Truck & Fleet ME March 2014

DRIVE LIKE A PRO MAN TRUCK’S TRAINING WAYS

003 MARCH 2014

MIDDLE EAST

A NEW CROP PLANT UPGRADES HEAVY DUTY THE BEST BIG TRACTORS

CATCHING THE BENZ MERCEDES BIG OVERHAUL OF ITS SLT HD RANGES SETS NEW STANDARD

SLT RANGE A maximum torque of 3,000 Nm.

A SUPPLEMENT OF CMME

02 CONTENTS

A SUPPLEMENT OF CMME

06

MIDDLE EAST

GROUP CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA GROUP CEO NADEEM HOOD GROUP COO GINA O’HARA PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5483 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL

20

CHANGE IS GOOD, MOSTLY Like they have for decades, Dhows still float into Dubai’s creek over-spilling with goods from the Indian sub-continent. Once upon a time the loading of the small trucks that line-up along the

2014 PREVIEW

02 / STUNNING HD A guide to the very best in heavy duty trucks on the market.

TRAINING

06 / THE PROFESSIONALS Truck & Fleet ME looks at how MAN Truck and Bus wants to help our drivers turn pro.

NETWORK

10 / MERC’S SUPER TRUCK Your monthly guide to what’s going on in the global and local truck and fleet markets.

HEAVY ROLLERS

12 / INDIA’S JEWEL Eicher readies itself for an assault on the GCC’s light and medium fleet inventories.

ROADS

16 / LAYING IT DOWN Truck&Fleet ME looks at how the region is developing its infrastructure.

NEXT GENERATION

docks, would have been the only way those living

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR STIAN OVERDAHL stian.overdahl@cpidubai.com ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR MICHAEL STANSFIELD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 DESIGN

they needed to survive. The coastline of the

ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY

Emirates is now shared with huge port hubs that can house huge container ships. The scale may have changed, but trucks are still the fastest way to move these shipments in land.

The GCC region’s attempts to build a rail

MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER LISA JUSTICE lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498

overdue way of easing the freight of goods across

MARKETING ASSISTANT BARBARA PANKASZ barbara.pankasz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5499

the vast and empty stretches desert from these

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION

network have been generally regarded as a long

ports. It especially makes sense when rapid urbanisation is creating islands in the sands that seem ripe for rail to keep them all connected.

Rather than viewing this change to the shipping of freight as a threat to business, the challenge for fleet owners is how to adapt to this

CIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ROCHELLE ALMEIDA rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 368 1670 DATABASE AND CIRCULATION MANAGER RAJEESH M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147

need for smaller commercial vehicles for short

PRODUCTION MANAGER JAMES P THARIAN james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146

hauls in between the pick-ups that dominate a

DIGITAL

lot of the traffic that can handle broken down

DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER TRISTAN TROY MAAGMA

shift. The new rail freight hubs will create the

loads. It could also spur on the formation of a real freight industry as economy of scales, specialistation and fleet flexibility become more and more important. Be prepared for change,

WEB DEVELOPERS JOEL AZCUNA JANICE FULGENCIO PUBLISHED BY

change is good. Most of the time.

Registered at IMPZ PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE

Developing a new generation of trucks needs a new generation production line.

Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com PRINTED BY

PARTING SHOT Taking drag racing to the extreme with the fastest truck in the world.

DEPUTY EDITOR GAVIN DAVIDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480

in what is now the UAE would get everything

20 / THE FACTORY FLOOR

24 / SONIC BOOM TRUCK

GROUP EDITOR STEPHEN WHITE stephen.white@cpimediagroup.com +971 55 795 8740

Printwell Printing Press LLC © Copyright 2014 CPI. All rights reserved

STEPHEN WHITE GROUP EDITOR

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 1

TRUCK PREVIEW

STUNNING HD

THINGS LOOK BETTER IN HD AND SOME FLEETS CAN RUN BETTER WITH HD TRUCKS

AROCS SLT/ACTROS SLT Mercedes-Benz Trucks has launched its Actros SLT and Arocs SLT, capable of moving loads of up to 250 tonnes, including heavy plants used in the oil and gas industry or turbines for wind power. The Actros SLT has been designed with comfortable air suspension for road use, while the Arocs SLT with a robust parabolic spring for tough assignments in extreme terrain.

In order to cope with the huge loads, the vehicles are fitted with 2 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

stronger frames, additional axles, highly efficient cooling systems, a special clutch to help get the truck moving, and a high-performance braking system. The vehicles are powered by a 625 horsepower (466 kW) engine.

The three or four-axle tractors feature Euro VI technology and are powered by the new OM 473 six-cylinder inline engine with 15.6 liters of displacement and 460 kW/625 hp of output. The maximum torque is 3,000 Nm. The

16-speed PowerShift transmission enables finely coordinated shifting.

The retarder and the engine brake have a combined braking power of 720 kW (979 hp) – a figure that doesn’t even include the power of the normal service brake.

Approximately 20% of trucks produced in the main factory in Wörth are then modified for customers at the Molsheim factory.

Although the main markets for CTT are within the EU, the customized trucks are on the

road worldwide. In recent years, CTT has delivered thousands of customized vehicles to Brazil, China, and Russia respectively.

Hundreds of units have also been delivered each year to markets in Australia and Indonesia.

Arocs SLT/Actros SLT Specs: Configurations: 6x4, 6x6, 8x4 and 8x8 Engine: 15.9l Euro 5 V8 Power: 653hp (480kW) Torque: 3,000Nm

TRUCK PREVIEW

FMX

MAN TGS WW 6X4 MAN Truck & Bus Middle East has launched a new truck designed for the Middle East region, the MAN TGS WW 6x4 tractor head.

Featuring excellent traction and long haul operation with dynamic MAN Aero Package and MAN TipMatic for more efficiency, the MAN TGS WW 6x4 is built with a strong traction chassis for off-road applications to cater to the tough road conditions across the Middle East.

The MAN Aero Package leads to optimised air flow through improved aero dynamics to reduce fuel consumption by approximately 3%. The MAN Tipmatic automised gearbox system also leads to reduced fuel consumption by up to 5% and reduced operator costs through optimised gear shifting.

The system leads to less wear and tear on the driveline while preventing driver errors and damage to the driveline particularly with less experienced drivers. It also leads to long clutch service life.Customer feedback in the

region was implemented in the new truck’s design, said David van Graan, Head of the MAN Center Middle East and vice president, Sales and Marketing.

“Over the years, MAN trucks have consistently fulfilled the highly demanding needs of customers in the construction sector in Middle East with their efficient operation and ruggedness combined with high payload.

