Mercedes-Benz Trucks hands over two Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks to 95- year old Kenne de Kock Snr of KELRN
In an extremely rare and special occasion, Mercedes-Benz Trucks together with its dealership, New Vaal Commercial Vehicles Kimberley, handed over two Mercedes- Benz Actros 1842 Trucks to Kenne de Kock Snr, at the astonishing age of 95 years old.
The official handover took place on 14 June 2023 at the KELRN premises. When asked why he purchased the two trucks at this amazing age, Kenne Snr warm- heartedly responded that by the time he reaches the age of a 100 years old, he needs the trucks to have generated sufficient income to support the church community whom he has established a longstanding relationship and history with. Although Kenne Snr is now officially the first Mercedes-Benz Trucks customer over 90-years old, the relationship between KELRN and the Mercedes-Benz Trucks brand stretches back over three generations. Today KELRN has a dedicated Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) fleet of 120 trucks.
“The support we get from Johann and the dealership is unbelievable. Equally, Mercedes-Benz Trucks remains a supportive partner to us, committed to deliver the right solutions for our business. In return, we have always been, and will always remain loyal to the brand. It of course helps that everything Mercedes-Benz Trucks does is of the highest quality, which is not only limited to their products but also true for their customer engagements. Even when it comes to the after-sales services, we have a very open and honest relationship with New Vaal Commercial Vehicles Kimberley, and they look after us.” Kenne de Kock Jnr, Transport Executive, KELRN.
So where did it all begin for KELRN? Kenne de Kock Snr always had a passion for agriculture and became a dairy farmer after school. He owned his own dairy and delivered fresh milk to the Barkly West Town with two horses, every day, after milking his cows from 03:00AM in the mornings. Eventually, he bought his first truck in 1948 to deliver the fresh milk to town. At the same time, he started to transport fruits and vegetables from surrounding farms to the Kimberley and Bloemfontein markets, and later expanded to the transportation of cows and goats. By 1985 Kenne Snr bought his first Mercedes-Benz 2633 Trucks. To compensate for extreme droughts and the effect it had on their farming business, Kenne de Kock Jnr sealed a major contract for the transportation of long-life milk. With the unbelievable support of Kenne Snr, KELRN became a very successful transportation business that grew exponentially and surpassed the farming business in terms of growth and revenue. Apart from diesel transport, nighty-eight percent of their cargo is food. Their most important customers are the local farmers to whom KELRN is extremely loyal to. KELRN is open to exploring new technology, which has led them to having many firsts in the farming and trucking industry. From being one of the first farms to make
use of automated milking systems, to being one of the first truck operators to make use of the pallet system and introducing it to their customers. They always innovate and modify their trailers for more efficient loading and offloading. In the era before cellphones and telematics systems, they were one of the first truck operators to connect with their drivers by using tracking technology designed and used on ships. This allowed them to track and communicate with their drivers with only a 10-minute delay. Finding efficiencies has always been a priority for KELRN and remains one to this day.
Listening to their amazing story, it is clear that KELRN is a family business, and family is core to their existence. Even the name “KELRN” is an acronym for the names of Kenne de Kock Snr’s children: Kenne, Estelle, Louis, Ronelle and Neil. They value relationships and throughout their history, business partners become “extended family”.
Commenting on the significant handover Martin Van Der Colf, National Sales Manager Daimler Truck Financial Services South Africa said: “Being able to join forces with Mercedes-Benz Trucks and offer a tailor-made finance solution to KELRN has remained important to us. KELRN is one of the first customers to put their trust in Daimler Truck Financial Services South Africa and continue to be a valued business partner. We applaud Kenne de Kock Snr for the great strides he continues to make and wish him all the best with his latest purchase”. Congratulations to Kenne de Kock Snr on this amazing milestone. We as DTSA and Mercedes-Benz Trucks, in particular, are truly honored to have been part of this amazing journey and we wish KELRN sustained success and look forward to an even more fruitful relationship in years to come.