When the farmer can’t come to you, you go to the farmer. The team from New Vaal Motors in Vereeniging introduced farmers to their range of Mercedes- Benz- and FUSO trucks at the Balfour Hooidag this year. 

New Vaal Motors first opened their doors in 1958 and was one of the first Mercedes-Benz dealerships in South Africa. They later added their truck division which has been a successful part of their company for over 20-years.

Pierre Marnewick, Dealer Principle at New Vaal Motors explains that they joined the Balfour Hooidag to show farmers the products they have on offer. “It is always nice to see the farmers and to catch up. They are on the farm most of the time and don’t have much time to visit the dealerships. That is why we decided we would come to them, for them to see what we have to offer,” explains Pierre.

Pierre Marnewick, Dealer Principle at New Vaal Motors in Vereeniging says they visit the Balfour Hooidag to keep in touch with farmers.

Their vehicles fall under the Daimler umbrella which includes  Mercedes-Benz trucks, FUSO trucks and Truck Store. Truck Store is their secondhand truck department.  The trucks they have on offer can be used for a wide range of applications, like long distance transport and for farming and logistics purposes. Their range includes tautliners, side tippers, tipper trucks, conveyer floors and many more. “Mercedes-Benz is the brand to watch,” says Pierre.

This is the tenth year that Pierre has attended the farmers feed production day and the company has had exhibits at the event for four years.

“We are very much in tune with what our clients want, and our clients are farmers. So, we  make sure we bring something for them. We brought a cattle truck, and we always have a three cubic metre tipper that we bring along. Something that is especially popular with the farmers,” says Pierre about their exhibit.

The team from New Vaal Motors in Vereeniging at the Balfour Hooidag, Pierre Marnewick, Dealer Principle; Pieter Harmse, Sales Manager; Francois Pieterse, Mercedes-Benz-trucks; Ricardo Fanfoni, FUSO; and Chante Soares, Sales support.

He explains their Mercedes-Benz trucks can be fitted with an Uptime application. This app is a driver and vehicle management system which is a subdivision of the Daimler Fleetboard fleet management system. Uptime registers fault codes on the trucks to warn you of issues that may arrise, before they can become a problem.  The data is not only transmitted to the owner but also to the dealership and Uptime team at Mercedes-Benz.

The cattle truck which New Vaal Motors built to show the farmers.

New Vaal Motors and Mercedes-Benz also offer driver training. The dealership does a thorough handover to the buyer and the ProDrive team from Mercedes also offers a one-, two- or five-day driver course to truck drivers.

Pierre says; “We have Mercedes-Benz and FUSO parts as well as Truck Parts with their range of Mercedes-Benz and FUSO part. The only difference is that Truck Parts offers more affordable parts for vehicles which are no longer under warranty.”

In 2024 they will be introducing four new vehicles in the Actros range, as well as add-ons to their fixed body Arocs range.

“This range is especially popular with individuals who have towing vehicles and tow-in services for trucks. They will now have a chassis on which they can install their equipment. We have been waiting for this for a long time and we are very excited to introduce it.”

Pierre Marnewick from New Vaal Motors inside one of their Mercedes-Benz trucks.

Pierre says the Actros truck-tractor range has also been adapted and expanded according to the clients’ suggestions. They will be attending a few more shows this year, especially locally, to stay in touch with their users. He said that New Vaal Motors is a family business who wants to support their community.

“We are a family business and form part of the Hallmark group. We like making our clients part of this family.

“We are only a call away and invite everyone to contact us. We will help where we can,” Pierre concludes.

The Uptime app that can be added to the Mercedes-Benz trucks.

You can find them on Facebook under New Vaal Commercial Vehicles.