UsedHowoTrucks.com | April 21, 2026
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What Is Happening in Zambia Right Now
A wave of road rehabilitation and mining expansion projects is currently under way across Zambia's Copperbelt and North-Western Province, creating one of the most active used heavy truck markets on the African continent. Within the past seven days, two separate authoritative industry reports have detailed the scale of the construction and logistics buildout now in progress — and road-based haulage sits at the centre of every project listed.
Freight News (South Africa), one of Africa's leading logistics trade publications, reported on April 15, 2026 that over US$12 billion in combined rail, road, power, and border infrastructure is actively under development across the Zambia-DRC Copperbelt corridor, with several hundred million dollars of that total concentrated directly in Zambian road contracts that require dump trucks, tipper trucks, and water tankers to execute. (Source: Freight News, April 15, 2026)
On April 16, 2026, Mining Weekly confirmed that First Quantum Minerals commissioned the Kansanshi copper mine's latest production expansion in North-Western Province — a facility that adds directly to the long-haul ore and materials freight burden on roads connecting Solwezi to the national highway network. Combined, these developments make Zambia one of the clearest short-term demand signals for used HOWO dump trucks and used HOWO tractor trucks in Africa today.
The Road Projects Driving Haulage Demand
Several large, funded road contracts are in active construction or imminent procurement across Zambia's mining provinces right now. Each one requires sustained fleets of construction vehicles, particularly used HOWO 6x4 dump trucks for materials haulage, water tankers for road-base compaction, and mixer trucks for any concrete works at bridge abutments and culverts.
Mutanda–Kaoma Road (Western Corridor) — $326 million. A 371-kilometre rehabilitation and full upgrading project converting a critical mining supply route to bituminous standard. The road links Zambia's North-Western Copperbelt to the western highway network and shortens the export route to Walvis Bay in Namibia. This is one of the largest single road contracts currently active in Zambia.
Lumwana–Kambimba Road — active construction. An 89-kilometre stretch connecting Zambia's North-Western Province directly to Lualaba Province in the DRC. The road bypasses chronic congestion at the Kasumbalesa border post — Africa's busiest and most problematic copper-export crossing — and speeds freight movement to Kolwezi's copper and cobalt processing zones.
Ndola–Sakania–Mufulira Road — $76 million. A road project in the heart of the Copperbelt that includes development of a one-stop border post at Sakania between Zambia and the DRC. The border post will serve a Chinese-built dry port already operational on the DRC side.
Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Road Rehabilitation — $8.1 million. A targeted road programme directly serving the mining towns of Chililabombwe and Chingola, led by KCM as mine operator. Short-distance haul trucks, including used HOWO 8x4 dump trucks, are the standard platform for this category of mine-access road work.
EU-funded Mwinilunga–Jimbe Road — $130 million. A feeder road into the broader Lobito Corridor infrastructure, funded by the European Union, linking remote North-Western Province copper zones to the main corridor network.
Mining Expansion Adding Fleet Pressure
Road construction is only half the picture. Active mine expansion across the Copperbelt is simultaneously adding to the daily haulage burden on existing roads, increasing demand for reliable used HOWO tractor trucks and tipper units for ore transport, concentrate movement, and reagent supply runs.
Zambia's Ministry of Mines issued 2,175 new mining licences in 2024 — a 78% increase over 2023 — signalling that the pipeline of active projects will continue expanding well into 2027. (Source: Freight News citing PwC Zambian Mining Industry Report, April 15, 2026) Copper prices are forecast to rise from their current range of US$12,000–$15,000 per tonne as global demand from energy transmission, electric vehicles, and data centres grows from roughly 10 million metric tonnes in 2025 to an estimated 14 million tonnes by 2035.
First Quantum Minerals alone is targeting copper output of between 450,000 and 500,000 tonnes from its Zambian operations in 2026, with ongoing expansion of the Kansanshi S3 processing plant representing a $1.25 billion capital investment. Every tonne of additional ore processed at Kansanshi moves by road from pit to plant, and from plant to the Lobito Corridor rail connection or the southern road corridor to Durban — all of it behind a truck.
Qingdao Alston Motors Co., Ltd supplies verified used HOWO trucks in configurations directly matched to Zambia's mining haulage requirements, including used HOWO 6x4 dump trucks for standard mine access road hauls and used HOWO 6x4 tractor units for long-haul concentrate runs to Lusaka, the Walvis Bay corridor, and Dar es Salaam.
