Earlier this week, I drove to Abu Dhabi to witness the finale of a driving championship. The destination wasn’t Yas Marina Circuit, it was the industrial precincts of Mussafah and this involved not sports cars but trucks.
The Mercedes-Benz Fleetboard Driving Championship 2019 was held in the UAE for the first time. What seemed to deliver a package of excitement into what is usually seen as the dreary yet demanding life of truck drivers, the championship actually had the potential to make better drivers out of them. On another level, it set a great example of corporate responsibility to the company itself and the country at large, by optimizing fleet usage, promoting efficient driving behaviour and very importantly, making UAE roads a safer place. [Watch video for glimpses of championship action and award ceremony.]
The championship was organized by Emirates Motor Company Commercial Vehicles, (EMC CV) in collaboration with Daimler Commercial Vehicles Middle East, to recognize the best drivers among their Fleetboard clients. EMC CV, a member of ALFAHIM Group, represents Daimler Commercial Vehicles in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Now, if the name Fleetboard Championship gives you an impression that it is somehow related to surfboarding or skateboarding and the whole thing is about a recreational pastime devised for truck drivers… well, far from it. The wheels involved are that of tractors, trailers, tippers and mixers from the Mercedes line of Actros Classic and new Actros; and ‘fleetboard’ is nothing but a tracking system that monitors the course of a truck and the driver’s driving behaviour – acceleration, braking, idling habits and so on. They play a vital role in achieving optimum performance, ensuring fuel efficiency, minimizing wear and tear and downtime, as well as maintaining safety on the road.
The championship kicked off in February this year, and over six months, 800 participating drivers were narrowed down to 18 based purely on overall grading from Fleetboard performance analysis. The top two drivers in each of the four clusters then went head-to-head in the final event.
So, what was the final encounter all about? This involved a 25 kilometer drive, an Alley dock reverse exercise with semi-trailer rated on quickest time and accuracy and a straight reverse manoeuver tested for accuracy braking and stopping closest to multiple designated points, and driving over off-set of cones with front RHS wheel. Well, stopping those trailing tons where you want should be trickier than flipping a skateboard I reckon!
Bilal Al Ribi (left in the cover photo), General Manager of EMC CV, said: “EMC CV is the largest Fleetboard Mercedes-Benz distributor in the MENA region and is constantly involved in community-driven activities. Our association with the Mercedes-Benz Fleetboard Driving Championship will allow us to continue attaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction, while strengthening our relationship with clients in Abu Dhabi.”
Johannes Faatz, Head of Business Development & Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA, added: “(Daimler Commercial Vehicles) have been organizing this activity in Europe for the last decade, and this is the first year we bring it to Abu Dhabi, UAE with EMC CV. The Mercedes-Benz Fleetboard Driving Championship provides the perfect platform for drivers to showcase their talents. I wish to thank all the drivers and the esteemed corporations that encouraged their teams to participate.”
After the award ceremony, the organisers share a light moment.
The Winners: Sugraj Singh Parshotan from Al Falah Holding, Wajid Ali from Tristar Engineering and Construction, Adam Khel, from Western Bainoona Group and Abdul Hameed from Transgulf Readymix.
