To provide customers with better service, the company adds a sophisticated and strong trailer that corners like a Formula 1 car while taking the extra load.

Heavy Transport Specialist
The Air Marine group of companies’ headquarters is located in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia and Asian Trucker joined a team for the commissioning of their latest piece of gear, the DOLL panther.

The company was formed in 1981 by its present Managing Director Mr William Chiew. It was originally setup as a freight forwarder and customs clearance agent.Over the last 20 years the company has grown into a successful and reliable logistics partner in East Malaysia. Today the business is expanding its operations to Penninsula Malaysia and beyond. The extensive fleet of equipment and assets is able to meet the highly specialised needs of customers and includes:
Over 250 vehicles ranging from prime movers to container chassis, from lowbeds to dumptrucks and general lorries. Lorry
cranes, concrete mixers, cement tankers and more than 120 hydraulic and crawler cranes ranging from 15 to 400 tonnes
capacity are available to handle even the most complicated transport requirement.

Beside having over 60 acres of open yard space and a 45,000 squarefeed sized covered warehouse space there are also
numerous pieces of auxiliary construction equipment such as Skylifts, forklifts, scissor lifts and man lifts. One of the latter one was commandeered by us to take pictures of the panther while being commissioned.

Majestic Marvel: DOLL panther
If you like sophistication and highly thought through technical solutions, this trailer is for you and will sure make your purr with excitement. Asian Trucker took a closer look at the trailer as it was unloaded from the ship, which itself required a special transport solution because of the sheer size of the equipment. “To minimise transport cost, we sub-assemble certain parts and assemble them on site. Look at the size! If you add a few more components, you will double the volume that is transported and with that the cost shoots up” said Ralf Grunwald, Area Manager, who fl ew in with his colleague to commission the trailer.

The gooseneck of the trailer is hydraulically connected to the 1st and 2nd axle in order to compensate the 5th-wheel load on bumpy road conditions. Hydraulic cylinders allow for the height adjustment. To do so, there is an instrument panel on the site and a remote control coming with the trailer enables the crew to manage the set-up from the cabin or the back of the trailer when they navigate tight Possibly the most amazing technical piece build into the panther are the axles. Allowing a weight of up to 12 tonnes, these are not only developed in-house by DOLL, but also manufactured by them? Why?
Because the company wasn’t happy with any of the axles available in the market, placing an ultra high emphasis on quality and functionality. “We provide one of the most sophisticated axles in the market. DOLL gives five years warranty on all components integrated in the panther’s running gear. Only the hub is a BPW component” Spitznagel explains. When
moving, the axles follow the trucks movement via hydraulics and can be additionally steered via remote control. When turning, the axles can turn to up to 55 degrees, which is 10 degrees more than for other models in this class. The result is a trailer that turns and handles exceptionally well around corners.

Air Marine is planning to use the trailer in environments with tight corners and limited space to maneuver. The panther for Air Marine has eight such axles, separated in two steering circuits. The fi rst two axles are following the movement of the truck, the 3rd axle is self-steering and the last fi ve axles are steering in opposite direction of the truck. To minimize tyre wear, depending of the load, up to six axles can be used as lift-axles. Typically, when turning, wheels would tilt and therefore don’t have full contact with the ground. In the case of the Doll panther, even when going the full circle of up
to 55 degrees turn, irrespective of any height of the platform, all wheels will remain fi rmly planted on the ground. This is giving the trailer traction and stability. For this trailer, Continental provided the tyres. The frame is also prepared to be extended and can be converted into a 20 meter long trailer from its original length of 12.57 Meters. George Lee, Managing Director of Global CV & Equipment oversaw the installation. “As the regional representative of DOLL, this is a great
moment for us. Later we celebrate another big cat being released to work in this environment” he said.

Off to the job
Ulrich Roser, responsible for Customer Training, was also present. His job included the fi nal assembly of the trailer, fi nal inspection and hand over with training for the crew. Roser said “It is great to fi nally see this in action. The panther certainly is my favorite and here at Air Marine we got crews that totally understand the potential of the equipment. The questions asked point at a highly experienced and knowledgeable team.” Although they run into a small challenge, the commissioning was done within the stipulated time and Air Marine is now able to manage heavy loads in tight spaces. “The truck that is to pull this trailer wasn’t prepared and we needed to use a separte generator for the hydraulics. With the help of Air Marine we got this done and we can say that this was a comissioning well executed”.

