Leading the way of fuel efficiency
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The winners at the Volvo Trucks Fuelwatch 2019 set a new standard in fuel efficiency.</span><p></p><p> The India finals of the Fuelwatch - A Driver Challenge 2019 took place at Siddipet and Korba on July 4 and July 16-17, respectively. The competition, which this year involved more challenges than ever before, attracted professional drivers from across India. The winner was DLL Mohamad Ansari for Construction & Infra, Satrughan Mondal for Coal Transportation and P Ravi for Overburden Transportation. </p><p>"The Volvo Trucks Fuelwatch Challenge brings together all the different challenges that truck drivers face every day. Their skills are often the decisive factor in the productivity and profitability of our customers. Drivers also make a major contribution to road safety. The finals gave us the opportunity to see incredibly skilful drivers doing an impressive job of handling their trucks," said <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinakar B, SVP Sales, Marketing & Aftermarket at Volvo Trucks India.</span></p><p>This was the 10th edition of the India Fuelwatch competition and this year it focused on three areas: fuel efficiency, productivity and safety. The India Fuelwatch Challenge focused on three key businesses - Construction & Infra, Coal Transportation and Mining. This strategic decision was taken inline with improving the drivers'skills in the operations that they operate every day.</p><p>"The drivers competing for the title achieved excellent performances in each area. They showed that it is possible to have a highly fuel-efficient driving style, deliver a fragile load quickly in good condition and, at the same time, follow the road safety regulations to the letter."</p><p>The aim of the Fuelwatch Challenge is to draw attention to the important work done by truck drivers. It is also a way of attracting young people to the job, which offers good career opportunities. The transport industry is constantly growing and there is now a shortage of trained drivers all over the world.</p><p>"To help our customers to recruit and retain skilled drivers, we have been focusing for many years on the design of the driver's environment and the drivability of our trucks. Driver support systems, which make it easier for drivers to manoeuvre trucks safely, and driver training covering everything from handling trucks to a fuel-efficient driving style are other examples of how we help drivers to do a first-class job and to grow and develop," added Dinakar.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">INDIA FUELWATCH - A DRIVERS' CHALLENGE</span><br /></p><ul><li>The competition is held every year.</li><li>This year's competition was split into three competitions, as it focussed upon the drivers operating in their specific work environment. A total of 60 drivers qualified to the India championship.</li><li>The final for Construction and Infra happened on July 4 at Siddipet and for Mining and Coal Transportation was held on July 16-17 at Korba.</li><li>The competition aims to put the driver in focus and reinforce the importance of skilled and competent drivers.</li><li>The main focus areas of the competition are: fuel efficiency, productivity and safety. </li><li>The set-up for the World Final was based on the FMX truck model and two tracks (Fuel and Productivity) in a closed-off area. The winner had the highest combined score from the two different driving stations measuring safety aspects, as well as fuel efficiency and productivity.</li></ul>