Roads #1, 2016 by UD Trucks Corporation

Roads UD Trucks - Going the Extra Mile since 1935

South Africa The hard road to success UDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gemba Spirit

ISSUE 1 | 2016

Specially designed for reliability and durability

Dear friends,

When using UD Genuine Parts you know you get exactly the right performance and fit for each truck. They are specially designed and tested to ensure the highest possible level of reliability and and durability, allowing you to maximize uptime, keep your delivery promises, and not least, cut your costs. It’s a genuine assurance that will keep your business running.

Many of you will have heard of the Japanese word gemba – but it is more than just a word. In business, it refers to the place where action happens, where value is created. Every day our gemba people go the extra mile to understand what is important for you, your business, your efficiency and your serenity at work. Your feedback contributes to our gemba spirit - our engineering, design, quality, and manufacturing teams rely on your comments to design and produce the most suitable trucks and the most adapted services for you.

ISSUE 1 2016 04

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this new issue of Roads, your magazine about trucking and the UD world.

When UD was created, our founder Kenzo Adachi put his first diesel truck to a 3,000km-test drive in rural Japan in 1939. He wanted to verify its dependability and reliability under the toughest conditions. This is the origin of UD’s gemba spirit which is now part of our DNA. Today, as ever - and even more than ever this gemba spirit is what drives us at UD. This is also the spirit that flows in you, our readers, whether you are transportation industry professionals, entrepreneurs or drivers, as this issue’s three inspiring customer stories demonstrate. In South Africa, we meet Johan Duvenhage who created and developed PM Transport. Despite some harsh times he kept his spirits up, always learning through his difficulties, and thanks to courage, hard work and sense of service to his customers, he has been rewarded with a thriving, successful business. In Japan, KOSOKU Group developed from a one-man company into a 500-person group by catering to every need of a country’s infrastructure development era. In Jakarta, Indonesia, Sinar Transindomitra Abadi Logistik is run like a big family, and every employee is part of this extended family, committed to the company’s growth.

We wish you all the success you deserve, with UD as your loyal and dedicated partner, always there to support your activities. Keep trucking! Kawanabe Takashi Field Support Director Japan Sales

Going the Extra Mile

The UD Gemba Spirit

South Africa The hard road to success

Japan KOSOKU Group Building tomorrow’s hometown

UD gemba voice Kazuhito Hosono Chief Project Manager for trucks

Indonesia

Family trees The root of success

Each of you has this gemba spirit in yourself, and that’s why your experience is guiding us in the development of our new trucks. Quester is the latest example of this dedication; robust, offering maximum uptime and minimum running costs, you’ll discover its telematics offering in this issue. Every day, in 60 countries, our mechanics, salesmen and all our gemba people are ready to go the extra mile with you, to help you grow your business, through whatever challenges, however harsh your environment.

UD around the world

Extra Mile Stories

Five reasons why ESCOT-V is the top choice

Trucker Tips & Tricks

Tips for keeping your truck cab tidy

Roads is published by UD Trucks Corporation www.udtrucks.com Publisher Kenneth Hagas kenneth.hagas@volvo.com

UD around the world

JAPAN

AUSTRALIA

Quon-based snowplow The only snowplows clearing roads in Japan are mounted on UD trucks. In February this year, UD Trucks showcased a Quon-based snowplow at its snowplow exhibition and demonstration session in Morioka.

Extra Mile Stories reveal how the new Quon supports drivers

AUSTRALIA Borg Manufacturing, a business specialized in manufacturing and supplying chipboard and laminate products for the kitchen industry, relies on UD Trucks to distribute their products all over Australia. It recently took delivery of the first ten 6x2 PD 24 280’s to reach Australian shores. “They’re practically a bullet-proof truck,” says Michael Borg, Managing Director of Borg Manufacturing. “We spec all our UD’s with the Allison automatic, which means I don’t need to worry about drivers wearing out clutches, especially when we run with maximum payloads.” PD 24 280 6x2 Condors

“It’s maneuverable and easy to drive, so drivers are less prone to fatigue, and their work becomes a little easier. In the sense of supporting drivers, the new Quon is a kind of savior for us,” says Mr. Akira Maruyama, director of Yamato Multi-Charter Co Ltd, which runs a cargo and freight transportation service throughout the Kansai area in Japan.

UD Trucks goes the ‘extra mile’, rolling up their sleeves for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service The Australian Red Cross Blood Service recently took delivery of three GK 17 420 prime movers to help haul their fleet of mobile donor centers throughout Queensland and New South Wales. The Blood Service has been running a nationwide campaign that aims to make sure that 25% of Australia’s blood donations are secured. This initiative - aptly

named Red25 - unites companies, community groups, universities and schools and encourages them to set up a Red25 group to donate blood for their country. To celebrate the delivery of the prime movers, UD Trucks launched its own Red25 campaign. One of the Red Cross mobile donor centers visited UD Trucks and staff rolled up their sleeves to donate blood.

Running the extra mile Around the UD globe – from Australia to South Africa, and in Japan, and Singapore – over 200 UD staff together ran more than 3,000km – proudly going the extra mile in their UD colors, and some raising money for good causes.

To hear more customer testimonials, please go to UD Trucks YouTube page or scan the QR code to visit our website.

JAPAN

Customer appreciation events are being held throughout Japan. In 2016, the UD Japan Sales regions will invite around 1,500 customers to their customer appreciation events. Each region finds creative ways to show their appreciation and gratitude - to go the extra mile - for their current and future customers.

“The PD is a great example of our engineering departments designing a truck to meet the needs of the market,” comments Jon McLean, Vice President of UD Trucks Australia (left) standing by an impressive line-up of PDs.

Japan: The Ageo City Marathon 2015 In Ageo, home to UD Trucks headquarters, more than 100 UD runners went on the road to support the local community. UD Trucks was one of the sponsors of this event and also distributed 1,600 neck-warmers to children as gifts.

