Challenges? Many! Do you want to overcome them? More. Transportes Kugar del Papaloapan has projected a 30 to 40% growth in its vehicle fleet for the next five years and diversification into markets such as beer, containerized and specialized cargo.
In an interview with T21, Alfonso Tuccella, CEO, and José Roberto García Zavala, Commercial Director of the company, talked about some of the challenges they have faced and their future goals . Kugar (number 42 in the Top 100 of Autotransporte® ) also has a total fleet of 1,444 units.
“Obviously we want to explore all the new technologies that the market has. We have recently tested gas cars and also electric cars,” said García Zavala.
Both highlighted the company’s efforts in training operators , through its internal school and the use of advanced simulators, given the shortage of professional drivers in the sector.
However, they acknowledged that high turnover, which reaches 40%, makes it difficult to meet demand.
In terms of sustainability, Tuccella highlighted the installation of solar panels , waste recycling and certification as a clean industry, as well as the expansion of its infrastructure.
“We have invested a lot more in the northern part of the country. We are expanding towards the north and of course there are also talks of entering the United States market,” said Tuccella.
Challenges that remain in the sector
Insecurity in transportation and the critical conditions of road infrastructure in the center and southeast of the country marked the main challenges for Kugar in 2024. According to Alfonso Tuccella, the central and southeastern areas of the country continue to have very high rates of robberies .
“We have lost units and had to implement an internal convoy program, sending five or six trucks together and restricting operating hours. This impacts productivity,” he explained.
In addition, José Roberto García highlighted the lack of maintenance on key routes . “We are seeing that investment in repairing the road network has been minimal or non-existent in 2024. It has hit us very hard,” García commented.
Another challenge they faced in 2024 and that still persists is the lack of spare parts and inflation in truck and maintenance costs.
“The price of a new tractor-trailer has doubled in three years, and the time to obtain spare parts has been extended to three weeks, which halts operations,” said Tuccella.
Despite the difficulties, however, Tuccella stressed that its personalized service is one of the company’s strengths.
“We make tailor-made suits, it is not really a general service, it is a very precise service tailored to what they are looking for. We have world-class clients, where the demands are very high,” said Tuccella.
Finally, Kugar representatives agreed that the company will always be committed to innovation, sustainability and expansion to consolidate its position as a benchmark in the logistics sector.
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