It is undeniable that a lot of planning goes into organising a roadshow especially with the transportation of bulky items. However, this one company is changing the way roadshows are conducted.
KTS Trading Sdn Bhd(KTS) is holding a series of roadshows in seven locations throughout East Malaysia and Brunei. This marks the first time such roadshows are conducted using a truck in East Malaysia.

The roadshow will feature some state-of-the-art energy saving variable speed drive (VSD) rotary screw compressor, nitrogen generator, air dryer, compressed air filters, and aluminium pipes; all of which are bulky and heavy items that can prove to be difficult to transport through the hilly terrains of East Malaysia. However with the use of such a truck, items can be transported seamlessly and packing will most likely be faster as well.

Considering the geographical features of East Malaysia and Brunei, it seems that the use of a roadshow truck by KTS was the most feasible way of conduct. The roadshow will see the truck travelling across several regions notably Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Organizers of the roadshow have expressed great delight at this unconventional use of truck for this roadshow as it is much less of a hassle to transport the items which can weight a ton and the cost of transportation through the traditional way will incur more cost as well.

Apakah yang perlu dilakukan untuk memastikan keberkesanan kempen keselamatan jalan raya di Malaysia? Saya telah banyak kali dipotong di jalan raya oleh treler dan bas express yang melampaui had laju. Mereka begitu laju sehingga sebuah trak pikap juga boleh gemetar ketika mereka lalu.

Sudah pasti jadual mereka telah mengambil kira masa perjalanan, had laju, keadaan lalu lintas dan keadaan cuaca jadi mengapakah mereka sangat tergesa-gesa?

Kemalangan jalan raya di Malaysia adalah sangat tinggi. Malah Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi pada November tahun lalu telah mengaku bahawa kempen keselamatan jalan raya negara ini telah gagal. Ini berdasarkan bilangan kemalangan pada tahun 2016 yang mencatatkan 960,569 kes selain kenaikan kadar kematian melebihi 7,000, di mana 2.3 peratus disumbangkan oleh bas dan lori.

Berikutan ini, Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) telah mengadakan sesi "brainstorming" dengan pelbagai pihak dalam "Program Transformasi Keselamatan Bas dan Pengangkut Barang (Freight)." Namun kita tidak boleh menafikan kedegilan kebanyakan pemandu. Adakah dasar yang lebih ketat, denda dan hukuman yang lebih tinggi akan mencukupi? Berapa nyawa lagi yang perlu tergadai untuk kita benar-benar sedar?

Pemandu-pemandu negara ini bagaikan tidak terkesan oleh saman. Mereka akan bayar dan teruskan memecut malah, sesetengahnya tidak akan tergesa-gesa pun untuk membayar untuk kesalahan mereka, kerana terdapat "musim" diskaun yang kadang-kala ditawarkan untuk tempoh yang terhad. Bagaimanakah mereka akan dapat apa-apa pelajaran dengan cara ini? Dan walaupun dengan kadar kematian yang tinggi, kita masih mempunyai mentaliti "ia tidak akan pernah terjadi kepada saya".

Kemudian ada pula pergantungan pada teknologi moden. Tahun lepas terdapat video tular mengenai brek kecemasan treler yang telah menyelamatkan nyawa seorang kanak-kanak. Di dalam video itu, sekumpulan anak sekolah menuruni bas sekolah dan kemudiannya dua daripadanya berlari melintasi jalan tanpa menyedari trak sedang menuju mereka. Komen-komen mengenai video tersebut membaca: "Anak itu bernasib baik kerana trak itu adalah Volvo FH Series yang dilengkapi dengan sistem brek kecemasan."

Sama ada disebabkan oleh sistem brek kecemasan atau kecekapan pemandu treler itu, persoalannya adalah: Jika ia adalah tempat untuk menurunkan anak-anak sekolah, ia mestilah kawasan kediaman di mana terdapat had kelajuan kira-kira 30km/j, bukan? Trak itu pastinya tidak bergerak dengan kelajuan yang rendah dan walaupun tiada had laju di kawasan itu, bagaimana jika sistem brek kecemasan trak tersebut gagal berfungsi?

