On 07 June 2024, UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) announced the expansion of its steadily growing “Ultimate Women Program”, in partnership with Commercial Transport Academy (CTA).
Owing to the success and enduring impact of the program in the last two years, the CTA’s first-ever Bus Driver Development Program has been established - a joint venture between the CTA, Southern African Bus Operators Association (SABOA), Clarendon Transport Underwriting Managers (CTU) and UDTSA. There are approximately 30 female trainees that will benefit directly from this life-changing initiative and in efforts to intensify the training process, UDTSA proudly sponsored a new Croner Bus PKE 280 65-Seater to CTA.
The UDTSA “Ultimate Women Program” was successfully launched in 2022 with its primary objective to drive gender transformation initiatives in the transport industry - to which UDTSA sponsored two new Kuzer light-medium duty trucks. After gaining extensive experience in the year-long program, CTA was able to support all beneficiaries to secure employment as professional truck drivers, attesting to the continued commitment of UDTSA and CTA to cultivating meaningful change and transformation through empowerment of women in the transport industry.
The exclusive bus handover ceremony was hosted at UDTSA Head office in Rosslyn, Pretoria. Among the key stakeholders who graced the event were the local media stakeholders, representatives of the new trainee group, Anesu Mawire, International Development Specialist, United States Agency for International Development (USAid), Jr Choeu, JR Choeu Express, Eric Motshwane, SABOA, Olivia Kumalo, Operations Manager, Hollard Trucking, Quinton Roos, Managing Director, Trucklogix, Nicci Scott, founder of Commercial Transport Academy, Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director, UD Trucks Southern Africa, and Janet Frost, Human Resources Director, UD Trucks Southern Africa.
Nicci Scott, Founder of Commercial Transport Academy weighs in on the newly developed program: “We are pleased to have partnered with UDTSA in advancing the shared vision of increasing representation of female drivers in the transport industry and paving a way for an equitable society. The program grew in leaps and bounds since its inception and we cannot thank UDTSA enough for the unwavering support and the lasting impact this has had in the lives of these young women. With the renewed focus on training bus drivers, we pledge to continue to work closely with all the key stakeholders that we have partnered with to ensure successful completion of the program”.
During the Bus Driver Development Program, the participants will undergo extensive training for a period of 12 month which will cover technical modules such as vehicle operation and control, defensive driving techniques, traffic laws and regulations as well as route navigation or planning. Furthermore, the program will also have a strong theoretical component, covering critical modules such as stress management, professionalism, and effective passenger communication.
“Our meaningful partnership with CTA has been nothing short of transformative in our constant endeavor to empowering women in our industry and leaving a lasting imprint on societies within which we operate. Having been able to further expand the program to training bus drivers, highlights the success of this worthy cause and our dedication to making Better Life for people, the planet, and the logistics sector. We wish the new candidates a fruitful journey in the next coming months, and we are confident that they will go on to making a difference for a brighter future, concludes Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director UD Trucks Southern Africa.
UDTSA’s progressive steps in being a catalyst on the transformation agenda and investing in initiatives that contribute meaningfully to South Africa's socio-economic transformation were recognized by naamsa (The Automotive Business Council) in October 2023 for spearheading Women and Youth Empowerment, and Most Improved BBBEE OEM. The naamsa awards are hailed as the most coveted awards in the automotive industry for recognizing best-performing brands across the entire automotive value chain across various segments and categories.
The journey continues and UDTSA looks forward to future collaborations and partnerships being the cornerstone of the successful future of the transport industry.
