Sibu-based NB Motors Sdn Bhd, a member of the Ngu Brothers Group of Companies (NB Group), was the first of a few that brought the Chinese brands of commercial vehicles to Malaysia.
NB Motors Recognizes Significant Potential in Chinese-Brand Commercial Vehicles
“We launched the CAMC truck in Malaysia in 2010. The manufacturer of CAMC truck, Hualing Xingma Automobile (Group) Co, Ltd, signed a 10-year technical cooperation agreement with Mitsubishi Japan on the development and production of CAMC heavy truck in 2003, and the good technology relationship with Mitsubishi is maintained till today. There are more than 2,000 CAMC prime movers and rigid trucks running on the road in Sarawak and above 4,000 CAMC cement trucks in Peninsular Malaysia. CAMC has been number 1 in the Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia markets and received strong support from corporate customers,” said Managing Director Datuk William Ngu.
The latest CAMC truck model was the H6 that was launched in October 2017 in Sibu. Ngu said the company received an order for 100 trucks and had delivered 80 of them.
“We are very flexible. Our customers do not have to sign a service contract with us; they could maintain and service the new trucks at their workshop. We would be more than happy to conduct technical skills transfer and assist them in training their technicians. For their convenience, we even give them diagnostic tools as a gift so that they could check the truck systems themselves instead of sending the vehicle to us.”
In 2011, the company launched the JAC light trucks and Beiben heavy-duty trucks in Sabah and Sarawak.
Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp, Ltd (JAC), he said, was founded in 1964. It was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2001 and was among the top 10 auto makers in China with products widely sold in more than 130 countries. BeiBen Trucks Group Co, Ltd was part of the North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO). It was founded in 1988 when BeiBen signed an agreement with Daimler-Benz to manufacture Mercedes-Benz trucks.
“We sold 50 BeiBen heavy-duty trucks last year. Compared to the other Chinese brands, the undercarriage of Beiben trucks does not rust easily. In addition, it is very common for a Beiben truck to travel about 2,000km per day transporting coal in Outer Mongolia; thus it is a real workhorse with the ability to deal with rough road conditions. It is ideal for logistics and oil palm industries.”
Ngu stressed that the company only worked with reputable manufacturers. However, he pointed out that before any official launch, it would conduct a 100,000km test to ensure the quality of the new product. The company would also look at the noise and comfort levels.
“We work very closely with the manufacturers to modify or upgrade the product to suit the local road, weather and applications. For instance, we need an air-conditioning system instead of a heater and the installation of an ABS (anti-lock brake system) as the Chinese trucks do not come standard with it. To meet customer’s requirements, we use United States-made Cummins engines and German-made transmission for the JAC light trucks. The CAMC medium trucks use Hino engines while the BeiBen line utilises engines from one of the mainland’s largest and reputable manufacturers.”
To ensure quality and better control as well as shorten the lead time between the placement of an order and delivery, NB Motors has its own body builder workshop and assembly plant to assembly its Chinese brands of trucks.
“We have two assembly plants; one in Sibu and the other in Port Klang. During good times, we assemble on average 100 trucks per month,” he added.
Unlike earlier days, Ngu pointed out that customers had become more demanding. “You can’t just sell the vehicles; you have to provide a one-stop solution. From importing, assembly, sales, spare-parts availability, maintenance and repair, after-sales services to 24/7 roadside assistance.”
At present, the company has 3S centres in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu and West Port in Peninsular Malaysia.
“We believe that the demand for the Chinese brands of commercial vehicles would be on the rise with better quality, good after-sales back-up and spare-parts availability,” he concluded.
Apart from Chinese commercial vehicles, the company also carries the Daiichi, Linhai and Megelli motorcycles and all-terrain vehicle/utility terrain vehicle brands and Zoomlion for a wide range of earth-moving equipment such as excavators and bulldozers.
The Ngu Brothers Group of Companies had a humble beginning. It started as an automobile repair business in 1971. Over the years, it grew and diversified into other related businesses, covering the supply of imported spare-parts and machinery, car distributorship, motor insurance claims, manufacture of rebuilt and new commercial vehicles, assembly of motorcycles and commercial vehicles, property development as well as a vehicle driving school.
