Driving forward

Scania’s XT range of trucks for the heavy-duty and construction segments is built with robustness and durability in mind and is suitable for applications such as tippers, mixers and pumps.

Just as construction projects are incomplete without earthmoving operations, any earthmoving fleet is incomplete without the construction or heavy-duty truck, which move mountains of material from job-sites in the region every year. Anirban Bagchi takes a look at what some of the major players have been up to

The Middle East market for construction trucks is fiercely contested by the well-known global brands, with big names such as Mercedes, Volvo, Renault Trucks, Scania and others all in the fray, jostling for a slice of a substantial pie they believe has promise to grow even further.

At Scania, one of the biggest players in the region’s construction trucks landscape, the Middle East is an important division globally and one the Swedish giant is bullish about. Hans Wising, sales director, Scania Middle East, tells CMME that the “Middle East market is very important and strategic for Scania already today”.

“Scania trucks have been working in all major infrastructural projects in the region. We have a wide range, suitable for every application in the construction segment. Since project efficiency is a priority, Scania trucks are in demand because of their outstanding ‘Total Operating Economy’. With the new Scania XT range (see box), we have widened our product offerings in the construction segment.”

Weathering the fallouts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Scania is now set for an expected market correction. “We started 2020 in a positive way, but the pandemic disrupted things for us as well as our partners and customers. As we end the year, we are looking forward to a recovery in the market in 2021. We do see challenges ahead, but our outlook for 2021 is positive overall.”

Scania’s largest selling construction and heavy-duty truck model in the region is the G440/460 A6x4 HZ tractor unit for tipper semi-trailer application.

Describing the product, Wising says: “The model is equipped with the Scania Retarder which is an auxiliary brake for the driving wheels and is mainly used for long periods of braking. It helps reduce wear and tear of the service brakes and boosts safety by keeping them cold for full emergency performance.”

Scania also has its customers covered by an advanced telematics system, and Wising explains: “Our Scania Fleet Management connects vehicles and drivers with their companies’ offices. We’ve started implementing the solution in the GCC and our Saudi customers can already avail of these services, which will soon be rolled out around the region. The data collected on board Scania trucks gives valuable insights into driving styles, productivity and economy. The tracking and diagnostics can bring significant benefits, such as increased uptime, improved safety and reduced operating costs.”

Scania Middle East also has an extensive coverage for service and parts in the region, with nine dealers who have both their own workshops and the capability of providing service at the customers’ premises.

“We have Dealer Operating Standards in place, ensuring availability of the right tools and equipment, 24-hour emergency assistance and parts availability.

“Our Scania Repair & Maintenance contracts are valid in all GCC countries via our dealers. As a complete and comprehensive solution, our dealers offer ‘Maxim@’ which is a full repair and maintenance contract. Another option is ‘Ultr@’, which includes pre-planned maintenance, powertrain protection and a wide range of wear and tear repairs. Finally, with ‘Extr@’ your driveline is insured along with maintenance of up to five years,” Wising explains.

Aftersales is also what another big brand in the construction trucks segment swears by. Customers of Mercedes-Benz trucks are supported by

Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers the ultra robust Arocs in the heavy construction segment, backed by Fleetboard, its vehicle management system that makes maintenance easy.

one of the strongest service and parts networks in the Middle East, says Olaf Petersen, GM, Daimler Trucks Sales, Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA.

“Our customers know that parts will be delivered quickly and competitively, driving profitability for them. To develop this further, we have launched ‘remanufactured’ parts, where customers can hand back in selected older components and replace them with a remanufactured version. This is cost effective and provides a guaranteed part made to Daimler quality and standards. Additionally, for slightly older vehicles, we have also introduced our TruckParts portfolio, giving customers more choice to fit their budgets and needs.

“Service is the most critical factor to keep our trucks on the road and since many customers also operate their own workshops, we provide our completely flexible Mercedes-Benz Service Solutions in our workshops or at customer locations. This covers preventative maintenance, such as oils, fluids and filters, but can also be extended to cover all wear and tear parts and warranty components. Our fleet of mobile workshops and certified technicians are our force on the road day and night.”

A vital aspect of MercedesBenz trucks’ customer solutions is its telematics offering, called Fleetboard, owned by Daimler Truck AG. “Fleetboard not only provides basic track and trace solutions, but also focuses on driver performance, individually grading them based on their operation of our products. With Fleetboard, we can translate more than 2,000 data points into user friendly data so that operators can plan trips and loads more efficiently. Further, our certified driver trainers in the Middle East can use Fleetboard data to highlight training and development areas for drivers and continuously drive improvements.”

