UD Trucks crowned champion, to compete at UDEMC
SELANGOR: The UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge (UDEMC), a truck driving competition that delivers multi-faceted advantages to both the truck drivers and UD Quester fleet owners, have recently concluded its final round of the competition for this year with the announcement of a winner which will then compete at the UDEMC Global Final 2017.
Truck driver Anuar Ahmad from Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd emerged as the Malaysian champion and has qualified for the UDEMC Global Final 2017 to be held in Japan in early November this year.
Held for the second time in Malaysia, the UDEMC was coorganised by Japanese truck manufacturer, UD Trucks, and its long-standing sole distributor partner in Malaysia, Tan Chong Industrial Equipment (TCIE).
It is an extensive customer-outreach initiative focused on boosting fuel efficiency and road safety among truck drivers who are considered as the life blood of the economy, with the end goal of increasing truck drivers’ competency.
In a press statement, UD Trucks Malaysia Hub managing director Filip Van den Heede said “One of the most important and successful philosophies of the UD brand is the ‘gemba’ spirit, which means the ability to go to the actual place to create value.
“Through UDEMC, we brought out this ‘gemba’ spirit in truck drivers by offering them a platform where they are encouraged to improve their skills and develop more appreciation and pride in their job.”
He added, “The cost of fuel is a big issue facing the logistics industry. With UDEMC, we are taking a holistic method that addresses drivers’ skills, vehicle maintenance and performance which all together contributes to business bottom line, efficiency and safety.
“UDEMC was designed so we could partner with our customers to give them a comprehensive approach to improving fuel economy and profitability starting at the grassroot, by training the end users.”
In these two years, we have trained drivers on the importance of fuel efficiency and the growing participation from drivers and their employers this year speaks volumes of the impact we have had with UDEMC.”
TCIE chief executive officer Wong King Yoon said, “UDEMC was organised as a competition to increase truck drivers’ competency by improving their driving skills and knowledge on how to maximise the capability of a UD Quester heavy-duty truck.
“UDEMC guides drivers on how to maximise all the innovative features of a UD Quester truck in order to achieve the highest truck uptime and reduce operational cost.”
He added, “As UD Trucks’ sole distributor partner in Malaysia, TCIE looks forward to making this competition a key platform in the industry that educates drivers, fleet managers, customers and other stakeholders about the importance of good driving practices. It is also our commitment in helping Malaysian companies and truck drivers achieve maximum fuel economy, reduced cost, increased profitability, and enhanced safety.”
In this final round of the Malaysian chapter of UDEMC, a total of 10 UD Quester truck drivers took part in a day-long event which was held in TCIE’s dealership in Ipoh Perak. The final round started with a briefing on safety and a competition route tour. As the ambassadors of UD Trucks on the road, they were also given a presentation on UD Trucks brand, products, services and overall objective of UDEMC to further enhance their knowledge.
Following that, the real action began when all the 10 finalists were divided into groups, with each taking turns to undergo the various test segments of the Final round which included Pre-Drive Inspection, Driving Skills, Fuel Consumption, Safety Driving (Parking Test), Cargo Friendly Driving Vehicle.