Wise decison
Robert Chiew is the Executive Director of Air Marine Group and he also fully in charge of the equipment for the Group. We met him as the panther went out for the fi rst test run and he said “We had a look at this piece of equipment two years ago when we went to Germany for the IAA. Together with George (Lee, Global CV & Equipment) we evaluated the trailer and
found it will work well here where we have several clients that move heavy items in tight spaces. Air Marine’s staff is already promoting the trailer as a new solution and apparently a lot of interest is there. We hope that it will serve us well. The panther may become a famous piece of equipment in the region.”

A Volvo prime mover is to be the designated work horse to pull it as it “Is a powerful but small truck that also fi ts into small spaces” Chiew explains.

Fresh from running the first workshop on tyre management, the Asian Trucker Drivers Club is proud to announce the line up of events for the next months. These events are for members only and we encourage you to sign up to make sure you don't miss up on any of these useful events.

The following events have been confirmed:

July 18: Asian Trucker Drivers Club Open House
This event will be held in the office of Asian Trucker in Bukit Jalil
Time: 18:00 - 21:00

August 9: Ethics at work for truckers - Seminar
This seminar will be held in our office. Lunch will be provided.
Time: 8:30 - 13:00

October 4 signals the start of the world’s toughest sailing competition – the Volvo Ocean Race. Ahead of the launch, Volvo Trucks is introducing the Volvo FH and Volvo FH16 in a specially designed version inspired by the race.

"These are exclusive trucks with a high ‘wow'-factor for hauliers who take particular pride in their vehicles and who want to identify with the excitement and competitive edge of the Volvo Ocean Race. We've integrated the dynamic wave pattern from the Volvo Ocean Race with the original design of the truck to produce a powerful and harmonious expression," says Nigel Atterbury, designer at Volvo Trucks.

The Volvo FH and Volvo FH16 in the Volvo Ocean Race Special Edition feature the "The Splash" - the special Volvo Ocean Race graphics - on the cab sides as well as a Volvo Ocean Race Globetrotter sign, Volvo Ocean Race emblems outside and in, and specially designed floor mats. There are two specially selected cab colours to choose between - the deep blue Dark Knight Pearl, and a white Millennium Silver Metallic.

The Volvo Ocean Race Special Edition can be ordered as of spring 2014 (Truck may not be available in your market, please check with your Volvo Dealer).

The preliminary stage for this year's Fuelwatch was held on 5 April 2014 in Volvo Malaysia Johor Bahru. It is the fifth consecutive successful year with an expected 700 drivers to participate in the challenge. Some 100 drivers showed up in the first state which is Johor Bahru.

Fuelwatch Challenge is Volvo Truck's nationwide competition that endeavours:
• To coach drivers on fuel economy and proper driving skills in a fun and informative competition format.
• Aims to help companies reduce wastage and truck operating costs by inspiring, equipping and training their truckers on fuel efficiency.
• Change in driving behaviour and reducing environmental impacts.

Driver Development Programme (DDP) is a platform that provides:
• Necessary training on uptime.
• Optimizing the use of the truck, fuel efficiency and carbon footprints, safety features and innovations of a truck.

Criteria in Evaluating the Effectiveness of The Driver’s Skills:
• The 50 km driving session will be tracked by Trip Manager which is a system available in all Volvo Truck.
• The participant with the lower % of consumption within the time limit will win
• In the case of a tie in the % of fuel savings; the driver who takes the shortest time to complete the route will win.

“The better you know how to use and handle a truck, the more efficient it will be” said Mats Nilsson, Managing Director of Volvo Malaysia during the media briefing at which the Fuelwatch 2014 was launched.
When asked about what the changes made to this year’s challenge, he responded “It is not going to be much different from the previous year. Instead of looking for a difference, we are aiming at achieving continuous improvement. There is one of our participants who participates for the fourth times in this challenge. This clearly shows that the drivers have the interest to improve."

This will be the very first time for Volvo fuelwatch challenge 2014 will send winners or local and regional challenges to Sweden and participate in the World Finals.

Volvo Trucks, salah satu pengeluar utama trak-trak tugas berat di dunia telah bekerjasama dengan pihak National Geographic Channel untuk memulakan kempen Asia 360° mereka hari ini. Sempena pelancaran rangkaian trak baru mereka di Asia pada bulan Mei ini, Volvo Trucks menyerlahkan pelbagai prespektif kemajuan dan memulakan satu perjalanan maya dari Singapura ke Korea Selatan.

Para pengguna boleh mengikutinya menerusi satu laman web mikro, www.perspectivesofprogress.com, yang menampilkan kisah-kisah tiga orang personaliti yang memberi inspirasi, di samping satu koleksi rakaman gambar panorama 360° lokasi-lokasi paling menarik di Asia yang mengagumkan – sekali gus memetakan pelbagai perspektif kemajuan!

