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STRAIGHT DRIVE
A “The role of CVs and their ‘sarathis’ will change but not diminish”.
s the country celebrates the arrival of Rafale fighter jets, the soldiers on the road – truck and bus drivers, continue to go about their work without a whimper. They continue to transport goods and people in a Covid-19 environment, facing some ugly challenges in the process. Keen to draw attention to their pain points without letting the country’s supply chain down, or those who are providing essential services, CV drivers, unorganised as they come across, have been voicing their concerns. As transporters struggle to address their pain points by increasing freight rates and fares at a time when preference is being given to rail and waterways over roadways, CV drivers look highly outpaced much like the slow moving behemoths they pilot. While many may fail to understand that the role of CVs and their ‘sarathis’ will change but not diminish, CVs ironically continue to be looked down upon as slow moving creatures that could be done away with.
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CV drivers: Frontline warriors? The demand for CV drivers to be given the status of frontline warriors should be scrutinised and acted upon. 05 Straight Drive Bhushan Mhapralkar
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Busworld India postponed ‘Connected’ Eicher CVs bauma Conexpo India postponed
10 Letters 12 Q Q
CV News Jalaj Gupta joins M&M Maruti Suzuki prefers railways?
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RestartIndia Optare appoints Andrew Palmer New DICV milestone
We welcome feedback, bouquets and brickbats on how this magazine is shaping up. Write to us at cvonline@nextgenpublishing.net or visit us on www.commercialvehicle.in
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R YOUICE VO
August 2020 Q Q Q Q Q Q
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Volvo’s health initiative Piaggio’s online sales thrust 2020 Michelin design competition Tata Motors’ Fleet Edge Winger ambulances M&M finance scheme
Tata Ace goes to Bangladesh Nagpur autos breach Covid-19 guidelines? Temperature-controlled DHL centre Hitachi ABB EV charging solution Unsanitised PMPML buses? New Automall in AP CASE launches SiteWatch telematics inDriver ride-hailing service ALL Digital Nxt platform Indian bus industry Escorts-Kubota deal approved by CCI
40 Interview: Thomas Hilse, Brand President, Iveco 44 Locomation autonomous trucking tech Locomation has developed autonomous trucking technology to address trucking industry woes.
25
Shifting gears: The CV industry CV utilisation is going up and manufacturers of trucks and buses are hoping for growth to return quickly.
Combating Covid-19
30
Combating Covid-19 for the road freight (transport) fraternity has been full of surprises and some unprecedented challenges.
36
Innovative tech for transport industry A webinar organised by the All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) saw technical experts delve on innovative tech for the transport industry.
57 Statistics 58 Caravan thriller
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New MAN truck generation The new MAN truck generation elevates driver orientation and environment protection to a new level.
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LETTERS Re-energising the bus ecosystem
I
came across the article, ‘Re-energising the bus ecosystem’ in CV magazine July issue and found it to be informative. I agree with most of the points mentioned in the article. Many state governments have not yet given any tax relief for the lockdown period to passenger transport vehicles, upsetting the bus industry dynamics. If the bus operators are not given a tax exemption until December 2020, their revival will be made impossible. The various expenses incurred by bus operators like insurance, salary, instalments, capital loss, limited vehicle life for a permit are proving to be mounting challenges. Outstandings are mounting and set to spill over. When this happens, it would lead to a revenue loss for the government in the form of GST, toll, etc. The public grievance would be another issue the governments will have to face. The central government, as well as the state governments, should look into the pain points of bus operators at the earliest. Thousands of transporters have been affected by the Covid-19 situation. They need some relief to help them to get back on their feet. Doing so will also help to build a strong economy.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE 105-106, Trade World, B-Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India. Tel +91 22 43525252 Email us at cv@nextgenpublishing.net Editor Test Editor Web Editor Correspondent Head-Design & Production Art Director Asst. Art Director Image Desk Production Supervisor Publisher Mentor & Special Advisor General Manager North & East
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Fuel prices
T
he article, ‘Rising Fuel Prices’ was apt in its steering of the subject. It reflected the sentiments of truck and bus operators and various other industry stakeholders. Putting brakes on the recovery of the business, rising fuel prices and no tax relief seems to suggest that the government is simply not interested in efficient movement of cargo or people. As a small transporter from Satara, I am facing mounting challenges, many of which have found a mention in the article. The fuel price has compelled me to look at increasing the freight rates, the burden of which is eventually going to be faced by the end consumer who too is very likely struggling to get back on his feet. With diesel amounting to nearly 60 per cent or more of the operating costs, it has become difficult to stay in business for the lack of demand. The green shoots that I have read in the news, I am yet to see or experience. Efforts are being made by businesses to get up and run their factories to resume normal production, but challenges continue. The challenges also continue to make life of us transporters difficult. The situation looks grim and could only be helped by government intervention. Too little and too late will derail any chances of early recovery. If that happens, a large number of people like us will find it difficult to survive. Mahesh Kambli, Satara
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NEWS Jalaj Gupta Maruti Suzuki prefers joins M&M railways?
M
ahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has announced the appointment of Jalaj Gupta as the head of commercial vehicle and construction equipment business with immediate effect. He succeeds Vinod Sahay who has moved into a group role as the Chief Purchasing Officer from April 01, 2020. Satinder Singh Bajwa, who was heading the small commercial vehicle business has moved to head the sales and service functions of M&M’s passenger vehicle business and succeeds Amit Sagar. Amit Sagar, in-turn, would now look after the construction equipment business and report to Jalaj Gupta. Bajwa will report to Veejay Nakra, CEO, Mahindra & MahindraAutomotive division. Prior to joining M&M, Gupta was heading the Nano Product Group at Tata Motors and handled the East and North regions. Prior to that, he led the sales and marketing function for LCVs and buses at Ashok Leyland.
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M
aruti Suzuki has taken to railways to save fuel used during truck trips and curb pollution. Said to have transported over 670000 vehicles since March 2014, saving three billion tonnes of CO2 in the process, the automaker is known to have helped save 100 million litres of fuel. Marking a reduction in business for car carriers, Maruti Suzuki’s
endeavour has limited their use to trips between the factory and the rail loading bay amounting to no more than 50 kms one-way. Many automakers are said to increase the use of railways through the Automobile Freight Train Operator scheme to reduce CO2 emissions with the use of high speed, high capacity finished vehicle carrying wagon rakes.
Busworld India postponed B
usworld and Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd., which organises the biennial Busworld fair in India, have announced the cancellation of the event scheduled for 2020 due to the Covid-19 situation. Also taking into account the caution advisories placed by the Indian government, the organisers have announced that they will look forward to the next edition in 2022, the dates for which would be announced soon. Despite the 2020 fair edition being cancelled, the organisers will continue to communicate with their audience through webinars and interactive events
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
through the Busworld Academy in-line with the industry developments.
NEWS
‘Connected’ Eicher CVs RestartIndia
V
E commercial Vehicles (VECV) has announced the introduction of a new ‘connected’ technology platform for its CVs called Eicher LIVE. It uses an advanced telematics solution with an aim to maximise customer profitability and productivity, and amounts to a comprehensive solution for CVs based on the CV makers latest EUTECH6 platform. Offered as a standard fitment on the new CVs in the form of the hardware, the solution, apart from lowering the operational costs of fleets, is designed to reduce 10 per cent fuel costs by enhancing the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Supporting asset utilisation improvement through superior uptime by enabling predictive and
T
preventive maintenance, the solution is engineered to benefit large fleets as well as the smaller last mile operators. Fully integrated with the vehicle’s electronics (CANBus), the solution leverages several sensors to gather data for trip management, maximum uptime, fuel coaching, etc.
bauma Conexpo India postponed T
he organisers of bauma Conexpo India have announced the postponement of the show to February 23-26, 2021, amid the Covid-19 situation. A premier construction machinery and building materials show, Conexpo India is held once every two years at Delhi NCR and attracts a good number of participants as well as visitors. The decision to postpone the show, mentioned the organisers in the statement they issued, was taken after seeking the feedback of stakeholders, exhibitors and customers.
he minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin Gadkari, launched a new mentoring platform, RestartIndia, for the respective industry segments with an objective to help them gather speed after the lockdown. Providing information on various schemes introduced by the Government to connect with professionals from various fields, and to promote ‘Atmanirbhar’, the initiative was conceptualised by Muthoot Fincorp and INKtalks as an open-platform to provide advisory support. Expected to provide global management information and expertise, the initiative is designed to offer solutions to a large number of women entrepreneurs in the micro space. To provide MSME-focused governmental or institutional support and resources, the initiative is aimed at raising the self-confidence of small businesses and to make them sustainable.
Optare appoints Andrew Palmer A
shok Leyland(ALL) has announced the appointment of Andrew Palmer as the non-executive chairman to its UK subsidiary, Optare. He succeeds John Fickling who has stepped down due to personal reasons. Andrew brings with him the experience of having led Nissan and Aston Martin transformations. Working as a nonexecutive member of the board at Optare since 2015, Palmer is expected to lead the company into new markets and contribute to the development of a global zeroemissions platform with long-term value to all stakeholders. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in //August 2020
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NEWS
New DICV milestone D
aimler India Commercial Vehicles has announced the roll-out of its 1000’th BSVI heavy-duty truck (a 3523R) during the lockdown. Having manufactured over 1500 BSVI compliant CVs this year, the CV maker has also announced the expansion of its dealer network to over 235 touch points. Stating that it was challenging to produce CVs post the announcement of lockdown, the company has achieved so far a high localisation content of 80 per cent. This applies to BSVI vehicles as well. Having invested Rs.5,500 crore at Oragadam, Chennai, the CV major has been catering to the domestic market as well as an increasing number of export markets with four Daimler CV brands including Mercedes-Benz.
Volvo’s health initiative A
fter high levels of bacteriological and chemical contaminants being reported in the drinking water at Avalahalli, Volvo Group has initiated access to the village residents to safe and clean drinking water by setting-up a clean water drinking plant and three water dispensers. Procyon was roped in by Volvo to ensure success. To provide 18,000 litres per day of safe drinking water to over 5,000 people daily, Volvo, which has a truck and bus building facility in the region, has been working for community health for an amount of time.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
Piaggio’s online sales thrust T
o combat the Covid-19 situation and maintain its market position, Piaggio has applied thrust to online sales. It has enabled its vehicle buyers to access ex-showroom and on-road prices, and other information over the internet without the need to step out of their houses. The company has also started an e-commerce initiative for its threewheelers and integrates all the brand’s commercial vehicle dealers across the country. The initiative empowers buyers to avail loans, calculate EMIs and check EMI options apart from opting for multiple payment platforms.
