On the Asia Highway 2 with Nordin Bin Mat Sa'at
RoadStars meets
Nordin Bin Mat Sa’at won't get in any truck without his striking aviator sunglasses. The driver from Kuala Lumpur regularly drives along the Asia Highway 2 for the Swift Group. RoadStars accompanied him on the road.
A brightly decorated Hindu temple here, a mosque there and only a few kilometres further a Buddhist shrine. Anyone driving through Malaysia quickly realises that the south-east Asian country is truly a multi-ethnic state. "We are a young and very, very colourful nation", says driver Nordin Bin Mat Sa’at with some pride. "During my tours I see this diversity on every street corner." The 27-year old has been driving for the Swift Logistics Group for four years. Based on tonnage moved, the company has been the largest forwarding agent in Port Klang, Malaysia's most important sea port since 2015. The port is about one hour's drive west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur, on the Strait of Malacca. The Swift headquarters are also there. The company was founded in 2011 and with around 2000 employees operates Malaysia's largest fleet of trucks. Around 250 of Swift's tractor units sport the star.
"In the cockpit of my Actros I almost feel like a real pilot – so the right sunglasses are a must."
– Nordin bin Mat Sa’at, a driver for the Swift Group in Malaysia
From Port Klang to Johor Bahru.
Nordin's truck is an older model series, an Actros 2644. He regularly drives the 370 kilometre route from Port Klang to Johor Bahru in the south of the Malaysian peninsula. Just like the lively capital Kuala Lumpur, the city which is often just called "JB" for short is one of Malaysia's economic hubs. Thanks to trade with Singapore which is only a stone's throw away south of Johor Bahru, the former residence of the Sultan has become a modern commercial metropolis with a population of about 1.5 million.
Driving along the mega-highway.
"We usually transport freight for customers from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand," Nordin explains. "And in doing so, I often drive along the Asia Highway 2." Asia's mega-highway is 13,177 kilometres long, stretching from Denpasar in Indonesia to Khosravi in Iran. It passes through ten states. The sections in Malaysia are for the most part very well constructed thanks to a state investment programme worth billions. "For us drivers, this is of course super. On the new motorway, you can make relatively good time. The journey from Port Klang to "JB" can be done in less than six hours. On condition you're driving a reliable truck like the Actros."
Pilot in the cockpit.
His striking aviator sunglasses are a must on every tour. "I'd never get in without them," Nordin admits. "Before I started driving for Swift, I only drove old tractor units. Their cumbersome steering was sometimes a real adventure. "In the cockpit of my Actros I almost feel like a real pilot – so the right sunglasses are a must."
Photos: Alexander Tempel
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Super Bilder Super Reportage ( Die Petronas Towers Türme ) was für ein Bild der Hammer !! 👍😎
vielen Dank für dein Lob! In den Artikeln steckt natürlich viel Herzblut und da freuen wir uns wie Bolle, wenn sie euch so gut gefallen 😁
vielen Dank für dein Lob! In den Artikeln steckt natürlich viel Herzblut und da freuen wir uns wie Bolle, wenn sie euch so gut gefallen 😁