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To keep more than 4000 machines and vehicles at work, one contractor has brought their servicing and repairs entirely in house.
The larger your fleet, the bigger your plant department needs to be. Sounds logical? Well, in modern times it need not be the case as so many operations are sub contracted out to other firms.
However, Al Habtoor Leigton, who by way of introduction are one of the largest construction companies in the GCC and run a fleet totaling 4,000 vehicles, plus much more plant machinery and tools, it is quite understandable why they want to keep maintenance in house as much as possible.
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What is surprising is the sheer amount of operations that are done at the Al Quoz workshop. Plant manager Naachat Issa insisted: “We do more than 99 percent of repairs, here in the workshop”
Everything from re-aligning chassis to overhauling engines is done at the same facility. There is even a machineing shop for sewing bus seats back together.
BUSES
Speaking of buses, these are a pretty big deal for the group, with around 400 large single-deck machines owned by the group for ferrying its 30,000-strong workforce around the country. There has been no plan to buy from any particular supplier, so the fleet comprises of a mixture of brands.
On the day of our visit there were about half a dozen of the white vehicles waiting for servicing and repairs. Most of the waiting vehicles were made by Trans, but Naachat Issa prefers a different brand. “Tata buses from India are the best as they are very strong and easy to service” he noted to us.
The Plant Department is built around a courtyard with one side housing the servicing area, one for storage and drive-through lubrication. One of the first things we notice about the facility is how clean everything is. Considering the mech pit is in constant use, there is no suggestion of grease or grime, and the clean white tiles have only the bearest hint of their true purpose; “We keep it clean, like a hospital” Issa remarked.
This section of the building is fitted with a five tonne overhead gantry crane, which is well large enough for lifting complete engine and gearbox assemblies out of vehicles. Among the waggons in for routine service, one is in for engine repairs due to a cracked block, while a Trans is in for a replacement rear window and some replacement seats.
Replacing the seats is unusual here, as the workshop is equipped with a sewing room, with two guys churning out replacement cushions using industrial sewing machines. Apparently there is enough need for them to keep doing this, day in, day out. We couldn’t help but wonder if all bus fleet operators find a similar problem with their seats?
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