Australia: The Bridge to Brisbane Day 2015 For the second year running Australian employees took part in the 5km or 10km Bridge to Brisbane to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland. The 100-strong Team UD, consisting of around 60 VGA employees and their families went the ‘extra mile’ raising nearly $8,000 for the charity.

South Africa: AfriForum Springbok Vasbyt Some of our very own UD Trucks staff members recently ran their very first race in the new UD Trucks gear in Pretoria on July 11th, 2015. Joe Pretorius and Graham Kolm ran 25km, while Zithulele Phali successfully completed the 10km race. Well done to our UD team!

Singapore: Mizuno Ekiden 2015 Twelve Singapore-based UD runners took up the challenge and participated in the Mizuno Ekiden 2015. For this relay race, the UD headquarters for Asia Oceania entered with three teams of four runners each, jointly completing the 42.4 km distance. It was a day of great teamwork and fun, full of extra miles and extra smiles.

The UD Gemba Spirit Gemba: more than a word, a philosophy. UD gemba spirit originated over 80 years ago with the creation of UD. It has been passed down through generations since that day, and will continue to guide UD into the future as it strives to be the most valuable partner of each and every customer.

“It is important to listen to customers’ voices directly. Their voice is key to keeping us motivated and to helping us improve, so that we provide them with trucks that are fully satisfactory.” Kazuhito Hosono Chief Project Manager for trucks

What is gemba What is UD gemba spirit U D g emba spirit is the profes sional, passionate and dependable spirit of the UD people. It is the will to roll up sleeves and provide a solution. It is being close to the ground to identify the essentials and t h e d r i v i n g fo rce that allows us to excel at them.

Gemba is a Japanese word that describes where action takes place and value is created, from the factory floor to dealerships to customer facilities. It is the place where UD people interact with their customers, so the Japanese will talk about ‘their gemba’ and ‘their customers’ gemba’. Wherever it is, gemba is a place to listen and understand, to seek out opportunities for improvement.

“I always prefer face-to-face communication over phone calls or emails. I like to pick up as much as I can about both major and minor matters.” Eriko Fuse Technical Support for UD global markets

Kazuhito Hosono has spent his entire career at UD Trucks, and is a chief project manager for trucks. In his opinion, the ultimate gemba is at the customers’ site. “I always tell my teammates to “go to gemba”, to understand what’s going on. Gemba is the starting point, where we solve issues, and also where we receive feedback,” Hosono explains. He started with one customer’s request to visit their site, and then went on to visit each and every UD Customer Center in Japan. Hosono collected feedback from different customers as

well as the UD gemba people: customer services and mechanics teams. Gemba is about listening. It is also about experiencing something for oneself, to be in a position to fully understand the issue at hand. Hosono passed his heavy-duty truck driver’s license. With this skill, he can experience issues first hand and provide the most adequate answers to customers. He can also test every new technical development as well as measure the progress of new solutions.

UD headquarters are located at the heart of the Ageo factory site. The gemba spirit also drives this strategic location choice. Communication between the two facilities can be quick and efficient. This is one of the unique features of UD Trucks. Eriko Fuse, who provides technical support for UD global markets works at the headquarters. The UD Experience Center is close by, where customers and employees from different departments can test

What can the UD Gemba Spirit do for you?

Quality What our mechanics and customer advisors do every day, our executive, engineering and design teams also do. For example, when UD needed to rethink its offices to allow for expansion, it decided to position its new headquarters and design studio at the heart of the Ageo manufacturing plant. This way, everybody working at UD’s headquarters is within walking distance of the factory. It makes constant feedback much easier to collect, and constant improvement easier to implement.

drive UD trucks, and keep up to date with all of UD’s latest technology. Fuse would say that gemba is about how to communicate with customers and peers. “When it comes to discussing and solving a problem, I always prefer faceto-face communication over phone calls or emails. I like to pick up as much as I can about both major and minor matters,” explains Fuse. The best solution comes from the joint effort of a team, one that is constantly communicating. “Each team member is an expert for different problems, so cooperation is very important,” Fuse adds. Growing up in Ageo, Fuse visited UD on school trips many times. This cultivated her passion for the automobile and engineering at a young age. After graduating from university in engineering, she returned to her hometown to join UD. But a degree and a passion for engineering weren’t enough; she wanted to be better at her gemba. Just like Chief Project Manager Hosono, Fuse also obtained her heavy-duty truck driver’s license so she could experience herself the feedback from customers. To Fuse, building trust with customers and then receiving their thanks are what gives her the most satisfaction at work.

“It’s also very important to have constant communication with gemba people, to absorb not only the necessary information but also those small details that are often difficult to catch.” Takahiro Sasaki Facility and equipment maintenance at UD Ageo factory

Takahiro Sasaki’s gemba is the manufacturing floor at the What can the UD Ageo factory. He is in charge Understanding Gemba Spirit of equipment maintenance. do for you? Gemba spirit is in every piece of work at UD, every office, The number of certificates and and every service center around the world. Every day, our awards he has won bear witness workers, our engineers, our service advisors, go to gemba, to obto his gemba spirit. With his expertise, he is able to serve, understand, and take the most appropriate actions. Every day, each UD gemba person learns from the other and from our clients. complete certain repairs and maintenance jobs internally, rather than outsourcing, which both improves efficiency and guarantees quality.

Gemba Spirit: In UD’s DNA The gemba spirit at UD has been there since the birth of the company. Our founder, Kenzo Adachi, relied on his gemba spirit and his vision when he launched the company in 1935. Developing his first truck and first diesel engine, he decided to test it on the actual gemba. A never-before-seen 3,000-km test was organized, through the largely undeveloped roads of the Japan of those days. What was a very tough trip for any vehicle was an even bigger challenge for a very first prototype. Kenzo Adachi wanted to submit his truck to the toughest conditions possible, to make sure the trucks based on that prototype would resist whatever customers put them through.

“What we want is a truck that can handle any road, no questions asked. If the truck doesn’t clear this test, we can’t expect our customers to feel confident in it.”

