ect area must be strictly adhered to, he says that the MAN fleet of trucks and the support – including utilising its United Motors and Heavy Equipment Co (UMHE) workshops for full services – that comes with them has been essential. “They provide peace of mind because we need to ensure that aggregates will be transferred on time from one location to another – and UMHE ensures timely delivery and high-quality of service,” he says. “From a logistics point of view, MAN is a www.cbnme.com
trustworthy partner, so we don’t need to worry about anything.” Uptime is a major concern for Al Akhilaa. Comparing the quick turnarounds from MAN and UMHE to those of a crack Formula 1 pit team, he says: “They speed up the servicing of our trucks, so we can get them back to work quickly. Our customers expect fast delivery, so that’s where MAN trucks are helping us to provide the best possible service to our clients. They help us to make our customers happy by getting things delivered on
time and effectively make us more qualified for the job.” The company currently owns and operates a fleet of 65 MAN trucks. A further 100 trucks are available for leasing to contractors on a project-byproject basis. Together, he says, the company’s trucks and their trailers meet “the requirements of customers to supply and deliver material to sites anywhere in the UAE”. During the early years of the company, Al Akhilaa played its part in the development of a series of projects in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, including the building of the high-end Ajban Palace and the Al Raha Beach resorts; the supply of rock for the sculpting of the canal works in Al Wathba; as well as supporting the construction of low-cost housing projects in the more remote town of Sweihan. He explains: “At the beginning, most of the work was for the Government of Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Early on, we were focusing on filling works, but then afterwards, we started entering into the construction business and hauling aggregates for road works and construction contractors. Within a short span of time, the company’s excellence in service came to the forefront and we put in place a dedicated team of staff and people, which meant we could cover all the capacities needed to carry out jobs” To date, Al Akhilaa has executed more than AED2bn worth of projects. Fleet management and deployment across the country is currently handled by a team of 20 people. Trucks are constantly monitored by GPS software, ensuring the company always knows the location, speed, and fuel consumption of its fleet. While onsite, Mudhir explains that the company works alongside contractors with its own staff available to manage vehicle productivity and, importantly, oversee safety. He adds: “We have people continuously on site to ensure that the area is safe for the trucks and will pass site and safety inspections.” Operating across the UAE, its trucks are continually moving through remote
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