Terex Trucks cements its position in Oman

Two 8080 Terex Trucks TR60 rigid dump trucks are said to be proving their versatility at an Oman Cement Company quarry in Muscat.

When the Oman Cement Company (OCC) issued a tender for two dump trucks for work at a quarry near the capital, Muscat, Oman’s leading trading company Al Fairuz wasted no time submitting a bid on behalf of Terex Trucks in June 2015. Visiting the job site to see where the Terex Trucks’ range could shine, Neeraj Jha, senior sales manager at Al Fairuz, revealed it was immediately obvious that the 55 tonne capacity TR60 was well suited to the task at hand.

“Terex Trucks is a relatively new product line in Oman so to be awarded the tender over the global top two brands was amazing. The trucks fit the requirements perfectly and it was clear from early on their specifications would optimise the efficiency and productivity of the working day at the Oman Cement Company,” said Jha.

Established in 1978, the OCC was set up as part of the regeneration project initiated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Almost four decades on, the company now boasts three kilns and four cement mills with an annual capacity of 2.6 million ton and in the fourth quarter of 2015 the OCC reported a net profit of US$12.2m. Known for its quality and dependability, the OCC has been awarded several accolades for its products and is the only manufacturing company in Oman to have won His Majesty’s Trophy for Best Factory a total of 10 times.

Built at the Motherwell factory in Scotland, the TR60 is designed to power through the toughest environments and move more materials in less time, with less fuss and burning less fuel. Fitted with a 410 Cummins six cylinder 19 litre engine that boasts gross power of 522kW and maximum torque of 2,981Nm. This power is down to a drivetrain gear reduction that provides excellent rimpull, powering the rigid hauler up the steepest inclines and when the going gets heavy. Transmission and rear brake retardation systems comes as standard, while a high capacity body with exhaust heating makes for excellent retention and cleaner dumping – thereby boosting productivity. In addition, the TR60 features a spacious and ergonomic cab for maximum operator comfort.
 
Particularly suited to the application, the TR60 will clock up the hours at the OCC in no time as the trucks will work three eight hour shifts/day collecting limestone, quartzophyllades, iron ore and kaolin from the quarry, and transporting the blasted raw materials to the crusher. Jha explained: “The machines will only get about two hours off in 24 hours, and that’s only due to operator changeovers – otherwise it would be working all day.”

Terex Trucks is said to have begun to win over the OCC when Al Fairuz showcased, with a thorough presentation, what 65 years of hauler manufacturing looks like. This was followed by a visit to the neighbouring UAE to see the trucks in action. Suitably impressed with what they saw, the OCC awarded the Scotland-based company the tender and put in an order for two TR60s, for shipment.

“Once we received the order we made it our mission to continue to keep the customer happy,” said Jha. “We performed the PDI (pre-delivery inspection) in January and all the staff at OCC were invited along, so the training process could begin before the trucks even arrived on site.”

With the support of Terex Trucks’ service engineers, the training process continued when the machines ‘went live’. Al Fairuz spent a further two weeks on site at the quarry, training mechanics and operators to ensure the company receives the full benefit of the trucks. Following the success of the intensive handover, the Al Fairuz team hosted a small gathering with the OCC to celebrate the addition of Terex Trucks’ machines to its fleet, as well as the brightening prospects of selling more Motherwell-built products in Oman.