UD Trucks and its long-standing sole distributor partner in Malaysia, Tan Chong Industrial Equipment (TCIE), have teamed up to organise the UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge (UDEMC) drivers’ competition. It is aimed at increasing competency by improving their driving skills and knowledge on how to maximise the capability of a UD Quester heavy-duty truck.
The UDEMC is organised as a competition that delivers multi-faceted advantages to the truck drivers and UD Quester fleet owners. More than just about driving skills, the competition guides drivers on how to maximise all the innovative features of a UD Quester truck to achieve the highest truck uptime and reduce operational cost.
The UDEMC is the first skills-based competition for truck drivers that is organised by a Japanese truck brand in Malaysia, in partnership with its local distributor, TCIE. Last year’s competition saw Malaysian truck driver Yuzairi Ibrahim from ASAC Logistics Sdn Bhd representing the country in the global championship in Japan, where he clinched the top place after displacing participants from other countries.
Looking to find another outstanding Malaysian driver who could potentially continue the country’s winning streak in the global arena this year, the organisers expanded the scale of the competition by opening it to all the drivers of UD Quester and making it more accessible for them to participate by running the pre-selection rounds at three different locations.
The first round was held on 8th July at TCIE Batu Caves, with the other two taking place on 15th July in Bukit Mertajam, Penang and on 22nd July in Johor Bahru.
“The UDEMC is based on UD Trucks’ brand promise of ‘going the extra mile’, as represented by our company values and quality products and services. It enables drivers of UD trucks to deepen their skills in maintaining vehicle uptime, thus improving their professional ability and offering them a role in propelling Malaysia’s truck industry,” said Naoki Kobayashi, Sales Director, UD Trucks Malaysia.
“The comprehensive approach of the competition also teaches drivers all about fuel-efficient driving techniques and behaviour. Overall, the competition targets to enhance drivers’ skills and increase their confidence; thus enabling them to perform their jobs effectively,” added Kobayashi.
Close to 25 UD Quester truck drivers from all over Malaysia participated in the pre-selection rounds.
“As the exclusive and authorised distributor of UD Trucks in Malaysia, Tan Chong Industrial Equipment believes that apart from selling trucks, aftermarket services are equally important. Thus, the UDEMC is an excellent platform to demonstrate to our customers the extension of our services that are catered to helping them get the most efficiency out of their trucks and drivers,” said Wong King Yoon, Chief Executive Officer, TCIE.
He added that when employers had good and skilled drivers and dependable trucks, they often would effectively reduce operational costs as well.
The Extra Mile Challenge comprises several elements that include pre-inspection, fuel efficiency and safety, and drivability. Ultimately, these elements aim to improve driving skills and reduce costs and downtime.
During the pre-selection stage, drivers were given a presentation on the competition concept, rules, scoring and how they could maintain truck uptime. Following that, they were tested on pre-inspection and theory test to assess their knowledge and skills. The 10 drivers who scored the highest points qualified for the Malaysia Final on 30th September.
In the final round, all participants would also be assessed on overall best scoring of Best Pre-Drive Inspection, Best Fuel Consumption and Best Driving Skill, and the winner of each category would receive an award.
The winner would get an all-expense paid trip to Japan to represent Malaysia in the UDEMC Global Final 2017, Quester Parts Voucher worth RM2,000, and an exclusive driver training session for all drivers employed by the winner’s company.
Recounting his experience, Yuzairi said: “It was a priceless experience for me to take part in last year’s UDEMC and to win the global championship in Japan. The experience was a milestone in my career and it has certainly increased my level of confidence as a truck driver. I wish this year’s participants all the best and look forward to one of them bringing back a second trophy from Japan!”
Meanwhile, his employer, Tan Seong Teik, Managing Director of ASAC Logistics, said, “UDEMC is a great platform for enhancing the capabilities and efficiency of truck drivers as well as keeping them motivated on the job.”
In conjunction with the UDEMC, TCIE is offering attractive rebates for UD Quester models with which customers who purchase new units of Quester are entitled to free first year service or five times maintenance service on labour and parts, and a 2-year or up to 200,000km warranty. This exclusive Quester promotion is available till 30th September, 2017.
