UD Trucks Rolls Out 15,000th Quester In Bangkok; Continues Commitment Of “Going The Extra Mile” For Its Customers

UD Trucks recently celebrated the milestone of rolling out its 15,000th Quester truck from its Bangkok production facility, and reaffirmed the brand’s unwavering commitment of “Going the Extra Mile” to customers’ businesses and the region.

Jacques Michel, President, Volvo Group Trucks Asia & JVs Sales, said, “Quester was first introduced to the Thailand market in 2013 as part of UD Trucks’ foray into growth markets with Thailand as the regional production hub for SEA and worldwide. Incorporated with UD Trucks’ Ultimate Dependability standard and Gemba spirit, Quester marks the first in a new generation of UD Trucks specifically developed for the world of heavy-duty transportation.” The Quester 8L was introduced in Malaysia in 2016.

The Quester, along with other trucks by UD Trucks, comes with the best of three worlds i.e. UD Trucks’ strong Japanese heritage and craftsmanship, Volvo Group’s (UD is part of the group) cutting-edge technology and sourcing, and local manufacturing and customer support. For the past 40 years, Volvo Group has invested two billion-baht with the aim of expanding UD Trucks’ Bangkok plant capacity to 20,000 units of UD Trucks per annum. Being the first completely built-up production facility for UD Trucks outside of Japan, the plant’s significant production of 15,000 Quester units aligns with its vision of supporting markets worldwide and furthering Southeast Asia as an economically competitive region.

With SEA’s trade volumes set to increase by 130% in 2023, especially with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, demand for local and cross-border land transportation is expected to grow, and the Japanese transportation solutions provider is set to fulfil regional demand.

Nicolas Weeks, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden in Thailand said at the event in Bangkok, “We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone of Volvo Group, one of Sweden’s leading companies, as we continue to promote trade and deepen the relations between our two countries. Thailand is a key market for growth, and we look forward to witnessing more successes to come for UD Trucks and other Volvo Group companies alike.”

Kamlarp Sirikittiwatn, President, UD Trucks Thailand, said “We are humbled by the confidence and support our customers have in our trucks and services. We believe that this will only inspire us to continue learning from them to design the best trucks and services that the world needs.”

He added, “This achievement also highlights the importance of the Thailand market to our parent company, Volvo Group. We are positive to carry on this legacy with our local engineers to benefit and support the Thailand economy and global market.”

Despite being part of the Volvo Group, UD Trucks still maintains its Japanese roots and adheres to its Gemba spirt which means being close to the ground and listening to the needs of local customers and be their most valuable partner in their respective markets and segments.

Designed to meet the holistic requirements of customers, the Quester is a tried-and-tested truck that supports customers and businesses with high durability, reliability and fuel efficiency. With the combination of advanced Volvo Group technology and UD Trucks’ high-quality Japanese manufacturing, Quester’s GH8E and GH11E engines ensure optimal fuel efficiency while maintaining high performance. The built-in Fuel Coaching system helps encourage fuel efficient driving by providing drivers with instant feedback during their journeys.

Every Quester truck is fitted with UD Telematics Services which connects to a UD Trucks workshop to monitor and detect each vehicle’s condition and service needs before a potential emergency occurs. With the analysis of real-time data communications, it guides customers based on their driving behaviour and fuel consumption to ensure higher uptime and more optimal fuel economy.

Running on the brand’s ethos of “Ultimate Dependability”, UD Trucks reduces downtime through the UD Extra Mile Support, offering an extensive network of well-trained service technicians, quality aftersales service, genuine parts, service planning and vehicle handover training that optimises fleet performance. These are in line with UD Trucks’ goal to reduce long-term operational costs for its valued partners to accelerate their continued success, especially with fleet operators in Asia still spending up to 50% of their operating costs on fuel.

Since the introduction of Quester, it has earned the recognition of global logistics companies who
have established cross-market accounts for the Quester line. The Quester has also proven its credibility among local customers. On the homefront, a logistics customer in East Malaysia has increased its fleet of Quester trucks since 2017, after experiencing business efficiency for its long haul operations with the Quester trucks. Today, the Quester continues to be widely regarded with 25% of Quester trucks booked by repeat customers in Malaysia.

UD Trucks is also committed to add value by addressing the skills gap problem with the enhancement of local expertise through knowledge transfer and the creation of high-value jobs within markets.