He decided to drive the truck himself during this challenging trip, so he could collect information first hand about the potential weaknesses of this first prototype. Though exhausting, the trip went surprisingly well, covering over 3,000 kilometers in 13 days, without any breakdowns. The company’s reputation for reliability was also born during that road trip, with that very first LD1 truck and its innovative ND1 engine.

their experience; the will to collaborate closely between managers and employees, between engineering, manufacturing, sales and after-sales departments; the passion to always go the extra mile.

The spirit of Kenzo Adachi has continued to live on through the company’s history. The will to listen to customers, to learn from

Sasaki, however, doesn’t see his job as simply keeping the machines running; he sees much further down the line: “I want to improve the safety and quality of our work so that we deliver quality products and services to our customers.” This sense of responsibility motivates him to go the extra mile in his gemba everyday. He is in constant communication with other gemba people, processing key information but also picking up all those small details and nuances that are often difficult to catch. “This allows me to capture the condition of the facility from every angle,” says Takahiro Sasaki.

Kenzo Adachi

All these define our gemba spirit, at the service of our customers, of their business efficiency. For our customers, we continue to provide the trucks and services that the world needs today by going the extra mile for smart logistics, and with our UD gemba spirit doing the extra effort!

“I believe it’s important to understand what the customers really need. It is sometimes difficult to get a clear picture so I make sure I’m attentive to the small details in our initial conversation.” Masashi Inoue Service Advisor at UD Customer Center in Fukuyama

Upholding the same passion is Masashi Inoue, Service Advisor at the UD Customer Center in Fukuyama. “I believe it’s important to understand what customers really need from their first contact. It is sometimes difficult to get a clear picture so I make sure I’m attentive to the small details in our initial conversation.” As a service advisor, he is the first point of contact between UD and customers. Besides being an attentive listener, and designing service and training according to each customer’s needs, Inoue makes sure his message to customers is clear and effective. “I prefer to explain solutions in my own words, and make it easy for my customers to understand and visualize all the processes involved,” Inoue says.

At the core of gemba spirit you’ll find teamwork. Sharing knowledge and understanding the issues goes a long way towards bringing an efficient and quick solution. Shinichiro Fukuda, a mechanic at Yokohama UD Customer Center, sees it as the only Peace of Mind way to improve a mechanic’s performance. “As new What can the UD UD offers you ultimate dependability for you to maxproducts and services come out all the time, learning Gemba Spirit imize uptime and keep your business rolling under and acquiring knowledge about these on a daily basis do for you? all circumstances. Besides the dedication and hard is very important,” says Fukuda. Learning and sharing work of UD people at the customer centers, we keep with the mechanics teams occurs not only on a daily our internal organization flexible and responsive to basis, but also in the mechanical skills competition: the guarantee we have the spare parts you need, the Gemba Challenge. Held on a global scale within UD, it advice you seek. offers UD mechanics from around the world a chance to excel at their individual skills and collaborate as a team.

Customer Center Manager Tomohiro Yamamoto, also based at Yokohama, listens to his mechanics’ needs. To Yamamoto, a part of his job is to create the time, opportunity and environment for the team to continuously learn and improve. Fukuda and his team won second place in last year’s Gemba Challenge, first place being taken by Team BB Trucks & Tractor Polokwane from South Africa. As for all the UD mechanics teams around the world, Fukuda’s goal is “To win the UD Gemba Challenge.” Gemba-spirit-driven localized solutions

“My passion is to deliver the highest quality of service, to satisfy every customer in the best possible way.” Tomohiro Yamamoto Customer Center Manager at Yokohama UD Customer Center

In the Australian bush, the heat during the day can be overwhelming. “UDs cope very well with the Australian heat, they don’t overheat. Some of our trucks are good at nighttime, but in daytime, they have difficulties keeping the engines cool. UD trucks are very well adapted to our climate,” said Brad Chimes a UD customer from Darwin.

Flexibility From your gemba and your experience, our gemba people collect information to help us design the best trucks and offer the most adapted services. Moreover, our trucks can be customized to your spec, for your needs.

In Namibia, the gravel roads and the many steep and treacherous gradients pose a challenge to the drivers of VZ Trucking. A truck that could relieve drivers of some of the driving pressures will largely help the safety and efficiency of driving. What can the UD Gemba Spirit do for you?

“As new products and services come out all the time, learning on a daily basis is important.” Shinichiro Fukuda Mechanic at Yokohama UD Customer Center

Responsiveness Proximity with you, understanding of your business What can and close cooperation the UD between our after Gemba Spirit do for you? sales, manufacturing, engineering, and design departments allow us to answer your needs and requests in a quick manner, and take the most appropriate action when an unplanned situation arises.

In the highlands of Ecuador, “The trucks have to deal with extreme temperature changes, from the freezing morning temperatures to the scorching midday heat,” says Marcelo Cabezas, a driver from Guano County fleet. Every customer around the UD globe has a specific use for their trucks - and with UD present in 60 countries - trucks experience a large variety of roads, driving conditions, climate, and load levels. This means that potential issues can arise for a wide variety of reasons. It is the everyday culture of the gemba spirit that ensures the relay of customer voices to the people who hold the keys to a solution at UD. It also ensures that customers’ needs are answered quickly, and with the right products and services. By constantly collecting feedback from customers around the world, the gemba spirit enables teams to proactively forestall all kinds of potential issues, and is one of the main reasons UD is renown for its dependable trucks at home and internationally. A large company acting with the agility of a small structure, that is another way to describe the gemba spirit at UD. A vivid example of this comes from Hosono’s gemba practice: “Once I received a demand from one of our customers. Although our truck conformed to the norm of the time, we realized that his request could be met by exceeding the required level of legislation. So we developed forward and built our own control equipment to evaluate the quality of the solution.” An example among others of the gemba philosophy: always remain close to customers to deliver the truck they really want.