“Our participation [at The Big 5] this year reflects MAN’s innovative technology, product superiority and focus for the region with customised products specifically developed for our customers here based on their feedback as highlighted by the MAN TGS WW 6x4 tractor head.”

Volvo Trucks is in the process of a major regeneration of its vehicles, from the FH launched last year (and recent recipient of the Truck of the Year Award for 2014), to the new FMX, FM and FL and FE models – all launched in a single week in September for the European markets, with the Middle East launches coming in January.

Designed for the heavy work in the construction and quarrying sectors, the FMX is the rugged workhorse of the Volvo range, whether to be used as a tipper in a quarry, hauling aggregate to a construction site, or for applications such as concrete transit mixer and other custom options.

In Europe, the model launches have been in response to the new Euro 6 engine cleaner air emission requirements, but since this doesn’t affect the Middle East, the big news for the new FMX isn’t the engine. Rather, Volvo’s engineers have given the truck a solid overhaul, focusing both

on brute strength – it features a strengthened cab made from high tensile steel, and includes a cast iron towing eye above the bumper capable of handling 32t – and high tech solutions to improve the driver’s experience.

Much of the interest around the new FMX’s launch concerns the truck’s new smart features, including the new Volvo Dynamic Steering, the air suspension on the rear axles, and of course the growing acceptance of the advantages of I-Shift, the automated transmission built by Volvo, and carefully mated with the D11 and D13 engines.

FMX Specs: Configurations: 4x2 to 4x4 and from 8x2 up to 8x6 (plus 10x4) GVW: up to 66t (10x4) D11 Engine power: 330hp to 430hp D13 Engine power: 400hp to 520hp Transmission: I-Shift automated with P+ mode

TGS WW 6x4 Specs: Category: 7.5 Engine Output: 275kW Vehicle Axles: 3 Model Type: 6x4 Engine Types: Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4

MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 3

TRUCK PREVIEW

HYUNDAI HD 370S The HD 370S mixer, the HD 370S Dump truck and the HD 450L and HD 600L tractor, have all been locally adapted following extensive research and local test drives, the two companies confirmed. In terms of development, each model boasts a longer wheel base – increasing by as much as 450mm and 1,060mm.

To improve durability and load capacity, Hyundai has also

SCANIA’S ZOOMLION SPECIAL reinforced the axle and suspension of the 9 HD 370S Mixer and the 18 HD 370S Dump. All models are powered by Hyundai’s proprietary D6CA41 engine.

HD 307S Specs: Engine: D6CA41 engine Power: 410 hp Torque: 188kg/m Total length: 8.3m

Swedish truck manufacturer Scania says that the chassis for Zoomlion and Cifa’s Pump 101 truck is the largest it has ever built. To carry the weight of the 7-section boom, a 7-axle chassis was designed and built by Scania in Södertälje, Sweden. The 15.5m chassis was specially commissioned to Swedish company Laxå Special Vehicles and the truck is powered by a 620

hp V8-engine. Altogether this very special vehicle is 18.5m long. An exceptional feature is the fact that the pump structure is mounted on a “normal” truck chassis, not on a special vehicle.

impressive desert dweller. The Renault Kerax was developed to be able to operate under the most demanding working conditions.

With a maximum payload of up to 30 tonnes for the heavy duty model, the rugged Kerax is one of the most capable trucks build by the French manufacturer. The truck is available in both tractor and rigid

versions with different wheel bases and axels configurations.

Scania’s 7-axle Specs: Chassis length: 15.5m Total vehicle length: 18.5m Engine: 620hp V8 engine

RENAULT KERAX The Renault Kerax range offers many Euro 3 engine variants that provide the ideal compromise between low-speed torque and low consumption. The offering is completed by new drive axles and

4 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

double-reduction tandems for overthe-road and off-road use.

Renault Trucks launched its latest iteration of the Kerax truck (reviewed in CMME’s April 2012 issue two years ago) and it’s an

Renault Kerax Specs: Configurations: 4x2, 4x4, 6x4, 6x6 and 8x4 Engine: Euro3 DXi11 Power: 380-440hp Torque: 950-1,400rpm Ground clearance: 385 mm

www.man-middleeast.com MAN Truck & Bus Middle East and Africa FZE

MAN TGS WW - Reliable Technology for Construction

Optimal engine performance and modern vehicle design increase the efficiency of vehicle operations on site. The MAN TGS WW delivers optimum traction in every situation: starting from 4x2 axle configuration up to 8x8 for extreme construction operations. That is what we call consistently efficient.

For more information or visit us online: www.man-middleeast.com

Transport Worldwide. Powered by MAN.

MAN Truck & Bus

Lebanon & Syria Terramar Middle East Tel.: + 961 1 88 5657

Bahrain Ahmed Mansoor Al A‘ali Co. BSC (c) Tel.: + 973 1 777 1030

Iraq (Erbil) Terramar for General Trading LLC Tel.: + 964 750 469 6002

KSA Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd. Tel.: + 966 2 6049 444

Iraq (Baghdad) Terramar Baghdad Tel.: + 964 1537 5249

Jordan Integrated Automotive Tel.: + 962 6 5728 400

Oman Kuwait Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicle Selling & Import Arabian Engineering Services LLC Tel.: + 968 245 78 000 Tel.: + 965 2 483 9210 /1

Pakistan MAN Diesel & Turbo Paksitan Ltd. Tel.: + 92 42 353 30091

UAE (Abu Dhabi) Darwish Bin Ahmed & Sons Tel.: + 971 2 558 4800

Qatar Qatar International Automobiles Tel.: + 974 4603 288

UAE (Dubai) United Motors & Heavy Equipment Co LLC Tel: + 971 4 2829080

TRAINING

SAFETY FIRST

TRUCK & FLEET ME TALKS TO MAN TRUCKS ABOUT HOW TRAINING AND DRIVING SIMULATORS ARE HELPING TO IMPROVE DRIVING AND ROAD SAFETY

T

he Middle East has a problem – truck drivers. Despite on-going efforts to tackle driver standards, accidents rates are falling but are still far off the numbers seen in other parts of the world.

For instance in the UAE, the road fatality rate may have fallen from 19.3 per 100,000 people to 11 per 100,000, but 17% of fatalities are still caused by trucks.

