Despite the trials and tribulations of the South African economy and the many difficulties facing the farming community, the one place every farmer wants to be in May is at NAMPO in Bothsville in the Free State – and Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA) will be there in force.

“Visitors to NAMPO need not look further than the Mercedes-Benz and FUSO stands as we will be presenting a comprehensive range of products and service offerings for the agricultural sector,” says Jasper Hafkamp, Chief Executive Officer of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa.

Taking up a key position on the Mercedes-Benz stand from the recently launched Arocs range, is the 2636L/57 with refrigerated body, which is an ideal vehicle for many agricultural applications. Headlining this stand are the Actros 3345S/33 and the Actros 2645LS/33 introduced to the local market last year.

From the specialised vehicle segment comes the Unimog U529, which sets a new standard as a robust and versatile implement carrier. It is exceptionally fuel efficient compared to conventional tractors when used in applications requiring high speed or high power-to-weight ratios.

The new Unimog U529 released by Daimler Trucks and Buses, is a new concept in the South African agricultural industry offering considerable farming versatility with haul speeds of up to 80km/h. The key concept behind the Unimog U529 is its versatility allowing it to be used in all four seasons, fulfilling agricultural roles including manure spreading, high-speed haulage, crop spraying, fertilizer spreading, mowing, raking, baling, fire-fighting and combine harvester chasing.

“In addition to the industry-leading vehicles that we will have on display, we will also be showcasing our value chain offerings. FleetBoard is our all-in-one package that assists commercial vehicle operators to optimise efficiencies by offering market-leading and proven telematics services. Information on vehicles and trips is instantly available for analysis or further processing,” says Hafkamp.

“One of the major reasons why we continue to be at the forefront of the automotive industry is our ability to offer a complete package for our customers. This includes Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, with a wide range of vehicle finance solutions, insurance and tailor-made products all designed to accommodate all of our individual customers’ financial requirements.”

From FUSO, visitors to the 2019 NAMPO show see the FUSO FE 6-109 with a dropside body, the FUSO FA9-137FC with a chassis cab and the FJ 16-230 L with a cattle body. All the FUSO vehicles are equipped with durable chassis, while simultaneously providing low running and low maintenance costs.

FUSO has a strong brand history of great flexibility and reliability with vehicles that can accommodate a wide variety of applications. Together with this there is the added advantage of a good spread of vehicle bodies for a strong range of durable chassis. Fuso can carry many different types of loads, for example, food or livestock.

Designed specifically with the unique and changing needs of small to medium enterprises in mind, the FUSO Canter has been completely re-engineered from the wheels up.

The built-in flexibility of the chassis cab design allows fitment of different body types to suit any application. Rugged and reliable, yet highly specified for comfort and safety, this medium-duty truck builds a tough base for customers’ individual needs.

All together the DTBSA exhibition vehicles make up one of the most comprehensive offerings available to the agricultural industry.

Hafkamp also indicated the unique benefit of TruckStore, as the number one address for the buying and selling of all used commercial vehicles.

“Farmers and agricultural practitioners can rely on consistent quality, advice and a selection from a large pool of used commercial vehicles of all brands, ages and types,” concludes Hafkamp.