Customer story South Africa

On South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east coast, Johan Duvenhage has built a niche business out of mending the rugged road network that crisscrosses this hilly southern province. Despite working in harsh, dusty conditions, this is one fleet of UDs that gleams before it starts another dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s haulage. Text: Lesley Stones / Photos: Bram Lammers

Customer story South Africa

he road to South Africa’s Eastern Cape is rough and rugged, but the views make up for road conditions. Under wheel is the N10 road, being raised for better drainage, widened to make it safer and re-laid entirely because its surface had deteriorated so badly. The job is keeping Johan Duvenhage busy, with 25 of his UD tipper trucks transporting the gravel and ballast being used to relay the road.

various constructions sites. He employs 63 drivers, each fiercely loyal to his own vehicle.

At the quarry the sun is rising and as the shadows lift, 25 trucks parked in perfect symmetry come into view. The drivers are already washing their windscreens, wiping dust off the grilles and polishing the doors, ready to start another day for PM Transport.

With the ups and downs of South Africa’s construction industry, Duvenhage learned that you cannot grow too quickly and you have to follow the work, such as his time in Swaziland and Lesotho.

Duvenhage’s 63 trucks are all UDs and are split over

A UD truck with a crane fitted on its flatbed loads the tipper trucks with crushed granite and they drive off in quick succession to the road a few kilometers away. On the return trip they carry the mangled surface of the old discarded road.

“The ability to adapt to the current working conditions is crucial. And don’t buy something you can’t afford.

A lasting trust in UD J o ha n D u v e n ha g e b u y s a l l h i s vehicles from Billson Trucks, the UD Dealer in Port Elizabeth. “They don’t break down. That’s why I have stuck with them. I started with a Nissan and then explored other brands, but I wasn’t satisfied so every time I came back to UD.” He was the first South African to buy a Quon and last year he became the first to buy new Questers. “The faith that Johan has in the product - that he was prepared to

buy the first without even testing i t - s ay s a l ot fo r him and fo r UD Trucks,” says Patrick Billson, Managing Direc tor of Billson Trucks. “What’s great about the UD range is that it covers the entire spectrum right from the butcher and baker through to the heavydut y construc tion industr y. It ’s successful because it’s a simple, re lia b l e, ro bus t p ro du c t re all y suitable to South Africa’s operating conditions.”

“I explored other brands, but I wasn’t satisfied so every time I came back to UD.” Johan Duvenhage, Founder of PM Transport

Customer story South Africa

Securing good drivers PM Transport Base: Jeffrey’s Bay, south coast of South Africa Working sites: Scattered far and wide – wherever a road needs repairing Driving to work: The mobile nature of the job makes it difficult to find and retain good drivers, because when a job ends the whole operation moves on, and the men don’t always want to leave their homes. Temporary homes: The company sets up semi-permanent homes for its crew by renting some land and erecting temporary houses. A job usually lasts from six to 36 months, then the homes are dismantled and moved to the next location. “You can’t be married to one town, you must go where the work is,” Duvenhage says. Driver retention: With such a solution, Duvenhage manages to keep 40% of the drivers with him during these location changes, including one man who has been on board for 28 years.

Driver recruitment: Finding reliable drivers in any area is a challenge. They need a truck driving license and experience before he’ll even give them a 14-day trial. Then he pairs them with an experienced driver to assess their capabilities. “We do battle to get good drivers. It’s very difficult,” he says.

Customer story South Africa

“Quester, a ‘winning model’ in the fleet.” - Johan Duvenhage

“Everything. The power, the fuel consumption and the load capacity, so they can carry more and do more trips,” is what Duvenhage likes about Quester. The new model of UD adapts perfectly to the hot, rough and tough markets like Africa, and Duvenhage now owns 12 of the 11-liter models.

Taking pride in the drive Alfred Rasmeni stands proudly in front of his truck, one of the 12 new Questers the company bought last year. He sees this as a confirmation of his self-confidence at work. “The new truck is more comfortable and powerful,” he says. “UDs are the best trucks because they’re powerful and you can do anything and they don’t give you problems.” Rasmeni has been driving for a decade and keeps his truck continually clean despite the dusty quarry. “I like this truck – it’s my everyday bread. If I leave it dirty it says I don’t like the truck, I don’t like the job. But I like the job so I keep it clean.” He also likes the Quester’s Fuel Coaching System. “It tells you when to throttle and when to take it easy.”

Coaching the best out of drivers Johan is also impressed by the Fuel Coaching System, which helps drivers to operate more efficiently by displaying icons indicating how much throttle to apply and when to change gear to keep the engine in its most efficient RPM range. Keeping efficiency on track Billson says the symbols are accompanied by a hooter if the revs are too high, they’re driving too fast or braking too harshly. “The drivers are so embarrassed if they don’t drive well,” he says. “This monitoring system has further improved fuel consumption and makes their performance better.” Puncturing the budget Duvenhage has had some of his UDs for 15 years and they clock an average of 80,000km a year. Even for the old vehicles maintenance is still inexpensive. The biggest expense is punctures from continually driving over sharp stones in the quarries. Growing the family with Questers Now the family is planning to buy 25 to 30 more Questers in the next two years. “We’re so impressed by their fuel consumption and power that we plan to upgrade the fleet completely. I want to grow the business by 40-50%, but we’ll sell maybe 12 of the older trucks,” he says.

I’d rather buy one truck with cash than six on credit and pay interest.” That means if the work dries up, crippling monthly repayment bills for his fleet do not bring him down. It’s also crucial to stick to your niche, so he never diverts into long-distance haulage. “Driving long distances isn’t for me. I love my trucks so much they must sleep where I sleep,” he jokes. Although in his business Duvenhage focuses on one market segment, he expects his team to be multiskilled. “If you work for me you must be a driver, a mechanic, a painter – everything. You have to be able to fix everything from a wheelbarrow to a truck,” says Duvenhage senior. He has learned a few hard lessons but together with the support of his family and Billson Trucks, he has survived half a century in this tough business.

