UD Trucks holds UD Gemba Challenge 2024 Global Final

- UD Trucks dealers around the world take part in after-service skills competition in Ageo, Japan -
Press Release | November 19, 2024
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Photo: Finalists in Quon's engine inspection and assessment portion of the competition 

UD Trucks Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture, President: Kouji Maruyama) held the UD Gemba Challenge 2024 Global Final, a competition featuring the service excellence of the frontline technicians working at UD Trucks dealerships and workshops, on November 12 at the UD Experience Center in Ageo, Japan. A total of 723 teams and 2,732 competitors from around the world took part in the qualifiers, with 14 teams from 10 countries advancing to the global final.

This year marks the fifth time that UD Trucks has held the competition since 2014, with this event marking the 10th anniversary. Over 2,700 UD after-service personnel from around the world took part in the qualifying rounds, resulting in a total of 40,980 hours of training. The competition allows service teams to improve and demonstrate their skills with the best in the world, motivating them even further to provide customers the best possible service experience. 

Throughout the day of the competition, finalists competed across five stages: "Electrical", "Engine", "Tech Tool/Diagnosis tools", "Transmission" and "Commercial/Warranty". Teams were scored based on their achievement and approach taken at each stage.

With the logistics industry facing a shortage of workers, improving the skills and knowledge of after-service personnel is key to increasing vehicle uptime and the efficiency of industry overall. 

While the number of participants has increased with every competition, this time there were three female finalists from Thailand, the Philippines, and South Africa respectively. Alicia Newman (photo: center) of South Africa, who qualified for the second time, commented, “I was the only female participant in the 2022 global final, but I am happy to see three female finalists here in 2024.”

女性ファイナリスト3名

Three female finalists compete in UD Gemba Challenge 2024. 

Representatives from Thailand (left), South Africa (center), the Philippines (right)

Kouji Maruyama, President of UD Trucks, said: “The most important thing for our customers is to make sure that their trucks keep running without any issues. Servicing trucks requires excellent technical expertise and teamwork in all areas, including routine inspections and maintenance, safety, and the ability to make quick repairs in the event of a breakdown. The UD Gemba Challenge celebrates service excellence by best teams from all over the world."

■Participants (14 teams, 10 countries)

Quon: Japan (3 teams from: Osaka, Ishikawa, Saitama), Australia (2 teams), Singapore, South Africa

Quester: United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Philippines, Bolivia, South Africa

* South Africa participates in both Quon and Quester categories.

■Results

Quon Category

Winner: Japan, "Fukaya Specialists"

2nd place: Japan, "Ultimate Dynamite" 

3rd place: South Africa, "KENZO"

Quester Category

Winner: Indonesia "Great Mates"

2nd place: Saudi Arabia "Zahid Tractor Samurai"

3rd place: Philippines "Kit Kat"