NEWS
2020 Michelin design competition
Tata Motors’ Fleet Edge
M
ichelin’s 2020 edition of design challenge, which also marked its 20th year, was held recently with the ‘Upcycle’ theme to promote sustainable mobility. Providing artists, designers, engineers, architects and creatives worldwide with an opportunity to create an ‘Upcycled’ design accounted for environmental, societal or economic values, the challenge was judged by eight esteemed members jury from the auto field. Dayvid Almeida from Brazil came first with ‘Volkswagen MUT.E’. Jae Kim (South Korea) and Dinesh Raman (India) came second with ‘Fargo’, an affordable pedal-assist three-wheeler (designed especially for South-East
T
Asian commercial and passenger applications) with good cargo space at the front made from recycled automotive plastics and a repurposed electric motor. Chen Mango (China) came third with ‘Michelin Moving Space’.
Winger ambulances T
ata Sons, the holding company of Tata Motors, has donated 20 Winger ambulances and 100 ventilators to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its fight against Covid-19. Tata Sons has also donated Rs.10 crores to set up an immunology and virus infection research center. Powered by a BSVI compliant 98 hp 2.2-litre diesel engine, each Winger ambulance is designed to provide life saving
medical services onboard. AIS125 (Part 1) National Ambulance Code complaint, each ambulance is also equipped with a stretcher, a touchscreen infotainment system, air-conditioning with individual vents, luggage rack and multiple USB charging ports.
ata Motors has announced the launch of Fleet Edge, a new ‘connected’ CVs and telematics platform. Advanced when compared to the Fleetman platform, which it replaces, Fleet Edge is about comprehensive fleet management. Encompassing tracking of consignment delivery, monitoring fuel efficiency, vehicle health and driving behaviours and tracking of renewal dates of important vehicle documents, Fleet Edge, accessible over a variety of mediums, is backed by a standard hardware fitment on new CVs sold, and on two-lakh CVs sold unit now. Facilitating predictive and preventive maintenance, which should support maximum uptime, Fleet Edge, having an embedded SIM, provides customers with better control over their entire business operations. It not only monitors unauthorised vehicle movement and determines the exact location of the vehicle with a userfriendly graphical map, it, integrated fully at the backend with Tata Motor’s systems, enhances safety and operate-ability.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in //August 2020
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NEWS
M&M finance scheme
M
ahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has introduced new finance schemes for its vehicle buyers. Expanding the bouquet of affordable finance offerings thus, the automaker has also introduced a scheme to finance accessories. In doing so, the vehicle manufacturer has focused on diverse customer profiles like salaried individuals, selfemployed individuals, agriculturists and
commercial vehicle owners. The new finance schemes add to the existing schemes (which include own now and pay in 2021, eight years funding, and owning a BSVI pick-up truck at BSIV EMI levels), which were unveiled during the last few months. Among the finance schemes is a scheme that funds Bolero Pickup and Bolero Maxi Truck for as long as seven years.
Tata Ace goes to Bangladesh I
ndian Railways has transported 51 Tata Ace minitrucks to Benapole Bangladesh, from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a distance spanning 1,407 kms. Used for the last-mile delivery in various markets other than India, its journey to Bangladesh speaks about its rising presence into yet another high potential export market. The export of Tata Ace mini-truck was facilitated by rail from India to Bangladesh with the
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
Petrapole-Benapole check post being fully functional on both sides starting July 2020.
Nagpur autos breach Covid-19 guidelines?
A
utorickshaw drivers in Nagpur breached Covid-19 guidelines of social distancing and carriage of two passengers among others recently, said sources. They mentioned that auto rickshaws in the city were found to be ferrying more than six passengers in some localities of the orange city. It was only after bringing it to the notice of the authorities did they spring into action and issue a challan, explained sources. It is since then that the authorities have been more vigilant, and are ensuring the use of masks, sanitisers and followance of the prescribed guidelines, informed sources. Around 23 autorickshaw drivers were also penalised for driving without uniform, they added.
NEWS
Hitachi ABB EV charging solution
Temperature-controlled DHL centre
I D
HL Global Forwarding has opened its first temperature-controlled centre in India to meet the growing demand for reliable temperaturecontrolled transportation from point of departure to arrival. It is located at Hyderabad and offers conditioning of packaging materials in different chambers for varying temperatures up to -20 degrees to meet the stringent needs of pharmaceutical shipments. The centre also offers online temperature
monitoring and SMS alerts with all data available for download from a cloud-hosted service and is claimed to be a Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliant network station in India. Providing end-to-end product integrity safeguarded throughout the cold chain transportation, the new DHL centre is looking at meeting the intricate requirements of each life science and healthcare shipment in terms of local as well as export supply chain.
Unsanitised PMPML buses? B
uses operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) were found to be lacking in cleanliness and sanitation, claim sources. They add that the buses operating out of the Shivajinagar facility were found to be lacking especially. Drawing attention to the complaints filed by PMPML staffers regarding buses not cleaned or sanitised for days at a stretch, the sources mentioned that on the escalation of the matter, higher authorities in PMPML sprang into
action and began efforts to rectify the shortcomings. Ajay Charthankar, Joint Managing Director, PMPML, is known to have stated that he would look into the matter and pass necessary instructions to the concerned officials.
n view of the encouragement for electric vehicles in India, Hitachi ABB Power Grids has launched ‘GrideMotionTM Fleet’, a full ‘grid-to-plug’ charging solution for large-scale public transport and commercial fleets. It is designed to enable operators to charge more with less, and delivers outstanding scalability, space savings and operational efficiency. Offered in standard containers that integrate the grid connection and charging systems all together, the solution eliminates complexities of integrating ACDC chargers into a system. Using DC technology, it is capable of connecting to any type of power network. Unlike a conventional connection to the AC grid, this solution consumes 60 per cent less space for largescale EV fleet charging and reduces depot cabling by 40 per cent.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in //August 2020
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NEWS
New Automall in AP S
hriram Automall has announced the inauguration of a new facility at Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Ninth such facility of the company in the state, it is spread over an area of 90 acres. Having the infrastructure
to provide one-stop solutions for pre-owned vehicles (majority of them CVs) and equipment, the facility, on the opening day conducted a live bidding event that received an overwhelmed response from buyers and sellers,
highlighting its ability to conduct such events on a regular basis. In the Covid-19 environment, the live bidding event was broadcasted (as well as conducted) live over Shriram Automall’s official Facebook page.
CASE launches inDriver rideSiteWatch telematics hailing service
A C
ASE Construction Equipment has launched SiteWatch telematics platform complying with the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) 2.0 telematics standard. Compatible with mixed fleets and offered as a factory option as well as an aftermarket kit (with a subscription plan of one to five years) for heavy and compact equipment, the platform includes an all-new dashboard, more intuitive navigation and new
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overview sections to relay critical information without extensive search. Featuring core operating information including equipment summary, equipment search, fuel level reports and alarm status, the telematics platform with dropdown menu provides information on equipment utilisation, fuel consumption, fleet and maintenance. Highlighting specific alerts and fault codes, the platform is designed to enhance efficiency and lower TCO.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
s a global ride-hailing service, inDriver, has crossed the 50 million milestone in terms of app. installation. Facilitated by an active international expansion into South and Southeast Asia markets, the service is popular among passengers and ranked second as of March 2020 as the most downloaded ride-hailing app. Operating in more than 300 cities and 31 countries worldwide, this app serves passengers in seven Indian cities, namely Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Lucknow, and Bhopal among others. It adopts a Real-Time Deals (RTD) quick transaction model and allows the driver and passenger to agree on all conditions of the trip, including its cost. This model protects users from price manipulations and the dictatorship of taxi aggregators, especially during periods of increased demand for trips. With over 600 employees, inDriver has nine worldwide offices. In India, it is keen to increase its presence in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
NEWS
Indian bus industry
ALL Digital Nxt platform
A
A
shok Leyland (ALL) has launched the DigitAL Nxt platform with digital solutions like i-Alert 3.0, AL Cares, and Uptime Solution Centre to provide telematics applications for BSVI fleet apart from ensuring quick access to vehicle details to carry out real-time analysis of vehicle parameters. Linked to CVs that are
electronically governed largely, the new platform has been designed to empower its customers in terms of profitability and management. Simple to use and compatible with all smartphones where it works like any other app., the new platform promises ‘anytime, anywhere’ support to its customers.
Escorts-Kubota deal approved by CCI T
he Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition in Escorts Limited (Escorts) by Kubota Corporation (Kubota) and in Kubota Agricultural Machinery India Private Limited (KAI) by Escorts. This has been carried out under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002. Kubota will acquire 9.09 per cent of the total issued, subscribed and paid-up share capital of Escorts. After the completion of the capital reduction process by Escorts this
will become 10 per cent. On the other hand, Escorts will acquire 40 per cent shareholding in KAI. It will be a 60-40 per cent shareholding respectively between Escorts and Kubota in KAI.
mid the talk of open-air buses as London’s Covid-safe commuting idea, the bus industry in India continues to be beset by various pain points, aggravated by the steep rise in fuel prices post the lockdown. Due to the steep rise in fuel prices, private bus operators in West Bengal have decided to hike fares. The Himachal Pradesh Government has also decided to increase bus fares by 25 per cent to overcome fund crunch. Cutting costs in the wake of a revenue loss of Rs.8.75 crore (revealed in RTI), the Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited has started services post lockdown with the hope to make a smart recovery. While transporters in Uttarakhand have applied for surrender of 380 trucks and buses, TSRTC is facing the steep fuel price hike challenge post the lockdown. While the Tata Marcopolo (Dharwad) facility shut down operations for eight days amid rising Covid-19 cases in the region, BMTC may not induct 300 e-buses under FAME II as its costs exceeds the operational costs of its diesel bus fleet.
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All images are for representative purpose only.
