Asia Motor to roll out GPS trucks by December

First trial batch of 25 trucks hits the road.

Mumbai-based Asia Motor Works (AMW) has completed test runs of its trucks equipped with global postioning system (GPS) and has rolled out the first trial batch of 25 trucks.

The company would be taking a formal decision of introducing them as an option for each of its truck range by the end of December.

AMW manufactures heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) at Bhuj in Gujarat.

Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO and managing director, said GPS function was mostly bought privately by truck operators and was hardly offered as an inherent option by heavy truck manufacturers, which is why AMW was planning to offer the technology.

With the installed GPS, the fleet owner will be able to have round-the-clock access to the truck through a call centre or a service administer ensuring contact at all times with the driver. The GPS option is likely to add Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 more to the cost of the vehicle.

Since its inception a year-and-a-half ago, AMW had sold 2,000 units of HCVs and hopes to sell 5,000 units by March 2008. From the next year, the company is likely to double the production of its range to 10,000 units based on the sales this year.

These include 4923 Tractor, 4018 Tractor, 4923 Tipper trailer, 4923 Oil Tanker, 2523 Rock Body Tipper and 2518 Haulage. Their use in steel, cement, petroleum, bulk and general heavy cargo are being looked as potential revenue generators in the coming few months.

The company is the first in the country to launch a 49-tonne truck, which can carry 35 tonne as compared with the next heaviest carrier that can carry 25 tonne. It sources its components from top domestic global players including Cummins, Valeo, and Meritor.

"A growth of 10 per cent has been recorded in the HCV segment. Although the market has been slow in the recent few months due to high interest rates and monsoon season, it is expected to pick up in the coming months," said Bhuwalka.

AMW had also forayed into metal rims a year ago by manufacturing them at its facility in Bhuj. The plant has a capacity of 2 million rims.

The company has exported its first order to major OEMs in Europe and is expecting to produce at its full capacity by January 2008.

Bhuwalka said that the market for metal rims in India was around 7 million units and considerably larger in Europe.