This year's race, which will be the 6th since Dakar Rally organizers relocated the race to South America, will be a milestone race for HINO TEAM SUGAWARA in that this will be the last and culminating year in its 3-year development program that it launched in 2011 to develop a new racing truck, as well as the first year in the development of a truck powered by the new A09C engine. Car 2, the new racing truck that will be piloted by the Teruhito Sugawara/Hiroyuki Sugiura crew, is an upgraded version of the truck that entered the 2013 race as Car 1 and has received further power upgrades to its common rail fuel-injected J08C engine.

Car 1, piloted by the Yoshimasa Sugawara/Katsumi Hamura crew is equipped with a new engine producing an output of 600 hp. As such, expectations are great for both trucks in terms of the team continuing its winning streak in the Under 10-litre class, and finishing at high rankings in the Trucks category overall.

Since they took possession of their trucks that arrived from Japan on December 19, the team has been carrying out final preparations at an adjunct facility of Argentina Toyota in Rosario. On January 2, the team successfully completed vehicle inspections and documentation procedures for team personnel at the organizer's vehicle inspection center set up in central Rosario. To wrap up all preparations for the past year leading up to the 2014 race, the trucks were moved to the Parc-Fermes (vehicle storage area) that was set up adjacent to the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera, the National Flag Memorial where the start ceremony was scheduled to be held on the 4th.

Read more here: http://www.hino-global.com/dakar/latest_news/82.html

A good supply chain professional is always seeking to optimise traditional routes by integrating new logistics methods, and now global forwarding group, DB Schenker, says it has taken a fresh look at the modes of transport usually chosen for moving freight around Asia and switched to a more efficient multimodal option which it has christened the ‘Asia Landbridge’. Using twenty three strategically located hubs located in the key cities and border regions Schenker says it has found a better way to ensure fast and sure shipping of cargo.

Historically most freight transport in Asia was carried by sea, however, it takes a cargo ship roughly two weeks to make the journey from Penang in Malaysia to Shanghai and whilst airfreight takes only two days, it is more expensive. A truck can complete the journey in just under a week and is far cheaper than airfreight and, with improvements in infrastructure and the use of the right equipment, DB Schenker says the consortium of experienced partner companies used to carry the goods on its behalf, plus experts at the border crossing points to ensure speedy customs clearance, the service is a marked improvement over the old ways.

Special air-suspension trucks are the preferred mode of transport as these also enable the carriage of sensitive and valuable electronic goods, and the widespread use of closed circuit cameras, alarm systems, GPS tracking and even the use of escorts ensures that the routes are secure. Additionally, a control centre is staffed 24/7 and all stations are integrated in the global DB Schenker network. The German headquartered group has already done business in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years and currently has a workforce of 13,000 employees at approximately 400 locations in 20 different countries. Dr Thomas Lieb, Chairman of the Schenker AG Board of Management and the man responsible for the worldwide business of DB Schenker Logistics, explains why the company has revised its logistics methods in the region, saying:

“Our network for this new product covers China and the ASEAN countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. These countries rank amongst the fastest growing economies in the world. Overcoming borders is the only way to ensure that this growth can continue, and that is what our customers’ bank on.”

While on a visit to South-East Asia, Martin Lundstedt, CEO and President took some time out to meet with Asian Trucker for an exclusive interview. The full interview will be published in our magazines, but here is an excerpt from it.

AT: Trucks have become much safer. Are governments doing enough to push this agenda?

ML: There are always room for further improvements by implementing legislation or incentives regarding safety features. But there are also things that the transport industry can do to improve safety, like driver training.

AT: Please tell me more about the inclusion of sustainability into Scania's top management priorities.

ML: Energy efficiency and sustainability is a perfect match. There is no conflict between sustainability and profitability. The less energy consumed, the less costs. This fact makes it easy to prioritize sustainability.

AT: Which are the global trends you see in trucking for the next 5 years?

ML: Fuel efficiency will remain being in focus. This will not only mean further development of the engines and vehicles but also electronic system supporting the driver to run in the most fuel efficient way.

AT: What are some of the difficulties facing the industry in the next few years?

ML: From a manufacturer's perspective, volatility in demand has become normality. This means that we have to be flexible in order to adapt our production to the changes in the demand.

The truck fleet’s well being is Jo Tang’s first and most important priority. We have a look behind the scenes of his workshop in Tuen Mun.

Used for the delivery of delicious drinks, Vitasoy has a fleet of 110 trucks out of which 47 are UD. They even have a UD coach! “Look here, we have trucks sporting the four different brand names of this make: Nissan, Nissan Diesel, UD and UD Trucks” Tang points out on a listing with all details of his impressive fleet. The oldest truck in the fleet was delivered in 1996. Nine of the trucks are fitted with refrigeration units.

As we step into the workshop owned by Vitasoy, we notice that there is a large storage room. “We perform easy maintenance in-house. Sometimes, Swire Motors After Sales is working with us hand in hand to find the best, the cheapest and easiest solution. One time, we managed to find a way to carry out repairs that would result in 90 % of savings. And we had a number of vehicles where this applied. This is how true partnership works!” he claims. While the management considers purchasing prices of the vehicles, Tang is more concerned about availability of spare parts. Apparently, common UD parts are available everywhere.

While his colleagues may have difficulties finding drivers, he has the same issue with mechanics. He explains that “Nobody
wants to do this kind of job anymore. Youngsters don’t want to get their hands dirty”. The impressive workshop in Tuen Mun sports 10 bays and has been in operation for over four years now. In total, 17 mechanics and two supervisors ensure that the trucks are all taken care of. Tang himself studied Mechanical Engineering and has been with Vitasoy for some 12 years. “This is what I like!” he says as he picks up a screwdriver to fix a screw on a mud guard.

Regular maintenance takes one day per truck and on a colourful board, all the trucks coming in for repairs, fixing or glancing
over are listed out. According to Tang, times are changing. Nowadays, there are a lot more electronic problems with trucks
and diagnostics are needed. This requires a different skill set than it did a decade ago.

“We are very happy about the decision Volvo has made to enforce the Hong Kong market. It was an exciting time when
Swire took over from the previous distributor. Naturally, there were some issues, but now things are running smooth. And
with some seven million dollars worth of spare parts, we now rest assured that the fleet will move. Besides, prices have

Scania Singapore announced that it has commenced sales for its battery electric trucks from 6 April 2022. It also announced the signing of a sales agreement today with its first customer, ALBA W&H Smart City, for 15 battery electric trucks, the first European-branded battery electric trucks in Singapore.

The L230B6X2*4NB trucks will be delivered in two batches. With the initial batch, which is already in production planning, Scania will homologate its battery electric trucks and the respective charging infrastructure in Singapore, while the second batch will demonstrate Scania’s ability to rolled out the vehicles on a fleet level.

In launching battery electric trucks, Scania aims to contribute to Singapore’s goal for all vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040 as well as Scania’s science-based targets for a 20% reduction in Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions generated through customers’ usage of its products.

“We are very pleased to welcome ALBA W&H Smart City as our pioneering partner towards more sustainable transportation in Singapore,” says Anders Liss, Country Manager of Scania Singapore. “It’s a significant leap forward in showcasing carbon-neutral transportation at a time when more organisations are coming on board to address the global climate crisis. ALBA together with Scania in a sustainable partnership is now part of the SG Green Plan 2030 journey towards net-zero emissions.”

“Being a city state, Singapore is the logical choice for us to establish our first fleet of fully electric vehicles,” said Sashi Kumar, General Manager of Solid Waste from ALBA W&H Smart City. “However, at the same time it is a highly competitive and demanding market with the highest service level expected worldwide, including daily collections and up to 12-hour shifts of continuous operation.”

Mr Kumar added: “We have monitored the market for electric vehicles for several years now and are happy that with Scania’s battery electric trucks, we finally found an electrified chassis that is ready for our daily grind of waste collection in the clean and green city of Singapore.”

The battery electric trucks can operate at close to zero emissions when using cleaner sources of electricity supplemented with the purchase of renewable energy certificates.

Each truck operates as a permanent magnet electric machine with oil spray cooling, with peak propulsion of about 295kW, 2,200 Nm and continuous propulsion of about 230 kW, 1300 Nm. With up to 250 km range on a single charge, it can cover short and medium distances on electric power.

Nine lithium-ion batteries, with an installed capacity of 297 kW, are backed by up to eight years of warranty. Direct current charging is carried out by the European-standard CCS type 2 plug-in connection at up to 130 kW/ 200 A.

In Singapore, customers can choose from the P-cab or L-cab series and 4x2, 6x2 or 6x2*4 wheel configurations with a maximum gross trailer weight of 28 tonnes. The battery electric trucks are suitable for urban operations such as distribution, waste collection, hook lifts, tippers and concrete mixers.

Mr Liss added: “An investment in a battery electric truck improves operators’ branding and market competitiveness as responsible organisations. They are addressing their own climate goals as well as the climate goals of their customers and society.”

Scania’s battery electric trucks are sold as a total solution with charging infrastructure, vehicle optimisation customised to the customer’s operations, repair and maintenance services and the option for financing and insurance services.

ALBA W&H Smart City is a joint venture between Berlin-based ALBA Group, one of the leading recycling and environmental services companies as well as raw material providers worldwide, and Wah & Hua, a leading Singapore waste management provider. In Singapore, the company is the NEA appointed Public Waste Collector for Jurong and Woodlands-Yishun sectors, where ALBA has established itself to be a leader in the space with their innovative suite of sustainability, digitalisation, and productivity solutions.

SAF-HOLLAND Malaysia, a growing and leading supplier of products for truck, bus and trailer, is seeking to hire a dynamic, highly motivated and enthusiastic sales executive to join a team of vibrant professionals in our Malaysian organization.

Requirements and responsibilities:
• Qualification – degree in any Industrial/Mechanical/Automotive Engineering is preferred
• Experience – At least 3 years working experience in sales/marketing of truck and trailer products or equivalent in the automotive industry.
• Age preferable below 40
• Able to work independently and handle pressure
• Team-player, result-oriented and self-motivated with a good discipline
Languages: English in written and spoken and Bahasa Malaysia (knowledge in Chinese would be an added advantage).

An attractive and competitive remuneration package with long-term career advancement and promotion prospect awaits the right candidate.

Interested candidates are invited to write-in or email full resume with expected salary and CV to the HR department, att. Lilian Ong.

Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SAF-HOLLAND (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD
Block A, 16 Jalan TP 6,
UEP Subang Jaya Industrial Park,
47620 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

TEL:+603 -80243433+603 -80243433
www.safholland.com

About us:
SAF-HOLLAND is one of the leading global manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality systems and components for commercial vehicles (trucks and trailers) as well as buses and recreational vehicles. Our product range primarily comprises axle systems, fifth wheels, landing legs and kingpins. We are well positioned around the world in all important growth markets and have a broad range of high-quality products. Over 3000 employees on four continents contribute to the success of SAF-HOLLAND.