CV DRIVERS: FRONTLINE WARRIORS? The demand for CV drivers to be given the status of frontline warriors should be scrutinised and acted upon. Bhushan Mhapralkar
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ajesh Shelke (name changed on request) spoke in a worried tone about contracting the Covid-19 virus as he waited for his truck to loaded at a warehouse at Bhandup, an industrial suburb of Mumbai. He said that he is worried because he has seen seen two fellow owner-operators go down with the virus. Not only them, but an autorickshaw
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driver in the area where he stays at Ghatkopar also went down with the virus. The number of CV drivers affected with Covid-19 would have added to the statistics as the virus causes much pain to all those who come its paths. What is perhaps the most painful is the ďŹ nancial and emotional burden it unleashes, ravaging families and robbing them of a bright future. Stating that the virus has literally
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brought driver families on the brink of collapse with the loss of their only earning member as well as the money lost in ensuring medical aid, Shelke averred that it is high time the government provides CV drivers appropriate protection. Baffled when asked if the driver community should be given the status of frontline warriors, he had to be explained what it meant and who were the professionals
COVER STORY The nature of the truck driver’s work involving numerous touchpoints puts him at a bigger risk in the Covid-19 situation.
who were covered under it. It took some time before it dawned on him that drivers of commercial vehicles like trucks and tempos should be extended a similar protection and status. Clearly not as educated or as aware of their rights, CV drivers have nevertheless worked through the lockdown and are reporting in higher numbers since July 01, 2020, when the ‘unlockdown’ was announced by the Central Government. If the utilistion levels of CVs were down to eight- to 10 per cent during the lockdown with only essential goods like food materials, vegetables and medicines being transported, they have been growing since the announcement of the ‘unlockdown’ phase. The increase in agricultural, industrial and service sector activities has been pushing CV utilisation up. It is in-turn leading to more CVs and their drivers turning out on the road. With every CV driver reporting to work, the risk of them
contracting Covid-19 because of nature of their work is also growing. It is growing in-line with the spiking numbers of Covid-19 positive people in the country. With India a close third behind Brazil and USA, it is quite logical for CV drivers to worry about adding to the Covid-19 statistics. With almost 95 to 98 per cent of them financially weak (having barely survived the two months of lockdown without work), CV drivers, according to the road freight (transport) fraternity, should be given the status of frontline warriors. Mentioned a single tempo owner-operator at Nashik, that the slowdown in 2019 took away its share of business and the two of lockdown wiped away all the money set aside. To stay away from work for even a single day is impossible, he said. Me and my family would go hungry, he added. Worried about who would take care of his family, his children and the medical expenses if he were to contract
the deadly virus, the owneroperator expressed that he is very worried about what the future has in store. Averred a small fleet owner (operating five trucks) from Nagpur over phone that the loss of business because of the lockdown has been significant. On the top of it, there is a worry of how the virus is going to affect them and their drivers, he said. Informing that one of his trucks that he bought in 2019 has come with a driver protection scheme from the manufacturer, the fleet owner mentioned that the drivers of his other four trucks have no such cover to avail. AT A GREATER RISK The honking campaign by CV drivers from July 01 to July 07, 2020, to draw attention of the government to their pain points seemed have not met with much success, there is little doubt that the nature of their work involving numerous touchpoints puts them at the inherent danger of contracting
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Majority of CV drivers are less educated, financially weak and have health issues because of their lifestyle does not help much.
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the virus. Mentioned a Tata Ace driver in Mumbai working for Grab (a Singapore-based technology company offering ride-hailing transport services, food delivery and payment solutions), that he is worried of contracting Covid-19 as he does the city circuit so many times during the day, transporting grocery for JioMart. His story sounds familiar. He too cannot stay without work for a single day having exhausted his savings during the two months of the lockdown. His family will go hungry, he rued. Highlighting the financial vulnerability of CV drivers, it does not take long to understand why the road freight (transport) fraternity is demanding that they be given the cover akin to frontline warriors. Of the opinion that a CV driver, as an important part of the supply chain, should be insured by the government like it has a doctor
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and a policeman, Jehan Kotwal of JFK Transport (Pune), expressed that his nature of work puts him at a higher risk. “Doing multiple touchpoints, a CV driver would be left hungry if he does not work and risk his life in the process,” he remarked. Informing that they have been educating CV drivers, making certain that they take the necessary precautions, Kotwal reiterated that the government should give CV drivers an insurance cover because they cannot afford doing the same. THE NITTY-GRITTY Drawing attention to the news of GHMC mayor’s driver testing positive, and the news of city bus drivers (BEST and BMTC) testing positive, an industry observer expressed that CV drivers are at a significantly risk no doubt. He mentioned that it is high time that the government looks at their
pain points and provides them a suitable cover at least until the pandemic lasts. He also drew attention to drivers of municipal vehicles like refuse trucks, ambulances, fire engines, etc., and stated that they are at a significantly higher risk of contracting the virus because of the nature of their work. Stating that they are however covered as semigovernment or government employees, he stressed that it is the private CV drivers who have no cover to lean on. Expressed a big fleet owner that ways should be devised to identify who the driver is and the kind of cover he should be given. Stating that the government has the means as well as the ability to do so rather than operators like them, he pointed at ‘Aadhar’ and the digitisation of driving license records and vehicle registration records. Drawing attention of the process of linking driving
COVER STORY Lack of respect for CV drivers has led to their shortage, which would have an effect on road safety and the supply chain.
licenses to ‘Aadhar’ that is going on for a few years now, the fleet owner said that losing a truck or bus driver at this point in time is risking a supply chain disruption. There is already an acute shortage of drivers, he added. Touching on the news of a fire engine driver testing positive after he went to get himself checked at a hospital for some other ailment, an industry analyst commented that CV drivers should be given the status of frontline warriors if they are found to be at a greater risk of contracting Covid-19. Drawing attention to the shutdown of the Kumbakonam wholesalecum-retail vegetable market at Darasuram in Kerala (in May 2020) after a CV transporting potatoes from Mettupalayam tested positive, he stressed on regularly educating the drivers, on regularly conducting their health check ups and to get them to follow the laid down health guidelines. Echoing the sentiments of the industry
analyst, Kotwal mentioned that the government should give at least a Rs.20 lakh insurance cover to drivers until the pandemic lasts. “The organised sector of the transport industry is barely five-per cent and would therefore be unable to afford insurance cover for their drivers,” he explained. Stating that a campaign to educate CV drivers across the country should be undertaken in the same vein and manner in which the HIV campaign was conducted, the industry observer stressed on treating them as human beings. They are human beings after all, he remarked. CV DRIVERS AS HUMAN BEINGS Expressing that he is worried despite following the guidelines and using masks and gloves, Rajendra Chavan, who regularly ferries vegetables from Karad to the APMC market in Navi Mumbai, stressed upon being treated as human beings. The lockdown
and the ‘unlockdown’ did not do anything to change the attitude of the authorities towards drivers he said. Informing that his truck is sanitised during every trip to the market, he drew attention to the large number of people that he comes in contact with everyday. The news of entire section of the market being closed after labourers or traders tested positive isn’t encouraging either, he added. Shutdown from May 11 to May 17, 2020, as the rate of infection among the participants rose at an alarming pace despite imposing strict curbs and guidelines. The APMC market at Navi Mumbai is one among the chain of numerous ‘mandis’ and ‘bazaars’ that operate in India. The number of CV drivers visiting these markets could run in thousands and lakhs per year. Drawing attention to instances of truck drivers testing positive at Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Panchkula
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COVER STORY and Goa among other places across the country, the industry observer remarked that giving CV drivers a cover and the status of frontline warriors will strengthen the country’s fight against Covid-19. It will empower them to serve the nation without fear; without worrying that what will happen if they contract the virus. They are more likely to falter under worry than being secure and confident of being supported, he added. Now is the good time to start treating them as human beings, he announced. On the subject of who will foot the bill if CV drivers were to be given the cover extended to Covid-19 frontline warriors, Tata Motors (CVBU) spokesperson highlighted the ‘Samarth’ scheme floated by his company. The scheme, he mentioned, is being offered to all drivers and owner-drivers of CVs it has sold since April 2019. Drivers enrolled are protected with accidental death or disability cover of up to Rs.10 lakh per year per vehicle, he informed. In the current Covid-19 environment, the scheme has also come to cover the cost for Covid-19 test. If found positive, a CV driver is provided medical expense support of up to Rs. 50,000. Commented Kotwal, that driver insurance schemes floated by CV manufacturers often accompany a new vehicle, and leave out the existing drivers. It is therefore crucial that the government should provide an insurance cover at least until the pandemic lasts, he added. Insisting that every driver with a commercial vehicle
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Long hours of driving under difficult circumstances, it is the CV drivers that keep the wheels of the nation turning.
licence should be covered, Kotwal said that if these hardy souls fall prey to the
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virus the repercussions will negatively affect the supply chain.
The demand for CV drivers to be termed as frontline warriors in the Covid-19 situation stems from the nature of their work and should be scrutinised as well as acted upon.
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SHIFTING GEARS: THE CV INDUSTRY CV utilisation is going up and manufacturers of trucks and buses are hoping for a growth to return quickly. Deven Lad
S
hifting gears the CV industry is. It did so during the two months of lockdown due to Covid-19 in India, and albeit at a much slower rate. If Ashok Leyland launched its AVTR range of modern, modular and BSVI medium and heavy-duty trucks during the lockdown, the road freight (transport) fraternity as well as the private bus operators rose to demand relief in taxes and protection for their drivers in what is looked upon as a rare show of unity. If the two developments marked a silver lining, it would be too early to conclude. Of the opinion that the CV industry is in a
good zone, VG Ramakrishnan, MD & Managing Partner at Avanteum Advisors LLP, mentioned that the challenges faced by it are largely global rather than local. Pointing at how the economy and CV industry are closely related, he expressed that industry-specific issues have turned into national issues. “The supply chain is currently the area of focus”, he added. Calling for GST reduction, scrappage policy with an attractive incentive, and the availability of liquidity, Ramakrishnan averred that he saw opportunities for the Indian CV industry growing in international
markets. “Since the CV industry has moved to BSVI, it now has an opportunity to enter advanced markets,” he remarked. Stating that companies with lower cash flow would struggle to survive, Ramakrishnan called upon the CV industry to cut down on non-value-added costs to deal with the current situation better. “If one could survive the next two years, it could survive in the business for a long, long time,” he said. Echoing Ramakrishnan’s sentiments, Kaushik Madhavan, Vice President -- Mobility, Frost & Sullivan, stated that there could be 35 per cent degrowth (due to the Covid-19 situation). COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
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All images are for representative purpose only.
He informed further, “Any recovery or upward swing would be seen in 2022 or next year at the earliest.” SETTING THE COGS Touching on how the components industry in India is adapting to the change brought about by Covid-19 especially, and the new normal that is said to be in the making, Madhavan stated that survival is key to small scale vendors and suppliers today. It is important, he said. Of the opinion that OEMs could lend financial support to its vendors and
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suppliers so that they could survive, Madhavan stressed on diversification of supplier strategy as the key. “A strategy to consolidate on the supplier and vendor side is the key,” he announced. Touching on long term perspectives, investment in predictive maintenance, diagnostics and prognostics, Madhavan expressed that digitisation and development of vendors would be of utmost importance in the long term. He added, “The stimulus package reaching twoand three-tier component manufacturers is a bit of a
chicken and egg situation.” Explaining that it would be tough to determine if the stimulus package would reach them first or they would start coming up on their own first, Madhavan said, “The transition from mechanical engineering to mechatronic engineering will be crucial.” Stressing on the need for MSME component manufacturers to transition from mechanical goods manufacturing to mechatronic goods manufacturing in-line with the global engineering developments, Madhavan mentioned that this would
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(L to R): VG Ramakrishnan, MD & Managing Partner at Avanteum Advisors LLP, Prasanna Patwardhan, President, BOCI, Kaushik Madhavan, Vice President -Mobility, Frost & Sullivan and Mahendra Arya, President,AITWA.
also provide an opportunity for such enterprises to de-risk. Of the opinion that doing so will also help them build new capabilities, Madhavan expressed, “The move to mechatronics would also open the door to many other opportunities to diversify, stay relevant and competitive.” Averred
Ramakrishnan, “Structural inefficiency across the value chain could be a hurdle.” He drew attention to cash flow challenges in the current situation. NEED FOR TAX STRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT Stressing on the fight to survive, Ramakrishnan
explained that India needs to improve the tax structure if it were to compete globally. If the tax structure was right, a massive opportunity for the supply chain could be unleashed, he added. Bringing up the supply chain and road freight (transport) side of the CV industry, Mahendra Arya, President, All India Transport Workers’ Association (AITWA), expressed that there was a need to look at the complete situation from a supply chain perspective. “The government’s Rs.20 lakh crore (stimulus) package has not provided any relief to the transportation industry,” he said. Informing that bigger fleets do not have more than 15 per cent vehicles of their own, Arya averred that it were the smaller operators that needed to be supported at this moment in time. On the topic of the steep rise in diesel prices, Arya said that there has been no roll-back in fuel prices if one were to look back 30 years. “It would therefore be prudent to look at more pressing matters at this moment,” he added. Informing that nearly 95 per cent of the bus industry has been under lockdown for the last three months, Prasanna Patwardhan, President, Bus Operators Confederation of
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IN FOCUS India (BOCI), said that the Rs.20 lakh crore (stimulus) package has been of no help to the bus industry either. Announcing that not more than five per cent of buses are plying on roads, Patwardhan mentioned, “Many state governments are not giving tax waivers.” Both, the public and private operators are in a difficult situation, he informed. Drawing attention to the fact that 90 per cent people use public transport and are dependant on it, Patwardhan explained that STUs are bleeding heavily. The private ones are barely surviving, he added. Revealing that his association has requested the Government of Maharashtra to look at their situation and provide relief, Patwardhan said that it is ironic that tax on public transport in India
is the highest. “Globally,” he stated, “there is no tax on public transport.”
