The trucking industry, regarded as the lifeblood of the economy, is a vital sector that intertwines with almost all other business sectors. Without the trucking industry, business activities would come to a standstill.
Recognising this, Volvo Trucks has launched today the Volvo Fuelwatch Challenge 2014 and the Volvo Driver Development Programme with a renewed mission to build the quality of truck drivers by empowering them with more knowledge and instilling in them deeper awareness and appreciation of their contribution to the economy.
Speaking at the launch, Mats Nilsson, Managing Director, Volvo Malaysia said, “The expanding breadth and depth of economic activities lead to the growth of the commercial vehicle industry. In direct relation to the economy; a safe, efficient and responsible trucking industry, including drivers’ skills at conserving fuel and being aware of the value they bring to the table are highly essential factors in ensuring sustainable business operations and development.
“At Volvo, our trucking services stretch beyond truck sales and maintenance work. We are highly committed in helping to build the overall value offer of truck drivers as well in Malaysia. This means giving them the necessary training sessions on how to handle and optimise use of our trucks, guiding them on safety features and innovations, and how to maximise miles driven with the least fuel usage. So this year, we are taking our annual Fuelwatch Challenge a notch further by also officially launching the Volvo Trucks Driver Development Programme,” he added.
The Driver Development Programme (DDP) is currently being offered free of charge to customers who sign up for it. Now in its fifth succeeding year, the Fuelwatch Challenge is a competition that endeavors to coach drivers on fuel economy and proper driving skills in a fun and informative competition format.
It aims to help companies reduce wastage and truck operating costs by inspiring, equipping and training their truckers on fuel efficiency and to further accentuate the fact that a change in driving behaviour can in fact also play an instrumental role in reducing environmental impacts.
Volvo will be taking the preliminary rounds of Fuelwatch to areas across Malaysia including Shah Alam, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Prai, Kuching and Bintulu within the next two months as part of its quest for the next most fuel efficient truck driver in Malaysia.
Winners from the preliminary rounds will meet at the semi-final in Shah Alam on 6th champion will go on to represent Malaysia at the Fuelwatch APAC as well as the World Finals, expected to take place in Sweden later this year.
Mohamad Bin Dalib, Director of Automotive Engineering Division and Road Transport Department, Malaysian Ministry of Transport commended Volvo’s efforts and said “As the transportation industry expands, it becomes more apparent that we need to also increase the quality of our truck drivers by engaging them through training programmes such as these, so as to enhance overall safety, fuel efficiency, reduction of CO2 emission and optimise uptime.
The winner of the Malaysian chapter will move onto the APAC and World Finals which will be held in the home of Volvo at Gothenburg, Sweden in September 2014.
