“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 skilful drivers doing an impressive job of handling their trucks,” said 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, and on 3 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.
The drivers competing for the title achieved excellent performance 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,” said Dinakar B.
India Fuelwatch – A Drivers’ Challenge
- The competition is held every year.
- This year’s competition was split into 3 competitions, as it focussed upon the drivers operating in their specific work environment. A total of 60 drivers qualified for championship.
- The competition aims to put the driver in focus and reinforce the importance of skilled and competent drivers.
- The focus areas of the competition are fuel efficiency, productivity and safety.
- 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.
India Fuelwatch 2019 – Construction & Infra Segment
The competition was held on 4-July-2019 at Siddipet, Hyderabad. 12 drivers competed for this championship.
- 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
Winner of construction & Infra segment. From L to R: Azgar Ali MD, DLL Mohamad Ansari, Deepak Agarwal, Samma ReddyIndia Fuelwatch 2019 – Coal Transportation
The competition was held on 16-17 July-2019 at Korba, Chhatisgarh. 10 drivers competed for this championship.
- 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
Winner of coal transportation segment. From L to R
- Suresh Chandel, General Manager - Sales - Volvo Trucks India
- V Venkateswarlu, VP Aftermarket - Volvo Trucks India
- Narendra N, 2nd Runner-Up - East Coast Logistics Pvt. Ltd
- Ashok Kumar, 1st Runner-Up - Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd
- Satrughan Mondal, Winner - Ambey Mining Pvt. Ltd / Knowteq Equipcare Llp.
The competition was held on 16-17 July-2019 at Korba, Chhatisgarh. 36 drivers competed for this championship.
- Winner : P Ravi from SV Engineering Construction
- 1st Runner-Up : Pinku Kumar from Chennai Radha Engineering Works
- 2nd Runner-Up : Rajinish Jayswal from Dilip Buildcon Ltd.
Winner of overburden transportation. From L to R
- Rajbushan, Head of Maintenance - Shivam Coal Carriers
- V Venkateswarlu, VP Aftermarket - Volvo Trucks India
- Pinku Kumar, 1st Runner-Up - Chennai Radha Engineering Works Pvt. Ltd
- P Ravi, Winner - SV Engineering Construction
- Rajinish Jayswal, 2nd Runner-Up - Dilip Buildcon Ltd.
- Suresh Chandel, General Manager - Sales - Volvo Trucks India
- Ravinder Bura, Head of Finance - Shivam Coal Carriers
- Satish Kadian, President - Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd
