Who will claim the title of the world’s best all-round truck driver? This was the question asked at the India finals of the Fuelwatch – A Driver Challenge 2019 that took place at Siddipet and Korba on July 4 and during 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.
“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,” says Dinakar B, SVP Sales, Marketing & Aftermarket at Volvo Trucks India.
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 in line with improving the drivers’ skills in their operations every day.
“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.”
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.
“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,” adds Dinakar.
India Fuelwatch 2019 results
Construction & Infra Segment
The competition was held on July 4 at Siddipet, Hyderabad. There were 12 drivers who competed for this championship. The results were:
- Winner : DLL Mohamad Ansari from G R Infraprojects Ltd
- 1st Runner-Up : Azgar Ali M D from Midwest Granite Pvt. Ltd.
- 2nd Runner-Up : Samma Reddy from KNR Constructions Ltd
The winners set a new standard in fuel efficiency. The difference between the highest and the lowest fuel-efficieny driver was a whopping 29%.
Coal Transportation
The competition was held on July 16 and 17 at Korba, Chhatisgarh. Ten drivers competed for the championship. The results were:
- Winner : Satrughan Mondal Ambey Mining Pvt. Ltd / Knowteq Equipcare Llp
- 1st Runner-Up : Ashok Kumar Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd
- 2nd Runner-Up : Narendra N East Coast Logistics Pvt. Ltd
The difference between the highest and the lowest fuel-efficieny driver was 19% in this segment.
Overburden Transportation
The competition was held on July 16 and 17 2019 at Korba. A total of 36 drivers competed for this championship. The results were:
- Winner : P Ravi from SV Engineering Construction
- 1st Runner-Up : Pinku Kumar from Chennai Radha Engineering Works Pvt. Ltd
- 2nd Runner-Up : Rajinish Jayswal from Dilip Buildcon Ltd.
The difference between the highest and the lowest fuel-efficiency driver was 17%.