Demanding tax relief and the provision of diesel at concessional rate (the
THE GHOST OF MOTOR INSURANCE AND TOLL TAX
Stressing on insurance regulatory authority steadily increasing the basic insurance premium on vehicles by no less than 30 to 40 per cent for the last few years, an industry analyst, on the condition of not revealing his name, mentioned that it has already reached near unsustainable levels. Any increase, and it will turn out to be the last straw on the camel’s back, at least for the truck and bus industry, he added. Drawing attention to the change of rules in 2018 that drove the insurance costs by a significant margin, the analyst mentioned that it is high time
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that policies are closely linked with vehicle usage to ensure their effectiveness. Especially those of CVs. The other subject that the analyst spoke about was road toll tax. Stating that such a phenomenon was rare even in advanced countries like England, and was linked in a transparent manner with the quality of infrastructure provided, he said that the steep rise in toll here is unfortunate. It is unfortunate that vehicles pay road tax upfront for their life and pay toll tax as well for almost every stretch of road that they use. Then, there are road taxes charged by local authorities as well under one pretext or the other. Even villages levy road tax for passage of vehicles which is very absurd, he expressed. For CV operators, this has been a matter of headache and unaccounted for costs, he informed. It often comes with harassment, delays, and material as well as human loss. The constant rise in their prices is something that points at the development of quasi-judicial powers, which is not good for the nation, he added.
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government recently hiked diesel prices by a steep Rs.10 per litre), Patwardhan also called for banks to waive off interest for the period when the bus
industry did not conduct any business. Stressing on extending insurance policies, he mentioned that the least that could be done was to not increase
the premium for the last two years. Stating that every minister should be assigned the role of reaching out to their subjects and understand as well as address their issues, Arya said that the government has to play its role. It has to provide the necessary relief. Stressed, Ramakrishnan, on the need to redeďŹ ne the value chain. He also called for the need to transform business models and for every association and industry to contribute to the Atma Nirbhar Bharat program. Pointing at the moratorium offered by banks, Madhavan said that the difference between what the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has recommended and what the interstate banks are providing is huge. “There has to be some reconciliation between the two,â€? he averred.
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All images are for representative purpose only.
COMBATING COVID-19 Combating Covid-19 for the road freight (transport) fraternity has been full of surprises and some unprecedented challenges. Senthil Kumar Subbiah
P
ossessing one of the largest road networks in the world, spanning about 5.5 km, the arrival and road large spread of Covid-19 since February 2020 has thrown some nasty surprises and unprecedented challenges in front of the road freight (transport) fraternity. As part of the logistics industry in India, the fraternity,
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due to its intrinsic nature, has had to deal with some seemingly insurmountable challenges. As a primary driver of the logistics industry in India given its reliance on road freight (transport), the fraternity saw itself being greatly affected by the rising menace of Covid-19 in the country. As a key point of access for most of the major economic contributing sectors
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of the industries (such as automotive, retail, chemicals, electronics, healthcare, etc.), the road freight (transport) fraternity, which contributes to the carriage of over 60 per cent of freight in India, has had to adapt, innovate and ďŹ nd new ways to deal with the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 situation. Such has been the effect of Covid-19, that combating
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it has become the primary objective of the fraternity. Almost perpetually troubled by factors like shortage of skilled drivers, the road freight (transport) fraternity has for the last few years seen road transport increase however gradually. While credit in part should be given in part at least to the government initiatives to improve logistics infrastructure connectivity between cities, towns and villages, the fraternity, continuing to be highly fragmented, has come to play a significant role in freight transportation in India. Troubled by factors like lack of price transparency and under utilisation of assets as well,
it is staring at a significant supply demand gap against rapidly growing volumes where one driver would be available for every two trucks on the road by 2022. With an estimated one-million truck drivers needed every year for the next 10 years by the road freight (transport), the Covid-19 situation has added to the already complex situation. Necessitating an ability to combat it, the fraternity is seen to be fighting on many fronts at the same time. THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK With over 170 districts across the country having been identified as Covid-19 hot spots since the COVID-19
outbreak, and wherein strict containment measures have been adopted, the road freight (transport) fraternity has seen demand ebb. Containment measures imposed by governments have resulted in the temporary closure of factories and manufacturing units, reduction in port operations, and restrictions in people’s movement. This has had a ripple effect across the supply chain, affecting in part, and quite significantly, the truck operators. With the lockdown leading to a sudden deceleration and halt in manufacturing activities, the immediate fallout, the slowdown for logistics demand and road freight
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transportation, has greatly affected the road freight (transport) fraternity. This, despite the government classifying transportation as an essential service that is exempt from any restrictions. The daily movement of trucks slipping to less than 10 per cent of the normal levels, many fleet owners have had to temporarily suspend their operations; prioritise driver safety, and consider the fall in demand. Severely impacting the long-haul truck movement because of driver shortage and state-border closures, the road freight (transport) fraternity has had to deal with severe under utilisation of vehicles. With trucks-intransit (transporting nonessentials) left by the side of the road almost, the severe under utilisation of vehicles has been one of the key factors that the fraternity
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has had to combat with. With restrictions like lack of demand, driver shortage and the non-availability of dhabas and repair facilities across prime long-haul routes, many transporters turned to shorthaul operations. If this led to a drastic fall in asset quality, and reduced the average daily movement of trucks to less than 10 per cent (the average kilometers traveled by trucks reduced from 150200 km per day to a meager 15-20 km per day), an acute shortage of trucks was had. Resulting in port congestion due to shortage of trucks used to remove import containers from ports and transport them to warehouses and factories, the road freight (transport) fraternity, it was clear, was taking to new ways to combat the situation created by Covid-19. In part, it affected the supply chain was also clear.
SURGE IN DEMAND FOR DISTRIBUTION OF ESSENTIALS While most industries such as aviation, automotive, chemicals, textile, and capital goods manufacture saw their operations dwindle due to the temporary lockdown, the operations of FMCG, food and healthcare industries took a turn for war-footing basis, creating in-turn a unique and unprecedented situation for the road freight (transport) fraternity. Diverting trucks and resources to the transportation of essential goods such as medicine, medical supplies, fruits and vegetables, and milk, the fraternity, on a war-footing basis, took to supplying essentials to people even as a supply chain situation emerged over time. If the road freight fraternity combated the Covid-19 situation by not letting the supply chain to collapse completely, it responded to distribution challenges in the manner best known to it. And, it continues to do so. With the brick and mortar stores unable to fulďŹ ll the demands of the people, e-commerce channels saw a sudden rise in activity. This in-turn had e-commerce companies turning to the logistics sector and their respective transport partners to best deal with the situation. Combating this challenge, and the same time investing resources in educating their drivers and staff to safely navigate through the Covid-19 situation by practicing certain hygiene procedures, the road freight (transport) fraternity responded in positive to
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the change in demand at the e-commerce end. It responded with alacrity to the ecommerce needs of medicines and groceries especially. In its efforts to combat the Covid-19 situation, the road freight (transport) fraternity responded particularly well to the help e-commerce players tackle the surging demands of online grocery, and as some of the major food delivery apps joined the race to deliver groceries. Helping other supply chain actors to successfully deal with distribution challenges intensified by panic-buying, the road freight (transport) fraternity, in an effort to offset the loss caused by the reduced movement of vehicles, took to spot pricing
model. The model works by hiking the prices drastically when there is a high demand for distribution vehicles. The adoption of spot pricing model by transporters influenced the way online delivery service providers worked until now. The Covid-19 situation saw them adopting a strategic approach thus by delivering in bulk quantities and consolidating neighborhood orders to effectively manage costs and last-mile challenges. With significant measures being taken by the government to ease the movement of trucks in form of e-passes for example for inter-state movement, in their efforts to combat the Covid-19 situation the road freight (transport) fraternity is expected to
benefit from the national infrastructure pipeline to which around USD 260 billion has been allocated. REVIVAL OF ROAD FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION Amid a scenario where several road freight associations have demanded the revival of stimulus packages and exemption of toll charges until the lockdown is lifted, the movement of trucks is slowly going back to normal. With the possibility of trucks transporting essentials and non-essentials plying on the roads gaining momentum against reduced restrictions and checkpoints, the revival of road freight transportation is dependent to quite an extent on the protection of drivers and such other front-
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line workers. The safety of drivers continues to be a major concern amid the need to provide proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Largely underserved due to the shortage of drivers and reduced employment opportunities for CVs, those operators that have managed to digitise to an extent are finding themselves at a vantage position in their fight against the Covid-19 situation. On the whole however, the need to move up the digital ladder has become even more necessary to serve growing volumes without losing sight of efficiency. Consider digital freight matching platforms for example. They allow shippers to find trucks with the capacity to transport on a real-time basis. The shippers can also get transparent rates and
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select the trucks that suit their needs. By leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the road freight (transport) fraternity could use telematics to their greater advantage. They could also use it to serve their customers better. Solving the challenges of price transparency and limited capacity availability, the freight matching platforms are
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enabling transporters to focus on efficiency improvement. In fact, platforms like these are coming to provide the driver with substantial information on geo-location of pickup and delivery spots, of optimal routes, of fuel stations, toll gates, rest areas, and restaurants enroute. Accessed via handheld devices, the platforms are also providing load assurance
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for the truck operators. The driver is informed about the next assignment, even before completing the unloading of the current one. Such consistent demand mapping helps optimise truck utilisation and reduce wasted miles, empowering the truck operators to earn more in the process. WAY FORWARD The COVID-19 outbreak has shown the road freight (transport) fraternity how delicate the supply chain has become. It has shown how companies are forced to re-evaluate their strategies. The heightened safety precautions have required the industry to work in an emergency services mode. They are being required to work such as governments
and associations strive to keep the supply chain from breaking down. While it is important to keep the essential supplies flowing, the Covid-19 situation has almost compelled CV operators to prioritise workforce safety by providing PPE kits, masks, gloves, soaps, sanitisers, etc. It is estimated that the Indian logistics industry will rebound in 2021 and grow by seven to 10 per cent. To do so, it would be crucial to gather end-to-end visibility, process flexibility, and an ability to collaborate. Working in silos or as a fragmented segment of a sector will no longer work for the road freight (transport) fraternity. To be able to support their customers, they would have to work together; they will have
to anticipate disruptions and mitigate the resulting impacts. Operators would need to draft a comprehensive contingency plan on the possible challenges and quick recovery actions. Doing this would help mitigate such a crisis in the future. Over the long-term, robotics, truck platooning and autonomous trucks looks like the order of the day. It is these measures that should save the truck operators in their moments of crisis. -----------------------------------Senthil Kumar Subbiah is an industry analyst with specialisation in transportation and logistics practice at Frost & Sullivan. The views expressed by the authors are their personal opinions and do not necessarily reect the views of the CV magazine.
