An apple tree only bears fruit at a certain time of the year. The rest of the year the tree must grow, rest or make flowers. Similarly, the needs of a farm fluctuates throughout the seasons. There is not always a heavy load to transport, but a truck parked in the barn does not stop costing money.

There are still instalments to be paid, license and road transport rates, insurance fees and maintenance. Richard Brown, Head of Scania Rentals, says a truck that is not used all the time cannot recover its own costs – it remains on the farmer’s balance sheet and he carries all the risks.  “When a farmer rents a Scania, Scania carries the risk of ownership and also the financial responsibility to take care of all license and insurance payments. The farmer therefore does not pay for ownership, but only for the actual use of the truck. In addition, it could be included on its list of opera­tional expenses for SARS,” he says.

Richard Brown, Head of Scania Rentals, says that no matter how you look at it, it makes sense to rent a Scania.

“It makes sense to rent!”

The many farmers in the country who already own Scania trucks know that you become part of the Scania family when you purchase a Scania. Clients renting Scanias also become part of the family – they are not orphans.

Richard says that with the great drought in the Western Cape, Scania went out of its way to help farmers with favourable rental agreements to transport the small volumes they had. It helped to keep them on the farm where they belong.

The shortest rental period is one month, and the longest contract is for 12 months, after which it can be re­newed. The cost of the rental contract is determined by the expected number of kilometres that will be travelled per month on a scale of 9 000 to 15 000 km per month. The amount, therefore, re­mains constant unless the truck travels further than expected, then an addi­tional amount is payable.

“It also makes sense,” Richard ex­plains, “because the more you drive, the more money you earn!”

A deposit is also payable, which is repaid at the end of the term subject to certain terms and conditions.

What you get

The biggest advantage you enjoy as a rental client is that you have the privi­lege of using a Scania with its proven track record of reliability, convenience and economical fuel consumption.

You can also be assured of getting a truck that is in good condition and in the prime of its life. No truck stays in the rental fleet for no more than 3 to 4 years or 550 000 km, whichever comes first. After that it moves on to the used Scania department, where it is offered for sale as a good used vehicle. So, if you rent a Scania this year, it will not be an older model than 2018.

If you have fallen in love with your rental truck and would like to take her to the farm permanently at the end of her period in the rental fleet, Scania will also give you the first option to buy her!

The Scania also comes with a com­plete repair and maintenance plan, and any work on the truck can be done at any of Scania’s service stations in the entire SADC region. Driving across bor­ders is therefore not a problem. Help is just a call away.

Even tires that show normal wear are replaced for free. Also included in the lease is onboard tracking technology which, inter alia, measures the fuel consumed and com­pares it with what is left in the tank. This makes life difficult for fuel thieves.

You can also select whether a second remote monitoring unit should be activated. Then the movements of the truck are monitored from the insurer’s control room.

You can even brand the truck with your farm name and emblem – it only needs to be removable.

All this is what you get for a prede­termined monthly amount. Scania will need about a week to complete all your paperwork and get the truck ready for you to pick it up.

Call your nearest Scania dealer if you wish to rent a truck for the summer.