After half a year in operating the seven Liebherr Reachstacker LRS 545, the Transnet SOC Ltd is satisfied by the overall performance of the new devices. In daily operation, the machines have to withstand the harsh maritime conditions in the port of Durban and over the past months, they have mastered this task with flying colors.
In December of 2017, Transnet SOC Ltd ordered seven Liebherr Reachstacker LRS 545, which have been dispatched from the manufacturing site in Sunderland, Great Britain, in February. Thanks to the professional on-site assembly by qualified Liebherr service engineers in Durban, South Africa, all seven units have already been put into operation in March of 2018.
Within a short period after the commissioning of the new reachstackers in daily business, Transnet SOC Ltd appears impressed by the remarkable performance of the seven latest Liebherr machines. Moreover, the machines have proven to be highly reliable as they have been in permanent 24/7 operation for more than six months straight.
"The decisive factor for the purchase of a Liebherr machine was to find a reachstacker that could withstand the difficult maritime environmental conditions such as dust and salt that prevail in the port of Durban and defy them permanently. In addition, it was necessary to find an engine that could cope with the deficient quality of diesel fuel in Africa. In dialogue with Liebherr, a very satisfactory solution for all this requirements was found, the LRS 545," said Nene Thubelihle, Regional Supply Chain Manager KZN for Transnet SOC Ltd.
Due to the nearby Liebherr service station in Durban, operators, technicians and service staff of Transnet SOC Ltd had the possibility to experience onsite training for the seven new LRS 545.
"Overall, we are highly satisfied with the reachstacker LRS 545 and the service provided by Liebherr and would definitely recommend this model as a proper purchase for each container terminal," Thubelihle said.