Apa pun teknologi yang ditawarkan pada zaman moden ini, kita perlu terlebih dahulu memastikan bahawa kita, sebagai manusia, bukan sahaja pemandu yang mahir tetapi taat kepada peraturan. Lagipun, ada sebab yang baik mengapa sesuatu peraturan itu wujud.

Menyentuh subjek kempen kesedaran pula, sejauh manakah kerajaan kita sanggup pergi? Walaupun kita mempunyai budaya yang tidak menonjolkan keganasan serta menghormati sensitiviti orang ramai, kita juga mempunyai budaya pemikiran "tak apa, ia hanya terjadi dalam televisyen."

Saya juga baru-baru ini terjumpa satu video yang telah memberi kesan kepada diri sendiri, dan terfikir mungkin inilah yang diperlukan oleh rakyat Malaysia untuk memahami sepenuhnya konsep "kesedaran".

Video yang dimaksudkan adalah iklan dari Thailand (yang orangnya terkenal dengan iklan kempen iklan yang berkesan). Di dalam video, para pemandu ditanya apakah kelajuan memandu yang baik di kawasan kediaman. Jawapan purata adalah 50km/j manakala ada juga seorang lelaki yang mengatakan bahawa 80km/j juga boleh jika anda mengejar waktu.

Mereka kemudian dibawa ke jalan kawasan kediaman yang telah direka untuk kempen ini dan diminta untuk memandu berdasarkan kelajuan yang telah mereka nyatakan. "Kanak-kanak" (potongan kadbod saiz sebenar) kemudian muncul dengan tiba-tiba di hadapan kereta mereka, sepertimana yang berlaku dalam video trak yang telah disebutkan sebelum ini. Walaupun 50km/j rasa seperti kelajuan yang selamat, dan pemandu yang diuji kelihatan cukup cekap, semuanya telah melanggar "kanak-kanak" tersebut.

Klip dari video kemalangan sebenar kemudiannya ditunjukkan dalam video kempen itu, tanpa mengaburkan kanak-kanak sebenar melayang ke udara selepas dilanggar pelbagai jenis kenderaan. Imej-imej itu amat mengejutkan malah, video seperti ini mungkin tidak akan diluluskan lembaga penapis Malaysia.

Pemandu-pemandu itu diberi peluang kedua, kali ini memandu di batas kelajuan 30km/jam. Sekali lagi, kanak-kanak kadbod ditolak ke tengah jalan raya dan walaupun mereka terkejut, semua pemandu berjaya menghentikan kenderaan sebelum berlakunya pelanggaran. Semua ini hanya untuk memberikan penekanan yang sering tidak diendahkan oleh masyarakat majmuk.

Saya akui menjadi lebih peka kepada tanda-tanda had laju selepas menonton video itu, terutamanya di jalan-jalan kecil atau kawasan kediaman dan sekolah. Bayangkan perubahan yang boleh dicapai jika ramai pemandu kita menonton video itu setiap hari sebelum memulakan perjalanan mereka. Mungkin hanya untuk tujuan ini, kerajaan kita boleh pejamkan mata terhadap sensitiviti, dan tunjukkan kepada masyarakat apa yang sebenarnya akan terjadi jika had laju tidak dipatuhi.

To avoid machine downtime, it is important to use robust and long-lasting machine elements. Here, lubrication-free and maintenance-free high-performance plastics from igus show their advantages. Using the example of forklifts, igus will show the areas where motion plastics can be used. For example, iglidur plain bearings can already be found in bearings for high-load pivots, chainflex cables and e-chains with the smallest bend radii and high lifting heights in the mast.

Defects, repairs or maintenance-related downtime of forklifts cause unnecessary expenditure because they cannot be used during this time. Therefore, robust and reliable components are needed to avoid such failures. This is where motion plastics from igus are used, because they are specifically developed for dynamic applications and have a high service life that can be calculated online. This includes igus' highly flexible chainflex cables, which are installed in seats or in the mast, among other things. The cables are resistant to UV rays and oil, flame retardant and extensively tested in the in-house test laboratory. With a 36-month guarantee and minimum bend radii, they are ideal for applications with long-term stressing.

