GORICA Group is a leading developer and manufacturer of semi-trailers in the Middle East and Africa. For the past three decades the OEM has specialised in the production of tipping semi-trailers and rigid mounted tipping bodies.
The construction of the tree-shaped artificial archipelago, Palm Jumeirah, in Dubai was a major project that saw the use of more than few hundred units of 40 CBM (Cubic meters) ROCK tipping semi-trailers tasked with delivering bulk materials.
“We’ve been pioneering in this segment by constantly developing new customised solutions to satisfy customer requirements from an application and design perspective,” Gorica General Manager Sales & Marketing, Domen Bockor.
GORICA is renowned for the design of its slanting rear door design – a benchmark in the tipping semi-trailer industry and a distinctive feature that ensures GORICA tippers on the road can be recognised from afar.
Due to non-uniform road regulations in the Gulk Cooperation Council (the GCC is a political and economic alliance including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates – UAE – Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) and across Middle East technical specifications vary, depending on the intended application, in terms of capacity or volume, axle configuration and axle load capacity along with material thicknesses.
“If we look at mature markets like Europe, for example, where there are common road regulations, most of the tippers are quite similar and only vary to accommodate specific uses,” Bockor says. “Contrary to the Middle East, you have extremes like Bahrain where maximum capacity of a tipping semi-trailer allowed by road regulations is 18 CBM and United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the market standard is 48 CBM. These differences make it impossible to standardise.”
To conform with local road regulations and international standards, GORICA has tackled this challenging task and has developed a complete range of tippers complete with unique features.
“In our complete line-up we offer both carbon steel made tipping semi-trailers and wear resistant steel (like Hardox) made tipping semi-trailers where wear resistant steel is either used when the end user requires heavy duty ROCK application or where road regulations limit total gross combination weight so we can reduce thicknesses of the steel, but still keeping same strength of the tipping body part,” Bockor says.
Generally, GORICA’s standard specifications for aggregate transportation ranges between 9 -16-tonne-wide track axles in either a two- or three-axle configuration (depending on the market), quality carbon steel of grade ST52-3 and thicknesses of 8mm floor and 6mm sides or wear resistant steel (like Hardox) where thicknesses would be 4-6mm floor and 3.2 to 4mm sides.
“For the majority of our tipper builds we traditionally partner with known European axle and hydraulics manufacturers,” Bockor says. “Where for ROCK application thicknesses would go up to 10mm floor and 8mm sides with quality carbon steel of grade ST52-3 and complete inside body would be upgraded with inverted angles to protect the body when rocks are being loaded. Unique design on the ROCK tipping semi-trailers is the scow end design with automatic rear door opening upwards.”
Backed by innovative design and bolstered by an array of special features, the market re-sale value of GORICA’s tippers is exceptionally high according to Bockor.
“In today’s market, uptime is a key decision factor and GORICA tippers are well covered in that aspect,” SPOKESPERSON says – adding that there is comprehensive after sales support in the countries that GORICA operates in.
GORICA Group offers complete after sales support in most GCC countries through its own GORICA companies and after sales support teams.
“This is also one of the reasons why we were successful throughout the years,” Bockor says. “We have enhanced that with our mobile service teams to support our partners and clients at their site for emergency repairs. Also, we have also pioneered by introducing training of operation and maintenance to our clients with the goal to enhance their safety procedures and minimise repair and break down cost. Last but not least through our GORICA owned network of companies we have local spare parts point to support the clients with same day delivery of spare parts.”
“Ultimately, GORICA tipping semi-trailers are built with 30 years of innovation in the Middle East and Africa where we follow international standards in terms of design, optimised kerb weights but adding that necessary strength for rough environments and rigorous applications – conditions that are unique to the Middle Eastern and African markets.”