Customer story Japan

Ever onwards Text: Junko Yagi / Photos: Nicolas Datiche

Kenichi Nishimura is a man of infinite vitality. From the day he bought a single truck and started his own lumber transportation business in 1967 at the age of 20, this self-made man has been going non-stop. Now 69, Nishimura has grown his company, KOSOKU, into a sizeable local conglomerate under which seven subsidiaries operate in a wide range of sectors in the south-western tip of mainland Japan. 20

“I

liked trucks and I liked mechanics. It was just natural for me to make a living from trucking,” says Nishimura about his entrepreneurial beginnings. “The lumber business had traditionally been active here in Hyuga, but fortunately, the competition in the transportation part wasn’t that tough at that time.” Driven by the desire to become the top man of the industry in Hyuga, he watched and learned from seasoned professionals who had already made their names in the region. “I figured out everything by myself, by the gemba (hands-on) approach,” he recalls.

"Seeing a rough road only as a tough road will take you nowhere." Kenichi Nishimura President of KOSOKU Group

“In the end, one business led into the next and things

Customer story Japan

grew in an organic way,” says Nishimura. “When you carry lumber to various sites, you naturally get your foot into the construction business. And the timing was just right for me. The construction industry started to boom in Hyuga in the early seventies.” In 1972, then Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka introduced a new plan to remodel the country, resulting in a dramatic increase in spending on public construction; the demand for building and maintaining roads and highways boomed. “I just rode on the crest of that wave,” recalls Nishimura. The way Nishimura recounts this tale plays down the astute business sense and entrepreneurial spirit of the man. “Since then, it’s been a natural ride. The construction business involves moving soils so I opened up a gravel and crushed stone factory in 1979. This led me to build an asphalt concrete plant and a ready-mixed concrete company, which now operates in five different locations within Miyazaki prefecture,” he explains.

“I figured out everything by myself, by the gemba (hands-on) approach.”

Nishimura has expanded his business through a series of buyouts and by employing most of the engineering teams to ensure the smooth incorporation of new know-how and technologies into his company’s existing workflow. His most remarkable business strategy, however, comes from nothing but his gut feeling. “Especially in terms of equipment investment, once you start thinking about the feasibility of the plan, you’ll for sure end up aborting it. The more days go by and the more you mull over the idea, the more you move towards a place where backing down is the only option. Seeing a rough road only as a tough road will take you nowhere. I’ve always kept this in mind: ‘don’t regret in three to five years’ time not having tried, just because the plan didn’t look realistic back then.’”

Kenichi Nishimura President of KOSOKU Group

Thirty years behind the wheel

Managing the fleet

Name: Kishio Kudo / Position: Truck driver / Truck: 2008 Quon 6x4

Name: Kazumi Nakao / Position: Operation Controller

Q: You’ve been in this business a long time. How do you feel about the way vehicles have changed? “Yes, I’ve been driving trucks for 30 years. The first truck I drove was Nissan’s 8-ton cab over with a two-cylinder engine. That was a noisy truck! You could tell it was climbing up the Hakone mountain pass just by the noise. The first thing we noticed in 6TW series was the reduced noise. Nowadays, trucks drive like cars. I don’t feel tired from driving trucks anymore.”

Q: What’s your regular day like? “My morning starts at around 6:40am. For about 20 minutes, I’ll have a meeting with drivers to exchange feedback and give them instructions for the day. Then I dispatch them and make sure that every single driver returns safely in the evening. Our drivers must have a high standard of safety awareness as they have to drive through various construction sites and unmade-up roads. My mission is to educate them on safety issues and this is the most important and hardest part of my job.”

Q: You drive the 2008 Quon 6x4 now. How would you assess this model and how does UD trucks compare to other brands? “UD trucks, especially this model, always have great brakes. I’ve driven other big brands but felt that I couldn’t rely on their brakes 100 percent. Brakes are critical because once running, a truck must stop somewhere! Poor brakes and handling instability cause stress and fatigue but I’ve never worried about UD trucks when it comes to brakes.”

Q: What motivates you in your job? “A sense of pride and achievement that we’re participating in building new roads. Knowing that our trucks carried soil and dirt to pave this road or that highway and that we built these roadways together as a team is exhilarating.”

Q: What would be your dream truck? “My dream truck would be one that can take me to my destination while I’m sleeping - but then I’d be out of job (chuckle). No, seriously now, it would be nice to have a vehicle that comes with a rear view camera system and signal device built in as a standard feature.”

Q: Are you also responsible for hiring new drivers? “Yes, but since a new category of license was introduced by the Japanese government in 2007, which covers medium duty vehicles, less and less people, especially among the younger generation, are obtaining their heavy duty license. Meanwhile, the current heavy duty license holders are getting older and we’re having problems recruiting new drivers. For this reason, as long as the potential candidate has a driver’s license for large vehicles; we hire them without any experience and train them on the job.”

Customer story Japan

Hyuga City, Miyazaki

Making it in a man’s world Name: Madoka Naono / Truck: Big Thumb

“I see a big improvement in Quon’s fuel economy and overall, I’m satisfied with the quality of UD vehicles. They easily last 15 to 20 years!” Kenichi Nishimura President of KOSOKU Group

With a population of around 62,000, Hyuga City has developed as a gateway port and one of the foremost industrial districts in Miyazaki Prefecture, on Kyushu island, at the southwestern edge of Japan. The city is also well known as the birthplace of “Hyottoko”, an imaginary male character with a comically distorted face and pursed lips. KOSOKU is proud of its hometown and is dedicated to build its future. To promote the region, pictures of Hyottoko and sightseeing spots are painted on KOSOKU’s trucks.

As the business grew, the number of trucks multiplied. Still, Nishimura clearly remembers the first UD truck he bought. “It was 1973 and I bought one bonnet-type UD dump truck. Those were powerful trucks and really easy to drive,” he recalls. His fleet now comprises over 200 vehicles and more than 90% are UD Trucks.

