When we think of transportation, we often think of very specific missions. A transport company would pick a sub-segment of the transportation industry and serve its clients with equipment geared to addressing the needs within a limited range of applications. In order to establish and, sometimes, support such operations, a different type of specialist might be required. Offering highly specialised equipment, companies offering machinery and equipment for rent can play a crucial role in making transportation happen.

A rental equipment provider, like Contmark (www.contmark.com.my,) could play several significant roles in road transportation, contributing to various stages of infrastructure development, maintenance, and logistics. Chew Wei Jian, Technical Advisor, discusses a few use-cases for rental equipment in road transportation.

For road transportation to happen with high efficiency, the infrastructure needs to be appropriate and well established. Two aspects need to be considered: development and maintenance.  Road transportation relies heavily on well-maintained infrastructure. Contmark, which specializes in renting out heavy machinery and construction equipment, could supply the necessary tools like generators, compactors, lighting towers and other equipment for building and maintaining highways, bridges, and road networks.

For companies involved in road transportation, renting specialized equipment (e.g., cranes, forklifts, or loading equipment) can be a cost-effective solution for loading and unloading heavy goods or for site-specific construction needs, like building warehouses or distribution centres. While these companies may be involved in transportation, they may not have their own equipment to handle the task at hand and purchasing the machinery needed for a time-limed, one-off job may not be feasible.

During road expansions, repairs, or major logistics projects (like setting up temporary logistics hubs or transportation depots), Contmark could supply rental equipment, allowing transportation companies to handle large-scale operations without the need for permanent investments in machinery.

Road transportation companies need regular vehicle maintenance to ensure efficiency and safety. Here, setting up temporary workshop equipment or providing specialized machinery for repair and maintenance services, supporting transport companies in keeping their fleets in good condition can help when operating in remote sites. For instance, railway construction or logging camps located far away from the next service centre pose the challenge that sending trucks for service results in increased downtime. “So, instead of sending the trucks for service, we can assist in setting up a temporary workshop on site to service the vehicles on location, drastically increasing the uptime for the operator,” Chew said. This would also result in lesser logistics planning being needed. At sites like this, other equipment, such as, lighting towers, generators or compressors may be required for the time of the project.

Rental equipment like forklifts and material handling systems can help transportation and warehousing companies operate more efficiently by streamlining loading, unloading, and storage processes, which are key to transportation services. When there is a spike in workload, extra machinery may be required to handle the materials. Seasonal increase of goods being moved can be handled by adding rental equipment for a short period of time.

By offering rental services, Contmark allows road transport companies to avoid the large upfront costs of purchasing machinery, instead opting for renting as needed, which can be ideal for short-term projects or companies looking to scale operations without long-term commitments.

Overall, a rental equipment provider like Contmark could be an essential partner to the road transportation industry by facilitating smoother logistics operations, construction, and maintenance tasks with flexible access to heavy machinery and tools.