Ashmi Road Carriers Pvt. Ltd. (ARCPL) has been transporting superheavy and over-dimensional consignments (ODC) for customers spread across industries like steel, power, infrastructure and wind energy. The transporter has worked with several clients like KES International, JSW, Sunvijay Rolling and Engineering Ltd., Tata Steel and Sanghavi Movers, amongst many others, in the last 10 years.
“Over the last several years we have gained rich experience in material handling and commissioning what is perceived as a difficult project. We have walked the path less travelled,” said Mr. Pyare Khan, ARCPL Managing Director. In executing staggering assignments that are as large as 35,000-70,000 tonnes, the fleet operator relies upon its fleet of 125 prime movers from the makes of Tata, Ashok Leyland and Volvo in the 250-400 hp range. The company also utilizes services of as many as 2,000-2,500 market trucks throughout India on a monthly basis!
Apart from this, the company draws on a few hydraulic axles from VMT and Nafisa Engineering for their special projects transportation. The company also uses reliable axles from SAE SMB, part of the ADR Group, present in India as ADR Axles. “One of the reasons we have secured faith on ADR axles is because of the service they have been able to give us in such a short time-period. We have placed an additional order of 50 axles from them,” said Mr. Khan.
Leveraging such infrastructure, ARCPL which has achieved a turnover of Rs. 100 crores and a group turnover Rs. 150 crores this fiscal, operates across the length and breadth of the country. In fact, the operator goes beyond the border. Reminiscing a particular assignment in Bhutan, Mr. Khan expressed: “The work in Bhutan was challenging at many levels. First it required hydraulic axles, second there was some tension in the area due to which the movement was stopped. We saw even the roads and bridges needed to be built before we make a move. We spoke to the authorities and agreed upon crossing the border and storing it in a warehouse nearby, till the situation normalizes. We conducted a feasibility survey of the routes. Bridges were supported as the load was of around 600 tonnes across 240 hydraulic axles. We deployed local manpower and finished the project within the tightest of deadlines.”
Another USP of ARCPL is that it goes to any length in servicing the customers after it takes up a job. This could even mean taking extreme challenges. “In executing an assignment, we factor aspects like the nature of trailers to be used, weight capability, length and turning radius and undergo adequate planning before execution. Unlike other companies we do not charge for these surveys. Once the company has given us a contract we do not irritate the customer with frequent e-mails or phone calls for any road blocks,” revealed Mr. Khan.
He added: “If complex infrastructural problems are identified, we have the mental and design bandwidth to eliminate those risks.” The company also boasts (with a certificate) to have unloaded and transported a 2,700-tonne material from rail wagon in 3 hours 40 minutes for KEC International. “It was a history in 20 years. We saved time by directly unloading the material in the truck. Again, planning to fail is failing to plan, and our work mantra, helped,” beamed Mr. Khan.
Humble beginning to basking in glory
As much as it is tough to imagine the hard work and magnitude behind the projects that ARCPL has conducted, it is as much an astonishment that Mr. Khan came from a very modest beginning. During 1993 to 2001, he used to run an auto-rickshaw to make a living. The grind of making a living would evaporate when he used to play piano as a hobby at events orchestrated by Nagpur’s well-known OP Singh Group. It is at the events that Mr. Khan learned the way of business.
“While playing piano at the events, not only did I understand the way of managing rhythm, but also how to manage people and logistics. With savings, I had even bought a second-hand bus for ferrying our troop. I have done several odd jobs, from selling oranges, plying auto, selling cassettes and CDs to washing vehicles,” stated Mr. Khan.
With a bank loan, Mr. Khan bought his first truck in 2004, a 2515 Tata Model 6×2, and deployed it on the Nagpur-Cuttack route for transporting vegetables and other items, marking the beginning of ARCPL. He used to save around Rs. 13-14,000 per trip. Every truck operator on that route was earning the same. To make a name and set a different path, ARCPL decided to do a trip of Nagpur-Joda where other transporters refrained from plying due to bad road conditions. It saved around Rs. 50,000 without making any damage to the trucks.
Mr. Khan further observed that while he kept a meagre Rs. 1,000 as commission on the hired truck, the few vehicles that were trailers in this volumetric cotton movement were happy returning empty. “While I had only rigid trucks, the margins on trailers and its operators willing to return empty after unloading cotton because of a great saving in one-way trip enticed me enough to buy my own trailers,” averred Mr. Khan. Once the cotton project was over ARCPL deployed the trailers for projects in steel.
Efficiency in management
Other than the cool-headed Mr. Khan, ARCPL boasts of an efficient management. The company has a dedicated business development team comprising experienced heads like Mr. Ajeet Singh, GM, Mr. Bhushan Singh Bais, Head – Finance, Mr. Wasim Shaikh, Project Head, and teams for vehicle accident and maintenance.
“We are looking to double our own fleet size from 125 to 250 by 2020. We have recently placed an order for 60 truck trailers with Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. The hidden thread underpinning the dynamic fleet management process is also telematics. ARCPL invests in a digital GPS-based system for all its vehicles. We need to know where our trucks are, when the engine is being switched off to take care of not only fuel, vehicle and driver but also prepare for next point of loading,” disclosed Mr. Khan.
The company also believes in its own workshop for maintenance of its fleet. He explained: “We have a dedicated team to take care of truck maintenance, tyre life, servicing, etc. As we have realized we save a lot in stocking our own fast-moving parts and servicing our trucks rather than opting for an AMC. Anyway, none of our trucks are more than 5 years old and we sell it off before they demand large maintenance. Our decency in repaying loans on time and more than what is required frees our trucks from insurance within a three-year period.”
Even before demonetisation, ARCPL had shifted majority of its payments to digital modes. Drivers were paid through bank accounts. ARCPL also owns a fuel pump on the Umred Bypass road, which is the biggest in Vidarbha on a 1.5 lakhs sq. foot of land. Drivers are trained and checked periodically to detect any problems related to driving. The company also takes care of the insurance of the drivers.
“Our next aim is to expand our branch offices to 20 from the current 10 spread across India, as we have the wherewithal to do more business and reach the target of a Rs. 500-crore turnover by 2020. We are also shifting our office beside the fuel pump on the Umred by-pass road,” concluded an optimistic Mr. Khan.