Last month MAN Truck & Bus Middle East along with its UAE distributor, Darwish Bin Ahmed & Sons, said that it had boosted its ProfiDrive training programme to include off6 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

road driver training as it seeks to improve safety awareness. The programme, used to improve driver performance and safety, has been offered in the Middle East for on road operations since 2009. The off-road training teaches drivers how to get optimum traction, operate on different surfaces and to keep their vehicles under control using the latest MAN safety features such as hill-hold brake for manual gearboxes and MAN EasyStart for TipMatic gearboxes.

The UAE launch event saw MAN demonstrate a driving simulator that allows drivers and their skills to be measured in a virtual environment.

The simulator has onscreen projection directly

onto the window of the driver’s cab and is trend setting. The person is completely immersed in the simulation environment and the virtual reality of the exercise.

“This latest initiative reflects MAN’s commitment to enhancing driver efficiency across customer fleets in the Middle East by introducing innovative training solutions,” says Rudolf Wiegand, VP after sales, MAN Middle East and Africa. “The use of advanced simulators to support ongoing training is very helpful in training drivers to drive with foresight, remain calm and confident in critical situations, and stay in control of the vehicle.

TRAINING

MAN demonstrated a simulator that allows drivers and their skills to be measured in a virtual environment.

ProfiDrive means the professionalisation of the transportation industry, says Brown.

A wide range of languages and abilities make training challenging in the region.

‘ProfiDrive Training Packages are designed to enhance a driver’s practical capabilities in addition to fundamental driving techniques so that they can maintain their vehicles better and contribute to increased fuel efficiency which translates to tangible cost savings for our customers.”

“ProfiDrive does not mean that MAN takes car drivers and turn them into truck drivers,” says Dr Richard Brown, senior product manager at MAN’s Truck Division. “It means the professionalisation of the transportation industry.

MAN is one of the few manufacturers that has its own driving school.”

In Europe he adds, that drivers must have 35 theoretic driving hours in five years or they lose their license.

“Hopefully this will come to the Middle East as well,” says Dr Brown. “We have a certified trainer based in Dubai that has taken on many courses to pass on his training to Middle East drivers.”

“We are working on developing in-house driver training capacity – as you can appreciate in such a vast area we have many different languages, many different driver ability levels, so we do the theoretical part of the training in pictures to make it easier.”

Explaining the disparity in driver abilities he adds that he says that it is common for drivers to have a range of experience from days to decades.

“You have drivers that have been here for two days who get their driving licence and then are in vehicles they have never even seen before.”

“Off-road is not the same for commercial vehicles as it is for cars. We teach drivers how to drive off-road on hard surfaces not soft (like sand dunes). We teach them how to pre-empt and predict conditions under their tyres. For each tyre when it is fully loaded there is the same weight when it is on the ground than your car twice. Your whole car. Knowing that your vehicle is going MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 7

TRAINING

Trucks will travel across different terrains to demand different driver skills.

sink in soft ground is one of the fundamentals in learning how to drive off-road. Much of what Dr Brown says is so much common sense you have to wonder why it is not adhered to more often. A good start to going off-road is making sure you have a clean windscreen, he states, as is committing to doing preventative maintenance to ensure the vehicle is up to the challenge. He also says that part of the training involves the teaching which gear to be using and when.

“If he goes into a pot-hole in first gear, the driver has time to stop,” he says. “Driving offroad has a lot of considerations that are different to normal driving. Has the driver got enough clearance under the radiator? We’re teaching them more about the ability of the vehicle rather than their ability in a lot of cases.”

The responsibility of the driver does not end, once at the loading and off-loading destination.

Dr Brown says that drivers must ensure that the ground is flat before tipping: “On an incline, the centre of gravity will go outside the vehicle wheelbase and it will fall over.”

He continues: “The driver needs to take care of what’s in front of him, not playing on his

MAN OFFERS CUSTOMISED SERVICES “When you visit an MAN workshop, it‘s usually only a couple of hours between ‘welcome’ and ‘have a safe journey’,” says Iyad Jaradat, After Sales Manager at QIA says proudly. “However, in our range of services we offer more than merely a qualified service: we provide all-round care for your MAN truck by our trained service team”.

MAN Services incorporate everything to ensure that the vehicles do not encounter problems on the road and that the freight reaches its destination reliably and safe.

With MAN service contracts, extended warranties, and attractive spare parts pricing MAN offers customised aftersales care in all situations. On the road MAN Mobile24 assures mobility at any time. MAN Support presents customized proposals to optimize vehicle use – for higher profitability and increased transport efficiency.

mobile texting his friends. We’re teaching them predictive, preventative driving.”

MAN Truck and Bus was an early entrant into the Qatar market. It says that profitability can pay off in the long term when purchasing transport equipment for construction and due to the rough conditions on Qatar’s construction sites, the extreme heat and the huge amount of operating hours, the requirements for a truck are tougher than in any other segment.

The quality of the truck pays off when it lasts under such extreme conditions and at the same time the maintenance and repair costs are at a minimum. A malfunction or failure of the truck means delay of delivery which can raise enormous costs within the complete construction project.

“Our customers are not willing to take any risks with their investment in construction equipment. They trust MAN because of the durability of our products and with it the low total costs of ownership (TCO). Customers are not willing to face additional investments for replacements, equipment renewal after short operating times and high maintenance costs,” Muheeb Sawaked, Deputy General Manager of Qatar International Automobiles, the exclusive distributor of MAN Truck & Bus in Qatar explains. “This is why we at MAN provide dedicated customer recommendations for transport solutions including MAN ProfiDrive driver training and MAN Telematic to keep the running costs low.”

Whether on the road or off-road: for the purpose of cost-effective transport, MAN has optimised its six-cylinder engines with commonrail injection and turbocharging to make more out of every litre of fuel. With ratings from 265 kW (360 hp) to 353 kW (480 hp), MAN makes sure to offer an engine to match all construction operation tasks.

“Whoever works in the transport business today acts on difficult terrain. This applies in particular when the assignments are not only on-road, but off-road – on unpaved roads and rough terrain. As, for example, in construction-

“YOU HAVE DRIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TWO DAYS WHO GET THEIR DRIVING LICENCE AND THEN ARE IN VEHICLES THEY HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN BEFORE” 8 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

TRAINING

If a lorry driver works for 2 hours and 30 minutes, he must take a 30-minute break. A four-hour trip would require a break of 45 minutes to one hour, say the UAE department of transport.

TIME FOR A SHIFT CHANGE The UAE department of transport has indentified driver exhaustion as one of the major causes of road accidents in the Emirates.

