Hino South Africa has once again achieved remarkable success by securing the prestigious global Service and Parts Distributor of the Year Awards from Hino Motors Limited (HML) in Japan. This marks the 13th consecutive year that Hino SA has earned these esteemed accolades, which are fiercely contested by Hino distributors worldwide. In addition to these awards, Hino SA has also been honored with an award for its exceptional sales efforts in 2024.
“Each distributor is assessed monthly based on a set of criteria for each discipline, with the scores accumulated over the year. To qualify for an award, a score of at least 80% of the target must be achieved,” explained Sudesh Sanilall, Senior Manager of Customer Services at Hino SA.
The criteria for the Service Distributor of the Year Award include customer experience ratings, workshop productivity measures, and the efficiency and profitability of both the dealer network and Hino SA itself. For the Parts Distributor of the Year Award, HML sets specific criteria that ensure an excellent parts supply to dealers and customers. This includes the ability to supply parts on first request, stock holding, and emergency parts supply by Hino SA and its dealer network,” Sanilall added.
“These accolades are a testament to the dedication, planning, and hard work of our staff at both the dealerships and head office,” stated Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Sales at Hino South Africa. “We place significant emphasis on training our staff and those involved in these critical areas of our business across the 67 Hino dealerships nationwide.”
“We enjoy a significant advantage over many of our competitors due to our partnership with the state-of-the-art Toyota Africa Parts Centre (TAPC) in Ekurhuleni, which we share with Toyota SA Motors. This recently expanded facility now spans 80,000 square meters, making it the largest warehouse of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It not only serves South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho but also 36 other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and six international export markets.”
“The entire operation is digital and largely automated, ensuring rapid response times to dealer orders. Special arrangements are in place to fast-track vehicle-off-road (VOR) orders, minimizing downtime for our customers,” Segage added.
“Dealers located within a 100km radius of the TAPC receive two deliveries a day, while others receive daily deliveries. In addition to the swift delivery of parts, dealers benefit from a 96% first-time pick rate in the warehouse.”
“Hino also plays a pivotal role at the TAPC, with three diesel-electric Hino 300 Hybrid trucks currently on trial with Namlog, one of the logistics companies involved in this efficient parts operation. The facility itself is becoming increasingly environmentally friendly and self-sufficient in terms of electricity generation and water supply,” Segage concluded.
