Following the exciting rebrand late last year, the response to the Rokbak brand has been extremely positive, with the company reporting a strong order book this year. Speaking to Quarrying Africa, sales director Guy Wilson says Africa holds enormous potential for Rokbak and plans are underway to expand the brand’s footprint on the continent, writes Munesu Shoko.
In late 2021, articulated hauler specialist Terex Trucks rebranded as Rokbak. At the time of the launch, the company revealed that the Rokbak name represented an exciting new future and reflected the significant advances the organisation has made in recent years as well as its new strategic priorities.
A few months later, the response to the Rokbak launch has been extremely positive thus far. “It was the culmination of several years’ hard work and what makes it so significant is that Rokbak is the first new brand ever to be launched by Volvo Group,” says Guy Wilson, sales director, Rokbak.
“Anecdotally, customers have said they like the name and the look of the machines. They feel the branding is simple, powerful and perfectly embodies what we do, which is producing rock-solid haulers and always having our customers’ backs,” he adds.
And crucially, he says, the company has a very strong order book for this year, which signifies customers’ belief in the Rokbak team and products.
“Customers choose Rokbak because our people are equally as reliable as our machines. We are an approachable and dedicated partner that cares about our customers’ businesses. They can rely on us to have their back no matter what – from product availability to finance solutions, servicing and parts. Through our trusted network of dealers, customers can count on high-quality, responsive service and reliable parts availability wherever they are in the world,” stresses Wilson.
African plans
Commenting on the strategy for Africa, Wilson says Africa holds enormous potential for Rokbak. “Our haulers are ideally suited to the many mining and quarrying projects in Africa, where they can contribute to high tonne per hour production and a low cost per tonne. We are currently expanding our dealer network and are in the process of signing with some new dealer partners, so watch this space,” he says.
With the first Rokbak units now being shipped internationally, Wilson could not however be drawn to comment specifically on when the first units will arrive in Africa. “I am really looking forward to seeing them on some African projects where they can make a big difference to customers’ productivity, uptime and total cost of ownership,” he says.
Major improvements
Since becoming part of the Volvo Group, the company has made significant investments in its people, processes and products. On the product front, the company has introduced several new technologies with the aim of delivering new benchmarks in power, performance and reliability.
These include the driveline and hydraulic control systems that extend oil maintenance intervals, a transmission retardation system, as well as exhaust brakes and oil-cooled multi disc brakes to support operator safety and wellbeing.As many customers demand higher levels of connectivity and further automated functionalities, says Wilson, Rokbak has introduced a telematics system, Haul Track, to simplify fleet management, as well as automation through operational functions that enhance productivity, while ensuring high levels of machine protection.
Built around the customer
Given the importance of the ‘voice of the customer’ in today’s innovations, Wilson says the new Rokbak brand has been built around its customers. In preparation for the launch, the company spent a lot of time talking to customers to find out what they needed, wanted and expected from the brand and products, both now and in the future so it could deliver on those needs.
“Rokbak customers are shrewd, business-focused people who run the toughest worksites around the world and their profitability depends on us,” he says. “Hence, they want durable, easy to operate and easy to maintain machines where every feature contributes to an overall low total cost of ownership and operation – all backed by reliable aftermarket support. Going forward, customers can expect Rokbak to continue listening, learning and improving to deliver the industry’s most robust and reliable haulers with high uptime and high productivity.”
Additionally, the company is placing greater emphasis on environmental care, given its importance to the world and its customers too. “As a member of Volvo Group, we are on a collective mission to create efficient and sustainable transport solutions so our world and society can prosper. Individually, as Rokbak, we are taking our own steps to reduce the environmental impact of our products and operations,” he says.
As part of the plan to reach net zero at its factory in Scotland by 2040, Rokbak has already switched to renewable energy sources, is replacing diesel-powered forklift trucks to electric ones and is converting its gas heating and cooling to electric systems. The site is now practically landfill free and the company is actively working with suppliers to reduce the amount of materials consumed in the first place.