Why Used HOWO Trucks Are the Default Choice on the Copperbelt
HOWO trucks from Sinotruk have dominated Zambia's commercial haulage sector for over a decade, for practical reasons that apply directly to Copperbelt conditions.
Parts availability in-country. Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, and Chingola all have established parts dealers stocking HOWO engine components, gearbox parts, axle assemblies, and cab consumables. On a 371-kilometre road-build site like the Mutanda–Kaoma corridor, a breakdown that can be fixed locally in hours rather than waiting weeks for imported parts is the difference between a viable fleet and a liability.
Torque performance on loaded mine hauls. The WD615 and MC11 engine families used in HOWO dump trucks and tractor units deliver high torque at low RPM, which is critical for fully loaded runs on the Copperbelt's mixed tarmac and gravel mine access roads — particularly on inclines approaching the North-Western Province plateau.
Cost vs. capability. A verified used HOWO 6x4 dump truck from a reputable exporter lands in Zambia at a fraction of the cost of a comparable new European or Japanese unit. For transport contractors scaling up for long-term mine supply contracts — exactly the scenario playing out across Zambia's Copperbelt right now — that lower entry cost directly improves contract bidding margins.
Which HOWO Configurations Zambian Operators Need
Road construction contracts — The primary workhorse is the used HOWO 6x4 dump truck in 371HP specification, with a 16–20 cubic metre body suited to road-base materials, gravel, and laterite. Operators bidding on the Mutanda–Kaoma or Ndola–Sakania projects should target 2016–2020 model years to stay well within Zambia's import age limits and minimise maintenance costs from day one.
Mine site earthworks and overburden removal — Heavier payload applications call for the used HOWO 8x4 dump truck in 430HP specification, capable of carrying 25–30 tonnes per load. The 8x4 axle configuration delivers better weight distribution on degraded haul roads near active pits.
Long-haul concentrate and bulk freight — The standard platform remains the used HOWO 371HP tractor truck in 6x4 configuration, pulling bulk tipper or flat-deck trailers on runs from the Copperbelt south to Lusaka, west to Walvis Bay via the Mutanda–Kaoma corridor, or east to Dar es Salaam on the TAZARA route.
Water supply for road compaction — Road-building projects across all the active Zambian corridors consume large volumes of water for subbase compaction. Used HOWO water trucks in 20,000-litre configuration on the 6x4 chassis are essential support vehicles on every active road-build site in the province.
Concrete for culverts and bridges — Where bridge abutments and culvert structures are included in road contracts, used HOWO mixer trucks in the 6x4 or 8x4 chassis are required. The 8x4 mixer with a 10–12 cubic metre drum is the standard specification for heavy-duty road construction concrete supply in Zambia.
Practical Notes for Zambian Buyers in 2026
Age limits. Zambia's import age restrictions for used commercial heavy trucks apply at the point of clearance through Lusaka or Ndola customs. Buyers should confirm the current applicable limit with a licensed Zambian clearing agent before ordering, but targeting 2014 model year and newer for all units provides a safe buffer against any tightening.
China's 2026 export compliance rules. Since January 1, 2026, China requires that any used vehicle registered for fewer than 180 days must carry a manufacturer's After-Sales Confirmation Letter before it can be exported. For genuinely used HOWO trucks with a documented operating history, this rule has no practical impact. Work only with exporters who can demonstrate full MOFCOM compliance documentation — a precaution that also protects against fraudulent mileage records.
Pre-shipment inspection. For multi-unit orders destined for Copperbelt contracts, an independent third-party pre-shipment inspection in China covering engine condition, chassis integrity, gearbox function, and tipping hydraulics (for dump trucks) is strongly recommended. Qingdao Alston Motors Co., Ltd facilitates third-party inspection without obstruction and provides complete vehicle documentation packages for Zambian port clearance.
Shipping routing. Zambia is landlocked. The two primary import routing options are Port of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) via the TAZARA road corridor to Ndola, or Port of Durban (South Africa) via the north–south road corridor through Zimbabwe. Dar es Salaam is typically faster for North-Western Province destinations. For large orders, groupage container or RORO shipping to Dar es Salaam with road transport to Lusaka or Ndola is the most cost-efficient approach available in 2026.
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