“We are going to suggest a maximum shift, which varies from 10 to 11 hours and 30 minutes,” said Mohammed Nasser Al Otaiba, director of freight division at the Department of Transport last month. “The maximum driving before a break could vary from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 2 hours.”

site transport and municipal operation, in fire-fighting and emergency services, oil and gas field operation or during explorations and expeditions,” Joerg Bauch, MAN Truck & Bus Sales Manager states. “Whether gravel, mud or sand, challenges are there to be mastered. MAN all-wheel-drive trucks get through where others just spin their wheels,” he continues. Among the diversity of axle formulas and driveline configurations there is bound to be a solution for all requirements.

Whether used on construction sites, in municipal services or any kind of off-road use: MAN vehicles, with their permanent or engageable all-wheel drive guarantee mobility in all situations. The MAN in-house produced heavy duty axles and transfer cases for on-road and off-road application guarantee optimal traction.

One special feature is the electronic transfer case and differential lock management for secure engagement. The MAN TipMatic gearbox, which can be operated in automatic mode as well as manually, translates the power into dynamics.

The MAN TipMatic Offroad shift program is specifically designed for more efficiency on construction sites and off-road.

“Efficiency is the major driver when it comes to the development of our trucks, but also the aspect of safety is our concern and therefore we have developed a wide range of features, which have proven to decrease the chances of accidents,” says Dr Brown. “In order to maximise safety, you have to minimise the risks. For this purpose, MAN trucks are equipped with innovative technologies

“WE’RE TEACHING THEM MORE ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN THEIR ABILITY IN A LOT OF CASES” that make daily operation as safe as possible.”

The MAN BrakeMatic with the electronic braking system (EBS) provides superb braking responses in every situation. Optionally integrated in all-wheel-drive vehicles, the EBS with off-road logic improves the braking effect on unpaved, slippery surfaces. A professional driver of Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company gives hope that drivers can understand their responsibilities.

“I feel in good and safe hands in my MAN. It’s not just my own safety I’m concerned about, but the safety of the others on the road as well. After all, a truck’s not a toy.”

For example, if a lorry driver works for 2 hours and 30 minutes, he must take a 30-minute break. A four-hour trip would require a break of 45 minutes to one hour.

The DoT gathered case studies from three companies in Abu Dhabi, and limitation sets were consistent. The maximum driving per shift varies from eight to 10 hours, while the minimum daily rest varies from eight to 12 hours.

However, Al Otaiba, who was speaking at the launch of Abu Dhabi’s Multi-Modal Freight Master Plan, said the DoT was not setting a driving limit for lorry drivers.

“Today, we are not talking about any enforcement,” he said. “This is more of a voluntary guidance for the private sector.

We don’t as a government come with a stick. We are starting with a carrot. Driver fatigue, training and safety on the roads are all serious matters we are looking into.”

Markus Geyer, MAN Regional Head for MAN Truck & Bus Middle East & Africa FZE

David van Graan. Head of MAN Center Middle East and Vice President Sales and Marketing

MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 9

NETWORK

NETWORK 03 14

YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO THE MIDDLE EAST’S TRUCK AND FLEET OPERATOR NETWORK SAUDI CRACKS DOWN ON POOR RETREADING FACTORIES Mercedes said that the trucks went into production in December.

DAIMLER LAUNCHES THE KING OF TRUCKS Mercedes-Benz Trucks has launched its two largest its heavy-duty trucks, the “king” class of vehicles, as part of continued roll-out of new vehicles to meet the European emission requirements. The company has launched its Actros SLT and Arocs SLT, capable of moving loads of up to 250 tonnes, including heavy plant used in the oil and gas industry or turbines for wind power.

The Actros SLT has been designed with comfortable air suspension for road use, while the Arocs SLT with a robust parabolic spring for tough assignments in extreme terrain.

In order to cope with the huge loads, the vehicles are fitted with stronger frames, additional axles, highly efficient cooling systems,

a special clutch to help get the truck moving, and a high-performance braking system. The vehicles are powered by a 625 horsepower (466 kW) engine.

Production of the trucks began in December 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Molsheim, France, which serves as the base of Custom Tailored Trucks, or CTT for short. The plant fulfills even the most unusual wishes of truck customers from all over the world.

Every detail of the trucks’ design was extensively tested by experts, said Daimler. The trucks have a total towing weight of 250 tons, and the semi-trailers are often more than 50m long. In addition, these vehicles may generally only be driven at night.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO), has launched a vigorous campaign against such factories. The ministry warned that stringent punitive measures, including closure of the facilities and penal action against owners will be pursued.

It recently began intensifying inspections on tire retreading plants, which are spread out all over the Kingdom’s regions. Within the last two months, the ministry has shut down 12 factories in Jeddah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province for violations of national safety standards.

In Jeddah, four factories were closed and more than 2,500 tires of poor quality were seized. Three factories in Al-Zulfi, two in Riyadh and three in the Eastern Province were also shuttered. During the raids, inspectors from the ministry found a number of violations, including non-compliance with Saudi standards and poor storage. Several retreaded tires were found stored in open areas under direct sunlight.

Plants closed that fail to meet safety standards

SAUDI ARABIA IMPORTS MORE THAN ONE MILLION CARS ANNU AND MORE THAN FOUR MILLION TYRES WERE IMPORTED TO TH 10 TRUCK&FLEET ME

MARCH 2014

NETWORK

TIME TO TURBO BOOST YOUR WORKSHOP

Buying or renting is a classic problem for lease buyers and personal buyers.

It comes down to your requirements.

The world’s fastest vehicle lift just got bigger. Rotary Lift’s patent-pending Shockwave™ technology is now available for the first time on a 12T capacity lift, making it possible to service pick-ups, work trucks and vans faster than ever. Rotary Lift has expanded its Shockwave offerings beyond 10T capacity, two-post and SmartLift inground lifts to include its popular SPO12 two-post lift.

LIBERTY AUTOMOBILES LAUNCH NEXT-GENERATION SILVERADO

SHOULD YOU BUY OR RENT YOUR NEXT TRUCK?

Liberty Automobiles unveiled the nextgeneration 2014 ‘Chevrolet Silverado Texas Edition’ full-size pickup at a themed customer event held at its showroom in Sharjah.

The Texas Edition – so named because one out of every six Silverado pickups are sold in Texas signifying strong Texan passion for full-size trucks – comes with 5.3L Ecotech V8 gasoline engine with 355 HP. Chevrolet describes the new edition as the ‘strongest, smartest, and most capable Silverado ever.

