Namibia Breweries Ltd – Olthaver & List Group
Keeping the beer fresh and frothy
The high quality standard achieved in Namibia Breweries’ famous beers is reflected in a well-disciplined road transport fleet under the control of transport manager, Wulf Krönke.
A man who has graduated through the ranks from diesel technician to managing a 65-vehicle fleet, Wulf Krönke has achieved the necessary paradigm shift from ‘chrome vanadium to Pentium III’ operating sophisticated, computerised fuel management and fleet information systems.
In Krönke’s own words: “Business has become computer-driven and this extends directly into fleet management, traditionally a diesel and dust business.”
Criteria for preferred fleet selection at Namibia Breweries are based on vehicle quality, reliability and minimal downtime extending through to above average parts and service support. Both Dyna and Hino match these requirements.
The oldest Hino in the fleet is a 1987 model which has covered 400 000 trouble free, stop-start kilometres in local Windhoek delivery operations.
As in all distribution operations, a major operational cost item is fuel usage – and this is especially true in the case of Namibia Breweries which has to deliver its products to thirsty consumers by road in a vast Namibian territory, as well as into southern African export markets. Vehicle fuel consumption is also a vehicle selection benchmark. A seamless fuel dispensing and recording system provides fuel consumption information in real-time for every fleet vehicle.
Challenging fuel for number one position in total cost of vehicle ownership are staff costs. This is due to the fact that vehicles operate with both drivers and crew, working long hours over great distances.
Drivers are under the control of the transport manager and are assigned to one vehicle which has the effect of assigning asset care responsibility and pride in each Hino and Dyna. The average service of Namibia Breweries’ drivers is a remarkable 16 years attesting to the skill and care meted out to the truck fleet.
All operations are conducted strictly within legal axle loads and vehicle combination limits. For this reason, Namibia Breweries does not favour long-range fuel tanks, despite logistical operations over big distances. Long-range tanks add to tare masses and can remove up to two payload pallets.
Marketing cannot over-rule vehicle service schedules. Strict adherence to service schedules means that transport is outsourced if customer deliveries are to be adhered to when vehicles are in for service attention. All vehicles are serviced within manufacturers scheduled intervals – a major reason for both Hino and Dyna trucks providing Namibia Breweries with such excellent service over many years.
As is well known, Namibia presents a harsh operating climate and in this regard, colour plays a significant role in reducing the heat radiation emanating from a fierce summer sun which can literally cook a cargo.
Wulf Krönke has experimented with tarpaulin covers in different colours and his findings are most interesting given that he has recorded a temperature difference of up to 22 oC between a dark brown and white tarpaulin! In reality, a dark brown tarpaulin can reach 78 oC while a white one attains 56 oC. This becomes a critical element of beer shelf life and is the reason why all Namibia Breweries’ vehicle tops are white.
The famous PEPSI brand is also alive and well in Namibia and is bottled and distributed together with the famous Windhoek Lager by Namibia Breweries throughout the country.
As can be gauged from the above, operating trucks in Namibia is hardly a ‘walk in the park’ and it is thus that Henk Maree, director Toyota South Africa Motors Truck Division, stands proud behind the fact that Hino and Dyna are associated with the quality image of Namibia Breweries products in reliably serving Namibian consumers.
ENDS