Consumer Revised DG

LMDT Trucks CONSUMER DG - JUNE 2014
SECTION A WARM UP
Introduction Introduce self, Market Xcel Research company
Audio recording: Confidentiality
Free & Frank opinion
No right / wrong answers

I have told you about my company and myself lets start with you. Could you tell me
something about yourself?
o So, can you tell me something about yourself and your Business?
o What is your main business?
o What is the legal status of your company, sole proprietor, JV, Partnership, Pvt.
Ltd., Ltd. Etc.?
o Since how many years you have been in trucking business?
SECTION B - UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS DYNAMICS
INDUSTRY
OVERVIEW -
TRENDS
OBSEVED
How is the present situation of the LMDT (5 to 12T) business? How profitable is it?
How the LMDT industry in our country has evolved over the past 3-5 years?
Have you seen any change in the dynamics of this business over the past few years? Any
particular change in terms of technology of the LMDT trucks that makes transportation a
lucrative business proposition? What are they?
FLEET SIZE/
TYPE
As you said you are managing a fleet of trucks, could you tell me something about your
fleet?
How many trucks are there in the fleet that you own?
What are the brands that you have? What models of each? How many trucks of each
model?
How many trucks out of the total trucks that you own are with GVW ;
o < 5 tonnes
o 5- 7.5 tonnes
o 7.5 10 tonnes
o 10 to 12 tonnes
o > 12 tonnes

What are these trucks generally used for? What are the major sectors/segments that you
service by offering your trucks? What are the products that you transport?
PROBE:
Construction material cement/ steel/ bricks/ sand/ machinery
Food/ grains/ groceries/ fruits/ vegetables/ poultry/ FMCG

TRUCKS
PREFERRED
(for only LMDT
segment)

Household products,/ electronic products/ textile products
Parcel & Logistics
Market load
Any other segment
How many trucks & which truck model have you assigned for each product type?
(MODERATOR TO ASK THE PROPORTION OF TRUCKS EMPLOYED IN EACH
PRODUCT TYPE
Now talking specifically about 5-12 tonnes GVW trucks;
What brands of trucks that you own? What models do you have in each brand?

Brands Models GVW = +body wt.
Payload
In which end use
Application they are
deployed


By Load (for only LMDT segment)
So tell me what model do you typically use in case of carrying different weights; why?
Probe:
Below standard/ regular load
Regular/Normal load
Overload
Others

By Distance (for only LMDT segment)
Which all places do you transit? What is the distance? How you define it (distance)?
Can you provide us with a broad level breakup on the following in the area of operation
that you provide your services?
o Probe:
locally
Intra state
Interstate and
Nationally
Now tell me does your model preference also vary basis the distance to be travelled?
How and why? What models do you prefer for different distances (within the 5 to 7.5,
7.5-10, 10-12 T segments)? (MODERATOR TO ASK MODEL/ BRAND PREFERRED
FOR EVERY LOCATION MENTIONED)
Probe:
Short distance (upto 150 km)
Medium distance (150-400 km)
Longer distance (>400 km)

By End use products

Does your preference also vary basis the products that are carried? Which model do you
prefer for each segment? How and why?
Probe:
Construction material cement/ steel/ bricks/ sand/ machinery
Food/ grains/ groceries/ fruits/ vegetables/ poultry/ FMCG
Consumer durables Household products,/ electronic products/ textile
products
Parcel & Logistics
Market load
MODERATOR TO PROBE AT THE LEVEL OF END USE SEGMENT AND NOT AT THE
5 BROAD BUCKETS. TOP 2-3 MODEL PREFERENCE TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR ALL
END USE SEGMENTS

Now can you please help me jotting down exact models and reasons for preferring a
particular product? Can you please tell us specifically what models/ type of trucks are
preferred for each? Why? (MODRATOR TO NOTE THE RESPONSES IN THE GRID
BELOW)
Probe:
o Which brand do you prefer? Why do you prefer this brand? What does this brand
have that rest other brands dont have? (MODERATOR TO COMPARE WITH
EACH BRAND)
o Which are the top models that you prefer within each brand? Why only this
brand? What is its specialty?
(MODERATOR TO LADDER DOWN AND UNDERSTAND THE EXACT
REASON WHY A PARTICULAR MODEL/ BRAND IS PREFERRED AND
WHAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE?)

