Indonesian company Global Karya Utama Trans’ purchase of seven SDLG wheel loaders is proving ideal for its rental fleet, as the machines’ simple but reliable design makes them well-suited for deployment in corrosive environments such as fertilizer plants.

Global Karya Utama Trans (GKUT) runs one of the busiest rental fleets in Indonesia, with some 60 construction equipment machines in its ranks. More than half of them are wheel loaders, and of those, a significant portion are from SDLG. The brand’s value proposition of simple, reliable machines that are easy to maintain and backed by an expert dealer network has certainly resonated with GKUT, as its representatives say the machines have proven ideal for its rental fleet.

In total, GKUT is using seven SDLG wheel loaders and is putting them to work across Indonesia. It bought its first model in October 2015, an LG956L. Since then, the Surabaya-based company has purchased six more: two additional LG956Ls, two LG936Ls, an LG918, and most recently, an LG956F.

“What stands out the most about SDLG is the durability and the value of its machines,” said Budi Susetio Kwarso, owner of GKUT. “SDLG has also been very proactive and responsive in its customer support, even on weekends.”  

Currently, GKUT has rented SDLG wheel loaders out to three separate job sites in Surabaya alone. The machines are working on a range of applications, including at a fertilizer plant, a ready-mix concrete plant and a batching plant. The environments are often corrosive and destructive to equipment, as the large amount of chemicals and dust can erode machine electronics and moving parts. SDLG machines, however, rely on simple technology, which means there are less electronic features that can be destroyed in such environments.

The Indonesian subsidiary of a leading Asian agribusiness group is witnessing this scenario first-hand. The company is using one of GKUT’s LG956L to support operations at its fertilizer plant in Gresik, exposing the machine to high levels of corrosive materials. In this case, it would have been less prudent to use a more expensive, premium machine that has many features that could easily become damaged, leading to inefficient downtime on the job site.

“The amount of corrosive materials at fertilizer plants leads to the inevitable shortening of machine lifetime. The dusty conditions onsite also require machines to have good engine filter systems,” Budi said. “These are reasons for our purchase of the LG956L, and we’re happy that our customers are also seeing this value in the machines.”

GKUT has SDLG wheel loaders working in similar applications across Indonesia. Another customer, one of Southeast Asia’s largest cement companies, is using an LG956L unit, along with two LG936L models, at a ready-mix concrete plant in East and Central Java. A third customer, a leading manufacturer and supplier of plasterboards in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, is using an LG956L at a batching plant. Both job sites also expose the machines to corrosive conditions, so SDLG wheel loaders have been a natural choice for the projects.

The LG936L is a 3 t capacity wheel loader. It is powered by a Weichai Deutz WP6G125E22 engine and has a bucket capacity of 1.4 m3 to 3.0 m3. The LG936L has a maximum dumping height of 2,950 mm to 3,278 mm, and a dumping reach of 1,020 mm to 1,050 mm. The LG956L is a 5 t capacity wheel loader, one of the larger machines in GKUT’s rental fleet. It is powered by a Weichai WD10G220E23 engine and has a standard bucket capacity of 3.0 m3. The machine has a dump height of 3,180 mm and a dump reach of 1,090 mm.

One bonus of using SDLG wheel loaders in a rental fleet is the ease of their operations. With simple controls and features, most operators find that it takes very little time to learn how to operate the machine and use it effectively on the job site. Therefore, the machine can deploy quickly without much training time needed. This efficiency and increased uptime greatly benefits the rental customer as these machines are usually rented for relatively short periods of time.

With these advantages in mind, GKUT has plans to buy up to five additional SDLG units in the upcoming months.

“Over the years, we have developed a very good relationship with SDLG. I recall one time when I needed service support for a machine and, despite it being a weekend, SDLG was able to immediately send someone to resolve the issue for the customer,” said Budi. “This is why I can trust SDLG.”

GKUT provides heavy construction equipment rental and leasing services across Indonesia. Based in Surabaya, it has been an independent company since 2007.