The Silverado Texas Edition comes with 20inch aluminium wheels, chrome mirror caps and door handles, premium Bose audio and

for most of us, but we don’t all choose the

The expense of obtaining and operating a car or truck is a permanent way of life same method to deal with the costs. Some of us buy vehicles, some of us lease them, and there’s no standard answer to which choice is best. Think of a truck or car lease as a long term rental. You do not own the vehicle and at the completion of the typical closed-end lease you return it and pay any end-of-lease costs that are due to complete your obligations. When you buy an auto, and pay for it with a loan, the vehicle is still yours

prominent signature Texas Edition badging.

In terms of fuel economy it gives an average of 10km/l.

at the end of the loan period. If you want a new vehicle it’s up to you to trade or sell the old vehicle. With rare exceptions, every new vehicles depreciates as soon as you drive it

DARWISH TAKES DRIVERS OFF-ROAD VIRTUALLY

MAN Truck & Bus Middle East along with its UAE distributor, Darwish Bin Ahmed & Sons, has boosted its ProfiDrive training programme to include off-road driver training.

The programme, used to improve driver performance and safety, has been offered in the

Middle East for on road operation since 2009.

With the inclusion of off-road, MAN now covers all aspects of truck operation in the region.

The off-road training teaches drivers how to get optimum traction, operate on different surfaces and to keep their vehicles under control using the latest MAN safety features such as hill-hold brake for manual gearboxes and MAN EasyStart for TipMatic gearboxes. The launch event saw MAN demonstrate a driving simulator, that allows drivers and their skills to be measured in a virtual environment.

The simulator has onscreen projection directly onto the window of the driver’s cab and is trend setting.

UALLY WORTH A COMBINED SR82 BILLION HE KINGDOM BETWEEN 2009 AND 2013

off the lot, and continues to depreciate with age and as you tack on the kilometres.

A lease might be best if: • You prefer to drive a new car or truck every two or three years • You want to drive a vehicle that you can afford to lease, but cannot afford to buy • You don’t put more than 15,000 to 20,000 km on your vehicle each year • You don’t use the vehicle in a way that causes excess wear and tear • You can’t or don’t want to make a large downpayment • You use the vehicle for business purposes and can write-off your lease expenses Buying might be best if: • You plan to pay off the vehicle, keep it and avoid loan payments for awhile • You don’t mind paying for repairs after the warranty period has passed • You might want to trade it in for another vehicle in less than two years • You want to customise the vehicle

HIGH ROLLERS

12 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

HIGH ROLLERS

THE JEWEL FROM INDIA

WHILE NOT AS FAMOUS AS TATA, INDIA’S EICHER RANGE OF LIGHT TRUCKS AND BUSES IS SET TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE GULF

T

he end of 2013 saw India truck and bus manufacturer Eicher announce that it was joining forces with one of the UAE’s biggest dealers to tackle the Gulf market.

Placed firmly into Pacific Machinery it will sit in Famco’s growing portfolio of value end products that share a common bond with Swedish giant Volvo such as Chinese heavy equipment brand SDLG (given Famco’s long-standing arrangement with Volvo it is unsurprising that UAE-based distributor is moving into the value end of the market with a Chinese subsidiary and an Indian partner of the Swedish manufacturer.)

Based in Gurgaon close to New Delhi, Eicher produces a range of light and mediumsized trucks from 5t-40t, 15-60 seater buses, transmissions as well as Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines for Volvo at its recently installed engine plant. Arun Kumar Birla, EVP-Sales, marketing and aftermarket was keen to not only extol the virtues of its new distributor but also those of the Indian commercial vehicles marque.

“The Eicher Group is among the leading group of automotive manufacturers in India.

We started five decades ago and manufacture trucks and buses. We started a 50/50 JV with Volvo Group in 2008, forming VE Commercial Vehicles,” he says. “Eicher specialises in frugal

engineering and products at competitive prices and Volvo is extremely strong in technology. It’s a complementary fit.”

Since signing the JV, production at Eicher has racheted upwards from 24,000 to 50,000 trucks per year. Drawing on its European expertise, Eicher claims it is best in its class in terms of fuel efficiency. It is also concentrating on growing its left-hand drive range for export markets such as the GCC (on show at the launch were a number of 6t and 8t trucks).

“Going forward you will see a number of relevant products. Factory-built AC trucks are coming (as are) labour buses shortly. These trucks are reliable and built to withstand the rough and tough of India.”

Eicher is present in 22 countries and is looking to spread its wings globally. The JV with Volvo is an attempt to introduce the higher end technology not typically associated with the Indian market. The approach will certainly give it access to a broader range of markets such as the Middle East and even potentially Europe.

VE Commercial Vehicles has also allowed Eicher to develop its own range of vehicle components freeing it from reliance on third party suppliers and greater control over development. In the half decade since the forming the JV, it has gone on to become one of the dominant names in gear manufacturing

in India. Under Eicher Engineering Solutions it can also produce bespoke vehicle design and modifications for customer requirements.

Perhaps even more impressively it has moved into the medium-duty support for Volvo globally in for 5l and 8l engines.

On the global stage Indian manufacturers have traditionally struggled to prove they are willing to invest in research and development but Eicher claims that its making progress in the area and is investing heavily refining its own production. Like many other emerging automotive players – and let’s face it even the big guns – it has turned to Japanese industry for inspiration to modernise and refine its approach.

It is tackling some of the big question marks overseas buyers may have in terms of reliability, market approach, service and even looking at the way their vehicles are driven and driver comfort.

The changes to its set-up has arguably opened up new opportunities for Eicher with it making ground in the heavy duty truck segment to become a fully fledged, full range commercial vehicles provider. However Birla stresses that for now at least it will be concentrating on smaller models in the region.

“This company has a very solid foundation because it brings together the complementary skills of the two partners. We know how to develop products at very competitive prices, we

“THESE TRUCKS ARE RELIABLE AND DURABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THE ROUGH AND TOUGH CONDITIONS OF INDIA” MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 13

HIGH ROLLERS

develop products at very competitive prices, we have the knowledge of the tough Indian market and the distribution network.

“Despite being a 50/50 joint-venture, which you know is difficult, this company has moved from strength to strength,” he says. “To give you an example. We have set-up the engine manufacturing plant to produce Euro5 and Euro6 base engines for Volvo’s requirements and we are now synergizing our distribution footprint in global markets to give our expertise.”

Given the immense progress Eicher has made it is almost bizarre (but understandable considering the size of the Indian market) when he admits that it has found the switch from right hand to left hand drive challenging. He says however that it is feeling confident that it is developing chassis that will suit requirements in most international markets in the light ranges including the Middle East “We are making significant investments in left hand drive in the 6t to 8t ranges,” he explains.

