The team around Mohd Zaid Abdullah at Bakticon Engineering Sdn Bhd has worked very hard to get the workshop done as the demand for service for Sinotruk's vehicles is constantly growing. The purpose-built workshop caters to the Chinese brand and offers some 16 bays for service by some 25 mechanics and five apprentices. Bakticon also stands ready with a rescue truck and a tyre team to assist with any vehicles that experience breakdowns. With the opening of this workshop, Sinotruk is making a giant stride forward as the region is one of the key markets for the brand. However, Bakticon will not stop here as we hear from the owner.

Integrated service
Said Abdullah "We have seen the potential for Sinotruk a long time ago. WE realised that this is a brand that the market will accept and that is moving swiftly and professionally. It was for these reasons that we decided to enter negotiations with them and to start expanding our own operation with their help". After having worked for companies like Esso, Petronas and BP Chemical, Abdullah decided to start his own business. "I looked at my brothers who all ran their own business and that made me want to be my own boss too" he said. What started in 2000 as a small business with 2 lorries has since grown into an operation with over 50 trucks.  Mechanics, just like drivers are hard to find and this gave him another idea. Currently, he draws from a talent pool from his own automotive college. In this government certified institution, some 100 students learn the ins and outs of commercial vehicles. He himself also believes in Sinotruk and he has placed orders for vehicles to be integrated into his own pool.

Positive outlook
Abdullah has been driving a truck for two years himself and is therefore familiar with the challenges drivers and operators face. Given the good relationship that has been built over the past 12 months, Abdullah is confident to take the next steps, although not rushing into it. For him, the immediate upgrade will be to become a full fledged 3S Dealer. Display trucks are to be ordered shortly and training will commence in due time. This move would make his location the first 3S Dealer for Sinotruk, the first the market may see for any of Chinese brands. According to Sinotruk, four more such 3S Dealerships are to be set up this year as well, covering the main regions of Malaysia.

Read the full article in Asian Trucker Malaysia, Issue 18