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SMART TRANSPORT
INNOVATIVE TECH FOR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY
A webinar organised by the All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) saw technical experts delve on innovative tech for the transport industry. Deven Lad
W
ith representatives from companies like IRIS Logix Solutions, Ceat, Freight Tiger and ClikTruk present, the webinar on innovative tech for the transport industry organised by the All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) threw some interesting solutions.
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Connecting transporters (as members of AITWA) from all over the country, the hourlong webinar, moderated by Mahendra Arya, President, AITWA, focused on the ground reality and how transporters could hold their ground with the use of innovative technologies. Witnessing the attendance of
over 500 people, the event, taking note of the gradual pick-up in supply chain, delved on how the business environment has changed in the last few years. Also delving on how the lockdown has affected the transporters and brought new disruptions to the supply chain, the webinar stressed on the
SMART TRANSPORT GPS data, Arya explained that the pandemic has forced transporters to work from home. This was made possible by the strong hand of technology, he added. EASY WAY BILL Stressing on the need to look at innovative solutions to run businesses, Arya drew attention to the tech solution mastered by Iris
necessity to adopt technology to stay in the game. Of the opinion that things are gradually picking up and an increase in e-WayBills is evident, Arya mentioned, “The situation has changed a lot in the last 20 years.” Pointing at the e-WayBill data released by Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN), which claims that 99 per cent bills are issued by the transport industry, Arya averred, “The last 10 years have been truly evolutionary.” Informing that the e-WayBill count shrank to 86 lakh in April 2020 against the count of 534 lakh bills in the period between April 2019 to February 2020, Arya said that upon monitoring the truck movement AITWA found out that 18 per cent of the total truck parc (European term for registered vehicles within a defined geographic region) was moving. The e-WayBill count shrank to 406 lakh in March 2020, he added. Stating that they monitored the truck movement using
Logic Solutions. Speaking about the same, Gautam Mahanti, the company business head mentioned that they have been working with the Government in the area of e-WayBill. Revealing that they are also a provider of GST ‘Suvidha’, Mahanti averred that they are partnering with AITWA on issues like e-pass. Stating that the e-pass concept was provided by AITWA to Iris, Mahanti explained that their tech solution, ‘Easy Way Bill’, provides benefits such as auto extension of e-WayBills in the warehouse, eliminates the need to prepare Lorry Receipt (LR) by fetching e-WayBill
data from National Informatics Centre(NIC) and completion of billing by fetching monthly E-WayBill reports. Of the opinion that the ‘Easy Way Bill’ tech solution eases daily business operation, Mahanti said, “Digitisation is rising and will do so at a more rapid pace in the wake of unprecedented challenges like Covid-19. Against such
a backdrop, tasks like generation of consignment notes and delivery tracking are going to get paperless.” Enhancing business efficiency and lowering the operating costs of transporters, the ‘Easy Way Bill’ tech solution rides on the fact that the e-WayBill in itself is quite innovative. It also rides on the fact that some of the large transporters have been using it to their advantage. Of the opinion that the Novel Coronavirus will force transporters to adopt such technologies to sustain, Mahanti mentioned that they have begun working with transport companies
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SMART TRANSPORT to help them manage their data. Iris, Mahanti explained, has also begun working to help transporters to build solutions on the collected data. Announcing that they are not competing with the NIC portal, and are instead striving to complement it, Mahanti explained that their tech solutions are engineered to facilitate better compliance. Stressing on ‘Easy Way Bill’ being useful to transporters as an add-on solution, which makes it easier to track, trace and take action on the user’s e-WayBill on a real-time basis, Mahanti said, “The Application Programming Interface (API) of our solution enables it to be integrated by various Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programmes in use with the transporters.” REAL-TIME VISIBILITY Claiming to have more than 80 transporters as their clients, Iris, according to Mahanti, is adding new features to its solution as per the feedback received. Offering realtime visibility to its clients by means of a single view of active e-WayBills being managed, Iris is working with its clients to lower the risk of non-compliance and reduce operating costs. While the auto extension feature automatically updates e-WayBills, making it easier for transporters with big consignments to move the cargo by using the pin code of the warehouse and of the destination, the ‘Easy Way Bill’ eliminates the need to prepare the LR by fetching e-WayBill data through NRC. The solution also helps to complete billing by fetching monthly E-way bill reports online, said Mahanti.
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With tyres increasingly looked upon as a service rather than a commodity or an aggregate, the E-Tyre Module tech, according to Kohinoor Banerjee, Senior Manager -Sales, Ceat Tyres, would help collect Cost Per Kilometres (CPKM). Doing this would ensure an improvement in tyre life by five to 10 per cent, he mentioned. Stating that tyre expenditure is one of the major expenditures after fuel and staff (vehicle crew), Banerjee expressed that tyres are a costly entity and can be made to deliver more by collecting and analysing their usage data; implementing the findings, and in the process improving safety and security. Touching on the use of tyre pressure monitors and how they could help to reduce the TCO, Banerjee averred, “The need for digitisation is rising in the wake of acquiring, analysing, processing and maintaining the data.” We, at Ceat Tyres, are working on Radio-Frequency Identification(RFID) technology to track a tyre on a real-time basis to know its durability and various other factors, he added. Stating that a RFID device is placed inside a tyre, the information from which could be accessed through a smartphone. TYRE TECH FOR LOWER TCO Stating that the company is also working on applications
like NSD gauges to keep a check on the condition of the tyres, Banerjee averred that integrating tyre monitoring functions with other functions such as track and trace, driver behaviour, fuel consumption, etc., would help in significantly lowering the operating costs. Of the opinion that sensor-based systems would take centre stage in tyre management hereafter, Banerjee explained that TPMS systems will soon become standard from an operational point of view. Along with TPMS, the outlook of the transporters henceforth will be to outsource tyres to the company that builds it as a service, he added. The near complete change in how tyres are perceived by transporters henceforth will lead to a drastic rise in dynamic maintenance, quipped Banerjee. It is only a matter of how the transporters take the initiative, or are forced to do so, he added. Stating that the control tower supported ‘FT Trace’ tech solution has been designed to manage the complete trace and track function online, Yash Sippy, Director, Freight Tiger, mentioned that in the current environment it is necessary that transporters are able to execute their role as easily and smoothly as they could. Informing that his company provides ePOD, a simple digital way to shrink payment cycles to keep records of delivery and avoid loss of physical files, he averred, “Our solution presents the transporters with an ability to avail real-time, in-depth visibility and tracking.” “The solution
SMART TRANSPORT
also tracks non-GPS market trucks with a customisable degree of accuracy, bulk processing trips and indents through excel import, full visibility of indent fulfilment process,” he added. FT TRACE Working with the aid of a control tower, which gives a cockpit view of entire journey management events in phases like pre-transit, in-transit and post-transit, ‘FT Trace’, in pretransit, displays the number of indents published, accepted, assigned and reported for the past 48 hours. In transit, it gives an idea of the number of trips at origin in-transit, last mile and untracked trips for the past 48 hours. Providing data of a number of trips at unloading point and closed trips for 48 hours in posttransit scenario, ‘FT Trace’ makes for an electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD), which helps to shrink payment cycles for transporters. In ePOD, delivery details, documents related to the invoice number, e-WayBill number, post-delivery report and more are had. Improving speed, efficiency, accountability and visibility of deliveries as well as payment cycles, ‘FT Trace’ enables the company to provide mail-based ePOD, IVR based
ePOD, OTP based ePOD and app-based ePOD. Allowing transporters to place their truck hire requirements and procure a truck load, the ClikTruk app., according to Ajit Nair, Founder and CEO of the company with the same name, is designed to enhance their efficiency and the ability to do business. Accompanying full data streamlining and (or) digitisation, the ClikTruk app. is claimed to possess the ability to get the truck hired by effectively highlighting truck hiring requirement. “Our platform helps transporters to digitise; to increase their operation and connect with the supply network,” mentioned Nair. Expressing that it also helps to reduce operation cost and improve visibility and transparency, Nair, touching upon the current environment, averred that the ease of doing business comes from the ability of the app. to automate processes, centralise hiring and purchase, maintain transparency, increase supplier base and connect to the supplier network. Helping transporters with analytics and intelligence, the ClikTruk app. supports a transparent and fair bidding process that is devoid of anything hidden. It
provides end-to-end tracking of the shipment, place and bids against capacity, location and availability. Providing transporters to analyse the performance tracking of all vehicles, drivers, support staff, renewal of documents and maintenance alerts, the ClikTruk app., according to Nair, sends regular SMSes and notification alerts. It helps in cost points, capacity optimisation, proximity, a performance that results in a major reduction in cost on a truck hire and results in reducing down and idle time, which eventually increases the number of trips or shipments and ups the profitability ratio, he added.
