CP Nel Motors Mossel Bay qualifies in 4X4 course

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 News by CPNel Admin

The CP Nel Motors Mossel Bay team who have completed the TETA Training course on 4X4 driving were L to R Fransie Johnson, Sales exec, Malcolm McClelland, Dealer Principal, Ben Fourie, Sales exec, Matt laubscher, Sales exec, Charl vd Walt, Sales exec and D’Metri Griessel, General Sales Manager. This team is now fully qualified to provide expert advice to a buyer of a 4X4 vehicle.

Given the impending SA Governments legislation regarding the use of 4X4 vehicles in eco-sensitive areas, management of CP Nel Motors in Mossel Bay considered it prudent to qualify all sales staff in the new Unit Standards, as prescribed by the TETA. This new standard is known as US 254135 and is described as “Apply the techniques for operating four wheel drive vehicles in on-road and off-road conditions.”

The course was completed in late June under the auspices of the African Offroad Academy, which is one of very few correctly accredited TETA institutions able to offer compliance with the required standard nationally, and the only training institution in the Southern Cape.

It seems to be quite common that buyers of these technically advanced and very capable vehicles seldom are given any form of offroad exposure when buying their vehicle. Usually at best the handover will include some tips and a brief mention on how to engage four wheel drive, but very seldom will any hands-on instruction be given.

“There has to be therefore an opportunity to provide a very much better sales service to a buyer of such a vehicle,” says Malcolm McClelland, the Dealer principal of CP Nel Motors in Mossel Bay, who enrolled their full sales team on this course. “All our sales staff are now fully qualified to offer expert advice on many aspects of the safe operation of a 4X4 vehicle, and this has to be a value-add to our customers.”

The course took place over two days at the end of June and involved both the theoretical aspects of drivetrains, vehicle specifications and driving techniques, plus a good deal of practical driving in what could be described as extreme conditions. Examination was also in the form of a lengthy written exam, plus a practical assessment over a difficult driving course.

The CP Nel Motors sales team were unanimous in their praise for the learning experience and were also in awe of the incredible abilities of the Isuzu KB300 and Isuzu KB 250 bakkies which were put through their paces. Three Isuzu vehicles were used by the team, being the very popular KB300 LX 4X4 Double Cab, the KB300 LX 4X4 Extended Cab and the KB250 D-Teq 4X4 Workhorse. All three bakkies acquitted themselves very well and all people who were on the course with the CP Nel Motors Team were especially impressed with the fact that all Isuzu 4X4’s come with rear difflock as standard, as this feature makes getting out of difficult situations a relatively simple matter.