Kailash Carriers Limited has established itself as a leader in transporting chemicals and other hazardous goods across India. The company’s business has gone to the next level once BharatBenz trucks joined its fleet, with deliveries happening without any accidents while ensuring faster turnaround time and better fuel efficiency. Rajesh Rajgor has the details
Each one of us is a consumer. And while we consume so many things in our daily life, little do we pay attention to the processes of manufacturing behind the consumables. There is also scant awareness about how chemicals make for one of the most important ingredients in the production of various goods, whether it is cars, textiles, homes, food, plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals, engineering tools, airplanes, oil or gas. However, this is not a story about chemicals and their contribution. It is more about how these chemicals are transported from one destination to another – a speciality task that is undertaken by those in the logistics industry who operate custom-built tankers.
Taking that as a cue, we bring into the limelight Kailash Carriers Ltd. (KCL), a company that has, for five decades now, been involved in the transportation of bulk chemicals of class A, class B or toxic and erosive cargo.
Speaking exclusively to MOTORINDIA, Manoj Singh, Managing Director, KCL, elaborates: “We have 20 different types of tank containers to handle all types of chemicals products. Each set of product demands a different construct, material specification and certification. We have been instrumental in moving hazardous chemical tank containers in India since 1969. Today, most companies prefer to move their dangerous chemicals in tank containers using our logistic expertise.” The journey began 50 years ago with handling fuel for the Indian Air Force between Mumbai to Nashik.
In addition, the company transported formaldehyde used in the production of plywood, carpeting, and building insulation from Mumbai to Assam – clocking two trips per month with a set of five trucks. Now, it easily touches an average of 8,000 km per month across various routes in India. “We have 478 trucks and 815 tank containers that enable us to offer our services across India, Nepal, and even Bangladesh. We have branch offices at all major ports and industrial hubs. Irrespective of the geographical location, we cater to anyone who requires liquid chemicals. The segments include electronics, automobiles, paints and coatings, agrochemicals pharmaceuticals, cryogenics medical oxygen, steel industry, oil, gas, etc. We cover at least 21 different industries,” Singh informs.
Building business with BharatBenz
The success of these vast operations can be attributed to one major factor: KCL has been using BharatBenz trucks since the latter’s foray into the Indian trucking segment in 2012. The primary reason is that KCL has found these trucks very sturdy in handling their petroleum tankers. Says Singh: “We have been using BharatBenz 3123 trucks (now 3523) for quite some time along with the 6 x 4 4928. In fact, BharatBenz really understands the applications required by fleet operators. It is critical for someone who is selling a truck to understand what kind of body the client is going to make on that truck. They not only help us identify the bodybuilders but also certify the bodybuilders themselves. The company’s efficiency lies in being efficient in selling the right product for the right application.”
“The BharatBenz trucks have a joggled chassis frame unlike other trucks made in India. This makes the fitment of tanks easier without reinforcing mounting legs. They also conduct training programmes for bodybuilders for proper integration of tanks. Apart from the exterior features that ensure stability and control, the world-class cabin makes it so much easier for the drivers. The availability of head rest, adjustable steering, dependable braking mechanism, and overall aesthetic values is what has established our loyalty to BharatBenz,” Singh adds. In addition, the proficient after-sales and service network of BharatBenz on the routes that KCL operates makes maintenance a smooth operation. “Up to 90% of our vehicles are under annual maintenance contracts (AMC) with the OEM. Their service centres are strategically located on our predominant routes of Bangalore to Mangalore, Chennai to Mumbai, Pune to Jamnagar, etc.,” Singh says.
Customised tanks
Almost all of the 815 tanks of KCL are manufactured abroad. From capacities ranging from 20 kilolitres to 33 kilolitres, these are imported from countries like the UK, the US, Netherlands and China. “Most of these tanks are of stainless steel 316 grade, designed to work with the minimum operating pressure of four bars and maximum of 25 to 35 bars. We are also the first company in the country to have aluminium tankers imported from Thailand,” Singh informs. Meanwhile, commenting on how the amendment in axle load has impacted the business, Singh says: “We have to re-design the tanks and increase the capacity if we need to carry more loads. Unlike other segments that can merely load more, we cannot overnight increase the capacity of the tank.”
“Each and every design aspect of the tank, the mounting on the trailer, compartments in the tank, fittings, knobs, etc., has to be reworked. The redesigning of tanks is in progress as per the new amendments and hopefully that will allow us to take care of the inflated rates elsewhere. For instance, the price rise in insurance, maintenance, driver cost, toll costs have gone up and only more volume and faster turnaround time with maximum uptime of fleets can help us mitigate the escalated costs,” he adds. In order to further leverage its experience as a veteran player in the hazardous chemical transport sector, KCL is bolstering its business into multi-nodal logistics.
“The reason we got into tank containers was to leverage the full potential of the assets by enabling ourselves to undertake multi-nodal transportation. We can pick up the load from a vicinity of 100 km to 200 km and load the tank container on the rail, get it on to the long haul, transfer it to the warehouse, and get it delivered to the client just in time,” Singh explains, adding: “Now that we are planning to enter new business segments such as cold chain, multi-nodal logistics and are also switching over to Bharat Stage VI and fuel-efficient trucks, we look forward to maintaining the unique selling proposition (USP) of our company in being consistent in quality as regards specialty chemical movement in India.”
Safety, quality and driver training
As a policy, KCL’s truckers don’t drive loaded trucks during the night. “Safety comes first,” Singh says. Further, with the kind of fuel efficiency that BharatBenz’ trucks offer, the transporter is also looking forward to improving the turnaround time from the current 8,000 km to 12,000 km. “Drivers are an important asset to us just as the trucks and tanks are. We ensure that each driver in our company gets thorough training on the routes and safety of the products. They are provided skill-related driving tips from time to time. Every six months we have a training session which includes a three-day programme on how to handle hazardous chemicals and engage in fire-fighting operations should any such need arise,” Singh elaborates.
Over the years, KCL’s trust factor among its clients has been strengthened due to the development of a reliable network across the country to ensure both safety and quality of service. In that respect, drivers are also trained to connect with officials of their nearest branch office to resolve issues so that the client’s time and money is not wasted. “We have local emergency response (ER) teams to maintain a network of contingency plans and respond effectively to emergencies related to hazardous substances and oil. In addition, all our trucks are provided with personal protective equipment along with first aid supplies and fire extinguishers,” Singh points out. The trucks are also equipped with GPS and mobile technologies and the company has checkpoints every 200-250 km on all major routes to guarantee smooth, accident-free transport.
KCL also has a special cleaning process in place for tankers for which provisions are made at all their major workshops. “Our cleaning stations are fully equipped and capable of handling hazardous chemicals while complying with the various environmental, health and safety standards. However, over the years we have practiced acquiring dedicated tankers to substantially minimise the task of cleaning tanks,” Singh states.
And now that KCL enters its 51st year of operation in India, one aspect that has stayed with them over the years is their quest for never compromising with quality. “Our entire fleet adheres to each and every regulation laid down under the Motor Vehicles Act for transporting chemicals and other hazardous substances. We are particular about deploying robust quality and sturdy modern trucks for our operations and adding BharatBenz to our fleet has been a big step forward in that direction. We are delighted with our experience with the brand and hope to continue growing together with them in the years to come”, Singh signs off.