Helping AITWA members much like three other companies mentioned earlier, ClikTruk is gathering knowledge as well as taking steps to further improve its offering. Mentioned Arya, that they are helping the association members in their time of need. “They have been helping the members for the last few years and without interruption even during the lockdown,” he reiterated. Hopeful that the four solutions will help transporters beat the challenges, Arya said, the times ahead are going to be very challenging. They will call for an ability to innovate and find new ways of doing business, he signed off. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
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INTERVIEW
Q& A
Thomas Hilse, Brand President, Iveco
UNSTOPPABLE Gianenrico Griffini Q. How are you translating CNH Industrial’s Transform2Win strategy into reality? A. Despite the unprecedented situation that we find ourselves into, the strategy remains valid. It is aligned with our long-term goal. The timeline may change a little here or there, but the strategy remains valid. It is about CNH Industrial working on the design of the new business after the spin-off. It is about structures and processes. Our focus may have temporarily shifted to crisis management, but the strategy remains in place and we are proceeding with it. To be precise, from an Iveco stand point, the Transform2Win strategy marks the evolution of our product portfolio; of it being on track and moving. As part of the strategy, we have achieved some interesting milestones in just one year. In April, we introduced the new Daily. It is now even better with advanced driver assistance systems and connectivity. In July, we launched the S-Way, which is truly designed around the customers’ needs. At the end of last year, we announced cooperation with Nikola on hydrogen and battery electric trucks. In just three months of announcing the cooperation, we presented a prototype. Later this year, we will launch the T-Way, our off-road vehicle (and Trakker successor). By the end of the year we will have a completely renewed product portfolio across all segments. Q. But then, the Tranform2Win strategy has another part to it, is it not? A. Yes, there is another part of our strategy. It is about renovation and reorganisation of our entire service network. We want it to align itself with the repositioning of our heavy-duty line. We have established a network of dedicated heavy-duty truck stations across Europe to deliver a highly professional service to our customers. To ensure
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that their vehicle enjoy maximum up-time, we are also continuing to look at our quality situation, which has dramatically improved. In our quantum leap in connectivity, which will play a key role in how we will provide our customers with the best TCO and fleet management capabilities into the future, we now have state-of-the-art infrastructure and product line-up. Launching additional connectivity features over time, we want to continuously raise the bar on customer benefits. Key to our Transform2Win strategy is the creation of an on-highway company that would focus on trucks and powertrains. Q. So the priority is to focus better on onhighway products and powertrains? On products like the S-Way? A. Yes. The feedback we are receiving from our customers about the S-Way tells us that our prioritising is working fine. Our customers are noticing a change in our heavy-duty proposition. Large fleet customers who had moved to other brands are now coming back to us. They are not only coming to like the IVECO S-Way, its product concept, cabin and looks, they are also coming to like the fact that the vehicle comes from a leading LNG technology company. It reflects our pioneering of LNG technology for the past 20 years. The drivers too have come to appreciate the S-Way. Our record says that in the first three months of 2020, we increased market share in Europe by two-per cent. In a highly competitive segment, it amounts to a remarkable achievement. And, the S-Way is yet in the launch phase. Q. If the S-Way reflects your LNG technology, how are you shaping it to your benefit? A. Our second-generation LNG vehicle is on
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“The “The Transform2Win Transform2Win strategy strategy marks marks the the evolution evolution of of our our product product portfolio”. portfolio”. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in // August 2020
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INTERVIEW its way. It will announce further technological improvement in the form of the Stralis (LNG). In later 2020, we will also launch the right-hand version. Completing the public launch of the S-Way before the Covid-19 crisis fortunately, we are looking at how and when the dealers are able to reopen their showrooms. We want our customers and drivers to come and experience first-hand our new products. Q. What about bio-LNG? A. We believe that bio-LNG will be the rocket launcher to reach the moon. It is the only available zero-emission alternative currently on the market. In the last two years we have seen roughly 2.5 per cent of the heavy-duty market make the transition to LNG technology. It would increase to 5 per cent in the medium term and 10 per cent over the next 10 years. The enabler for this growth is the expanding LNG fueling infrastructure across Europe. Today there are about 217 stations, and the plan is for an increase to between 450 and 480 stations. In the 10-year time span, heavy-duty truck operators will have more choice. It will not be limited to just diesel, hydrogen or LNG, but would include different other solutions to address different customer applications and needs. It would also be about the need to achieve the right energy balance, often unique to the thoughts and requirements of different countries and markets.
All this at the same cost. For companies like Lidl and Carrefour this makes a big difference. For beverage producers as well. Many of them are joining with a need to extend their green fleets. They are finding out that bio-LNG is the only solution that addresses their needs as of now. Q. How are you projecting LNG advantage versus diesel? A. We are coming to observe that we don’t need to convince our customers about the environmental and economic advantages of natural gas. They are already knowing them. It is therefore that they are coming to us. We expect the transition to alternate fuels like LNG to accelerate post Covid-19. It would give us an opportunity to invest in technology and processes for the future. We are working with automotive associations and governments to ensure scope for various new technologies. At the end of 2020, we will, with that in mind, extend our portfolio in cooperation with Nikola. We will launch an electric truck and follow it up with a hydrogen version.
“We want our customers and drivers to come and experience first-hand our new products”.
Q. What about electric? A. Pure electric trucks will account for a small segment and hydrogen will play an important role. There will be a market for LNG too. It is not just an intermediate solution, but will continue to be a valid alternative with an interesting economic proposition. When it comes to the market, bioLNG will make a huge difference. In the last six months we have seen energy companies make announcements regarding this. Shell has declared their plans for bio-LNG, which would account for up to 30 per cent of their LNG supply. Interestingly, many customers have developed their own bioLNG sources. The number of small bio-LNG producers in Italy, Spain and Germany is growing. It is providing customers with an opportunity to operate their vehicles on bio-LNG and generate 95 per cent less emissions than diesel in the process.
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Q. How do you look at Iveco’s journey over the last one year? A. We sold 125,000 vehicles, of which roughly 100,000 were in Europe. We did very well in the Daily segment. We have been a market leader in that respective segment for the past 40 years. Our market share has been around 12 per cent on an average. Overall, we did very well. Q. How do you look at the post Covid-19 scenario? A. Post COVID -19, we expect a change in customer behavior in a way where they make more use of the internet; are more willingly towards digitisation. In a scenario like this, our Daily is very well positioned. It employs advanced connectivity and related services. Expecting last mile delivery markets in the segment to make a quick comeback, we are positioning ourselves at the right places. Expected to maintain its position in the special applications category under the public services and military environment portfolio, our Eurocargo is an excellent product. It is highly versatile. In the post Covid-19 environment, our success will also depend on the S-Way and T-Way. We have a sixper cent share of the heavy-duty market. In fact, we touched eight-per cent in February this year. A
INTERVIEW turnaround year 2019 was for Iveco. The year 2020 should hopefully help accelerate as we come out of the Covid-19 situation. I am looking forward to the time when we launch the T-Way later this year. Q. How are you looking at the overall situation as the market comes out of the Covid-19 situation? A. Much would depend on the course of the infection clearly. We hope that the effects would be short-term. We expect the market to go down roughly 30 to 35 per cent against last year. We expect a good recovery after all the governmental packages come to the table. We are clearly not expecting to once again witness the situation that happened in 2009 with the Lehman shock. The banking system is in good order and governments are reacting faster. As a company we have learned a lot from the last crisis. Q. How did Iveco support its customers in the Covid-19 situation? A. Our customers suffered. They have to deal with difficult challenges, including health and safety obligations, drivers’ exposure as they drove through European countries touched by the pandemic and border controls. We did and continue to do all that we can to stay close to our customers; to encourage them. We are very proud of our truck drivers, and the mechanics who kept their workshops open even during the Covid-19 crisis. We thank each and every person out there, working on the front line and doing their job during these very challenging times. Working closely with our European Dealers Association, Gacie, to make sure that our dealers have the funds to get through this crisis, we have come to observe varying situations across countries and markets. We have come to observe different governmental regulations as well. We are therefore looking at solutions that are country and market specific. Being there with our customers and our partners in these difficult times, we want to be a great brand.
lower operating costs. We feel that professional and high-quality services and connectivity will enable us to partner with our customers and understanding their needs better. We have spent the last 18 months to completely overhaul the entire communication infrastructure on our vehicles therefore. We are now better placed to offer state-of-the-art technologies and services like flexible maintenance and repair contracts that add more value. We have also introduced fuel advising to help customers reduce their consumption. Our customers can now understand their driver behaviour better, and how it is influencing their business. Q. How do see the Nikola cooperation moving beyond the launch of two new products? A. We are working with our American partners and expect to begin product testing later this year. The production location of Nikola Tre in Europe will be Ulm, Germany. It is right in the heart of the European supplier hot spot for hydrogen. It is in a state that is very supportive. An additional advantage is that we have a large part of our heavy-duty vehicle development team in Ulm as well. Working on the technical development of the vehicle, we are at an advanced stage. We are on schedule to have the electric version of the Nikola Tre in 2021 and the fuel cell version in 2023.
“We are looking at leveraging our 45 years’ experience in producing, running and testing heavyduty trucks in Europe”.
Q. How important are connectivity and the related advanced service offer for Iveco as a brand? A. We have always made efforts to think from the customer’s perspective. This would help us to address their needs for most uptime and
Q. Would both the vehicles be sold by the IVECO sales network? A. Yes. We are confident that the sale of both the vehicles – electric and fuel cell, by the Iveco sales network will receive a positive reaction. We are two partners with significant synergies. As a market leader in fuel cell technology for trucks we are of the opinion that we have found a partner that has a unique technological edge. We, at the other end, are looking at leveraging our 45 years’ experience in producing, running and testing heavy-duty trucks in Europe. --------------------------------------------------------CV has been appointed an associate member of the International Truck of the Year (ItoY). Being a part of this association gives the magazine exclusive articles, specially written for CV by IToY jury members. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in // August 2020
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LOCOMATION AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING TECH Locomation has developed autonomous trucking technology to address trucking industry woes. Deepti Thore
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ith companies from diverse backgrounds engaged in the development of automation technologies in the ďŹ eld of commercial vehicles, it should not come as a surprise that Locomation, a Pittsburgh, PA (US)-based company has come out with yet another autonomous trucking technology suite to ease the pain points of the trucking industry. There is a surprise element however, and in the manner in which the company has leveraged ArtiďŹ cial Intelligence (AI) to develop its technology offering. Accounting for an increasing pace of the society, and the rising need of e-commerce, Locomation has focused on driver augmentation through
Autonomous Relay Convoying (ARC) system. Elevating the driver to the position of a smart manager, ARC empowers him or her to manage two trucks by acting as a force multiplier. Supporting a business equation laced with radically improved cost efficiencies and economic yields, ARC is about autonomously monitored operations that are safe and secure. Claiming to reduce up to 50 per cent labour costs, up to 30 per cent operating expenses and up to eight-per cent fuel costs, the ARC builds around the driver rather than to omit him. It does so with an objective to deliver full vehicle automation that incorporates human interaction. This, it does with an ambition to eliminate all truck-involved accidents.