By Load- Brands AND
Models
Reasons By Distance- Brands
AND
Models
Reaso
ns
By End use
application

Brands
AND
Models
Reasons
Under load
application
Short distance

Heavy goods
eg: Cement/
bricks/ sand
etc.

Regular/Nor
mal
load/Rated
Medium distance

(Food/ grains/
groceries/
fruits/


load vegetables/
poultry/ FMCG)
Overload Longer distance

Consumer
durables
Household
products,/
electronic
products/
textile products

Others Others Parcel &
Logistics

Market Load
Others

Have you seen any changes in the model preference across various end use segments
over the past 3-5 years? Which all segments and why?
For each end use segment discuss on
o What is the quantity of product carried per trip?
o What is a typical round trip distance? How many trips can be made in a day
typically?
o Load body requirements (length, width)
o Average loading, overloading, under loading
o Size of requirement of LMDT (in no of trucks per month / year) for their city /
state
o Any special requirement in the vehicle

Are there any restrictions on the kind of CV entry within any city / state that you have
come across? Probing on lines of restrictions in Delhi. Does it affect the buying behavior
in the LMDT segment? Discuss in detail.
Ok. Now tell me one thing, you pre decide on the products for which onwards transits are
done What kind of products do you carry as return load typically? For return load, how
do you find out the party that wants its products to be transited? Could you tell us the
whole process?
How many tires does your truck have? What are the different types of trucks available
(based on the tire numbers? What are the differences? How do you choose which one to
use for what? What are the key characters of each?
What are the key factors which you feel are good about the vehicles that you are using?
Is there any other issue that you are facing in terms of performance of any of the
vehicles? Any pain point?
SECTION C BUYING BEHAVIOR
DECISION
MAKING
You mentioned that you have X trucks? Please provide details, MODERATOR TO ASK
FOR UP TO THREE To FiVE (based on the size of fleet) MOST RECENT

PURCHASE OF 5-12 tonnes INSERT GRID.

Type

Brand

Year of
purchase

Capacity

Body Length

#1
(most
recent)

#2
#3
#4
#5

o Manufacturers name
o Model name
o Body length
o Year of purchase
o New purchase or Second hand
o What is the primary usage for each of those trucks
o Any other feature added on the base model provided by the company
Which is your most recent purchase

Let us now talk about your last purchase, when you bought the last truck/consignment of
trucks. What models were these?
What factors did you look at, what was one major criterion that you were looking for:
Moderator to first wait for the spontaneous response and then probe; If you were to
ladder these in importance how would you do that. Which factor would you place at top
which next and so on
PROBE:
o Brand Name
o Brand Loyalty
o Type of goods to be transported
o Financial factors Ease of getting loan/ less EMI/ Interest rate etc.
o Pay load/ GVW ratio - Vehicle weight enduring capacity
o Body length/ breadth
o Turning circle diameter
o Engine power
o Torque (gradibility)
o Spare parts availability
o Cabin space and tilt

o Driving comfort
o Loading/ unloading convenience
o Ease of repair Mechanics
o Drivers Cost / Expertise
o Fuel efficiency (at rate load/ under load/ over load)
o Power
o Maintenance cost
o After sales service
o Resale value
o Others

Moderator to list down all the factors and do the grouping exercise: Core (very
important), semi periphery (somewhat important) and periphery (Comparatively less
important)
Do you think there had been a change in purchase parameters in the last 3-5 years?
What has led to these changes?

