South African courier expands its fleet with new Ford Transits
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has announced that it is expanding its longstanding partnership with RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers with an additional 100 transit vehicles added to RAM’s fleet.
RAM has been using Ford vehicles in its fleet since 2004 and currently operates 578 in its fleet and has taken delivery of more than 1,600 since its partnership began.
Of these, 51 vehicles are over a decade old, and 35 have exceeded 300,000kms.
The addition of these 100 new transit vehicles to RAM’s fleet will help the company meet the needs of its customers and highlight the advantageous partnership between it and Ford.
“Our partnership with Ford is built on over two decades of trust and support”, said David Lazarus, Executive Chairman at RAM.
“For us, the Ford Transit is more than just a vehicle; it’s an extension of our brand. We don’t want to be seen as just another courier; we want to lead the market with quality, and the Transit helps us achieve that reputation.”
RAM’s current fleet, which includes Ford Transits and Rangers, is deployed nationwide, so ensuring its vehicles are reliable and fuel-efficient is an essential consideration.
Lazarus noted that the backing from Ford has been phenomenal and that by working with Ford, they have experienced minimal downtime over the years.
He also said Ford is a good partner thanks to the carmakers’ active development and refinement of their vehicles to meet new challenges.
“Ford has always been responsive, adapting vehicles to meet the demands of our local operating conditions. It’s a relationship built on technical collaboration, shared values and long-term vision,” he said.
Ryan Searle, Director, Sales Operations at Ford South Africa, shared these sentiments, noting that they’re proud to support businesses like RAM.
“We’re proud to be the backbone of businesses like RAM, who rely on the proven reliability and low total cost of ownership our vehicles offer in high-demand environments,” he said.
Hard running
Fleet vehicles like those in RAM’s fleet operate under extremely difficult conditions with frequent long-distance travel and constant stop-start driving.
Under these conditions, vehicles need to be durable and dependable while also comfortable and easy to drive for long hauls.
In the case of RAM, its vehicles have seen especially intense running, with one of its Ford Rangers covering over 500,000 kilometres.
RAM also uses both Ford Transits and Rangers in its fleet to cover urban and rougher terrain, respectively, for optimal delivery efficiency.
The new Transits added to RAM’s fleet will further augment this capability with upgraded designs. This includes a lighter and stiffer platform, a longer wheelbase, and a height under two metres for easy access to tight areas.
It also has a larger side door with a step, a lower load floor, and a load-through feature offering up to 5.8 square metres of volume and a payload of up to 1,269kg.
A 2.0L EcoBlue diesel engine (100kW/360Nm) with a six-speed manual transmission powers the new Transit with a powertrain that can be optimised for various use cases using Selectable Drive Modes.
RAM has been using Ford vehicles in its fleet since 2004 and currently operates 578 in its fleet and has taken delivery of more than 1,600 since its partnership began.
Of these, 51 vehicles are over a decade old, and 35 have exceeded 300,000kms.
The addition of these 100 new transit vehicles to RAM’s fleet will help the company meet the needs of its customers and highlight the advantageous partnership between it and Ford.
“Our partnership with Ford is built on over two decades of trust and support”, said David Lazarus, Executive Chairman at RAM.
“For us, the Ford Transit is more than just a vehicle; it’s an extension of our brand. We don’t want to be seen as just another courier; we want to lead the market with quality, and the Transit helps us achieve that reputation.”
RAM’s current fleet, which includes Ford Transits and Rangers, is deployed nationwide, so ensuring its vehicles are reliable and fuel-efficient is an essential consideration.
Lazarus noted that the backing from Ford has been phenomenal and that by working with Ford, they have experienced minimal downtime over the years.
He also said Ford is a good partner thanks to the carmakers’ active development and refinement of their vehicles to meet new challenges.
“Ford has always been responsive, adapting vehicles to meet the demands of our local operating conditions. It’s a relationship built on technical collaboration, shared values and long-term vision,” he said.
Ryan Searle, Director, Sales Operations at Ford South Africa, shared these sentiments, noting that they’re proud to support businesses like RAM.
“We’re proud to be the backbone of businesses like RAM, who rely on the proven reliability and low total cost of ownership our vehicles offer in high-demand environments,” he said.
Hard running
Fleet vehicles like those in RAM’s fleet operate under extremely difficult conditions with frequent long-distance travel and constant stop-start driving.
Under these conditions, vehicles need to be durable and dependable while also comfortable and easy to drive for long hauls.
In the case of RAM, its vehicles have seen especially intense running, with one of its Ford Rangers covering over 500,000 kilometres.
RAM also uses both Ford Transits and Rangers in its fleet to cover urban and rougher terrain, respectively, for optimal delivery efficiency.
The new Transits added to RAM’s fleet will further augment this capability with upgraded designs. This includes a lighter and stiffer platform, a longer wheelbase, and a height under two metres for easy access to tight areas.
It also has a larger side door with a step, a lower load floor, and a load-through feature offering up to 5.8 square metres of volume and a payload of up to 1,269kg.
A 2.0L EcoBlue diesel engine (100kW/360Nm) with a six-speed manual transmission powers the new Transit with a powertrain that can be optimised for various use cases using Selectable Drive Modes.
