Agarwal Packers and Movers carve out a niche
Agarwal Packers and Movers have carved out a niche by innovating to address the changing requirements of its clients.
Agarwal Packers and Movers have carved out a niche by innovating to address the changing requirements of its clients.
In February 2018, Agarwal Packers and Movers Limited (APML) launched two mobile apps., APML Sathi and APML Suvidha. Aimed at taking the company into an era of social consciousness, the two apps. follow the company’s move to add 150 new tractor trailers of Eicher and Ashok Leyland make. The new trucks are equipped with in-built intelligent technology that will make moving and car transportation more efficient. Finding a place in the Limca Book of records for the year FY2015-16 as the largest mover of household goods, and fifth time in a row, APML is innovating. It is leveraging technology and know-how to address the changing requirements of its clients. Led by Ramesh Agarwal who acquired a commercial vehicle driving license in the mid-80s to start a small scale business of Agarwal Household Carrier with an eye on shifting of household goods, APML has come to be one of the largest logistics companies in India. By understanding and acknowledging the harrowing tasks of shifting personal
materials (household goods) safely and securely, Agarwal has driven his company to command a good 35 per cent of the packers and movers organised market share and five per cent of the unorganised market.
Continuing to grow in the wake of competition that is often duplicating its way of functioning and even its name at times, APML is investing into technology at various levels of its business model to stay ahead of the curve. Well aware of the competition quoting far lower prices, which is no less disruptive and detrimental to the health of the packing and moving industry space, APML, according to Ramesh Agarwal, has introduced ‘Trucking Cube’ technology. The technology includes cubes that are available in ISO containers of four-feet, eightfeet and 20 ft. containers. The use of these cubes, mentioned Agarwal, has reduced the risk of damages to goods during transit. “The cubes are a good way of keeping the cargo, often fragile household goods, from coming in contact with rain, moisture, dust, and other elements,” he said. Putting the industry loss at Rs.42,000 crore per year towards goods that are damaged in transit, APML is advocating the use of cube tech to other companies in the space as well. Of the opinion that doing so will bring down the losses, APML has also introduced new techniques to move highly fragile household cargo like television sets. Over the traditional method of using wooden frame to package a television set, which did not as effectively insulate such cargo from road shocks or handling errors, APML has taken to using LED ‘Innovation’ box
Available in most sizes, LED ‘Innovation box’ reduces the risk of damage to a great extent. Not only does that reduce the packaging cost from Rs.800 to Rs.200 according to Agarwal, it is also environment friendly. Amounting to the saving of 160 trees annually, APML has moved away from the use of corrugated sheets, which did not last even one trip. Instead of corrugated sheets the company has taken to use what it describes as fabric sheet. It is a laminated sheet with high strength fabric attached to it. The net result is reduction in packing cost by 26 per cent as they can be reused multiple times. The fabric sheet, according to Agarwal, increases the packing quality by 260 per cent. “By replacing traditional corrugated sheets with fabric sheet we have
been successful in saving 300 trees every year,” expressed Agarwal. Stressing upon their prime focus of moving goods safely and securely, Agarwal drew attention to the distribution of trucks to exservicemen to turn them into entrepreneurs as APML ‘Sathi’. He stated, “It is a part of my vision to empower defense exservicemen and veterans.” An ex-serviceman himself, Agarwal has been pursuing with the election commission the right of vote as nearly 80 to 90 lakh truck drivers are on the road on multiple occasions when elections are held for different segments of Indian democracy.
Striving to address the changing needs of clients, APML fully insures each and every consignment. Doing this gives us immense credibility, averred Agarwal. This also helps the client to have a peace of mind, he added. Operating a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles and more than 5,000 trucking cubes, APML has come to use 32 ft. multi-axle, 24 ft. and
20 ft. trailers to move goods. The company is studying the use of custom-built trucks to address exacting needs of the logistics sector. We maintain high efficiency of operation, Agarwal stated. He explained, “If the customer asks about relocating the goods, which may also involve a vehicle, we reply within three hours. The information includes the time for transit and cost.” To ensure utmost safety, the company is taking a number of initiatives. One of these involves the ‘Driver Sewa Kendra’ initiative. These ‘kendras’ have, at any given point of time, proper resting facilities for 500 drivers. The facilities include clean lavatories, hygienic food at less than the market price and free barber services for drivers. Found along the length and breath of the country, the ‘kendras’ also offer free health check-up camps for drivers. If the need for minor repairs arises, the ‘kendras’ also have a repair shop. Of the opinion that drivers are the lifeline of his business, Agarwal said, “Drivers receive immense respect at every ‘seva kendra’.” As a key part of the driver initiatives APML is taking, the ‘Seva Kendras’ are ensuring that drivers do not wear out. Fatigue, said Agarwal, is the cause of most accidents. At the ‘seva kendras’, Agarwal added, the trucks are parked securely and monitored.
To ensure safe and efficient drivers, APML periodically conducts rigorous driver training programs. Parameters like speed limits on the highway, and in the city, form an important part of the training. Drivers are also trained about the actions they should take in an emergency; in case of breakdowns. Drivers are trained to contact the control centre in case of a break down. A vehicle with similar load bearing capacity is dispatched as per the availability. A member of Worldwide ERC – The Workforce Mobility Association, and of Canadian Association of Movers, APML has invested in a centre that monitors the whereabouts of each truck in the fleet through telematics. Efforts are taken to comply with the timelines except in the case of an emergency or vehicle breakdown. About international transits, Agarwal expressed, “The new permits are seamless,
and make transits easy. About future innovations, Agarwal opined that APML, through the Suvidha mobile app., has been successful in seamless customer transits. Pointing at the challenge of consignments being stolen by transporters themselves, Agarwal mentioned that a strict norm should be in place. Confident of the industry growing at 12 to 14 per
cent annually for the next 70 years, Agarwal is planning to have one million trucking cubes, more than 6,000 trucks, 400 branches, 50 million sq. ft. of covered warehouse space and a turn over of Rs 7,000 crore over the next five years.
Recognised by Limca Book of Records six times, and by the World Book of Records, UK, APML announced in 2016, that it will invest Rs.100 crores over the next three years to further develop trucking cube. Banking
on the benefits of technology concepts like trucking cube, the company is keen to play the role of a reputed relocation management entity that has been supporting time-sensitive and smooth job-related moves. Offering to move employees and their families conveniently and systematically, APML has the USP of volume metric method based rates, fixed to and fro charges, yearly contract, single window employer assisted tie ups for shifting employee households, and easy access to more than 1264 locations in PAN India and 182 countries worldwide. Offering air and sea cargo services to move families with their goods, APML uses a wide range of qualitative materials for packing. Having devised convenient and brilliant ways to move its customers’ households or vehicles, APML has on board clients like Tata, Reliance, Infosys, HPCL, DFL, Godrej, Airtel, Usha among others. Having over 1264 locations across the country and 102 self-owned, fully computerized branches, APML takes pride in unparalleled and unique features such as the special carriers that makes it possible to carry the household goods and car together on the same truck apart from the
trucking cube.