Cargo Africa puts first dual-purpose car carriers on South Africa’s roads

In March, Cargo Africa officially took ownership of a consignment of dual-purpose car carriers – the first of its kind to hit South African roads. Manufactured by the Italian vehicle manufacturer Rolfo, these vehicles offer fully enclosed trailers that can be configured to transport motor vehicles, palletised goods or loose tyres.

With an out-put of approximately 1000 car carriers per year, Rolfo is currently positioned as the second largest manufacturer of these vehicles in Europe.

According to Michele Sobrino, managing director of Unirolfo - the Rolfo division that services South Africa – the car carriers were specifically designed to comply to South African requirements and conditions.

“We apply basic components in different configurations for various countries. In this case we designed these vehicles according to the 22m length and 4,6m height requirement in South Africa,” says Sobrino.

Cargo Africa commissioned twenty vehicles at a cost of nearly R1.2 million per vehicle. At the official hand-over, Allan Taylor, managing director of Cargo Africa commented that they were very pleased to be the first owners of these trailers in South Africa.

“It took a lot of time and effort to produce these vehicles, and the end-result is a magnificent product,” says Taylor.

The benefits are numerous. Taylor points out that with the enclosed trailer, the damage that vehicles on an open car carrier sometimes sustain, such as chips, is eliminated. The decks are fully galvanised, thereby protecting it from rust and other damage.

Furthermore, its flexibility makes complicated loads, whereby vehicles and mixed loads are combined, possible, which maximises cost-effectiveness.

As part of their service to Cargo Africa, Unirolfo also sent a professional instructor from Italy to train Cargo Africa’s drivers and mechanics in operating and servicing the vehicles. Training and support will be provided on an ongoing basis.