Naib Presiden Jualan dan Pemasaran Kenderaan Volvo Trucks di Asia, Elisabeth Larsson menjelaskan, “Di Volvo Trucks, kami selalu meneraju kemajuan, untuk para pelanggan dan masyarakat secara umumnya, dimana kami telah menyumbang kepada kemajuan Asia sejak hampir 80 tahun lalu. Kami ingin membuktikan komitmen kami bukan sekadar bersifat satu pihak sahaja, tetapi menyeluruh. Sebab itulah inovasi di dalam produk kami adalah untuk tujuan yang lebih hebat.”

“Di peringkat global, kami dikenali sebagai satu jenama yang inovatif dan ini turut dibuktikan dalam aspek komunikasi kami. Dengan kempen Asia 360°, kami mahu membuka pandangan-pandangan yang baru. Kami ingin memberi inspirasi kepada orang ramai, membuatkan mereka melihat bagaimana kita semua boleh memacu kemajuan dan merangka masa depan,” kata Pengarah Urusan Volvo Malaysia, Mats Nilsson.

Asia 360° memaparkan perspektif-perspektif kemajuan yang berbeza di Asia menerusi pandangan tiga orang personaliti terkenal, selain menunjukkan pemandangan 360° mengujakan yang ditawarkan oleh rantau ini. Ketiga-tiga personaliti itu akan mempersembahkan bagaimana kemajuan adalah jantung Asia, di mana mereka mempunyai visi sama dengan Volvo Trucks: mengambil berat terhadap masyarakat serta keinginan untuk terus maju dan berkembang.

Memulakan perjalanan di Singapura, personaliti pertama yang ditampilkan ialah Sherilyn Lim, pengamal pelbagai bentuk seni mempertahankan diri wanita terkenal di Asia Tenggara, sebelum menuju ke Bangkok bertemu dengan Greig Craft, pengasas Pencegahan Kecederaan Asia yang merintis satu pergerakan keselamatan di Thailand. Akhirnya, perjalanan akan ke Beijing, di mana Li Hu, pengasas OPEN Architecture berkongsi kesungguhannya untuk mencipta dan menjuruterakan semula wajah kota China.

Pemandangan indah Singapura, Kuala Lumpur, Sungai Mekong di Laos, Wuhan dan Shanghai menyimpulkan perjalanan epik ke seluruh Asia dengan rakaman-rakaman kemajuan mengagumkan yang menggalakkan penerokaan dari setiap sudut.

In an exclusive media briefing, Mr. Christophe Martin, President of Volvo Group Trucks Asia Oceania Sales, shares with us the insights gathered from surveys and plans for the near future. Customers can look forward to an even closer relationship with the Volvo Group and improved services are the cornerstones for the projected growth. To begin the update, Martin welcomes guests to the new Volvo Asia Oceania office in The Metropolis, Tower 2, Singapore. During the session we also met with Mr Ian Sinclair, who had some stories to tell about the driving skills of a certain Mr Floyd Cowan.

Strategic location
Martin opened with an explanation as to why the Volvo Asia Oceania office has been set up in Singapore. He said that "Beijing was far from certain key markets such as Australia, which became part of the organization in 2013. From here, we can easily cover the entire region and the country is a great hub to reach the neighboring countries. Also, Singapore is a service oriented society. As a headquarters, this is good for us. In addition, Singapore also offers top talent that is readily available. For example, we are now getting hundreds of applications for jobs we post whereas in Beijing it was more complex.” From Singapore, Volvo manages some 24 countries with seven hubs. The service network in Thailand is a special one as it is owned 90% by Volvo. The group is planning to open rep offices in several countries, such as Myanmar and Mongolia. Without naming them, Martin also said that there are other locations that the company is considering for a bigger stake in the market.

Multibrand but same experience
Asked what is the reason behind the multi-brand workshops and dealerships, Martin explains that "What is important is to be in control of the brand experience. Surely, multi-brand dealerships and workshops are a compromise. However, at the end of the day, it is about profitability. And let's face it, if we were to have separate workshops, our clients would have to bear the additional cost for maintaining these." As each brand addresses needs catering to very specific target groups, there is hardly any overlap in the product portfolios.

Ambitious goals in Asia Oceania
Martin is confident that the market(s) in Asia will grow. "Not in double-digit rates, maybe with limited percentage, but they will grow. And we will be ready for this growth," he opens this segment of the session. Volvo Trucks’ strategies clearly pay out as the company is ranked number one in almost all countries. The segment that Volvo is monitoring is the European brands and here the aim is to become and maintain the number one position in sales of European trucks. Currently, Volvo Trucks holds a market share of 31.0% or 6500 units (2013) which is up from 24.0 %, 5000 units (2011). Volvo takes a very clear position, wanting to be the price leader. Satisfaction surveys also rank Volvo very high.
Helping clients with their business.

