"Truck Test 2012 is significant because the cost of transport impacts each and every consumer," explains Charleen Clarke, the magazine's editor. "As such, this ground-breaking event was not just important to the transport industry – it was equally pertinent to each and every consumer in this country.

From the outset, it was stressed that this was not a competition but a demonstration of what 6x4 prime movers are capable of in different configurations over varying topography.

The event took place from Johannesburg to Durban – and then back again. In keeping with trucking tradition, Truck Test 2012 commenced well before dawn. "It was a tremendously exciting event; while the rest of Johannesburg was still sleeping, the air quickly began to fill with the growl of diesel engines as the rigs lined up to leave – and then the 18 extra-heavy behemoths departed from Anderson's Transport under the watchful eye of Fritz Hellberg, one of the event coordinators," reports Clarke.

As the autumn sun began its leisurely rise, the first and most powerful truck, Scania's R620 was unleashed – heading towards the N3 to Durban, where they would then join the N2 and travel north along the coast, before swopping over to the M4 coastal highway to the finish point of the down run – Engen Ballito.

Clarke explains that the entrants took Truck Test 2012 very seriously. "Despite the reiteration that this was a test – and not a competition – excitement, nerves and an acute competitive spirit were evident all along the route," she comments.

The trucks were all different but they shared one thing in common: extremely competent drivers who wanted to extract the very best performance from their rigs.

Naturally, the trucks had to pass through a number of tollgates en route to Durban. "But thanks to the assistance of the road safety partner of Truck Test 2012 – the N3 Toll Concession, or N3TC as it's more commonly known – the run was smooth from start to finish. And the friendly teams at the Heidelberg, Wilge, Tugela and Mooi River toll plazas each welcomed the trucks with a smile and a hand up for road safety, ushering them on their way with the bare minimum of fuss and delay," says Clarke.

Truck Test entrants could all select their own trailers. As such, the field was made up of interlink combinations as well as truck-tractors hitched to tridem semi-trailers – which are both very popular on South Africa's roads. Each entrant had to provide an observer, who would rode along in another entrant's vehicle, ensuring that everyone stuck to the rules of the road. For instance, trucks were not permitted to exceed a speed of 80km/h.

The first stop of the day was Highway Junction in Harrismith. It was compulsory for each vehicle to stop here for breakfast. From around 10:00, the participants began to roll in thick and fast. "It was incredible to see the diversity of brands on display. So many people said that it would be impossible to get arch rivals to work together. And it was certainly a monumental job putting Truck Test 2012 together – but we did it," enthuses Clarke.

At each stop, the drivers were required to switch off their trucks' engine to allow the Ctrack systems fitted to the vehicles to record the checkpoint. This also allowed for accurate recording of consumption of diesel, sponsored by Engen.

The route was broken up into sections that represent different types of topography – because topography has a significant impact on speed, fuel consumption and productivity. On the down run the route was divided into Alrode to Harrismith, which is fairly flat and Harrismith to Tugela, which is very steep down Van Reenen's Pass. Then came Tugela to Cato Ridge, which is undulating with a steep climb to Mooi River and a drop to Cato Ridge, and the Cato Ridge to Ballito,which, once again, is again fairly flat.

This test was conducted with the vehicles laden in both directions but, in real life operating conditions, many runs involve an empty leg. This is a significant challenge within the transport industry – the empty truck has much lower fuel consumption but it's obviously not productive.

Approaching an overcast and foggy Pietermaritzburg, the assortment of heavy machinery stopped at Engen Cato Ridge, which allowed one last reprieve for the drivers ahead of their destination. The engines were switched off and accurate measurements of both Engen diesel utilised and time taken were recorded.

And then it was time for the final stretch of the day – Cato Ridge to Engen Ballito, which the trucks reached after 10 hours on the road. Some of the trucks were so advanced and sophisticated that they could only run on 50 ppm diesel, and so the organisers ensured that a steady stream of 50 ppm Engen diesel was on tap.

The next day was spent at Dube Trade Port at King Shaka International Airport – which was where the vehicles had overnighted. Truck Test 2012 coincided with the Road Freight Association Convention, and Engen hosted the delegates in grand style.

The day wasn't only about the serious nature of trucking though; there was also some fun to be had as delegates raced toy trucks. "But the highlight of the day was the announcement of the results of the downrun of Truck Test 2012 – these statistics are incredibly important to transport operators – followed by a parade of all the entrants. The trucks took off with a flurry of hooters and air horns. The procession could only be described as emotional, as the trucks completed two laps to the smiles and applause of the crowd. It was a great experience for drivers and observers alike, and confirmed how enthusiastic everyone was about the test," says Clarke.

Once the formalities were over, some serious manoeuvring huge dollops of skill were required as the trucks parked at Dube Trade Port in readiness for the return run. As the sun set over the airport, final preparations were made for the trip back to Johannesburg: each and every entrant was determined to excel.

In typical trucking fashion, the return run began well before dawn, and it was also an early start for the paramedics from ER24, who kept a careful eye on all the entrants throughout the event. "ER24 was supplied with medical data for each and every participant well before the start of Truck Test 2012 – so that the company was well equipped to deal with any emergencies. Thankfully none materialised, but it was reassuring to have the back-up of this private, national, emergency medical care service provider," Clarke explains.

The first stop of the journey was Engen Truck Stop Mooi River, followed by Engen Tugela and then Highway Junction in Harrismith.

Once again, the terrain varied dramatically – the trucks undertook a long climb to Mooi River at 1 500 metres above sea level, a long downhill and undulating route to Tugela, a steep climb up Van Reenen's Pass and finally Harrismith to Alrode, which is mostly flat. All along the way, the trucks' productivity, fuel consumption and speed were monitored – thanks to sophisticated fleet management technology.

The penultimate stop of the day was at the Heidelberg weighbridge, where the weight of each rig was verified. Once the trucks had been weighted, it was straight back to Anderson Transport's yard – for a final top-up of diesel and some well-earned rest.

The final step in the process was collation of the data. This took a couple of weeks, as the expert team from Hellberg Transport Management gathered and analysed the data.

Clarke says that she has no doubt that the data that has been produced is extremely meaningful. "There were no winners or losers at Truck Test 2012 – as we reiterated, it was a test and not a competition. But, for the first time in the history of the South African truck industry, we were able to produce precise operating costs for 18 of the most popular trucks on our roads. This data will enable transport operators to make educated buying decisions – and could ultimately result in lower transport costs," she notes.

Clarke adds that the event would not have been possible without the support of the participants – DAF, Hino, International, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, TATA, UD and Volvo – and sponsors Aero Truck; Afrit; Andersons Transport; Barloworld Logistics; Ctrack; DHL; Dunlop; Engen; ER24; HTM; N3 Toll Concession and Serco.

Truck Test will become an annual event. "With Truck Test 2012, we wanted to get as many vehicle manufacturers involved as possible. As such, we allowed each company to enter a rig of their choice – provided it had a 6x4 prime mover. Looking forward, we will conduct truck tests on an annual basis, but the prime movers will alter from year to year so that the test will continue to provide useful information to a wide variety of industries. As such, future tests will be run on an even more scientifically-comparable basis. They may attract fewer entries – but we believe this is the right way to go," Clarke concludes.

Full results of Truck Test 2012 are available at www.focusontransport.co.za.