Guide cables safely in the tightest of spaces
In forklifts, cables must be guided safely in the smallest possible space. e-chains are specially developed for this task, as they not only have a high torsional resistance and interior space that protects the cables, but also allow the smallest bend radii and inner heights. By design they are modular, can be assembled quickly and are also very light. Rounded shapes in the interior of the energy chains are very gentle on the cables. In forklifts, e-chains are used, for example, for seat adjustment or in the mast of narrow aisle lift trucks, where they protect cables from external influences. 

Flexibly adjustable cockpit with drylin linear guides
In addition to energy chains, linear guides are also used for the seat adjustment, because the cockpit of forklifts must be individually adaptable to the ergonomic needs of the operator at various points. This concerns especially the headrest, the armrests and the control elements and doors. With drylin linear guides, an easy and low noise adjustment on straight and curved rails with predefined snap-in points is possible. The drylin linear technology is very light as the carriages slide on iglidur high-performance polymers. This linear guides therefore need no additional lubricants and, while having a long service life, are very low-maintenance and insensitive to impacts.

iglidur plain bearings for lubrication-free and maintenance-free mounting
The bearing points of forklifts have high demands, such as high loads, on the used bearings. Here, the maintenance-free iglidur plain bearings display their advantages. The customer can choose from a wide range of plain bearings listed in the catalogue, which are made from over 50 tribo-plastics with special properties. Some materials are characterised by a high load capacity up to 250 MPa and are therefore installed in the bearing points for high-load rotations. Others have very low coefficients of friction and are therefore used for steering column bearings or on pedals. However, all iglidur plain bearings have something in common: They have a long service life, are lubrication-free, cost-effective, light and vibration dampening.

Scania trucks now come with industry-leading 3-year warranty with unlimited mileage plus 3-year Scania Assistance and 10-year Scania Fleet Management for the best Total Operating Economy

Scania is the first to introduce an enhanced and industry-leading 3-year warranty with unlimited mileage together with 3-year Scania Assistance and 10-year Scania Fleet Management for its trucks sold in Malaysia effective 15 March 2018.

The 3-year warranty comprises of 1-year full warranty and 2-year extended warranty on driveline only. The previous offer had only 1 year of full warranty.  Together with this new enhanced warranty, Scania has also increased its offering of free Scania Assistance from 2 years to 3 years and continues to offer the 10 years of free Scania Fleet Management.

“The enhanced warranty for unlimited mileage, offered only by Scania, is designed to provide operators with even more peace of mind and lower operating costs for the best total operating economy,” said Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia, Marie Sjödin Enström.

“This is in line with Scania’s vision to drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system while creating a world of mobility that is better for business, society and the environment. Our starting point is to ensure profitability for our customers by making them more efficient, smart and safe,” added Marie.

Scania Assistance is an operator-based call centre that operates 24/7 365 days a year and the call-centre system allows Scania to track and follow up on the status of any customer’s case from start to completion; keeping the customer informed through the entire process. This allows the customer to plan and reorganize their fleet movements better in the event of a particular vehicle needing assistance.

It is supported by professional customer service personnel, a fleet of standby-service vans with highly-trained and experienced technicians which connects customers to our wide network of workshops, even in difficult-to-reach areas.

The Scania Fleet Management is a set of services that connects the vehicles with customers’ office through a communicator device which provides vehicle data, fleet position and reviews of driving performance that allow operators to make informed decisions and take the necessary actions in increasing the productivity of their fleet.

It also allows them to save money by making decisions that cut fuel consumption, identify vehicles that are being driven unsuitably and do service planning in order to reduce unplanned downtime.

When complemented with Scania Driver Training and Coaching services, savings of up to 10% in fuel economy can be achieved.

With this new offering, Scania continues to take the lead in providing sustainable transport solutions with profitability in its mind for their customers and their customers’ customers.