Have you observed any change in the pattern in preference of various models for
different usage over the period of time?
Probe:
o Same truck model with same body length used for multiple purposes
o Truck usage restricted to a particular good type only vis. a vis. used for multiple
good types
o Complete change of good transited
o Capacity increase size / weight
o Change in time span
o Cost
o Technology
o Others
Need gaps Talking about the carriage and transit of products, do you feel there is
some need that is still unmet? What are they? What can be done for those? Can the truck
manufacturers be of help? In what ways can they solve the problems?
Is there a need to orient products offerings, what changes are desired at the first place?
Suggestions

(MODERATOR TO ASK BELOW QUESTIONS FOR Recently Bought each MODEL)
LAST THREE MODELS (MODERATOR TO CAPTURE DETAILS OF DIFFERENT
MODELS)

Ok now we will be talking about the trucks that you have purchased
o What brand did you buy? What models? When did you buy?
o How much did you buy it for?
o Why did you buy it? What was the need for the same?
o What goods/products do you transit using this truck type?
o What is the quantity?
o What is the distance for which you use this?
o What is the annual running for this? What has been the trend? Could you give the
figures for last to last, previous, current year?
o What is the loading/ unloading pattern? Overloaded/ under loaded?
o No. of trips it makes in a month/ year
o What is the waiting time?
o Requirement from the vehicle to ferry end product?
o What are the most liked features in your truck? Why?
o Did you add anything else i.e. any other additional feature in your truck? What are
they? Why? How much did you pay for each additional component?
o What are the issues that you are facing? Probe: performance/ efficacy/ output
etc.
What were the factors those were in your mind before you went ahead with the
purchase?
Now I request you to please go back to the time when you would have made the actual
purchase. What were the parameters of evaluation to buy this particular type of model
/ brand?
Product features
Power/ torque per tonne/ Ergonomics requirements/ safety/ ease of
handling/ seating capacity/ entertainment feature/ load body length
Others
Increased demand
Cost / Price

Capacity
Service standards
Service network
Financing options
Product related (type of goods)
Resale value
Fuel efficiency
Fuel type
Durability
Quality
Brand
Pay load/ GVW ratio
Load body area
Cabin space and tilt
Turning circle diameter
Driving comfort
Weight of the commodity
Engine power
Torque (gradability)
Vehicle weight enduring capacity
Span of journey
Type of goods
Loading/ unloading convenience
Fuel efficiency (at rate load/ under load/ over load)
Power
Maintenance cost
After sales service
Resale value
Others
What were the problems that you encountered during this process? Pre, during, post
purchase?
Now talking about the model in specific You said you bought _______ (model name)
Why did you buy this particular model?
What were the other models that you had considered? How, when and why were the

other models dropped?
What made you choose this model over others
Had price not been the constraint would you have still bought the same model, why why
not?
What according to you are the merits and demerits of this? Now given a choice, would
you like to exchange it with the other model? Why do you say so?

OUTLOOK TOWARDS CHANGE IN SITUATION
Now, we just now discussed the scenario in current context, could you tell me how would
you feel if;
1) Change in emission norms to Euro IV There is a change in the engines from
mechanical to electronic; Will your buying criterion shift due to the same? Why/ Why not?
How? What will change? Which brand/ model would you prefer?
Probe:
Difficult to be repaired at road-side
Vehicles being not repairable at road side, and hence may change preference for
brands
Others

2) Impact of Goods & Service tax What if the tax is increased as per the revised
norms? Will your preference of truck models change then? How? Why? What ways?
Probe:
More load per trip
Change in preference for vehicles.
Impact of GST- Goods and service tax (Large transporters)
More load per trip as they may not be able to relate to GST change (small
transporters)
Others
Also, tell me how do you anticipate change in the context of LMDT trucks with the
increase in the organized retail chain players & understand how trucks used in regular
retail mechanism is different from one used in organized retail.

PURCHASE INFLUENCERS
What influenced your choice? How did you decide what you wanted finally?

Probe:
o Other operators in the same business
o WOM
o Salesperson
o Peers
o Role of dealers
o Mechanics
o Drivers
o Previous experience and knowledge
o Others
What were the factors that made the final model the winner? What points were lacking in
other models? What did the other models not have that the winner had?

PURCHASE DESTINATION
Where did you buy your vehicle from? Why did you buy it from there?
What is the source of financing the vehicle

SOI - How do you know about this shop/ dealer? Since when do you know about it?
Pain Points
What were the problems that you encountered in the whole purchase experience?
On a scale of 1 to 5, how many marks would you give to the overall buying experience?
Why?
Probe:
problems encounters
Ease of documentation/ finance/ information gathering
Others
What do you think are the Major factors influencing / driving your need of purchase of
trucks. Probe: Business expansion, replacement of old vehicles/fleet any other?

