The age of value Trucks

The age of value trucks is here.

- Shyam Maller

From the time Chevrolet and Dodge brand of trucks and buses were manufactured under license by manufacturers like Hindustan Motors and Premier Automobiles to the time Volvo and Scania took to making premium trucks, the Indian CV industry has come a long way. It has in the process highlighted the journey of M&HCV segment post rationalisation of the truck axle load norms among others. Well-aligned to the international trucking norms (now starting at 18.5-tonnes GVW), the M&HCV segment has seen significant transformation with the introduction of features like power steering (made mandatory in heavy-duty trucks since 2004) and ABS (made mandatory since 2015) over time. Turning itself into a value-oriented proposition on the basis of technology and safety, the M&HCV segment has attained new heights with the advent of BSVI emission standards especially. From being dominated by two big players (Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland) for decades, and whose market share ratio was roughly to the ratio of either 70:30 or either 68: 32, the M&HCV segment has changed to include more players. This, despite joint ventures (and collaborative efforts) like HindustanIsuzu and Simpson-Ford not withstanding. Driven by regulatory changes by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) through the Central Motor Vehicle rules 1989 and the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, the M&HCV segment changed quite a bit. It did so in the area of safety and emissions to be more precise.

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