UD drivers win trip to Japan

Two South African truck drivers – Cornel van der Westhuizen from Grain Carriers and Cederic Matthyse from Darling Romery – have each won air tickets to Japan!

This was announced during a virtual awards ceremony for the winners of the Extra Mile Challenge 2020 driving competitions on Tuesday, March 16.

The UD Extra Mile Challenge started in 2015 and is a global driver competition. It tests both pre-inspection and driving techniques – from fuel-efficient and safe driving to parking skills. In a normal (as in non-Covid) year, the best driver selected in each market qualifies to take part in the global final held at the UD Experience Center in Ageo, Japan.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Ageo Global Final. Instead of holding such an event, all local market winners were named Ultimate Drivers – a worthy designation considering these drivers kept trucks moving in spite of the pandemic, continuing to deliver the goods and necessities on which we all depend. A virtual event honouring these drivers was hosted by UD Trucks president, Takamitsu Sakamaki.

A total of 10 winners from nine countries joined the ceremony virtually to be honoured and officially crowned Ultimate Drivers. The heads of each country, in our case UD Trucks Southern Africa’s MD, Fillip Van den Heede, delivered a message of congratulations. 

As such, the winners of the local Extra Mile Challenge driver competition – Cornel van der Westhuizen from Grain Carriers (winner of the Quon category) and Cederic Matthyse from Darling Romery (named the Best Quester Driver) – were honoured internationally. They were presented with a “hero box”, which included their certificates, their airline tickets and a bunch of other goodies too. The drivers will travel to Japan as soon as it is safe to do so.

Congrats to Cornel and Cederic! Keep up the good driving!