Designed and developed to offer a superior driving experience to professional truck drivers, the ARC has also been designed and developed with a distinct shift of drivers in view. Pointing at a report by American Trucking Associations, which state that the respective industry is short of 50,000 drivers, the ARC is designed to deal with the challenge of truck drivers among other pain points. EASING THE PAIN POINTS With more and more drivers retiring or quitting, the US truck industry is facing its own set of challenges. Expecting the driver shortfall to rise to the tune of 1,74,000 drivers by 2026 according to a report, the US trucking industry, with the
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Dr. Çetin Meriçli. Co-founder and CEO, Locomation
Tekin Meriçli, Co-founder and CTO, Locomation
Venkataramanan Rajagopalan, Co-Founder, VP of Products, Locomation
Michael George, Co-founder, Director and VP of Engineering, Locomation
Prof. Alonzo Kelly, Co-founder, Director and Chief Scientist, Locomation.
use of the ARC, could actually define, attack and address its pain points. Mentioned Tekin Mericli, CTO, Locomation, that autonomous driving technology can drastically help resolve the challenge of driver shortage by offering driver safety, improved efficiency and lowering the costs. “Some companies are already seeing 100 per cent annual driver turnover rates,” he informed. Having five autonomy experts from Carnegie Mellon’s National Robotics Engineering Center onboard, Locomotion, since 2018, has been working on autonomous vehicles and AIdriven systems with detailed insight into diverse application situations concerning commercial and defence vehicles. The company, for shaping the future of transportation, is focusing on comfort as well. It is anticipating that the kind of technology that they have developed will come pre-installed in trucks in the future. Keen to offer the ARC as a retrofit kit that could be installed on existing trucks or existing fleets, Locomotion is working on a platform that is highly scalable and reliable. The ARC system Equipped with an intricate system of cameras, lidar (light detection and ranging) and radar sensors to see the surroundings, these ARC system works such that two trucks leave the dock with a load with one driver each. They pass through the urban obstacles to reach the highway. Once they reach the highway, they connect and form a convoy. One truck assumes the lead role and guides the trailing
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autonomous truck down the highway. The leading truck also helps the trailing truck to stay between the lines, navigate lane changes and avoid other cars. With the lead driver augmented by Locomation’s technology platform, the following truck engages full autonomy with a push of button. In doing so, it enables the driver to clock out and rest. At this time, the follower truck is fully driverless (SAE Level 4). Swapping itself periodically with the following truck to alternate driver resting periods making life easier for professional truckers, the lead truck sets a high level of connectivity in the process and not just the machine that follows it. For ‘vehicle-to-vehicle communication’, the trucks use antennas equipped to share data about speed, acceleration, steering wheel angle, and the amount of throttle and brake being applied. No human intervention is involved in case the technology makes any mistake. Drivers can simply move to the back of the vehicle to stretch out in the sleeper berth and the technology does the rest. A shadow autonomy stack in the
lead truck generates driving actions without actually putting them into action. These actions are recorded and can be compared to the driver’s actions to produce valuable data for testing higher levels of autonomy. To revolutionise the road transport industry, Locomation has designed and developed the ARC system such that it could be scaled up into a highly effective autonomous trucking platform. REVOLUTIONISING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY Partnering its research with the Transportation Research Center Inc.(TRC) to test the autonomous truck platform at their test facility in Ohio, US, Locomation is fine-tuning its technology offering to make it even better. It is looking at its active testing research project as the one that will help it to drive autonomous truck development to greater heights. Having taken to shared engineering and safety validation programs, the company, according to Dr Çetin Meriçli, CEO, Locomation, is emphasising on the development, improvement and perfection
of its autonomous systems by partnering its research with TRC. “The TRC is a top destination to rigorously test and validate our technology,” he mentioned. Expected to add to the knowledge of the team at Locomation, the testing regime at TRC involves rigorous analyses and validations. By taking its self-driving trucks off the test track, Locomation has also partnered with Wilson Logistics to move cargo on the nation’s highways for more than 400 miles between Oregon and Idaho in the US. It has, on the highway, used the convoy system to its advantage. Competing with a number of companies -- from startups, massive technology corporations to big trucking fleets -- working on automation in the transport space, Locomation is confident of further refining its technology platforms and of developing new solutions. Currently, its convoy system may deploy two trucks together, but that is not stopping it from working on ways to increase this number. By doing so, Locomation is confident that the concept of truck platooning with take-off and its real-world benefits will be there for all to see.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in // August 2020
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INTERNATIONAL
NEW MAN TRUCK GENERATION The new MAN truck generation elevates driver orientation and environment protection to a new level. Team CV
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nveiled at Bilbao in Northern Spain in February 2020, the new MAN truck generation marks a signiďŹ cant change in the orientation of one of the oldest and best regarded German CV
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manufacturer that MAN is. Representing a journey from a vehicle manufacturer to a provider of intelligent and sustainable transport solutions, the new MAN truck generation, following in the footsteps of legendary series,
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
dials new level of comfort, safety, efficiency, reliability, service as well as connectivity and digitalisation. Making customers’ business easier, more efficient and thereby more successful, according to Joachim Drees, Chairman of
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Encompassing eight new cabs, the new MAN truck generation keeps the driver at the centre of all the developments, uniting tried-andtrue virtues with future-oriented developments.
the Executive Board at MAN Truck & Bus SE, the new MAN truck generation includes the TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX model series from 7.5- to 41-tonnes. Encompassing eight new cabs in the process, the new truck
generation provides a suitable concept for resting and the sleep area by looking beyond the requirements of high fuel efficiency and ergonomic operating logic for relaxed and fatigue-free driving.
Adding a new dimension to the premise of long-haul transport or operation of a truck at a construction site against the background of driver shortage and some unprecedented challenges,
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The new MAN truck generation dials new level of comfort, safety, efficiency, reliability, service as well as connectivity and digitalisation.
the new MAN truck generation, enabling drivers to regenerate optimally during breaks by complete rest, takes into consideration the changing form of road freight (transport) as part of a nation’s or continent’s economy. For example, considering the transport volume in the European Union to increase by an additional 40 per cent in
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the next 20 years, the new truck generation has been developed with strict legal regulations, which intend to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent by 2025 (with an additional reduction by 30 per cent by 2030) in Europe, in consideration. Providing the driver an ability to retain concentration and steer his or her truck through traffic in a safe and environmentally
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friendly way, the new MAN truck generation unites triedand-true virtues with futureoriented developments. RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT Keen to take the burden off freight forwarders and drivers and making their daily work easier despite increasingly complex framework conditions, the new truck generation underlines
Including the TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX model series from 7.5- to 41-tonnes, the new truck generation is about appropriate driveline design, modularity and finer details that ensure driver comfort and safety, and operator profitability.
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The drivelines have been developed to enhance efficiency, performance and lower fuel consumption by up to eight-per cent.
Extensive use of LED lighting technology for head lamps, fog lamps and turn indicators ensure optimum visibility under a variety of conditions.
Finer details like the illuminated steps point at the efforts that have gone into the development of the new MAN truck generation.
EfficientCruise advances telematics-based track and trace to memorise topography in the interest of enhancing efficiency, performance and faster turnaround time.
assistance systems like semi-automated driving in traffic jams and turn assist. Emphasising on reliable usage, the new MAN truck generation strives to provide good visibility and optimum display of important driving information in urban driving situations and at construction sites where tricky manoeuvres are the order of the day. It looks at ergonomics like frequent cab entry and exit as part of the daily work routine in areas like urban distribution transport or municipal services. Underlining the need to choose the right body for the transport task at hand, and a chassis that offers optimum technical and electronic interfaces, whether it is a three-way tipper, a roll-off skip loader, a refrigerated body, a refuse collector vehicle or a timber transporter, the new truck generation is about appropriate driveline design; about modular form, and unity in diversity. The three large capacity cabs -- GX, GM and GN – out of the eight new COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
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The efforts that have gone into the design and development of new MAN truck generation are visible from small details such as the rear view mirrors, which ensure optimum vision to the driver and enhance aerodynamics.
The new MAN truck generation is the most ambitious project by the company yet, and marks substantial investment at the manufacturing end as well.
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cabs for example, make a perfect choice for long-haul international transports. They provide plenty of luggage and storage space, and incorporate features like headlights with integrated daytime running lights and indicators, and LED side indicators. Supporting outstanding freedom of movement, an airy interior ambience and supreme levels of comfort, the eight cabs of the new truck generation are not just striking in their appearance, they also point at how MAN has looked at the
finer details. An instrument panel that is driver oriented for example. The vario passenger seat that can be turned inwards, and a large lower rotating ring called the ‘SmartSelect’ that helps the driver to navigate through the main menu for example. Powered by the Euro6d engine range, which includes the (400 to 520 hp) 12.4-litre D26 unit, (279 to 440 hp) 9.0-litre D15 unit, and the (540 to 640 hp) 15.2-litre D38 unit, the new MAN truck generation boasts of a newly developed consumption-reducing
driveline and software components that contribute to additional fuel savings of up to eight-per cent. SMART AND FLEXIBLE If the improved aerodynamics of the new strikinglooking cab design also contributes toward lower fuel consumption, the new MAN truck generation features innovative tech such as EfficientCruise. It uses telematics to further advance the tracing and tracking function to a level where the onboard computer memorises
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INTERNATIONAL
road or route topography and adds it to the road map data. By doing so, it also calculates the optimum speed and gear switching strategy to provide real-time driver coaching in the interest of fuel efficiency. A part of this is also a new found ability of the new generation truck to switch automatically between acceleration and rolling on flat terrain. Involving comprehensive product improvements for components, and in the areas of maintenance and service to reduce service life costs, the new MAN truck generation also offers significant payload advantages for weightsensitive application sectors. Engineered to guarantee the best uptime, reliability and
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safety, the refreshing of key aggregates like body, running gear, lighting system, braking system, driveline and visibility related components make the new generation truck stand out. To further enhance its reliability and safety, it has been equipped with a new, simplified, powerful and future-proof electronics architecture. It is designed to significantly improve and expand the functionalities of the trucks. If the digitalised maintenance management system reduces operating costs and ensures maximum uptime, fleet management and drivers are supported through numerous digital functionalities and services. A highly user oriented new consultation and offer system
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
ensures that each and every truck made under the TGX, TGS, TGM and TGL modellineup fits the exact transport task it is intended to carry out. Supported by a product logic that is consistently oriented towards the application profile, the new MAN truck generation offers comprehensively adjustable and flexible configuration options and individually coordinated services. Turning it into a holistic, integrated transport solution thus, the new truck generation saw over 700 drivers look at the prototype solutions (involving visits to truck stops and service stations) during its development phases. Much professional feedback has also obtained. With comprehensive
INTERNATIONAL improvements carried out to production and sales, MAN invested around Euro 100 million euros. A big chunk of it went into the Munich site where up to 500 cabs from the new generation truck range would be produced per day. Another Euro 85 million went into the construction of new cab paint shop to meet the increased output of cab construction. MOST AMBITIOUS MAN PROJECT YET An advanced paint shop was also built at MAN’s
Steyr, Austria, facility. It builds the TGL and TGM series. Changes at the Steyr plant were also carried out to ensure that all plastic attachment parts for the entire MAN production network will be exclusively processed there in the future. Marking among the most ambitious projects ever in the span of 20 years by the German CV major, the new truck generation saw 12,000,000 working hours being spent as a project involving 2100 employees directly. Some 167,000
working hours were spent on new vehicle design and 4,000,000 km worth of testing was carried out until market launch. Apart from 2,800,000 lines of software code development, the new truck generation saw MAN integrate around 22,000 new item numbers into all departments. Available with 3,000 cab colours as standard, the new truck generation is backed by a central thought process that the individual transport task of the customer is at the forefront.