A truck driver for 12 years at KOSOKU, Madoka Naono is one of seven female drivers in the company, and the only one on the Hyuga site. Though working in a male dominated environment, she doesn’t want to be treated any differently than her fellow coworkers. Q: Why have you chosen truck driving as a career? I love driving. My father used to drive cement trucks and I guess that got me interested. My first job was to deliver concrete to construction sites, just like my father. Q: Are there any advantages or disadvantages to being a female truck driver? As a female driver, I don’t particularly notice any inconveniences except that certain tasks, such as changing oil and tires, require physical strength and I need to ask other male drivers to help me with that. I usually ask for help through my manager, Nakao-san, because he’s always taking care of us by arranging things like that.

KOSOKU and UD have a long history of doing business together – more than 40 years. When Nishimura finds a brand that he likes, he becomes a loyal customer. As it happens, the two companies are almost neighbors, a bonus when it comes to repairs or picking up spare parts. But physical proximity aside, Nishimura says UD has always had a good understanding of his business and has supported the company’s growth with its reliable product quality. Nishimura is celebrating half a century in business next year. The company’s motto “Building tomorrow’s hometown” now takes this tireless man into the next stage. Having undoubtedly achieved his goal of being “number one” in Hyuga, he’s now giving back to the community that helped him to succeed. KOSOKU is contributing building materials and providing labor for construction and demolition work for city offices and housing. With his instinctively keen eye on future market trends, he will keep moving forwards, at least for the next few years. “The Kyushu Expressway will be open in three or four years and I’d like to expand the operation to Miyazaki City before I hand the business over to my sons,” he announces brightly. Until that handover day comes, this dynamic doer will continue to arrive at his office at 6 am every morning to make sure everything is running smoothly. “This is no longer my work, it’s my hobby. And I’ll never lose my good, old gemba spirit as long as I’m here!” says a smiling Nishimura.

UD gemba voice

Driven by passion Photo: Manuel Rambaud

Kazuhito Hosono has spent his whole career at UD, starting as a mechanic and climbing to the position of Chief Project Manager responsible for trucks. The result of years of passion and dedication, he also is a strong advocate of the gemba spirit at UD.

is career path is a great illustration of the gemba spirit at UD. Building upon his practical knowledge as a mechanic, Kazuhito Hosono gained expertise in various fields over the years. During his 23-year stint in the experiment department, he developed specialist skills by working in different areas such as testing and analysis, program developments, and so on. Hosono also became an expert in the reduction of NVH (noise, vibrations, harshness). As he was passionate about programming and no software gave him satisfaction, he went ahead and developed software internally to analyze vibrations. He also worked five years in the Vehicle Architect Department before becoming a project manager. His passion for trucks and UD started when in high school. A keen interest in mechanics led Hosono to join his industrial high school’s vehicle club where he disassembled cars into parts and improved them.

Age: 52 Nationality: Japanese Location: Ageo UD headquarters, Japan Work experience: 33 years at UD Trucks Education: Mechanic Hobbies: Computing, aircrafts, animated movies Favorite truck: Quon

The happiest moment in his job

Specialties: NVH, Programming, Experimentation, Test Driving

“One of my great pleasures is when I climb inside the prototype of a new truck and it starts at the first turn of the key!”

His motto at work “To try to enjoy every aspect of my work, and turn even the negative things into something positive.”

His dream truck! Although he already knew of UD through its excellent engine reputation, he only truly discovered the company during a tour of the Ageo factory with his school. He and his classmates were given the chance to test-drive the trucks inside the facility and from that moment onwards he was hooked!

“A self-driving UD truck! It would drive itself and be capable of detecting and reacting to any danger. The driver could relax and would only be involved in loading and unloading, with more time to focus on the commercial side of the business. Technically, this is almost possible today, but certain situations are still tricky to manage, and the legislation would have to evolve substantially.“

What does gemba spirit mean to you? "I am a strong believer in gemba! I always tell my teammates to “go to gemba”, to understand what’s going on. Gemba is the starting point, where we solve issues, and also where we receive feedback. It is important to listen to customers’ voices directly. The voice of our customers is key to Can you give us an example? keeping us motivated and to helping us improve our trucks, so that we provide “Twenty years ago, we had a problem with a customer whose truck engine vibrated at idle. The customers with trucks that fully driver could not rest well when parked. We went to the satisfy them. It is also about tackling the problem, getting your hands dirty to get the problem solved."

customer’s site and determined that the fluctuation of the engine rotation was caused by a problem with the injection system. We then developed and tested a solution on a prototype vehicle, until we were satisfied with the result. We fixed the customer’s engine, but later the engine started to vibrate again. We returned once more and this time established the actual issue was the torque applied when bolting the injection system. We modified it, as well as our manufacturing process, and solved this problem. This story taught me two things: First, we should go to gemba to identify the cause of a problem, and second, it is in the gemba with the customer that we can validate the solution.”

Why did you pass your truck driving license?

NVH, a crucial element for the comfort of your truck Noise Vibration Harshness: The general public doesn’t ever hear much about NVH, although its control plays a crucial role in the comfort, driving pleasure and reliability of a truck. Minimizing NVH is critical for driver comfort, and also in the long run, for the longevity of the mechanical parts. To achieve perfect regulation of NVH, UD technicians and engineers spend countless hours breaking down and analyzing each component as a possible source of noise or vibration: engine, axle, driveline, cabin, air system and so on. Development teams have to be very thorough and leave no aspect unexplored to obtain a satisfying result - a quiet and relaxing truck for the driver. Trucks that had clocked more than one million kilometers were bought back from customers to allow engineers to study how the trucks had aged. That’s what it takes to really understand which solutions work well when new, but more importantly, keep working efficiently after many tough years on the road.

“Gemba also means collecting information first hand, and sometimes there is no better way to understand something than feeling it for yourself. That’s why I passed the Heavy Duty and Haulage driving licenses to be able to test-drive the trucks and to test each new solution myself. It is also helpful to drive customers’ trucks and analyze the possible reason of a problem first hand. “ 27

Customer story Indonesia

Family trees The root of success

Jakarta

Safety and efficiency With Quester, PT. STAL wants to ensure it keeps its drivers safe on the roads as well as reaping the bottom-line benefits from the Fuel Coaching System installed in its newly delivered trucks. “We have high expectations from Quester to support our business, that is why we are relying not only on the quality and design of the trucks, but also the built-in support that will help our drivers do their job well,” explains Bapak Gunawan.

