We caught up with Mustafa Caner Sinanoglu, Managing Director, Ford MEA, about their truck operation in the Middle East and about their latest award winning truck the F-Max
Ford Trucks have been in the UAE market now for the last five years and it has seen steady growth since then. The growth is not just in the UAE but in the Middle East and GCC region as well. According to Mustafa Caner Sinanoglu, Managing Director – Ford MEA they are estimated to have around two to three per cent market share and in some market they have around 10 per cent.
“We have more than ten per cent market share in Iraq and Kuwait. But in the short and mid-term we would like to have more than ten per cent market share all over the Middle East,” said Mustafa.
“When we started here in the UAE we wanted to complete our expansion all over the Middle East and at this stage we have the right distributors who are assisting us like Al Tayer Motors in UAE and Al Jazirah Vehicles in Saudi Arabia for example,” added Mustafa.
Mustafa pointed out that they are trying to increase their network of distribution to more in cities in the GCC by opening up in Jeddah and Salalah.
In 2018, there was a strong focus by Ford trucks in the waste management and construction segment and Mustafa believes that with the number of new projects coming up in the region Ford trucks will be high demand. As a result of these new projects Ford Trucks is already benefiting from it. Mustafa mentioned the fact they are going to be delivering over a 100 trucks in Saudi Arabia to show that the market is now responding to Ford.
In Saudi Arabia, Ford Trucks’ recent sales include 21 units of the 3543DC tanker (6×4) to the Ministry of Defense; 25 units of the 1833DC road sweeper (4×2 rigid) and 3543 (6×4) skip loader to a Riyadh Municipality project; 50 units of the 1833 garbage compactor/sweeper and 3543D tipper, 1943 to the Qatif and Taif Municipalities; and a large fleet of the 1943 4×2 tractor to a Sabic and Aramco supplier.
“It is important to see how the market views Ford trucks so we have to show our values to our customers so we can improve our products according to what the market demands in the GCC. As a result of that we are seeing good results in this market.”
When asked about what makes Ford trucks unique he had this to say: “Total cost of ownership is the most critical part of our trucks and every action we are taking is trying to be more competitive and to support our customer by saving costs. We are offering one of the best truck features in terms fuel consumption, road robust trucks, and telematics. Our downtime service is very low and we are offering extended warranty options.”
Currently, Ford supplies Euro 5 trucks in the UAE and Euro 3 trucks in rest of the GCC markets. Ford also offers optional fleet management systems powered by Arvento in the region. This system is specifically designed for ford Trucks series which enables live monitoring of the vehicles; fuel consumption tracking; sudden fuel drop alert; intelligent dashboard; optimization of fleet management; driver behaviour evaluation; and detailed reports and alarms.
One of the truck models that is doing well is The F-Max, which recently won the 2019 International Truck of the Year award at the IAA Commercial Vehicles expo in Hannover.
The Ford F-Max provides comfortable seating for drivers, ergonomic dashboard of the new F-MAX provides easy access to all control systems, and highly efficient Ecotorq 500 PS ensures reduced fuel consumption with compatible powertrain systems.
It also includes MAXCRUISE technology which enables more efficient use of the vehicle and reduces fuel costs. System identifies the route using topographic GPS data and provides optimum speed range with its smart software to minimize fuel consumption. EFFICIENCY ON THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS WITH CONNECTRUCK
Plus, FMS integration compatibility provided with ConnecTruck will provide additional efficiency on your operations. The over-the-air software update and remote diagnostics will make it easier to fix any issues and keep the driver on the road.
We also asked Mustafa about their after sales support and he said that the distributors in the region are well prepared when it comes to that but in case of any emergency the Ford team is always ready to provide the necessary support. “Our dealers like Al Tayer in UAE and Al Jazirah Vehicles in Saudi Arabia, have strategies in place to have spare part available to them. We have daily flights from Istanbul to provide the parts that are necessary for our distributors,” remarked Mustafa.
Ford is also focusing heavily on the safety aspects of their trucks and their drivers. Ford driving academy provides the avenue for drivers to train, learn the features of the truck and how to remain safe on the road. The trucks themselves have features that would help prevent accidents from happening. For example the usage of the lane departure warning system which has become compulsory for trucks in Europe, have been installed in these trucks to prevent any issues that would occur on the road. Although this device is compulsory in Europe it is not the case in the GCC but Mustafa believe that the region is taking the right steps to ensure road safety.