The best UD driver in the world is from SA!

The best UD driver in the world is from SA!

South African Lafras Kruger was named the best driver at the finals of the UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge fleet driver competition in Japan. Kruger took top honours in the UD Quester product category. 

The second South African participant, Buza Ngcelwane, received a reward for the Best Fuel Efficiency in the Quon product category.

“What a fantastic achievement by Lafras to clinch the top spot in this prestigious international competition,” says Gert Swanepoel, MD of UD Trucks South Africa. “Both Kruger and Ngcelwane certainly did South Africa proud, and their performance is testament to the level of skills we have in the local transport industry.”

What makes Kruger’s achievement even more special is the fact that he has only been a truck driver for ten months! Hailing from Somerset East in the Eastern Cape, Kruger works for RA Transport, a general-freight transport company.

The best UD driver in the world is from SA!“I am simply overwhelmed by the fact that I have actually won the title,” says Kruger. “It took many hours of preparation and the competition was a tough battle.”

Ngcelwane, a driver for Dairy Farmers SA in Port Elizabeth, achieved the Best Fuel Efficiency award through careful planning and his extensive knowledge of the operation, performance and handling of the UD Quon. 

“It was such an honour to participate in the competition and to do so in Japan, the home of UD Trucks, was simply the cherry on top,” says Ngcelwane. “We learned and experienced so much, and the memories and knowledge gained will certainly last us a lifetime!”

During the competition, drivers participated in either the UD Quester or UD Quon product categories, and had to compete in a simulated transport-delivery cycle.

“The Extra Mile Challenge is not only a driving competition, it also provides a wonderful opportunity for drivers to test and hone their skills, refine their strengths and go the extra mile,” says Kishi Nobuhiko, UD Trucks’ senior vice president of brand and product. 

 

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Focus on Transport

FOCUS on Transport and Logistics is the oldest and most respected transport and logistics publication in southern Africa.
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