“We also have 30-seater buses here (in the Middle East). Going forward you will start to see more and more products for relevant markets. Factorybuilt AC cabins will come in (to the Gulf ) as will a labour bus in very shortly. Over the next two years you will see a lot of progress.”

Under the Eicher truck hood is a relatively straightforward engine set-up suggesting it will sit easily with the other stripped down vehicles typical in the region. Birla says that it is easy to maintain and customers should expect relatively long periods of uptime.

“First is reliability: second is ease of repair,”

he says, adding that even in the Indian market that the technology level is going up and it is becoming harder for repairs to be done in-house by fleet owners.

He also says that the buses and trucks are more than capable of handling temperatures seen in the region: “We regularly have temperatures of 48-degrees and I’m sure it doesn’t go much more than that here.”

According to Birla, Eicher’s best in class fuel economy has been one of the key differentiators in India. He estimates that fuel costs can be as much as 50% of total running costs. He says that Eicher’s fuel efficiency and reliability means it is considered to be one of the best brands to buy in terms of resell value.

“If you are 10% better, imagine what that can do to your business profitability,” he chimes.

“These trucks are reliable and durable because they are designed to withstand the rough and tough conditions of India. Loading capacities are also much more than the competition’s trucks.”

Having reeled off some of the main virtues of the Eicher range, Birla stops to discuss the advantage of the company’s ‘frugal engineering’.

“They are extremely competitively priced,” he claims.

With some of its ranges boasting more than 30% of the market share in India he says he is now excited by the opportunities being presented elsewhere.

“We have started our international journey and the UAE is extremely important to us. The good customer connect I see at Famco, this partnership will deliver.”

Eicher will be available via Famco in the UAE as part of the dealer’s Pacific Machinery division.

EICHER GOES UNDER A NEW PLAYER IN PACIFIC MACHINERY Eicher is being distributed by Famco in the the Gulf. The rapidly expanding outfit launched Pacific Machinery, a new subsidiary that formally marks the company’s entry into the value end of the market bringing Eicher together with Chinese machinery brand SDLG. Managing director Paul Floyd explained the subsidiary has been in the planning for a year.

“The launch of this new business really creates a clear distinction in the way we want to reach out to the market; to different types of customers and applications,” explains Floyd.

Talking at the official launch event alongside brand partners Eicher and SDLG, Floyd was keen to stress how the new subsidiary will fit with customers who have grown to associate his company with the

Paul Floyd, Famco, standing with his Eicher and SDLG partners.

premium end of the market.

“Those who have worked with Famco over the years will know us for premium vehicles and machines with market leading technology. This will not change and is very much the Famco philosophy. Pacific Machinery is something different,” he says.

“Pacific Machinery will be about simple technology products, low cost products but nevertheless reliable products. There is certainly a segment of the market that this is reaching out to. Through Pacific Machinery we aim to offer a real value option, particularly to very price-conscious customers. At the same time we want to ensure that we give parts and service support for these machines and vehicles that are above market norms for this type of equipment.”

14 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

ROADS

STAYING EN-ROUTE

WITH BILLIONS BEING INVESTED INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, LEADING EXPERTS EXPLAIN WHERE THE GCC ROADS ARE HEADED. GAVIN DAVIDS REPORTS

16 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

ROADS

A

sk any driver in the Middle East about what their pet hates are and the odds are that you’ll be told, rather explicitly, that they are many.

From the seemingly suicidal drivers from Saudi Arabia, to the gridlock in Doha, motorists in the GCC have it tough when it comes to getting out and about on the roads.

None more so than in Dubai, which has garnered a reputation as the ‘ever changing city’.

That’s not a compliment, or so the city’s drivers will have you believe. What seem to be endless changes to its road networks have left thousands of motorists in a state of almost permanent befuddlement, as evidenced by a cursory browse through various traffic updates on local radio.

But this doesn’t even compare to what driving in Abu Dhabi is like, where even satellite GPS has been known to throw up its hands in surrender, leaving drivers to navigate their way through a labyrinth of construction cones and dug up roads.

Not only are road networks being expanded and developed, but the region is seeing an increased interest in the development of rail transport, with the success of the Dubai Metro inspiring other cities in the region to adopt rail technology as a solution to the mass transit woes.

So why are the region’s motorists being driven around the bend? Why are the governments in the region going all in with their investment into transport and infrastructure?

And why now?

A 2011 study by the research company, Business Monitor International (BMI) found that the GCC will invest more than $119.6 billion into infrastructure projects over the next ten years, with rail projects set to account for over 90% of the total investment.

With an estimated $25 billion being spent on its rail network, Saudi Arabia leads the Gulf in terms of investment. Three major projects are underway, which will add 3,900 kilometres of track to the Kingdom’s railways.

The Saudi Landbridge project, a 950 kilometre railway which will connect Jeddah and Damman, while the 450 kilometre Haramain high-speed railway will link Mecca and Medina via Jeddah. Finally, the North-South Railway will join the northern mineral belt with Riyadh

MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 17

ROADS

The RTA said that it would spend $1.68 billion in 2013 on 45 new development schemes.

and the industrial city of Jubail. Meanwhile, the UAE is expected to spend as much as 13% of its total construction spend on transportation projects, Deloitte’s GCC Powers of Construction 2013 says.

Within the UAE, road and bridge projects currently underway or at the planning phase amount to a total of $58 billion.

Meanwhile, the $11 billion Etihad Railway is well underway and will link up with the wider GCC railway network, which is itself valued at $100 billion.

In January of last year, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority said that it would spend $1.68 billion in 2013 on 45 new development schemes, ‘spanning roads, marine transport, public transportation and operational buildings’.

It would also fund the completion of another 55 projects that were currently underway at the time, Mattar Al Tyer said back then.

“The Dubai Government is continuing with the development of the infrastructure, including road and transport projects, as it recognises that investment in the infrastructure is the core driver of the economy of any city worldwide,” Al Tyer says.

NEIL WALMSLEY ON SMART CITIES Smart Cities are more than just technologically advanced cities. They are cities that are both efficient and resilient. A key element of this is land use planning, and the interface with ransport systems.

In transient cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, there is a huge opportunity to transform urban travel behaviour by providing the ever changing population with new ways to travel, and by applying policy measures to discourage the prevailing dependence on private car trips. The Dubai Metro has demonstrated that mass transit can be successful in the GCC region. In the city today we know that many employers see accessibility by metro as a key criteria in choosing officer locations. The knock on effect is that employees choose to live close to the metro too, so that they can adopt a less car dependent lifestyle.

That statement cuts to the core of what the GCC is doing with this infrastructure and transport investment.

