Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak, truck driver from Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Sdn Bhd, has been announced as the Malaysian champion and will be representing the country in the UDEMC Global Final competition to be held in Japan in April next year
Shah Alam, November 28, 2019 – Malaysia’s ultimate truck driver who was able to demonstrate the best skills for smart logistics at the 4th edition of Malaysia’s UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge (UDEMC) has been found and it is Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak, 36 years old truck driver with Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Sdn Bhd.
This is the second consecutive year that a driver from Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Sdn Bhd has won the UDEMC competition here in Malaysia. By winning this competition, Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak now has more training to do as he is set to represent Malaysia at the UDEMC Global Final competition in Japan next year.
Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak’s win follows a recent two-month long pre-selection competition round which saw him battle it out with other truck drivers from all over Malaysia. Jointly organized by UD Trucks and its sole distributor partner in Malaysia, Tan Chong Industrial Equipment Sdn Bhd (TCIE), the UDEMC is an annual competition which is part of UD Trucks’ vision for smart logistics. It is a friendly drivers competition aimed at increasing drivers’ competency through skills and knowledge enhancements and on maximizing the capability of the UD Quester heavy-duty truck.
The format of the competition, in which all participants were required to go through, simulates the actual truck operation cycle and assessing drivers in the three key areas – pre-driving inspection, fuel efficiency and safe driving, in addition to manoeuvring and parking. Contestants compete by using the UD Quester heavy-duty truck and are measured on effectiveness in operational cost, the ability to reduce downtime and safe and skilled driving.
The key purpose of the competition structure is to simulate a general transportation cycle and to visualize profitable operation through avoiding downtime, maintaining low-cost operation, preventing accidents and ensuring shorter trip time through efficient driving. All these will link the driver’s skills to business reality.
Steve Hedouin, Managing Director Hub Malaysia, UD Trucks shared, “At UD Trucks, we believe that societies depend on logistics to function and vice versa. In the midst of this, truck drivers are the enablers and the backbone of the industry. Thus, the UDEMC is designed with the driver in mind, demonstrating our commitment to improving driver education and motivation, while giving recognition to the unsung heroes of smart logistics.”
Jaclyn Loy, Chief Operating Officer, TCIE added, ““UDEMC is one-of-its-kind competition that benefits both truck driver and company. Since we started few years ago, UDEMC has received very encouraging response from our customers. This is a sign that our brand promise of going the extra mile to provide optimum support to our clients in terms of driver improvement and aftermarket support are valuable and beneficial to them.”
In addition to winning the championship, Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak also scored the best marks in the “Best Driving Skill” category. Two other drivers won in the other categories, namely Mohamed Firdaus Bin Shahrudin, a 33 years old truck driver from UPC Chemicals (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd who won in the “Best Pre-Drive Inspection” category and Mohd Azli Bin Mohd Nor, 37 years old truck driver from Tenaga Nasional Berhad who won in the “Best Fuel Efficiency” category.
Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak shared that he has been a truck driver for 11 years and started driving UD Quester two years ago.
“My experience driving UD Quester has been excellent as I find it powerful with great drivability because of its advanced technology and safety features. There is a Real Time Fuel Coach feature which I really like because it guides me to achieve better fuel consumption. With this, I use less fuel per trip and hence bring better profits for the company. The cabin is also spacious and comfortable, which helps reduce my fatigue during long distance assignments.
“For me as a truck driver who spends so much time on the road and away from my family, it’s important that I drive a reliable truck to help me accomplish my long-distance assignments and ensure the cargo delivery to customer is in good condition and on time. This will allow me to save costs in terms of time, energy and fuel. With consistent truck uptime, I am able to spend more time with my family too,” says the devoted father of three kids.
Although elated with his win, Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak is even more excited about his upcoming trip to Japan in the next few months for the UDEMC Global Final competition. He said, “This will be the first time ever that I am going overseas, and to represent Malaysia in this competition is truly an honor for me. I have gained so much learnings from UDEMC and acquired more knowledge and awareness of my role as a truck driver. There is a deeper sense of pride in me now. Definitely will share my fantastic experience with my other colleagues too.”
Khairul Nafsha Bin Ishak won an all-expense paid trip to Japan, Quester Parts & Service voucher worth RM2,000, RM500 for winning “Best Driving Skill” category and an exclusive driver training session for all the drivers from Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Sdn Bhd.
Mohamed Firdaus Bin Shahrudin from UPC Chemicals (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Mohd Azli Bin Mohd Nor from Tenaga Nasional Berhad walked away with Quester Parts & Service voucher worth RM500 each.
