Toyota Zambia HINO Driver of the Year Competition 2016
Toyota Zambia recently held a ‘Driver of the Year Competition’ for drivers of their clients whom operate HINO trucks in their fleets.
The idea to have a truck driver’s competition followed after the HINO team at Toyota Zambia identified the need for professional driver training to assist truck fleet owners to maximise the benefits of owning and operating a HINO truck. A truck ‘driver-trainer’ was appointed at Toyota Zambia to conduct such training and is now accessible when customers need skill enhancements of their HINO fleet drivers.
In the last few months, a number of training sessions have been held with many HINO fleet truck drivers, where they were taught the finer points to improve their truck driving skill levels.The training program includes driver health tips, proper driving techniques to improve fuel consumption (also known as eco-driving), pre-trip inspections and safe driving techniques. Approximately 50 truck drivers have already attended the training at the Toyota Nangwenya branch from where the HINO Department operates.
The selection process to nominate competing drivers was based on the outcome of a post-training written assessment and from that the participants were chosen to represent their respective employers during the competition. The drivers were put through their paces by assessing their driving skills in a simulated docking yard, a road driving test and a written theory assessmentwith the aim of awarding the overall winner with the ‘2016 HINO Driver of the Year’ accolade. Cash prizes were up for grabs for the first, second and third placed drivers in the event. The HINO Driver of the Year competition will now become an annual event, with the intention to inspire drivers to become “the best they can be” as well as safer, more efficient drivers.
HINO trucks are well known across the world for their Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR). It is this “QDR”factor that makes HINO trucks one of the most sought after truck brands in all the countries they are represented in. For some, it might be interesting to know that Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and HINO Motors Limited (HML) have a long history of working together on commercial vehicle products and this resulted in TMC making a substantial equity investment in HML as a Toyota Group business partner. HINO is therefore known as the light, medium and heavy duty truck brand in the Toyota stable of automotive products.
The HINO network in Zambia includes Lusaka and Kitwe which provides sales, service and parts supplemented by Livingstone Toyota that provides service and parts backup. The HINO philosophy is to become a partner to customers and not just a vehicle supplier. Apart from service and parts that are supplied, commitment to customers is reflected with initiatives like the driver training programme, consulting with customers on appropriate body conversionapplications, efficient routing & scheduling and a proper operational transport needs analysis. The main aim is to offer the best vehicle for the job using state of the art computer software to provide a professional transport solution to ensure reduced lifetime cost of ownership and maximum uptime.
2016 Driver of the Year winners:
1st Place Mukenane Mulako representing
2nd Place William Phiri representing
Joint 3rd Place Milambo Smart (Representing Examinations Council) and Mugara Joseph (Representing Food Reserves Agency)
The idea to have a truck driver’s competition followed after the HINO team at Toyota Zambia identified the need for professional driver training to assist truck fleet owners to maximise the benefits of owning and operating a HINO truck. A truck ‘driver-trainer’ was appointed at Toyota Zambia to conduct such training and is now accessible when customers need skill enhancements of their HINO fleet drivers.
In the last few months, a number of training sessions have been held with many HINO fleet truck drivers, where they were taught the finer points to improve their truck driving skill levels.The training program includes driver health tips, proper driving techniques to improve fuel consumption (also known as eco-driving), pre-trip inspections and safe driving techniques. Approximately 50 truck drivers have already attended the training at the Toyota Nangwenya branch from where the HINO Department operates.
The selection process to nominate competing drivers was based on the outcome of a post-training written assessment and from that the participants were chosen to represent their respective employers during the competition. The drivers were put through their paces by assessing their driving skills in a simulated docking yard, a road driving test and a written theory assessmentwith the aim of awarding the overall winner with the ‘2016 HINO Driver of the Year’ accolade. Cash prizes were up for grabs for the first, second and third placed drivers in the event. The HINO Driver of the Year competition will now become an annual event, with the intention to inspire drivers to become “the best they can be” as well as safer, more efficient drivers.
HINO trucks are well known across the world for their Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR). It is this “QDR”factor that makes HINO trucks one of the most sought after truck brands in all the countries they are represented in. For some, it might be interesting to know that Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and HINO Motors Limited (HML) have a long history of working together on commercial vehicle products and this resulted in TMC making a substantial equity investment in HML as a Toyota Group business partner. HINO is therefore known as the light, medium and heavy duty truck brand in the Toyota stable of automotive products.
The HINO network in Zambia includes Lusaka and Kitwe which provides sales, service and parts supplemented by Livingstone Toyota that provides service and parts backup. The HINO philosophy is to become a partner to customers and not just a vehicle supplier. Apart from service and parts that are supplied, commitment to customers is reflected with initiatives like the driver training programme, consulting with customers on appropriate body conversionapplications, efficient routing & scheduling and a proper operational transport needs analysis. The main aim is to offer the best vehicle for the job using state of the art computer software to provide a professional transport solution to ensure reduced lifetime cost of ownership and maximum uptime.
2016 Driver of the Year winners:
1st Place Mukenane Mulako representing
2nd Place William Phiri representing
Joint 3rd Place Milambo Smart (Representing Examinations Council) and Mugara Joseph (Representing Food Reserves Agency)