Neil Walmsley, an associate director at Arup, who leads the consultant’s transport sector activities in the Gulf, points out that it’s very much a chicken and egg scenario for transport infrastructure in the region, where people are investing to accommodate existing growth in some cities, while others are investing to encourage economic growth.

“To encourage economic growth requires investments in networks connecting cities together, and networks providing for movement of people and goods within cities,” he explains during a telephone interview.

“Transport investments are supporting investments – they facilitate other economic activities.

“They are not meant to generate income, but to facilitate economic growth. The value of connecting the region for movement of people and goods by rail can be seen in terms of improvements in cost efficiency, environmental impacts, safety and resilience,” Walmsley adds.

Vasile Olievschi, a railway specialist with the National Transport Authority in Abu Dhabi, and formerly the lead railway specialist for the World Bank, agrees with this and explains that the UAE in general has a pretty well developed road and shipping network, but that developing a railway could be the final missing link in creating a transportation network that would serve the entire region.

“What could be the goal of the UAE? It would be to shift part of the freight and passengers, which are transported by road today, onto the railways.

“If we could reach, I don’t know, 20% to 30% of the total market share, shifted from road to rail, that would be a very good achievement and it would bring huge benefits to the country,” he says.

“What we need now is to develop a comprehensive strategy for putting together all these modes of transport.

“TRANSPORT INVESTMENTS ARE SUPPORTING INVESTMENTS – THEY FACILITATE OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES. THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO GENERATE INCOME, BUT TO FACILITATE ECONOMIC GROWTH” 18 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

ROADS

“We don’t talk about ‘competition’ (between the three forms of transport), we talk mainly about cooperation. These three modes of transport (road, shipping and rail) are actually complimentary to each other, because each of them are addressing, in the best way, specific segments of the transport and logistic chain.”

“So for railway, there are programmes in place, for interconnection with the big ports.

Jebel Ali for example. The distribution and the feeding of the port could be done not only by roads, but also by railway. And in the same approach, at some so called ‘dry ports’, we could create logistic centres in different locations in the country, in order to concentrate transport on roads and railways. Jebel Ali is a big port and so supported by the rail distribution chain, it could penetrate into the regional transport in the GCC area.”

With this in mind, perhaps it’s worth remembering the size of the task facing those responsible for heading up these transportation projects.

Consultants will have to work especially closely with both contractors and clients to ensure that the best possible project is delivered at the first time of asking, since going back and fixing it isn’t really an option.

One representative for one of the biggest infrastsructure consultants in the region says that his company must work closely with a number of government bodies on its transport projects to ensure that the project and public welfare remain as the top priorities.

Consultants have to work closely with both contractors and clients to ensure the best possible project.

“YOU CANNOT DEVELOP OUR TRANSPORT NETWORK WITHOUT HAVING IN VIEW THE WHOLE GCC AREA, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE OPEN TRADE AND OPEN TRANSPORT IN THE WHOLE REGION” “We have invested in our staff, in key account management and developed proper relationships to enable us to support these governments in these infrastructure aspects and help them come up with new, innovative ideas on what

is really required to serve the country and the community,” he explains.

Some designers of the region’s next generation of roads and infrastructure are having to adapt they work with their governmental clients. In a region where it is difficult to forecast more than a few years ahead, close cooperation between stakeholders is essential to come up with what is required to be developed in a country, assess current conditions and prepare the all-important request for proposals, to be able to tender them out.

While the munipalities have the funding and the desire to develop the country, they are oftern unsure what exactly to focus on. Consultants find themselves asking the critical questions, such as what is the most important phase for prioritisation; which project needs to go first?

“It’s all about coordination and getting all the stakeholders engaged, from an early stage of any project, as well as prioritisation. What does prioritisation mean to us as engineers? It’s the phasing of the work, how do you phase the project in a way that minimises the disruption to the existing network? How do you build a metro or how do you widen a road or build a new bridge with minimum disturbance to the current roadway network?” asks the consultant.

“This is all about phasing and getting all the stakeholders engaged early on. Get them on the same page, have them be aware of what is happening on the project.”

Olievschi chimes in, pointing out that if the GCC wants to develop a regional wide transportation network, then it needs to embrace this spirit of cooperation, or the entire enterprise would be doomed before it even began.

“You cannot develop our transport network without having in view the whole GCC area, because we need to have open trade and open transport in the whole region, which means that we have to work with the other member states of the GCC,” he warns.

“It is being done already, under the GCC umbrella, for the harmonisation of technical characteristics of the transport networks and the harmonisation of the border crossing rules, the immigration rules, safety regulations and licensing rules,” he adds.

“So in order to have mutual recognition of all these procedures, we could have a similar market in the whole region. There are technical and economic committees in the GCC working on these aspects, so it’s only a matter of time to put them in place.”

MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 19

PRODUCTION

HOW TRUCKS ARE BUILT

THE LAUNCH OF A NEW RANGE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK WHETHER THERE IS A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING THE PRODUCTION LINE – AND WHETHER THE TRUCK CAN BE BUILT IN THE FIRST PLACE 20 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

PRODUCTION

For the plants in Sweden, Russia and Belgium the focus was on developing in cooperation with engineers.

L

ast spring in Europe saw the first of the series-produced new Volvo FH trucks roll out of the factory gates for delivery to customers throughout Europe. But just how is an ultra-modern truck built? How do advanced electronics and other hardware turn into a single smoothly functioning entity and how can top quality be guaranteed?

The new Volvo FH has been dubbed a “nextgeneration truck”. Jonas Nordqvist, product feature and profitability manager in the strategic planning department at Volvo Trucks, talks about what this actually means.

“One might say that an ultra-modern truck must meet all the conditions of a complex equation. It must satisfy both customer requirements and society’s demands and succeed in combining modern technology with properties such as quality, driver comfort, environmental efficiency and safety,” explains Jonas Nordqvist.

Work on the development of a modern truck starts long before production is even relevant.

The hunt for the highest possible quality characterises every aspect of the process from start to finish. Careful analysis of customers, society and the competition indicates which demands a new truck model will have to meet.

The market is also scanned to identify which technological innovations can be integrated into the new product. This data then forms the basis for a detailed requirement specification that governs how a modern truck should be built.

Once the requirement specification has been set, it is time for the next challenge: to transform ideas into reality. In order to succeed here it is necessary to implement a cross-functional working method where everyone, from design through construction to production - works together from day one.

