Heavy duty duties in the Middle East

Dubai-based trailer builder, GORICA, builds bespoke aluminium fuel tankers to accommodate the environment and road conditions of each country it supplies to.

The standard GORICA road tanker range includes aluminium fuel tankers for the transportation of liquid petroleum products, aluminium flour bulkers fitted with discharge blowers for the transportation and distribution of flour, aluminium grain hoppers for moving bulk commodities, aluminium animal feed bulkers for carting various grades of feed and aluminium food grade tipper semi-trailers for bulk wheats.

However, GORICA’s target market in the Middle East has incurred widespread change in the transportation of goods over the last 5-10 years, sparking the need for flexible custom-made tankers to be available for clients.

Trends in the transportation of food and perishable goods have shown a sharp steer towards European standards and specifications, where shipping efficiency and sustainability has been a central focus. According to European Food Network, Switzerland uses the first hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric trucks to transport food. This demonstrates the country’s environmentally conscious leap to a sustainable future, with neighbouring countries following in their path.

GORICA Group General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Domen Bockor, said the implementation of technology within selected trailers that provide cold chain transport solutions have enticed global clients. This includes having controlled temperature logistics within selected trailers to uphold food safety procedures.
“GORICA is a leading partner to key food producers and perishable goods transporters by designing and producing entire road parts of the cold chain with warehouse integration,” Bocker said. “Some clients also opt for automatic loading systems built into the trailers and matched with their automated warehouses.”

While beneficial technology has added great value to GORICA’s products for food transport operators, another key highlight includes the extremely durable material used in the process of building their trailers.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to the UN, are among the most vulnerable places in the world to climate change with rising temperatures and unexpected weather impacting purchase decisions. Therefore, the demand for robust infrastructure and vehicles is high in such areas.

The only Middle East-made aluminium flour bulk road tanker.

Since GORICA attracts widespread clientele predominantly from Golf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, an important aspect of their trailers is the increased shell thickness of each tanker. The average body builder thickness is 5mm however GORICA offers a 6.1mm external shell. This is to endure the harsh environments of the different countries they supply to, including soaring temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius and over 80 per cent humidity, according to Bockor.

“We only use European high-end components ranging from axles, brake systems, tank fittings and more,” he said.

The non-uniform road regulations that are apparent throughout the Middle East has made GORICA’s range of tailored purchases their most popular option for clients, as they are unable to use a standardised trailer design in their country.

“Aside from the environment, we also need to understand the type of road conditions in Middle East and Africa, along with undefined road regulations and very poor driver quality,” Bockor said. “Therefore, our tankers must be in line with international safety standards but upgraded to a higher standard both from a safety perspective, and a longevity standpoint.”

GORICA’s substantial customer-driven innovations means their trailers remain as practically beneficial as they can be for clients. Such improvements include optimising the weight of bulkers to allow operators to carry heavier loads whilst still within the road regulation limits.

Bockor said GORICA’s constant upgrade to their semi-trailers instils a competitive advantage within the brand as they offer preferred quality products and provide genuine aftersales support to clients.

“We have our own GORICA service and after sales points with complete parts available, along with mobile service teams who give greater support to those in certain markets,” he said. “The focus is not solely on the warranty side of after sales support but also on the product lifetime support overall.”

While GORICA’s semitrailer product line has been popular across Europe and Middle East, they are no stranger to success. The Dubai-based manufacturer has seen a spike in sales in recent years for a variety of the trailers it designs and produces. Superstructures like semitrailers have been a popular purchase for some time across segments including general cargo logistics, food distribution, fuel distribution, waste management, oil and gas segment and perishable goods transportation.

GORICA’s heavy haulage low bed semitrailer series is a type of legacy product series, offering heavy duty haulage of up to a 130-tonne payload. The premium product uses various axle and tyre design configurations for a wide range of usage including construction equipment, oil and gas equipment, non-towable construction parts, and other niche applications.

“Beside rear loading low bed semitrailers with hydraulic ramps, we also offer front loading low bed semitrailers for specific equipment that requires a very low approach angle, such as trenchers,” Bockor said. “GORICA’s ability for customisation in our base product lines gives a major competitive advantage, as seen in low bed semitrailers where 90 per cent of produced products are manufactured to fit specific market and client needs.”

Their heavy-duty haulage range eliminates a niche challenge within the transport industry, particularly experienced by companies that operate on different sites with limited equipment. GORICA’s low bed trailers help fleets overcome transporting difficulties to bring necessary equipment between sites on Giga Projects. These projects have become a major focus as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2023, including development happening in Amaala, Aseer, and Diriyah Gate.

Fast Fact
Backed by innovative design and bolstered by an array of special features, the market resale value of GORICA’s tippers is exceptionally high according to GORICA Group General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Domen Bockor.

Fast Fact
GORICA is a leading developer and manufacturer of semi-trailers in the Middle East and Africa. For the past three decades the OEM has also specialised in the production of tipping semi-trailers and rigid mounted tipping bodies.

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