Dongfeng Bison 260 and 280 are great trucks, they are safe, designed well and still pleasant to drive even after 11 years of operation.
Dongfeng Bisons Never Fail
Pahang Mail & Transport Co., Sdn Bhd., one of the pioneers in the local logistics industry bought 3 units of Dongfeng Bison 260 rigid trucks in 2009. According to Director Wong Chin Wai, the trucks, which have been in commercial used for 11 years now, are still going strong.
“For us, a truck is an investment, and the three main important factors that we would look into are the quality, reliability and durability. Our drivers said Dongfeng Bison 260 and 280 are great trucks, they are safe, designed well and still pleasant to drive even after 11 years of operation. These Bisons have never failed us, they are still on the road, plying to and fro between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bahru, running well without their engines being overhauled.”
Wong pointed out that apart from the long-lasting engine, the rear axles of Dongfeng trucks are strong and durable, offering longer service life. Dongfeng trucks, he said, are good value for money.
“What impressed us most is that Dongfeng trucks come with excellent spare parts support. Their spare parts are reasonably priced and easy to obtain. In addition, they can be widely used on other brands of truck,” he added.
The company has a fleet of more than 200 trucks at present, 35 per cent of them are Dongfeng. Even though Dongfeng trucks are built to last, preventive and proper maintenance plays an important role in keeping one’s fleet running smoothly, ensuring a fleet’s safety and performance, as well extending its life-span, which would ultimately improve customer satisfaction and bottom line.
He attributed the tip-top condition of their fleet to the hard work of the company’s well-trained and experienced maintenance team. “We would not consider if a truck could only last for 5 years even with good maintenance. Our trucks are the bread and butter of our business, without them the work would be impossible. We would want to keep our trucks as long as possible in good condition, as it is expensive to replace them. Our team consists of 10 personnel. We have one foreman at our head office at Peel Road in Cheras, five in the Balakong workshop and three in a sub-branch at Port Klang to reduce downtime and ensure the efficiency of our fleet operation.”
Established in 1948 at Kota Raya, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang Mail & Transport Company was founded by Wong’s grandfather with four light trucks. The core business of the company at that time was to help the Malaysian government transmitting letters and cash, as well as mainly in Pahang during the Malayan Emergency (1947 – 1960). Pahang was considered as one of the black areas during that period, and that was how the company earned its name. In the 1970s, the government terminated their service, and the company expanded from mail delivery to general cargo until today.
As the third-generation running the business, Wong has never rested on his laurels, but has successfully grown the business to the next level. Over the years, they have gained customers’ trust and loyalty. Nestle, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola and Dutch Lady are some of the company’s renowned customers that have been with them for many years.
The Bison 260 was introduced in 2009 as a versatile workhorse by Quasar Industrial Vehicles Sdn Bhd, which was later named as Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (DCVM). DCVM is the sole importer, distributor and assembler of the complete range of Dongfeng commercial vehicles in Malaysia, including prime movers, mixer tankers, tippers, sweepers, cargo trucks and special purpose vehicles.
The Bison 260 and Bison 280 were later replaced by Kingrun 280 and Kingrun 140.
车龄11年
东风卡车仍强劲！
2009年，本地物流业先锋之一的彭亨邮车运输有限公司，购买了三辆东风Bison 260 整体式车架卡车。据董事黄坚维表示，这些作为商业用途行驶了11年的卡车至今仍然强劲有力。
“对我们来说，一辆卡车就是一项投资。因此，我们最重视的三大要素是卡车的品质、可靠性及耐用性。 我们的司机说东风Bison 260 和Bison 280是好卡车，安全、设计优良，而且尽管使用了11年，开起来依然令人愉悦。这些Bison卡车从来不曾令我们失望过，它们往返吉隆坡与哥打巴鲁，引擎不曾大修过却一直以来行驶良好。”
黄坚维指出，除了持久的引擎，东风卡车的后车轴强大且耐用，使用寿命更长。他说，东风卡车物超所值。
“最打动我们的是东风卡车卓越的备件供应。他们的备件价格合理，而且容易取得。此外，这些备件还能广泛地运用在其他品牌的卡车上。”他补充。
目前，在该公司超过200辆卡车的车队里，东风就占了35%。虽然东风卡车是为了继续使用而制造，良好的养护仍然扮演着举足轻重的角色。优良的养护能确保车队的顺畅行驶，安全及性能，以及延长卡车的使用寿命，而这些最终将有助于提高客户的满意度和公司的利润。
他将其车队始终能够维持在最佳状态归功于该公司训练有素和经验丰富的养护团队。“我们完全不考虑那些即便养护得好，也只能使用5年的卡车。卡车是我们谋生的工具，没有它们，我们完全不能工作。我们希望能够长时间使用这些卡车，并将它们保持在最好的状态，因为要更换它们很昂贵。我们的维修团队有10人，包括位于蕉赖碑律（Peel Road） 总部的一名工头、无拉港 （Belakong）的5名技工，以及我们巴生港口支行的 3位技工，以降低停机时间，确保高效的运作。”
黄坚维的祖父于1948年在吉隆坡Kota Raya 创立了彭亨邮车公司，当时他们只有4辆轻型卡车。那时候他们的核心业务是协助马来西亚政府派发邮件和运送现金 ，特别是1947年至1960年间的“ 马来亚紧急状态”（Malaya Emergency）时期。当时，彭亨州被列为黑区，而这正是该公司名称的由来。 1970年代，政府中断了他们的服务， 该公司于是从派送邮件扩展到运输一般货物，直到今天。
作为公司的第三代接班人，黄坚维并没有因此而心满意足，他再接再厉地将公司推向另一个高峰。这些年来，他们赢得了许多客户的信任和忠心。雀巢、可口可乐、百事可乐、荷兰子母牌等都是他们的老客户。
Quasar工业车辆私人有限公司，东风商用车（马来西亚）私人有限公司（DCVM）的前身，于2009年将Bison 260多用途卡车引进大马。马来西亚东风商用车是东风商用车的马来西亚独家进口商和经销商，并负责在本地组装全系列的东风车辆，包括牵引车、搅拌罐车、自卸车、清扫车、货物运输车及专用车。
东风天锦（Kingrun）280 和天锦140后来取代了Bison 260和Bison 280。
