New Quester designed to extend up-time and provide MEENA fleet customers with a higher ROI
UD Trucks very recently unveiled the New Quester in the Middle East, East and North Africa (MEENA) at a special unfurling ceremony in Bahrain. This new version of the brand’s well-established heavy-duty truck introduces a range of enhancements that will enable logistics companies across the region to tackle critical industry challenges and boost their bottom line through Smart Logistics.
Fuel efficiency, productivity, connectivity, and supporting and developing drivers are top priorities for fleets and transport companies in the MEENA region and the New Quester will address these challenges with new features such as ESCOT (Easy Safe Controlled Transmission) and UD Telematics.
To be introduced in fast-growing regions around the world, the launch of New Quester highlights UD Trucks’ unwavering commitment to ‘Going the Extra Mile’ for customers’ businesses.
Building on proven robustness and reliability, the 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 up-time.
“The New Quester combines the best of three worlds: UD Trucks’ strong Japanese heritage and craftsmanship; Volvo Group’s innovative technology; and our strong local support for our valued customers, which we call our Gemba spirit,” remarked Mourad Hedna, President, UD Trucks MEENA.
Fuel efficiency
New Quester aims to boost productivity and profitability for business owners and logistics companies, for whom a rise in fuel costs consequently increases operating costs. New Quester delivers enhanced fuel efficiency of up to 10% over the current Quester. This is aided by the ESCOT automated manual transmission, lighter tare weight and optimised driveline, and is also affected by the operating conditions, driving behavior and vehicle maintenance, according to the company.
ESCOT includes software which optimises gear shifting according to the engine revs, vehicle speed, loading weight and even road gradient. The smart system also includes a sensor that will select the optimum gear automatically instead of assuming a first gear selection.
New Quester’s enhanced fuel performance also aligns with the increasing global focus on curbing fuel consumption and meeting environmentally-friendly regulations in relation to emissions quality standards, all of which effectively reduces the new model’s overall carbon footprint, the company revealed.
Driving partnership
New Quester introduces more driver-friendly features to make the driving experience more seamless and comfortable.
A game changer in the transportation business, New Quester with ESCOT automatically selects the optimal gear at the right time based on the operating condition. This takes away the need for manual gear shifting which, depending on the transportation operations, is estimated to happen 1,000 to 1,500 times a day. ESCOT’s automated gear selection also enables drivers to easily adapt to operating New Quester and better focus on driving with ease.
New Quester increases overall drivability and safety for drivers with features that focus on increasing drivers’ comfort levels and reducing driver fatigue.
Driver fatigue continues to be a serious industry challenge, contributing to up to 20% road accidents in the world. To address this, New Quester is developed with an air suspended cab and ride comfort package which reduces cab vibrations by up to 18%. Driver comfort is also enhanced by the ergonomic seats and lumbar support for long-distance assignments.
Technology, profitability and productivity
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 geo-fencing for better fleet visibility and optimisation. Such smart connectivity features support the increasing trend of new logistics delivery solutions that are offered by technology and local start-up companies in, for example, the Middle East.
New Quester trucks are equipped with UD Telematics, which make it possible 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 via monthly driving behavior and fuel consumption reports, ensuring higher up-time and optimised fuel economy over time.
Owners of New Quester also enjoy increased uptime, with the clutch life span being 2.5 to 3 times longer when equipped with an ESCOT automated manual transmission as compared to a manual clutch, depending on operating conditions, driving behavior and vehicle maintenance.
The Gemba spirit
At UD Trucks, the company’s Gemba spirit means being close to our customers, and listening to their needs in order to be their most valuable partner in their respective markets and segments, the company indicated.
Built to deliver UD Trucks’ ethos of ‘Ultimate Dependability’, New Quester increases uptime through UD Extra Mile Support, which has proved popular with customers across MEENA.
Offering an extensive network of well-trained service technicians, it provides quality after-sales service with genuine parts, service planning and vehicle handover training that optimises fleet performance.
UD Trucks recognises immense potential in the MEENA region, which is one of the world’s most dynamic regions when it comes to construction and development and where business success is a key contributor to economic progress.
Combined with the brand’s Ultimate Dependability standard and the Gemba spirit, the New Quester marks the company’s commitment to championing Smart Logistics and providing good value to customers.
