How often do we hear of a transporter with a fleet size of over 500 vehicles using an exclusive tyre brand? Not too often. Tanushree Logistics is one such rare transporter using 100 per cent JK branded tyres on its entire fleet, a feather in the cap for JK Tyre given that the country’s tyre industry has seen burgeoning competition in recent times.
Tanushree Logistics, established in 2004, operates in Northern & Eastern India with Shree Cement for transport of clinker, fly ash and loose cement. The company, which has its main workshop and administrative office at Dudu in Rajasthan, has a fleet strength of 593 vehicles at present, having started with just two at inception.
Says Mr. Arvind Sarda, Director, Tanushree Logistics Pvt. Ltd.: “We started our company in June 2004 with two vehicles and today have a fleet size of 593 tractors, all from Ashok Leyland. We clocked a turnover of around Rs. 24 lakhs in our first year of operation and have crossed a turnover of Rs. 200 crores in the last financial year. The average age of our fleet is 36 months, and we cover a distance of over 24 lakh km every month.”
Tanushree Logistics transports goods exclusively for Shree Cements and functions at very high efficiency levels to deliver excellent results. “We see a changing scenario in the Indian transport industry and have been moving towards higher tonnage models which offer better operating efficiency, thanks to the greater load-carrying capacity. The type of fleet configuration has to be up to date in order to be successful in the market. So when the 40-ton model was introduced, we stopped purchasing the 35-ton; similarly we moved from 40-ton to 49-ton when the latter hit the market”, adds Mr. Sarda.
As part of its forward-looking approach, the transport company has invested in a mobile wheel alignment unit which can align four to five vehicles every day, and as a result none of its vehicles has a stepney tyre. The company has explained the importance of wheel alignment to its drivers who have been trained to perform the alignment themselves in case of an emergency.
Tanushree has also proactively adopted technology, having installed navigation systems across its fleet for vehicle tracking and improving operational efficiency. With 11 branches across the country, the firm has offices at every 200 to 250 km on its major routes which assist drivers during their trips.
JK from day one
Tanushree is one of the biggest consumers of radial tyre in the country, purchasing around 900 tyres every month and 11,000 tyres on an annual basis. The company gives utmost care to proper maintenance of tyres to ensure it derives maximum out of a component which it considers as the second most critical one after engines. “Tyres account for around 13 per cent of our total expenses. Thanks to the quality and performance of the tyres from JK, our turnaround time has reduced and so have our breakdowns. We do timely replacement of tyres which reduces vehicle downtime, brings down punctures and minimizes tyre wear”, he explains.
Tanushree has partnered JK Tyre ever since its inception and has grown from strength to strength with the home-grown tyre expert. When asked about his company’s association with JK, he is quick to respond saying: “We use 100 per cent JK Tyre on all our vehicles. JK is committed to us and we are also committed to them. They value words and we value words. Doing business is a two-way relationship; if we have a good handshake with our partner every time, it is a win-win situation for both. JK and our company understand each other’s requirements very well, so where is the need to look at another tyre supplier?”
Even for retreading, Tanushree uses JK Tread belts exclusively which deliver very good performance upto three retreads.
The young Director had one suggestion for its long-standing partner: “We request JK to include a bar code on its tyres. This would help us organize the tyres better and faster and would also eliminate any chance of error while using them.”
JK’s co-operation with Tanushree and its technical consultancy has helped the fleet company save costs by bringing down the cost per km. Touching upon JK’s efficiency in aftersales support, he concludes saying: “JK offers very good aftersales support and has positioned a service engineer at our premises to take care of all our vehicles 24×7. The JK Fleet Management Team has been sincere in their approach and very supportive to us. Overall, we are extremely happy with JK’s services.”