UD Trucks launches New Quester to help companies overcome business challenges and accelerate growth with Smart Logistics

Fuel efficiency, battle for talent, productivity and connectivity are top priorities for fleets and transport companies and these challenges will be addressed with new features such as ESCOT and UD Telematics

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach - 30 January 2019 - UD Trucks today unveiled New Quester with enhancements to the well-established heavy-duty truck. New Quester will enable logistics companies to tackle critical industry challenges and boost their bottom line through Smart Logistics.

To be introduced in fast-growing regions around the world, the launch of New Quester highlights UD Trucks' unwavering commitment of "Going the Extra Mile" for customers' businesses.

Building on proven robustness and reliability, New Quester introduces key features such as ESCOT automated manual transmission, engines with higher horsepower and user-friendly telematics to deliver greater fuel efficiency, productivity, driver efficiency, safety, and uptime.

Håkan Karlsson, President, Volvo Group Trucks Asia & JVs, said "Quester comes from the best of three worlds: UD Trucks' strong Japanese heritage and craftsmanship, Volvo Group's innovative technology and strong local manufacturing and customer support. UD Trucks is recognized for pioneering new innovations within the Japanese trucks segment, and New Quester is testament to our global industry leadership.

Since 1995, UD Trucks has delivered more than 80,000 trucks with ESCOT automated manual transmission. We are humbled by the tremendous confidence and recognition that the Quester line has earned. With New Quester, we are positive to carry on this legacy of being the truck brand that our customers want to partner with."

Ensuring increased fuel efficiency for businesses to better manage fuel costs and mitigate oil price volatility

Fuel costs typically constitute 40 percent* of operating costs for fleet operators[1]. To boost productivity and profitability for business owners and logistics companies, New Quester achieves further enhanced fuel efficiency of up to 10 percent from the current Quester with the ESCOT automated manual transmission, lighter tare weight and optimized driveline, depending on the operating condition, driving behaviour and vehicle maintenance.

ESCOT includes a software which optimizes gear shifting according to engine rev, vehicle speed, loading weight and even road gradient. The smart system also includes a sensor that will select optimum gear automatically instead of assuming a first gear selection.

New Quester's enhanced fuel performance also aligns with the increasing focus on environmentally friendly regulations to curb fuel consumption in target markets. New Quester achieves fuel economy and quality standards for heavy-duty vehicles of Euro 3 to Euro 4 in all target markets, effectively reducing overall carbon footprint globally.

Introducing a more attractive and comfortable working environment, to support transport companies win the war on talent and expand the pool of talent

To combat the global driver shortage challenge, New Quester introduces more driver-friendly features to make the driving experience more seamless and comfortable.

This is a major obstacle for transport companies around the world. For example, it is estimated that South Africa needs an additional 15,000 new truck drivers each year but this target continues to be woefully unmet.[1]

A game changer in the transportation business, New Quester with ESCOT automatically selects the optimal gear at the right timing based on the operating condition. This takes away the need for manual gear shifting, which depending on the transportation operations, happens 1,000 to 1,500 times a day. Automatic gear selection also ensures that every driver on New Quester is equivalent to a highly skilled driver. This enables drivers to easily learn the operations of New Quester and better focus on driving with ease.

In addition to making driving simple, New Quester also aims to help businesses expand the pool of talent with easy-to-operate gear lever that uses a straight shifting pattern. In target markets such as Thailand, for example, the number of female Quester drivers is increasing due to its drivability. New Quester opens the doors for companies to attract even more prospects to pursue truck driving as a career and diversify the pool of talent for this role.

Driver fatigue continues to be a serious industry challenge, contributing up to 20 percent of road accidents in the world[2]. To address this, New Quester is developed with an air suspended cab and ride comfort package with reduced cab vibrations up to 18 percent. Driver's comfort is also enhanced with ergonomic seats and lumbar support for long-distance assignments.

New Quester increases overall drivability and safety for drivers with features that focus on increasing drivers' comfort levels and reducing driver fatigue.

Boosting profitability and business growth by doing more with less to overcome productivity constraints and complicated fleet management processes

With middle-class spending power in emerging markets estimated to rise to $20 trillion in the next decade, this presents immense growth opportunities for customers to achieve significant business growth in these regions.

In line with elevating business success through Smart Logistics, New Quester supports effective fleet management and driver performance with innovative customer telematics such as real-time vehicle tracking and geofencing for better fleet visibility and optimization. Such smart connectivity features support the increasing trend of new logistics delivery solutions that are offered by technology and local start-up companies in South Africa, Middle East, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

New Quester trucks are equipped with UD Telematics, which has the capability to connect directly to UD Trucks workshops to monitor and detect each vehicle's condition and service needs before a potential emergency occurs. Preventive maintenance analysis guides customers with monthly driving behavior and fuel consumption reports, ensuring higher uptime and more optimal fuel economy over time.

Owners of New Quester also enjoy increased uptime with a 2.5 to 3 times longer clutch life span under ESCOT automated manual transmission as compared to manual clutch replacement depending on the operating condition, driving behaviour and vehicle maintenance.

At UD Trucks, its Gemba spirit means being close to the ground and listening to the needs of local customers to be their most valuable partner in respective markets and segments.

Built to deliver UD Trucks' ethos of "Ultimate Dependability", New Quester increases uptime through UD Extra Mile Support. Offering an extensive network of well-trained service technicians, it provides quality aftersales service with genuine parts, service planning and vehicle handover training that optimizes fleet performance.

Jacques Michel, President, Volvo Group Trucks Asia & JVs Sales, said, "We recognize immense potential in fast-growing markets such as Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America where business success is a key contributor to economic progress. Combined with our Ultimate Dependability standard and Gemba spirit, New Quester marks our commitment to continue championing Smart Logistics and providing unmatched value to our customers in these regions."

New Quester will be available in key markets around the world in phases from mid-February 2019 onwards. Thailand, which also serves as UD Trucks' export hub to growth markets in Southeast Asia, will be the first to launch New Quester. 

Following the respective market launches, New Quester's driving adventure film series filmed around the world will showcase how the truck supports businesses in tackling actual, market-specific challenges faced by truck companies in fast-growing regions around the world.

For more information on New Quester, visit http://www.udtrucks.com/newquester and watch the digital reveal film at https://youtu.be/qRhK1wtSYPk.

Join the conversation on social media at https://www.facebook.com/UDTrucksJP and https://www.linkedin.com/company/ud-trucks-corporation.

UD Trucks is a leading Japanese commercial vehicle solutions provider, active in more than 60 countries on all continents. Since its inception in 1935, the company has been an innovation leader with a clear vision to provide the trucks and services the world needs today.

The company is committed to go the extra mile for smart logistics with the most dependable solutions for demanding customers. To best support across applications and geographies, UD Trucks offers a full range of heavy-duty trucks - Quon and Quester, medium duty trucks - Condor and Croner, and light duty trucks - Kazet and Kuzer, as well as associated operational and financial services.

UD Trucks is a proud member of the Volvo Group, which in 2017 had net sales of 335 BSEK and 100,000 employees globally.

For more information from the UD Trucks, please visit http://www.udtrucks.com/en-int/home