The previous winner from the capital city was Imperial Toyota Trucks in Pretoria North, back in 1988. This dealership was relocated to larger premises in Pretoria West in 2014 and is now one of three Hino dealerships in the Motus Hino Group.

Brandon Wegner, the proud Dealer Principal at Hino Tshwane, is another person at the head of a dealership who grew up in a family rooted in the motor business. His father, Brian O’Connor Wegner, was a prominent figure with a local vehicle manufacturer. Brandon remembers coming with his father to a truck and car dealership in Pretoria West and, coincidentally, Hino Tshwane is located alongside this dealership.

Brandon says he is not only immensely proud of the team for winning the overall Dealer of the Year Award for 2023 but last year was also the first time in 10 years that Hino Tshwane sold more than 200 trucks in a year.

“I believe the success of Motus Hino comes down to the passion and enthusiasm of our entire team of 28 staff members, coupled with the drive of our core leadership team. This gives us the ability to better ourselves in terms of improving the customer experience on an ongoing basis,” he explains.

“I, personally, have been with the Hino brand for 16 years, and our team in Pretoria includes many long-service members, including a parts manager with 35 years’ service, while a parts salesperson and truck sales executive have each spent 36 years in the business.

“We all learn by listening to our customers, business partners and colleagues. Formal training is conducted at the Toyota Africa Learning Academy and Motus training centre, and we also conduct on-the-job training by our managerial staff,” he adds.

The Hino Tshwane facility in Pretoria West is well equipped with a service centre that includes six 22 m work bays. Two of them are express bays, three are for overhauls and repairs, and the sixth has a brake roller tester. There is also a dedicated engine overhaul and repair room, a wash bay and an overhead crane.

Services offered include brake testing, wheel alignment, windscreen repair, mobile, on-site servicing and an after-hours fleet servicing option by appointment. Drivers waiting for their trucks to be serviced are provided with shower facilities and vouchers for lunch and entertainment.

All the staff members are environmentally conscious at Hino Tshwane. The dealership has been accredited with Hino’s ECO 3 Advanced Certificate, which shows its commitment to the sustainability of the industry and is in line with Hino’s values.

“Our strategy around the Hino Dealer of the Year Awards was to focus on the programmes for Sales and Customer Service Development along with Hino Financial Services. We truly believe in these programmes and are dedicated to achieving results, and this ensures we remain a profitable and viable business for the Motus Group.

“We all worked hard to create the right team and thereafter managed the team, using the Kaizen system of continuous improvement. Our team applied themselves with hard and intelligent work to produce the results, and the Hino Dealer of the Year Award is our reward,” concludes Brandon.