South African truck and trailer builder, Serco, plans to concentrate on growth and reducing trailer total cost of ownership through innovation and faster service to improve vehicle uptime.
Despite tough economic conditions, Serco has navigated 2025 with a strategic focus on delivering growth through innovation, customer partnerships, and operational excellence, Serco CEO, Clinton Holcroft, said.
Holcroft said trends showed customers were extending their current assets’ lives while selectively investing in efficiency improvements.
As a result, this has validated the company’s dual focus on manufacturing quality vehicles and providing strong after-sales services.
“Stand-outs are our on-site repair facilities, and the quick-opening curtain systems which help customers cut down time and labour costs during loading operations,” said Holcroft.
He added that during 2025, Serco completed a complex, multi-site assignment to replace a large number of vehicle bodies for its client, Clover South Africa — the job being delivered on time, to strict quality standards and with minimal disruption to their operations.
“That project showed our ability to scale across manufacturing sites, maintain consistent quality and operate as an extension of a key customer’s logistics function –exactly the kind of partnership we want to be known for,” he said.
Pleasing for Holcroft and Serco employees, the company has undergone palpable growth, with the company expanding its Boksburg branch facility to add 1,500 m² for repairs and 600 m² for manufacturing and installing new steel-processing equipment.
The additional spaces will shorten lead times and improve operation efficiencies.
“The added undercover workspace will enable us to increase capacity and service levels to our customers in Gauteng,” said Holcroft.
“The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025 and will include use of rainwater harvesting to improve the efficient and sustainable use of water in our business.”
Holcroft is “cautiously optimistic” about prospects for Serco in 2026.
“The order book going into the new year shows a healthy ‘pipeline’ for new body deliveries, however, we do expect ongoing pressure on order volumes due to the slow economy,” he said.
He identified Serco’s strengths as being its industry experience, multi-site capacity, a strong after-sales footprint and product innovations, such as the company’s fast-opening curtain siders and Ferro-foam refrigerated trailers.
The company has secured larger premises for its after-sales repair business in Durban, expected to become operational by April 2026.
This will enable Serco to significantly increase capacity and service levels for the repair of truck and trailer bodies in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Added to this, we are refining our ‘speed bay’ model to give customers same-day or next-day turnaround for smaller repairs,” said Holcroft.
“Finally, we are accelerating the product development of operationally efficient body systems (load/unload speed and durability) and new materials to increase durability and weight saving in our vehicles.”
Opportunities for the company in the new year include replacement of ageing fleets as interest rates ease, fleet conversions of light-weight bodies for low-emissions in the medium term and growing demand for faster repairs and rapid turnaround services.
There was also potential to significantly reduce the operating costs of customers.
Among threats, said Holcroft, were exposure to currency fluctuations which impacted fuel prices and imported components, as well as uncertainty from volatile tariff negotiations, which could impact supply chains and input costs.
“Our purpose remains to give customers the edge. For 2026 we will focus on reducing our customers’ total cost of ownership through innovation and faster service to improve vehicle uptime” Holcroft said.
“Practically, that means improving repair turnaround times across our network, reducing lead times for new vehicle bodies through investment in plant capability, and launching customer-facing service innovations that translate into measurable fleet productivity gains.
“In the tightly traded transport and logistics industry, uptime and service reliability become competitive advantages for our customers.
“Despite economic pressures, Serco has proven its resilience and ability to grow through customer partnerships and operational excellence.
“With new technologies, expanded capacity, and a focus on sustainable, high-performance solutions, we’re confident that 2026 will be a year of meaningful progress for our business and the transport sector as a whole.”
Read more news from South Africa’s Serco.
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