A Liebherr LRS 545 reachstacker assembling its six companions in Durban Port, South Africa

After half a year in operation, Transnet SOC is very satisfied with its seven Liebherr LRS 545 reachstackers. 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 colours.

In December of 2017, Transnet ordered seven reachstackers, which were dispatched in February from the manufacturing site in Sunderland, Great Britain. Thanks to the professional on-site assembly by qualified Liebherr service engineers in Durban, all seven units have been operational since March 2018.

Within a short period after the commissioning of the new reachstackers in daily business, Transnet appears impressed by the performance of the latest 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 these requirements was found, the LRS 545," says Nene Thubelihle, regional supply chain manager - KZN for Transnet.

Transnet operators, technicians and service staff have been trained at the nearby Liebherr service station in Durban.

"Liebherr offers a comprehensive service network that guarantees fast response times all over the world, is available 24 hours a day and convinces with the unique availability of urgently needed spare parts," Thubelihle adds.