Indonesia’s capital city is Jakarta, on the Island of Java

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s biggest economy Largest island country in the world by number of islands

6,000

islands are uninhabited

14,000 islands

Population

255 million people

53%

“Family is at the root of everything; it opens the way to many paths. It is both the beginning and the final destination.” These are the words of Bapak Lie Gunawan Suteja, founder and president of Sinar Transindomitra Abadi Logistik (STAL), a business with an extended ‘family’ behind it.

apak Gunawan grew up in this business, initially launched by his father in Mojokerto, East Java in 1960. What started as a transportation operation ferrying agricultural goods from his hometown, has grown into one of the largest logistic transportation companies in Indonesia. When Bapak Gunawan joined his father’s business in 1973, he set out to grow the business by first expanding the routes to the country’s capital, Jakarta, and then moving the company’s headquarters there in 1975.

of the population live in urban areas

54,716 km of coastline

Sea transport is extremely important for economic integration. Each of the major islands has at least one significant port city.

496,607 km of roadways

Trusted partnerships

Freight is transported 90% by road, <1% by rail, 9% by sea and <0.1% by air.

Source: The World Factbook & Wikipedia

One of PT. STAL’s first customers to benefit from the newly acquired Questers in 2016 was the Japanese company Asahimas Chemical. This Japanese company recently invested 885 million USD in Indonesia, investment welcomed by the country’s transport industry.

As with many family firms, Bapak Gunawan’s business acumen was nurtured from a young age. “With the support of my father, I was exposed to all aspects of the industry. I experienced journeys that can never be learned from text books,” explains this family-oriented leader. Five years after moving to Jakarta, and with the support of his family, he set up his own company PT. STAL. More than a quarter of a century later, PT. STAL now has around 500 trucks. As he grew his fleet, Bapak Gunawan worked in partnership with UD Trucks starting with its heritage truck – the CDA Tronton 12 HHT Nissan Diesel. PT. STAL prides itself on the quality of its service built around three key factors: driving safety, on-time delivery, and security (24h GPS monitoring). The company operates to international standards and has built a reputable, reliable name in the market. In such a competitive environment, working with trusted partners is essential – and UD is one such. In August 2015, PT. STAL placed an order for 15 new Questers GWE 330 HT, dependable trucks for a growing fleet.

A local good luck ceremony is held at the delivery of 15 Questers

Extended family As well as setting up trusted partnerships with external providers, Bapak Gunawan has built his transport empire by mirroring the support network that exists in an extended family. “Our efforts and those of our drivers are not enough to improve our business as we are today. That is why every member of staff must be involved in creating a great working environment, and family is how we do that,” points out Bapak Gunawan . Keeping his ‘family’ close and motivated involves regular family gatherings with his staff, including talks on risks and safety, and visits to his drivers’ homes and families.

In a family firm, history has a way of repeating itself and his three children have followed in their father’s footsteps by joining the company. Eric is the Operations Director, Fenny the Finance and Accounting Manager, and Fransisca the Purchasing Manager – offspring who needed some persuading to return to the logistics industry in Indonesia after graduating from university in Australia. But the pull of the family is strong, and their father’s vision and belief that family is at the root of all success won them over. This tight-knit family unit, surrounded by its ‘extended family’, still has many paths to explore together.

Extra Mile Stories ESCOT-V

Improved overall driving quality

“ESCOT-V supports fuelefficient, comfortable, and safe driving.”

Five reasons why ESCOT-V is the top choice ESCOT-V makes fuelefficient driving both safe and comfortable. This automated manual electric transmission was developed to address what customers need today. Delivering smoother driving than ever before, it assures enhanced fuel efficiency. It also features clutchfree operation that allows drivers to concentrate on the road. It provides greater safety while significantly reducing driver fatigue in all driving situations. Extra Mile Stories are real stories about UD customers. They explain how transport companies, business managers and drivers are making extra efforts to deal with their challenges, and how UD Trucks’ products, services and gemba experts go the extra mile to support them.

“During my daily drives, what I find fantastic about ESCOT-V is its automatic shifting. It does it instantly just at the moment I want. Before, it was said that it would take ten years for a driver to become proficient with heavy trucks. With Quon, a driver can easily obtain that level of truck-driving skill. It heartens me that new drivers quickly grow into our workforce even while veterans - thoroughly skilled in shifting - can drive a Quon without discomfort. Minimal fatigue even after extended driving is also beneficial.”

Name: Hisataka Wakuda Postion: Leader Company: Yamato Multi Charter Co., Ltd. Group

Name: Satoshi Sekine Postition: Driver Company: Safety Oil Transport Co., Ltd.

“It automatically shifts exactly when you want.”

Made for fuel-efficient driving in all situations. ESCOT-V’s biggest feature is its automatic transmission with instantaneous auto-shifting to the optimal gear ratio. It means anyone can minimize fuel usage like a veteran driver. The adoption of other innovations to heighten combustion efficiency also leads to better fuel savings.

Name: Sachiko Hagiwara Position: Driver Company: Safety Oil Transport Co., Ltd.

Economy E-D Mode for fuel-saving performance by anyone. ESCOT-V’s Economy E-D Mode activates an acceleration limiter to bring about both superior fuel efficiency and smooth driving. To maximize fuel efficiency, acceleration is kept below a certain level even if the accelerator is floored. Soft cruise control for relaxed driving. While using ESCOT-V’s auto cruise system, the Economy E-D Mode can be turned on with the press of a button to achieve both comfortable driving and reduced fuel usage. ESCOT-V will automatically regulate gear-change timing and uphill acceleration for optimum fuel efficiency.

