By Matthew Treanor
MAN Truck & Bus Middle East is putting safety first as it enters into an exciting partnership with one of the worlds most advanced trailer producers.
The past year has seen MAN Truck & Bus Middle East make considerable progress in its effort to raise standards in road safety through a range of initiatives. A newly announced deal with Schmitz Cargobull complements its emphasis on introducing some of the industrys best engineering expertise into Middle East fleets, says Franz von Redwitz, managing director, MAN Truck & Bus Middle East.
We are fully committed to continuing to offer a full range of services that demonstrate the very best of German engineering and proven safety and comfort, he comments.
MAN Truck & Bus Middle East may be one of the fastest-growing commercial vehicles brands in the Middle East but it is notable for its dedication to improving driver and road safety. At the heart of its product development are the networks of international competence centres and plants in Germany which are continually analysing the performance of vehicles and examining customer feedback on a global scale to ensure it maintains its reputation for robust, reliable, high-quality products.
Likewise, Schmitz Cargobull, which manufactures over 50,000 trailers and truck bodies annually at its own German-based competence centres, also serves companies worldwide in areas such as general cargo, refrigerated transport and construction. Franz von Redwitz adds that the partnership draws together two companies that share the common goals of increasing safety in the region as well as the quality of their products and services.
We wanted to partner with a top quality German brand as it ensures the safety of our customers. Schmitz Cargobull is a globally-recognised trailer company that, like us, is also committed to expansion across the Middle East. This deal shows we are investing in quality products that can be tailored and personalised based on customer requirements, he says.
Improving road safety is one of the highest priorities at MAN and the company has developed an array of technologies for its vehicles, as well as training courses, such as its hugely successful ProfiDrive programme, with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities.
Since launching its safety campaign in the UAE towards the end of 2016, MAN Truck & Bus Middle East has also continued to support the targets set out by the UAE Vision 2021 road safety programme, a national effort to lower accident rates and fatalities. It has formed a strong working relationship with Abu Dhabi Police, helping to instruct the public and private sectors with training and insight into the latest technology that can save the lives of drivers and other road-users.
Together with Schmitz Cargobull, the company can now offer arguably the safest range of truck and tipper trailer combinations available in the market with features such as MANs electronic braking system (EBS) and anti-lock braking system (ABS) as standard. Fleets, heavy haulers and construction contractors will also be able to work use the expertise of both companies to create the ideal vehicle for their requirements.
We are partnering up to provide top German quality solutions in the market. The trucks and trailers will come with ABS and EBS brakes making the combinations a safe solution on the UAE roads.
As its range of products and services expands MAN Truck & Bus Middle East is also investing in its facilities and network across the Middle East. The company opened its new headquarters in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) last month and for the first time its operations, new sales and training teams are now housed with its successful outlet for used commercial vehicles, MAN TopUsed Center.
According to Franz von Redwitz, the move makes sense for the company and for its customers and will boost its growing momentum in the region: MAN Truck & Bus Middle East has moved to the new location in order to be linked with our TopUsed team. This initiative brings the entire team together in order to provide a full range of services, and sufficiently support importers and users across the Middle East.”
He concludes: “We are focused on the Middle East market and our investment in new products and facilities proves our long-term commitment to expansion across the region.