Trucking milestones: 1975 – sugar from South Africa
Series: Trucking Milestones
40 weeks working around the clock: five LP 1924 in continuous operation.
In 1975 a total of 25 two- and three-axle towing vehicles from Mercedes‑Benz were on the road for Tongaat Sugar Ltd. in South Africa. The sugar season lasted for 40 weeks – and during that time the trucks were almost never stationary. They transported the sugar cane harvest in HILO semitrailers from the collection and reloading sites in the producing regions to the factory. The drivers worked in 8-hour shifts. The central office maintained radio contact with them so that traffic jams didn’t develop at the collection points and reloading sites.
1100 tonnes daily.
Five LP 1924 were on the road for Tongaat Sugar Ltd. They operated around the clock as “sugar tankers”, driving from the factory to the central refinery or sugar terminal at the port of Durban. The trucks transported up to 1100 tonnes a day.
Back then driver training was already very important to management. As a result the company had its own facility in which new drivers were trained and experienced drivers were able to refresh their skills to the latest standard.
Photos: Daimler AG
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