Superb operability “From here in Osaka, our drivers cover long distances nationwide, to Tokyo and beyond. Fatigue is our worst enemy. That’s why a driving environment that prevents physical and mental stress is very important. Quon’s ESCOT-V features clutch-free operation for easy up- and down-shifting while concentrating on the road. It constantly auto-selects the optimal gear ratio to provide powerful and stable performance with sure engine braking. The engine is consistently kept at low RPMs to enable fuel-saving driving in a natural manner. ESCOT-V helps me feel relaxed, allowing me to pay even more attention and care to my surroundings. As a group leader, I thoroughly encourage junior drivers to embrace more ecological and safe driving.”

ESCOT-V banished my fear of driving a heavy tank truck and gave me confidence. Since there is no clutch to work, I don’t tire as easily. And, because it lets me concentrate on the road, it leads to safe driving, too. It also lets me be even more aware of pedestrians. I think ESCOT-V’s ease of driving will change the image that trucking is just for men. I expect there will be more women driving professionally.

ESCOT Roll suppresses fuel consumption when coasting. ESCOT-V is equipped with ESCOT Roll which disengages the engine brake when coasting. Rather than burning fuel, the truck’s own mass is used to prevent speed loss and suppress fuel consumption for re-acceleration.

“Clutch-free operation makes it easy to drive.” ESCOT-V is offered as an option for UD Quon trucks.

“Fuel costs are easy to manage and even improve.”

Fuel-efficient driving by anyone

ESCOT-V’s automatic lets rookie drivers attain the same fuel efficiency as veterans. It’s quite significant in terms of business. Because our trucks drive between distribution centers, they end up traveling over 1,000 km per trip. So, even a tiny gap in fuel consumption can show up as a significant difference. Since we track fuel-usage data on an everyday basis, ESCOT-V has improved our per-truck cost-efficiency performance and prompted our drivers to be more conscientious.

Name: Akira Maruyama Position: Director Company: Yamato Multi Charter Co., Ltd.

Clinton Sheppard, driver on the team DGL from Australia, the winning team of the Extra Mile Challenge 2015.

“Consistently userfriendly performance leads to safe driving.”

Enhanced safety

To always uphold the customers’ trust, the business of trucking transportation starts and ends with safety. Because ESCOT-V minimizes complex operations, drivers can concentrate on safe driving. Keep both eyes on the road, be calm, be steady, and be willing to even stop when taking an unobstructed corner - we are seeing more drivers developing that kind of conscientious approach. I believe we can thank ESCOT-V’s superior operability for that.

Name: Masaya Kawaura Position: Comprehensive Safety Manager Company: Safety Oil Transport Co., Ltd.

A revolutionary automatic transmission

Getting ready for the Extra Mile Challenge! Focusing on driving skills, economic strategy, maintenance, safety, fuel consumption, cargo integrity, timely delivery and profitability, Extra Mile Challenge is a unique competition based on the kind of real-life challenges you have to deal with in the transport business. The selections wil take place in UD markets, and country winners will be invited in Tokyo for the finals. Stay tuned!

ESCOT-V was developed through test driving under all conceivable usage conditions. We did away with the clutch pedal to free drivers from having to operate it 1,000 to 1,500 times a day, reducing driver fatigue. It also quickly accelerates to cruising speed at lower revs to conserve fuel. Furthermore, it shifts precisely and automatically according to the driver’s will, making it easy to drive for anyone. Twenty years of being a leader in automatic transmission technology for trucks makes us first in customer satisfaction.

“Pleasing operability and fuel efficiency for everyone easily.”

What if a driving competition reproduced the rules of success of a transportation company? What if it focused on the key factors that matter in daily operations?

Quon was the truck of choice for the 2015 challenge; this year Quester will be the official truck of the 2016 competition. Name: Kunihiro Kaneko Position: Control Systems Designer Powertrain Engineering Company: UD Trucks Co., Ltd.

The UD Extra Mile Challenge will be conducted in selected UD markets. Please consult your UD market representative for more information about the competition, or write at feedback@udtrucks.co.jp.

Trucker Tips & Tricks

Tips for keeping your truck cab tidy 2

Keep it out Fresh air through the cab is refreshing, but you’d be surprised how much dust gets blown in. Keeping your windows rolled up will cut down on dirt, dust, and other particles blowing in from the road.

Filter it out

Wipe it away Having a pack of handy wipes – baby or common disinfectant – is the secret to keeping your cab’s surfaces sparkling. A quick wipe will remove dust or soak up a spill in a few seconds.

Sponge it off It’s only normal that upholstery and carpets end up with a few stains. Warm soapy water or upholstery cleaner will usually do the trick. It’s a good idea to do a spot test on an unseen corner of your seat upholstery to make sure the cleaner won’t damage or discolor your fabric. Apply the cleaner evenly across the stain and then sponge the area clean with warm soapy water or according to the instructions on the product. Airing your cab after cleaning with water avoids any musty, damp smells building up.

Replacing your air filters regularly means you’re breathing in clean air. Enjoy a cab free of musty air and unhealthy smells.

Leave dirt outside Some truck drivers like to travel with two pairs of shoes: one for driving and one for outdoor wear. Keeping an extra pair of shoes handy can avoid bringing dirt into the cab.

Vacuum it up Every cab needs—a vacuum. It’s the fastest way to suck up anything and everything and is great at lifting dust out of tight corners and seat cushions.

A tidy cab, a clear mind! Working in a clutter-free zone brings more focus and calm as you have less visual distractions. Here are seven tips to help you keep your cab tidy.

Seek out spaces Keeping your cab free of unnecessary elements means you’re not continually distracted by visual clutter. Seek out your cab’s spaces to tuck away your belongings. A cab organizer can be a great investment to help you keep on top of your interior.

Quality service by passionate people Long-term cost-cutting is dependent on having proper service right from the start. UD Genuine Service is performed by authorized UD Trucks workshops that have access to the most up-to-date UD Trucks tools, diagnostic equipment and the quality and availability of UD Genuine Parts. All to ensure you get exactly the service and maintenance you need for your truck, as convenient and cost efficient as possible for your operation.

Going the Extra Mile