“One of the most important parameters in the development of an entirely new truck is that it should actually be able to be built. That may sound rather obvious but it is vital that the production process is ergonomic, efficient and repeatable. Ultimately it’s all about being able to guarantee a high-quality product,” says Jonas Nordqvist.

The fact that series production of the new Volvo FH is in full swing, and the fact that the first trucks are now on their way to their customers, therefore marks not just the start of something new. It also marks the end of a long development journey. For the European Volvo plants in Sweden, Russia and Belgium the focus was on developing the new product in cooperation with the engineers. In parallel they also produced the documentation for everything that needs to be updated in the plants, as regards both new tooling and new skills.

“This is an entirely new cab, an entirely new truck. There isn’t a single body component that is carried over from the previous model and this imposes demands both on our personnel and on our equipment since the latter is often productspecific,” relates Hans Elmqvist, project manager MARCH 2014 TRUCK&FLEET ME 21

PRODUCTION

for overall production of the new Volvo FH at all the company’s European plants.

An ultra-modern truck requires ultramodern production tools. One important investment here is in the new presses, which are used in the production of all the cab parts.

“One thing that is unique in the new Volvo FH is that we press many parts in five steps. The focus here is on geometry assurance – the more times a component is pressed, the better the various parts fit together, thus improving cab assembly,” explains Hans Elmqvist.

Another major investment was the purchase of 56 new robots, all of which help improvement production efficiency. Automation also guarantees that each and every truck offers the same high level of quality. One example of this is

that all the glass in the truck is now bonded into place. There are two benefits to this: the cab is safer since the windows form part of the cab’s structure, and the production process is more efficient and quality-assured than before.

Another important role for the plants was to participate in the development of the new truck.

In order to do this without disrupting ongoing production, pilot plants were established in Volvo’s two Swedish factories in Tuve and Umeå.

These can be described as miniature replicas of the production plants’ full-scale assembly operations. There the new tools could be tested and method trucks could be built.

The aim there was largely to transform theory into practice, to determine the best assembly process and to find out whether it was even possible to build the truck in the sequence and with the tools that the engineers had in mind.

“Just like the human body’s blood circulation system, we go through the entire truck to guarantee that everything works exactly like it should. Advance test production in the pilot plant is an important part of this quality control process,” he continues.

The pilot plants also served as a basis for enhancing the competence of the assembly personnel at both local and global level.

Over the past few years, key operators from all over the world have worked side by side with truck builders in the pilot plants to learn how the new truck is to be put together. When the time came to move the assembly process to the regular production line in the Swedish plants, the key operators were able to teach their colleagues what to do. The benefits will be the same globally.

“We’re prepared down to the tiniest detail, largely because this is such a complex truck, but one result is that it will be much quicker to roll out a quality-assured production process in the other plants too. The new Volvo FH is tailored for the whole world,” says Elmqvist.

Former Daimler partner Dongfeng Motor and Volvo Trucks deal turns the former rivals into potentially the biggest truck maker in the world.

VOLVO SETS ON BEING NUMBER ONE The European Commission approved a tie-up between Sweden’s Volvo Trucks and China’s Dongfeng Motor last year paving the way for the creation of the the world’s biggest truck maker.

The $900 million deal sees Volvo Trucks acquire a 45% stake in the Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles (DFCV) unit as well as joint control with Chinese owner Dongfeng Motor.

Volvo which is currently the third rank truck maker in world after Dongfeng and current leader Daimler will soon share top-spot with its Chinese partner. The European Commission green light follows the initial announcement of the deal at the turn of the year.

In a statement to the media, Kina Wileke, press officer of AB Volvo, said the total sales amount of AB Volvo’s and Dongfeng’s heavy trucks and medium-duty trucks reached 400,000 in year 2011.

“This is a very exciting venture that will combine the best of two worlds,

“THE MORE TIMES A COMPONENT IS PRESSED, THE BETTER THE VARIOUS PARTS FIT TOGETHER, THUS IMPROVING CAB ASSEMBLY” 22 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

strengthening the positions of the Volvo Group and Dongfeng and offering excellent opportunities to both parties,” commented Volvo’s president and CEO Olof Persson.

“Combining Dongfeng’s strong domestic position and know-how with the Volvo Group’s technological expertise and global presence will offer DFCV excellent potential for growth and profitability in and outside China,” added the CEO.

Ten Tips

48

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST

November 2013

PARTING SHOT

In an alternative reality the region’s roads would be fille d wit h trucks like this . #carnage

MEET THE FASTEST TRUCK IN THE WORLD

D

rag racing is a sport that has raced into the hearts of gas heads in the Gulf. You can find tracks dotted all over the region. The sport even has a hero that is proving his mettle on the rough and smokey US circuit (or is that straight?). Last month saw that driver, Khalid Al Balooshi, win the season-opening race in the National Hot Rod Association’s elite Top Fuel division in California.

The 34-year-old Al Balooshi is entering the third season in the NHRA’s upper tier racing against names such as Tony Shumacher and Al Anabi teammate and current Mello Yellow series winner Shawn Langdon.

“I knew I had one of the best cars in the show,” said the Emirati. “To take it to the final and win, it’s a big day for us.”

24 TRUCK&FLEET ME MARCH 2014

Al Balooshi pushed his Al Anabi Racing dragster to a top speed of 324.12 miles per hour (521.6kph) to win the final.

Impressive as Al Balooshi’s speed on the track was it was still below the world’s fastest truck that regularly races down drag courses in the US. Les Shockley’s Super Shockwave has amazed race fans across the US with its impressive display of speed and fire and now the most powerful truck in existence will meet an American icon in Grave Digger face-to-face in a winner takes all battle of ‘monster trucks’ at Nitro Jam events across the nation. Shockley has plenty of experience behind the wheel of the big red machine and is looking forward to another season of over-thetop racing on the quarter-mile.

Housed in a fiberglass 1957 Chevrolet body, the Super Shockwave is propelled by two Pratt and Whitney J 34-48 jet engines that produce 25,000

horsepower and 12,500 pounds of thrust. The machine eats nearly 80 gallons of diesel fuel per run and has been clocked at a mind-blowing 334 miles per hour from a standing start.

On the quarter-mile the Super Shockwave produces 50 foot flames from its rear engines and 20 foot flames from its smoke stacks while approaching 200 miles per hour on the drag strip and literally shaking the earth with each pass all to the joy of race fans.

SUPER SHOCKWAVE SPECS Engines: 3 Pratt & Whitney J34-48 Horsepower: 36,000 =@ Speed of Sound Thrust: 18,000 lbs Weight: 7.000 lbs Wheelbase: 260” Fuel: diesel, 120 gal per run