- Family-Owned Business, RDM marked a key accomplishment, by growing its business from ten to one hundred trucks.
- RDM Logistics Strengthens its Fleet with hundredth Truck from Mercedes-Benz and New Vaal Motors.
RDM Logistics, a family-owned South African cross-border transport company, proudly took delivery of its 100th truck from New Vaal Motors Commercial Vehicles, marking a significant achievement in its growth journey. This milestone vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz Actros 2652 Pure, reinforcing the strong and enduring partnership between RDM Logistics and Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
Founded in 2009 by Allan Taylor and currently owned and managed by Allan and his three children: Richard Taylor, Dale Taylor, and Megan Van der Waal, RDM Logistics began with a fleet of just ten trucks servicing the World Food Program into Zimbabwe. Today, the company operates a fleet of 100 trucks across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, transporting commodities such as grains, beer, chrome, lithium, soda ash, timber, and mining equipment.
Despite navigating harsh market conditions, including the 2009 global recession and the Covid-19 pandemic, RDM Logistics has grown sustainably by focusing on reliability, efficiency, and customer service.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
“Reaching our 100th truck is a proud moment for our family and our team. Choosing Mercedes-Benz Trucks for this milestone was an easy decision. The brand represents reliability, advanced technology, and strong after-sales support. This partnership has been instrumental in our success story,” said Dale Taylor, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of RDM Logistics.
Currently, fifty-two of RDM’s one hundred trucks are Mercedes-Benz Actros models, a testament to the brand’s performance and durability. RDM maintains a strict equipment replacement policy, refreshing trucks every five years to ensure minimal downtime and maximum reliability for its clients.
Reflecting on the Partnership
Elaborating on this milestone and the relationship with Mercedes-Benz Trucks and New Vaal Motors Commercial Vehicles, Dale Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of RDM Logistics, shared the following:
Why Mercedes-Benz Trucks?
“My father, Allan Taylor, has been in the transport industry for over 45 years, and his decades-long relationship with Daimler Truck Financial Services (formerly Mercedes-Benz Financial Services) made our initial decision to partner with Mercedes-Benz seamless. Our very first 10 trucks were Freightliners, and since then, the partnership has only deepened. From day one, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has provided not only robust, reliable vehicles but also exceptional after-sales support and a personal approach that fosters long-term trust. This relationship has played a significant role in our growth and success story. The reliability of Mercedes-Benz trucks means less downtime and greater consistency in delivering on our promises to customers. Beyond the product, we value the people behind the brand: always available, always invested in our success. Over the years, we’ve built strong personal relationships across all levels of the organization, and that commitment to partnership goes a very long way in sustaining mutual growth.”
How has the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) been for your Mercedes-Benz Trucks?
“We are not on any maintenance contracts, but we ensure that all our trucks are serviced and maintained at Mercedes-Benz truck dealerships. We budget internally for servicing and maintenance and over the 5-year period of owning each truck, have always managed to keep costs within budget.”
What is your favourite feature of the trucks currently in your fleet?
“There are a few key features that we and our drivers enjoy. For us as a company, features like the Power Shift Control ensure smooth shifting and fuel efficiency, Lane Keeping Assist and Attention Assist ensure better safety for our drivers, assets, and customers’ loads. FleetBoard and Mercedes-Benz Trucks Uptime assist us in monitoring driver performance, fuel consumption, and many more key metrics for efficient fleet monitoring. These are only a few of the many key features that Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers. For our drivers who spend many hours driving, the unparalleled comfort from the driver suspension seat, large cab space, and the advanced multimedia cockpit all makes the life of our drivers a lot better and easier.”
How would you rate your experience with Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ after-sales service?
“For any transporter, the after-sales support is key. The easiest part of logistics and transportation is buying the truck; what happens after is what really impacts your business in a positive or negative way. For us, the support, infrastructure, and network are key. Paired with this is the speed and turnaround time for getting our assets back on the road and working. As mentioned, we service all our trucks at Mercedes-Benz Trucks dealerships, and our trucks are always attended to and serviced well within a reasonable timeframe. Mercedes-Benz Trucks also has an effective and vast support dealer network for breakdown assistance, which is another key factor for any transporter—as no matter what, breakdowns do happen.”
“Mercedes-Benz is a brand that is there to support and aid any transporter from start to finish by providing a great product at a competitive price, great people, and fantastic after-sales support,” concludes Dale.
“Mercedes-Benz Trucks, in partnership with New Vaal Motors Commercial Vehicles, extends its sincere appreciation to RDM Logistics for their continued loyalty and support. We congratulate them on reaching this remarkable milestone and wish them every success in the future.” Olaf Petersen, Vice President Sales and Marketing at Daimler Truck Southern Africa.
