Heavy-duty truck tyre leader techking takes a step forward in customization in Pakistan
KARACHI, Aug 23 (Gwadar Pro)- “For us, Pakistani brothers are no longer just clients. Now we are more like close friends who have survived the difficult years together,” according to Raymond Zhang, who works as VP at Techking, an enterprise devoted to tire solution provider focus on the mining and construction tyres in Qingdao, Shandong province.
Statistics from the Pakistan Tyre Importers and Dealers Association shows that the Pakistan rubber tyre market attained a value of around USD 415 million in 2020. Tyre imports increased from 1.98 million units in FY19 to 4.87 million units in FY20, and their value increased from USD 74 million to USD 262 million. IMARC, a leading market research company that provides market and business research intelligence across globe, expects the Pakistan tyre market to reach a volume of 32.2 million units by 2026. However, local bus and truck tyres are highly dependent on imports in Pakistan, with import rates reaching 90% and 95% respectively.
According to the Dawn, data from Pakistani importers show that Chinese tyres have occupied 85% of the market share in Pakistan, a substantial increase of 45% from two years ago. It is understood that China's tyre products, especially truck tyres, have been widely recognized by local users. Among them, Techking atop Pakistan’s heavy-duty truck market due to its outstanding performance.
Talking to Dawn, former chairman of the Pakistan Tyre Importers and Dealers Association (PTIDA) Azim K. Yousufzai said, “Mushroom growth has been noted in the number of dealers who are regularly flooding the market with Chinese tyres.” And he emphasized that compared with tyres from Europe, South Korea, Thailand and the United States, Chinese tyres not only have price advantages, but their reliable quality can satisfy Pakistani customers. Proven quality and long-term positive reputation empower Techking to gain wide recognition and high brand shares. Every tyre of Techking is tailored to the concrete demand of local clients, which is the long-term strategy that the leading enterprise always adhere to. Take a task force of one client visited for example, in mid-August 2020, their four trucks were equipped with 12 Techking TKAM II S tyres, with the tyre load of 175-230%. By the time this after-sales visit was made, those tyres have served tough road conditions and hot weather for 9 months and are expected to reach an overwhelming tyre life of 12 months. “The Chinese tyres have earned the trust of local customers as they give results in heavy loading or in harsh weathers like hot temperature.” Raymond Zhang mentioned in reply of query.
A stunning product cannot outstand without unwavering support of local market. “The enthusiasm of Pakistani brothers is always on my mind. At first, the English level of our Pakistani dealer, Zahir, was not good enough. An interpreter was required to be present at all times when we were negotiating business. However, he felt that the translation could not express his emotions perfectly, so he hired an oral English tutor. After a year or two, Zahir could even act as an interpreter for other Pakistani participants during our meeting,” Raymond Zhang praised, “Pakistani iron brothers touched me deeply”.
CPEC has been a new binding force between China and Pakistan that steered to boom the China-made products including these tryers in country’s local market. As the Chinese tyre industry grows stronger in Pakistan, the government of Pakistan is also committed to launching a series of supporting measures to optimize the local business environment. Now, the road conditions in Pakistan are improving day by day, and more and more Chinese tyre enterprises are seeking opportunities in various ways.
In addition to tyre production and sales, after-sales service is also an area that cannot be ignored. In the Pakistani market, tyre brands only sell tyres and seldom provide qualified pre-sale and after-sales services. Most tyre shops still use patches and glues to repair tyres. This kind of primitive way will greatly shorten the tyre life and meanwhile affect the safety of the vehicle and its driver. Therefore, Techking decided to co-found the first overseas TSC (Techking Service Center). It will empower the dealers' end-to-end service capabilities including pre-sales product matching, sales training, and after-sales repairing and maintenance. With systematic technical processes of higher criteria, more stable repaired tyres can be delivered and an enhanced tyre use rate and longer tyre life are guaranteed.
“The TSC is not just an after-sales service center. It is going to be a comprehensive center where sales and service can promote each other. In the future, we plan to provide OTR tyres of engineering vehicles for quarry and coal mines in Pakistan. We have taken the first step through a new model, and we sincerely hope that we can contribute our strength to Belt and Road Initiative to boost China-Pakistan cooperation,” said Raymond Zhang.