Additionally, Fleetboard is able to provide remote service data and diagnostics, such as fault codes, even tyre pressures, if the option is selected, so that every truck can be checked from a customer’s operations room and scheduled for the required maintenance. Fleetboard can also be connected to a customer’s CRM system, such as SAP or Oracle.

Describing the Mercedes-Benz trucks range, Petersen adds: “The all-new Actros is predominantly our benchmark tractor head for semi-trailer operation. In Oman, Kuwait and the UAE these are pulling payloads in excess of 100t on every trip in daily operations. We also launched the all-new Arocs throughout the Middle East in 2018, with specifically designed tipper and mixer chassis for construction operations and specially configured tractors available as all-wheel drive.

“Whether it is our Actros 3845S 6x4 tractor or our Arocs 4042K 6x4 tipper, 4542B 8x4 mixer or our market leading AWD versions, 4048AS 6x6 tractor and 4048AK 6x6 tipper - the core characteristics of best-in-class fuel efficiency, strongest grade of steel chassis, thicker, wider, reinforced components, from centre mountings, axles to springs, to the reinforced

powertrain, our promise of ‘Trucks you can Trust’ remains true throughout.

“We are the only manufacturer in the MENA and Central Africa region to have a dedicated testing facility for our products in the region.

Peterson adds: “In the last few years, we have clocked over nine million kilometres of direct testing in the UAE, pushing our products to the limits. Ours is not a European truck tuned to run on lower quality local fuel; our products in the region are truly Middle Eastern trucks, ready to deliver in the region’s conditions.

“We were the first to enter the Middle East market and our partnerships with our customers here date back more than 50 years. An example is our partnership with a market leading construction contractor in the UAE, working on the Etihad rail project.”

Another example of Mercedes-Benz Trucks special relationship with the region is how trucks equipped with the company’s Turbo Retarder Clutch – only available on Mercedes-Benz Trucks – is now operating in heavy-duty mountain quarry applications in the UAE’s Northern Emirates, Petersen points out.

“The Turbo Retarder Clutch is a combination of hydrodynamic turbo coupling and full five-stage retarder for extreme heavy-duty transport, starting and braking, for loads up to 250t with zero wear and tear.

Peterson continues “The same exclusive Mercedes-Benz technology is also found in our 4058AS 6x6 ‘SLT’ Super Heavy-Duty Tractors for heavy construction. Each SLT has pulling capacity of up to 250t and can be coupled with our reinforced draw bar couplings for pulling and pushing loads of more than 2,000t, if necessary.”

Over at Renault Trucks, recent successes have underlined the importance of its K Range of heavyduty and construction trucks.

In late 2019, Middle East Ready Mix Concrete (MERMC), a leading UAE concrete supplier, took delivery of a dozen new Renault Trucks K models, representing a big conquest for the Volvo-owned French manufacturer in the region.

This was MERMC’s first Renault Trucks purchase, with the K range models equipped with 48CBM tipping trailers for use in transporting aggregates and other products to facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. According to Renault Trucks, MERMC cited the trucks’ “proven abilities in operation, high standards of safety and impressive fuel efficiency”.

Renault Trucks’ K Heavy Construction Range offers a capacity of 120t and is equipped with 13L engines driving through an automated all-wheel-drive transmission that deliver full power to all the wheels.

This makes them ideal for heavy-duty use and strengthens their abilities to tackle off-roading in the UAE’s tough terrains. The trucks also have low fuel consumption and meet Euro 5 emission norms, making them among the most eco-friendly options on the market.

Also key in MERMC’s decision was the flexibility of Renault Trucks’ finance programme, introduced to support construction businesses which can be tailored to specific needs. The scheme has several options to reduce payments or initial down payments, to build equity, and fixed rates for enhanced finance control.

Guillaume Zimmermann, commercial director, Renault Trucks Middle East, adds: “This order further cements our position as a market-leading truck manufacturer trusted by many large companies across the region. Our vehicles are known for being sturdy and reliable with a leading position in terms of fuel efficiency, enabling customers to deliver greater productivity and control operating costs to their benefit.”

With global brands prioritising the Middle East construction truck market and offering models made to tackle the local conditions, it can be expected that as the Covid-19 situation gradually eases, their construction trucks will drive production forward even further.