
The 8.140FL (5-tonne) has a body and payload allowance of 6 tonnes. Providing seating for a driver and two passengers, it features a spacious and ergonomically designed cab, while air-conditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB functionality are standard. It is fitted with a Euro 3 Cummins ISF 3,8-litre engine, a ZF six-speed manual transmission and a full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS.
Featuring a spacious and ergonomically designed semi-sleeper cab, the 15.180FL (8-tonne) has a body and payload allowance of 9.8 tonnes. Standard features include air-conditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB functionality. Its Euro 2-compliant 6 557 cc, six-cylinder, in-line turbocharged engine is linked to a fully synchromeshed six-speed transmission and it has a full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS.
With a body and payload allowance of 17 tonnes, the J5N 28.290FL (13.5-tonne) is the largest of the freight carriers. It has a full floating, ergonomically designed sleeper cab. Its 9.726 cc, six-cylinder, in-line Weichai WP10 diesel engine is turbocharged and intercooled and linked to a nine-speed fully synchromeshed manual transmission. A full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS is standard.
“All these derivatives were designed and engineered to be able to cope with the unique challenges of the agricultural segment. To this end, the built-in quality levels from the local assembly plant ensure that the solid chassis and frame provide customers with the positive ownership experience that they have come to expect from the brand,” comments Li.
Of course, other models from the FAW Trucks stable are equally popular with agricultural-oriented buyers. The four available truck tractors and five tipper trucks on offer are also firm favourites. This can largely be attributed to the fact that all models sold in South Africa undergo testing to prove that they can withstand the unique – and often harsh – working conditions associated with the segment. They truly are built in South Africa, for Africa.
Customers in the agricultural sector place a high premium on aftersales support. To ensure that maintenance and services will be carried out in a satisfactory and timeous manner, FAW Trucks has a large parts warehouse at its premises in Spartan, from where it supplies the four main regions in Gauteng, Durban, Harrismith and Cape Town. In addition, service dealers are fully equipped, with highly trained technicians on hand for complete servicing and repairs required.