When assessing the needs of the markets, Volvo puts the client / user at the centre. Martin explains the way forward by bringing up a slide that depicts the six key areas the company will focus on in the short term. He describes this in detail, "These focus areas are the ones that are overall the most important. Naturally, some are less vital in some markets or segments than others, but these are the things we need to look into." While "Safety", "Uptime", "Fuel Efficiency" and "Productivity" seem to be obvious, the others are probably a little surprising. The second set of focus areas includes "Security" and "Driver Appeal".

About Christophe Martin
He started with Volvo in 1993. The time he has been with the company coincides with the number of years he has been married. Three kids call him Dad and he has lived and worked in Europe, Africa and Asia. He held various management positions such as Sales & Marketing Deputy Director, Director and Vice-President. His academic profile is rounded up by a degree from Lycee Ampere and an MBA from Ecole de Management de Lyon. He admits that he likes Renault trucks, which is not surprising, since he is a Frenchman.

Volvo Trucks artners the National Geographic Channel to roll out their Asia 360° campaign today. In the lead up to the Asia launch of their new truck range in May, Volvo Trucks shines the spotlight on various perspectives of progress, and embarks on a virtual journey from Singapore to South Korea.

Users can follow through a dedicated microsite, www.perspectivesofprogress.com, which features the stories of three inspiring personalities, as well as a collection of stunning 360° panoramic shots of some of Asia’s most exciting locations – mapping out diverse perspectives of progress!

Elisabeth Larsson, Vice President for Vehicle Sales and Marketing at Volvo Trucks in Asia, elaborates, ”At Volvo Trucks, we are all about driving progress, for our customers and also for society at large, which we have been a part of in Asia since almost 80 years ago. We want to demonstrate that our commitment is not one-sided, but holistic, and that the innovation in our products comes with a greater purpose.”

“Globally, we are recognized as an innovative brand, which is also reflected in our communication measures. With the Asia 360° campaign, we want to open new views. We want to inspire people, make them see how we all can drive progress and shape our tomorrow,” shares Mats Nilsson, Managing Director, Volvo Malaysia.

Asia 360° showcases the different perspectives of progress in Asia through the eyes of three outstanding personalities, as well as some breathtaking 360° views that the region has to offer. The personalities represent how progress is at the heart of Asia and where they have a common vision with Volvo Trucks: care for the society and a desire for progress and growth.

Starting the journey in Singapore, the first personality featured is Sherilyn Lim, Southeast Asia’s top female Mixed Martial Arts fighter, before heading to Bangkok, where Greig Craft, founder of Asia Injury Prevention, has pioneered a safety movement in Thailand. Finally, the journey gets to Beijing, where Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN Architecture, shares his dedication to re-engineer and re-invent China’s cityscape.

The picturesque views of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, the Mekong River in Laos, Wuhan and Shanghai wrap up the epic journey across Asia with stunning captures of progress that encourage exploring every single angle.

The new Volvo FH from Volvo Trucks beat thousands of international products and impressed a panel of design experts to win one of the prestigious If product design awards.

The If product design awards recognise outstanding design achievement and have been doing so for more than 60 years. Only the very best designs in 17 categories were selected by the international jury. The new Volvo FH was awarded the prize in category 1: transportation design and special vehicles. The evaluation criteria included design quality, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality and safety. Professor Fritz Frenkler, the chairman of the jury, said that he was impressed by the consistently high quality of the entries, the passion for innovation and the courage manufacturers showed in pursuing their own design approaches.

“This award represents several years of hard work and it is a tribute to the creativity and innovative spirit we have at Volvo Trucks,” says Rikard Orell, design director at Volvo Trucks.

Design identity
With fuel-saving technology, efficient ergonomics, superior handling and passive and active safety features, the new Volvo FH has been built to set new standards in the trucking industry while embodying the Volvo heritage. “When creating the new Volvo FH, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the design and emotional aspect of the truck – something that isn’t usually given a high priority in commercial vehicle design,” continues Rikard. “This has resulted in a truck that is both an emotionally and practically satisfying vehicle to work and rest in.”

Around 2 000 guests from the world of international design, media, business and politics are expected to celebrate the If award winners today in Munich, Germany. The ECR88D compact excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment also won an If product design award, making this a double success for the Volvo Group.