While a shared Scottish heritage may have initially piqued Atlantis Mining’s interest in Terex Trucks, the simplicity of the design of these powerful rigid and articulated haulers, and the unwavering customer service and support from Babcock – the official distributor of Terex Trucks in southern Africa – has kept this contract open cast mining company loyal to the Terex Trucks brand.
Managing director of Atlantis Mining, Mark Johnstone, says he has always been partial to the Scotland-based Terex Trucks brand due to his Highlands lineage. The company’s association with Terex Trucks dates back to the mid-1980s when they bought their first Terex 2366 and 2566 dump trucks.
The consistently good performance of the haulers, coupled with Atlantis Mining’s longstanding relationship with Babcock since 2000 when the company was appointed as sole distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment in southern Africa, has ensured that Atlantis Mining continue to expand their fleet of Terex Trucks. Babcock was appointed the official southern African distributor of Terex Trucks in October 2015 following the acquisition of Terex Trucks by Volvo Construction Equipment in June 2014.
Atlantis Mining recently purchased three TR60 rigid dump trucks, which will complement their existing fleet of 16 Terex Trucks, some of which have clocked up over 25,000 working hours and are still performing well. The new TR60s are currently in operation at the Vaalbult Colliery in Mpumalanga where they are being used primarily for the removal of blasted rock and hard overburden. Johnstone says that the large size of the TR60’s bins and the high payload make them ideally suited to this type of work.
“Currently we have 16 TR60s in operation and they are all going strong,” says Johnstone. The significance of this statement is realised when he goes on to explain that the trucks each run two 9,5-hour shifts in a 24-hour period, five days a week, while Saturdays see these powerful rigid dump trucks hitting the quarries for two eight-hour shifts.
“The TR60s have a comfortable cab that helps reduce driver fatigue, air-conditioning, radio and all the modern features that assist with operator ease. In addition, Terex Trucks keeps things simple so the trucks are easy to maintain and can be repaired by a mechanic rather than requiring an electrician and a laptop,” continues Johnstone.
He adds that the simplicity of the trucks means that minor problems and breakdowns can be dealt with in-house and without the need for in-depth training, while more serious cases that may arise can be addressed quickly by a trained Babcock technician who is readily available on site.
Johnstone further comments that Babcock’s new Middelburg branch is a major benefit for Atlantis Mining. “The facility is world-class and well-stocked with stock lines required for the Terex Trucks range, so we very seldom have to wait for parts. The sales team is always willing to assist us at the drop of a hat,” enthuses Johnstone. The purpose-built Middelburg branch is dedicated to facilitating the Terex Truck range alongside Babcock’s other construction equipment product ranges, and ensures immediate access to parts, availability of qualified service technicians and appropriate maintenance facilities, with large work bays specifically designed to accommodate trucks up to 100 tonnes.
Availability of the Terex Trucks product range in South Africa through Babcock has also played a role in Atlantis Mining’s ongoing loyalty to Terex Trucks as the products are readily available with short lead times. Atlantis Mining was founded by father-and-son team Jimmy and Mark Johnstone and operates primarily as an opencast coal mining subcontracting company providing full turnkey operations including bulk earth moving, drilling and blasting, coal removal and mine rehabilitation. Mark Johnstone says that the company is now in its fourth generation of Terex Trucks TR60 machines and is looking forward to continuing its positive relationship with Babcock.
“We are confident with Babcock as the agent for Terex Trucks and have every confidence in the performance of the Terex Trucks brand name,” concludes Johnstone. Babcock has over 60 years’ experience in the construction equipment market, supplying the construction, materials handling, mining, quarrying, road building and forestry industries, and is one of the largest construction equipment suppliers in southern Africa. The company believes that their customer-focused approach has led to high levels of repeat business, reflecting the ethos and reliability of a partner that is trusted to deliver.