ABOUT BUYING SPARE PARTS
From where do you purchase the spare parts?
Probe:
o Banded Vs. Local
Does it vary basis the part that you decide to buy? How and why? Could you please

explain? Could you explain with some examples? So what spare parts did you buy last?
From where? Why?
POST
PURCHASE
EXPERIENCE

Talking about your experience with the purchase of spare parts how has it been? Do
you get what you expect?
Pain points or loop holes?
Does it need to improvise on any parameter?
If I ask you to give some suggestions for the improvements what would you say?
SECTION D - BRAND OUTLOOK
BRAND
OUTLOOK
Could you tell me what brands in this category are you aware of?
(MODERATOR TO MAKE A LIST OF ALL BRANDS)
Ok so tell me what comes to your mind when I say _______ (Brand name)?
What are the associations that emerge when you hear Brand ? MODERATOR TO
ALLOW FOR SPONTANEOUS REACTION AND THEN PROBE
o Logo : Recall, Likeability
o Heritage: Knowledge , Appeal
o Others
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
What are its unique qualities?
We recently had elections every party was campaigning about itself they were
praising themselves similarly.. If I ask you to that there is a situation where every
brand is saying their positive things and pointing out the negatives of other brand what
would each brand say about itself and others? Probe on Top four brands within the
region including the brand purchased by respondent (ALL, EICHER, TATA AND SML
ISUZU)
Assume that your neighbour here wants to buy a new set truck, which brands do you feel
he should consider/ not consider? Why so?
What would you advise him?
Would he prefer same brand as his earlier truck? Why / why not?
What added features / things would he be seeking in his new set of tires vis a vis his
previous set of tires? PROBE: Body Length extended - Reasons
DO you feel the need to widen the Body breadth? Given an option would you do so?
What is the need? How would it benefit you? What difference will this make?
What all he would not consider in the new truck but had checked/ taken into account
during his previous buy?
Can you tell me something about the basic price of the each of these brands? Which one

do you feel is expensive and which one is ideally priced? How do you feel about the
pricing for each? If tomorrow one of these brands decides to increase its price, how
would you feel? Do you think it would be justified?
(REPEAT FOR EACH BRAND)
(Perceived Quality)
Suppose you are the teacher and have to give marks to truck brands, just like we get grades
for handwriting, behavior, clarity of thought etc...
Please give marks out of 10 to each of the brands on these parameters

Brand A Brand B Brand C Brand D
Durability

Ride Quality

Driving Comfort

Popularity

Goodwill

Quality Standard

Overload

Reparability

Value for Money

Fuel Savings/ Better
Mileage

Spare parts
availability

Safety

Capacity length/
width

Pick up

Engine power

Resale value

Others

So please help us understand a few more details about brands and model what is the

prevailing trend? Which are the best models those are giving best performance? Why do
you say so?
So do you mean that all models of the top brands are good or does it vary basis different
model type? Could you please explain?
Do you have any preference by Domestic manufacturer vs MNC, which brand are you
most disposed to, why?
FINANCING
OPTIONS
AVAILED
AND
PREFERRED
MANAGING FINANCE
Ok we would talk about the financing of your trucks. How did you finance your trucks?
PROBE:
o Self-funding
o Loan Bank
o Others
Why did you opt for ________? In what ways has it benefitted you? Why didnt you
choose the other mode?
What according to you are the merits and demerits of each?
What is the name of the bank? Why did you choose this particular bank?
Were you aware of the interest rates? How did you come to know about it?
Did interest rates influence your choice of bank/ brand? Why do you say so?
How easy or difficult is the complete financing process? What problems do/ did you face?
What should be done for that?
Does it vary brand wise? Could you please explain?
(MODERATOR TO CAPTURE THE EASE? DIFFICULTY OF FINANCING PROCEDURE)
If tomorrow you were to recommend a brand which one would you recommend in
5-7.5, 7.5-10, 10-12 GVW? Why ?
Anything that you would like to add?

THANK YOU

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LMDT Trucks CONSUMER DG - JUNE 2014

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