NEW ELECTRONICS ARCHITECTURE
T
he slimmed-down, application-oriented design of the new electronics architecture on every new MAN truck generation vehicle involves a main cable harness designed in a customer-specific manner such that it addresses specific equipment and application needs. Calling for fewer plug connectors, and making it possible to reduce weight, the new electronics architecture also reduces assembly efforts and lowers maintenance. If certain types of damage occur, it makes it possible to disconnect the cable harness at certain points and repair it in a targeted manner, preventing the need for a complete replacement of components. In addition to the previous interfaces for body manufacturers under the front panel, there is now an additional interface on
The new electronics architecture addresses specific equipment and application needs.
the frame behind the cab to ensure power supply to the body. The control signals run via a CAN bus connection and the electronic hardware required for the body can thus be connected inside or outside the cab as required. Featuring a modern, central computer which controls all processes, the system enables significantly improved interaction between all sensors installed.
While the pre-existing assistance systems now work even more effectively and complement each other perfectly, the new vehicle electrical system provides the foundation for future applications such as automated driving. It also simplifies the process of retrofitting various functions which are now newly available, such as the turn assist system.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
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INTERNATIONAL SEMI-AUTOMATED DRIVING AND TURN ASSIST
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ith the driver at the centre, the new MAN truck generation integrates a suite of advanced features to create the basis for semi-automated driving. These include the TipMatic automated transmission that is operated via a stalk on the steering column. The stalk also features the operation of continuous brake. Next to the main display on the instrument panel is the electronic parking brake, which under certain conditions when parking or leaving the parking area, engages and disengages automatically. While the central truck display acts as the nerve centre of driver assistance systems, the new MAN truck generation includes Lane Change Support (LCS) that uses radar sensors, active steering system and the onboard computer to monitor the areas of the left and right of the truck at speeds of 50 kmph or more; Lane Return Assist (LRA) that reliably keeps the truck in its lane at all times by using the radar sensors, active steering system and onboard computer, and ACC Stop & Go that reliably maintains the correct safe distance even at speeds as low as one-kmph and up to 15 kmph. If the truck in front stops for less than two seconds and moves, the system automatically gets the truck going. If the truck in front stops for more than two seconds, stepping on the accelerator gets the truck going again. As part of the semi-automated driving tech, the new MAN truck generation also features Congestion Assistant (CA) that works as an extension of ACC
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
Stop & Go, and is activated at speeds of between 40 kmph and 60 kmph. It decelerates the vehicle by gauging the behavior of the vehicle in front using the driveline, brakes and steering independently. The Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) intervenes when there is a risk of a rear-end collision by initially warning the driver during critical situations and initiating emergency braking if he or she fails to act. The MAN AttentionGuard uses lane monitoring data evaluates the number of times the vehicle strays from the lane as well as the steering interventions to gauge driver’s alertness and issues an optical warning in the display. The High beam assist automatically controls the use of high beam as per the driving condition. Configured into curtains that slide from left to right, the central truck display relays a plethora of information regarding the vehicle health, driving manner,
driving times, radio, telephone, etc. Also connected to it are the navigation functionalities and the infotainment functionalities. The MAN media system includes a driver card, which saves driver configuration and activates it once the driver inserts the card into the tachograph. The turn assist system uses the radar sensors to monitor the hard-tosee side areas next to the vehicle (especially on the co-driver’s side) at driving speeds of up to 30 kmph. A three-part LED strip in the A-pillar warns the driver in critical situations using levels. The warning level depends on how far the other detected road user is from the vehicle and whether there is a risk of an accident from the pre-calculation of the paths. If the system detects a critical situation arising, all three LED modules will flash and a warning signal will also sound. This enables the driver to intervene in good time to mitigate the situation.
T AKING STOCK
COVID-19 AFFECTS INDIAN AUTO INDUSTRY
T
he Indian auto industry produced 1,486,564 automobiles during the first quarter of FY202021, recording a decline of (-)79.39 per cent as compared to the production of 7,213,045 vehicles in the first quarter of FY2019-20. In the month of June 2020, 1,094,363 autos were produced, down (-) 51.44 per cent as compared to 2,253,404 vehicles produced in June 2019. In the first quarter of FY202021,1,491,216 autos were sold, down (-) 75.49 per cent as compared to the sale of 6,084,478 vehicles in the first quarter of 2019. In June 2020, 1,129,348 Passenger Vehicles (PVs), Three Wheelers and Two Wheelers were sold as compared to the sale of 1,910,882 PVs, Three Wheelers and Two Wheelers in June 2019. Sales figures for CVs for June 2020 were not available. In Q1 FY202021,31,636 Commercial Vehicles (CVs) were sold, down (-) 84.81 per cent as compared to the sale of 208,310 CVs in Q1 FY2019-20. In Q1 FY2020-21,4,403 M&HCVs were sold, down (-) 98.4 per cent as compared to the sale of 74,333 M&HCVs in Q1 FY2019-20. Sales figures for June 2020 were not available. In Q1 FY2020-21,27,233 LCVs were sold, down (-) 79.67 per cent as compared to the sale of 133,977 units in Q1 FY2019-20. Sales figures for June 2020 were not available. In Q1 FY2020-21,12,760 Three Wheelers were sold, down (-) 91.48 per cent as
compared to the sale of 149,797 units in Q1 FY2019-20. In June 2020, 10,300 Three Wheelers were sold, down (-) 80.15 per cent as compared to the sale of 51,885 units in June 2019.
Exports In Q1 FY2020-21,436,628 automobiles were exported, down (-) 64.49 per cent as compared to the export of 1,196,039 vehicles in Q1 FY2019-20. In June 2020, 246,079 PVs, Three Wheelers and Two Wheelers were exported as compared to 393,692 PVs, Three Wheelers and Two Wheelers being exported in June 2019. Export figures for CVs for June 2020 were not available. In Q1 FY2020-21, 3,870 CVs were exported, down (-) 66.81 per cent as compared to 11,660 units in Q1 FY2019-20. In Q1 FY2020-21, 1,234 M&HCVs were exported, down (-) 72.84 per cent as compared to the export of 4,544 M&HCVs in Q1 FY2019-20. Export figures of M&HCVs were not available for June 2020. In Q1 FY2020-21, 2,636 LCVs were exported, down (-) 62.96 per cent as compared to the export of 7,116 LCVs in Q1 FY2019-20. Export figures of LCVs were not available for June 2020. In Q1 FY202021, 50,631 Three Wheelers were exported, down (-) 59.55 per cent as compared to the export of 125,179 Three Wheelers in Q1 FY2019-20.
Summary Report: Cumulative Production, Domestic Sales & Exports data for the period of April-June 2020 and Growth (Number of Vehicles) Report 1 Production Domestic Sales Exports Category April-June April-June April-June
Segment/Subsegment M&HCVs Passenger Carriers Goods Carriers Total M&HCVs LCVs Passenger Carriers Goods Carriers Total LCVs Total Commercial Vehicles III Three Wheelers Passenger Carrier Goods Carrier Total Three Wheelers Quadricycles
2019-2020
11,017
2020-2021
% Change
535
-95.14
2019-2020
10,321
2020-2021
236
% Change -97.71
2019-2020
2020-2021
% Change
1,555
202
-87.01
77,621
6,134
-92.10
64,012
4,167
-93.49
2,989
1,032
-65.47
88,638
6,669
-92.48
74,333
4,403
-94.08
4,544
1,234
-72.84 -73.60
14,961
1,093
-92.69
15,919
860
-94.60
822
217
129,964
21,177
-83.71
118,058
26,373
-77.66
6,294
2,419
-61.57
144,925
22,270
-84.63
133,977
27,233
-79.67
7,116
2,636
-62.96
233,563
28,939
-87.61
208,310
31,636
-84.81
11,660
3,870
-66.81
235,116
56,137
-76.12
119,352
6,919
-94.20
123,463
50,427
-59.16
32,122
6,195
-80.71
30,445
5,841
-80.81
1,716
204
-88.11
267,238
62,332
-76.68
149,797
12,760
-91.48
125,179
50,631
-59.55
1,910
431
-77.43
620
-27
-104.35
1,428
397
-72.20
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (14/07/2020)
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE www.commercialvehicle.in // August 2020
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FLASHBACK
CARAVAN THRILLER
A
1971 Indian crime drama–thriller, the Hindi movie Caravan features a heavily modified Bedford J4 truck in the form of a ‘touring talkies’ van. It features Jeetendra and Asha Parekh in lead roles. Starting with Parekh’s father (played by Murad) firing his employee (played by Krishen Mehta) for embezzling money, the plot proceeds to Murad being killed by Mehta. Consoling Parekh, Mehta convinces her to marry him. Upon marriage, Parekh finds out about Mehta’s bad intentions from his girlfriend, played by Helen. She decides to rush to her father’s old friend at Bangalore. The brakes of car fail on the way and she jumps out of it in the nick of time. Watching
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE August 2020 // www.commercialvehicle.in
from behind the bushes Mehta’s desperation to find her as he talks to the police inspector present, Parekh runs away to find refuge in Jeetendra’s van, which is passing by. At a stop, Parekh attempts to steal the food Jeetendra is eating and gets caught. Taking kind to her disposition, Jeetendra gives her a ride till Mumbai. Watching Mehta talk to Helen about killing her the moments he finds her, Parekh runs away and hides in the van which hasn’t proceeded because of a mechanical failure. Mehta is unable to find her, but does not stop pursuing. Befriending the third character on the van, played by Junior Mehmood, Parekh goes to Khandala where the gypsies are. They have hired the van for performances, providing Jeetendra the means of livelihood. Attracted towards Jeetendra, Parekh, unknown to her, walks into the crosshairs
of the gypsy leader’s daughter (played by Aruna Irani) who excels at throwing knives. She too is attracted towards Jeetendra. A turn of events leads to Jeetendra and Parekh reaching the stage of marriage. Parekh flees (leaving behind a letter for Jeetendra) and calls her father’s friend seeking help. He informs her that Helen has told him all about Mehta. Before Parekh can reach however, Mehta kills her father’s friend. Jeetendra and his friend, Kapoor, get Parekh to safety. Mehta catches up with the gypsies, having bribed two of their members, and rounds up Jeetendra, Kapoor, Parekh, Irani, and junior Mehmood. A fight ensues. Jeetendra helps Parekh to get back her father’s estate and returns to the van. Parekh steps in front of the van. Sold as a truck chassis, the Bedford J4 truck was produced by Hindustan Motors in the mid60s in India. It was powered by either a Bedford four-cylinder 133 hp five-litre petrol engine or a Perkins six-cylinder 83 hp five-litre diesel engine. Fitted with a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, the vehicle featured a pneumatic braking system with drum brakes all-round. It was fitted with a worm and sector steering system and semi-elliptical leaf springs suspension (and telescopic dampers). It could be had with different wheelbase dimensions (three for tippers and three for haulage) and different length dimensions accordingly. With a GVW of 8.9 tonnes, the J4 featured 20-inch dia. wheels and 8.25 x 20-12 ply rating (nylon) tyres.
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