Heavy duty and non-stop work requires reliable trucks. The biggest UD fleet in Hong Kong is hard at work to ensure cleanliness.
It is the infrastructure that keeps Hong Kong going. And it is Johnson Cleaning Services that keeps that infrastructure clean. Day in and day out, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The business operates in three shifts and with depots all over Hong Kong. This is a tough job as city traffic with a lot of start-stop operation is demanding on the vehicles. The business, which runs a fleet of over 50 MCVs, has become the largest
UD fleet in Hong Kong as they depend on these trucks to get the job done. The average truck’s age is about ten years.
The fleet comprises of road sweepers and washers, tippers as well as trucks that are equipped with cranes. Trucks can have
crews with up to five members, requiring the vehicles to have crew cabs. In Hong Kong’s narrow roads it is crucial to have small turning circles.
“What we need are vehicles that are easy to maintain and for which it is easy to get spare parts” says Kevin Ip, Manager, Administration Department. He further says that “The Swire 24-hour breakdown service is most impressive!
With the possibility to fix trucks there and then, we minimize downtime. And let’s face it, in any operation involving
trucks, there will be break-downs.” According to him, spare parts are widely available, the trucks are easy to repair and
thus save money in the daily operation. In order to ensure that the governmental contracts are being fulfilled, several
trucks are on standby, in reserve.
Like many others, Ho Ming Kit, Senior District Manager, also states that it is hard these days to find drivers. “It is not that
simple. You don’t just sit inside the airconditioned cab all day. Our drivers also need to get in and out to help the crews
and to be hands-on”. A trend that he sees in trucking is that the trucks are now built around the driver. He says “Comfort
of the driver is important and needs to be taken into consideration. For our operation, we don’t need the full specs,
however, as our staff spends full eight hour shifts in and around the vehicle, its comfort needs to be considered.”
Naturally, competitions like the Volvo Fuelwatch are of interest to the business and the management is considering
sending in drivers for the next instalment. Recently, several drivers have completed driver training courses by Swire Motors.
Ip explains that “You need to do that. In order for a truck to run perfectly, you need to know what all the buttons are
for, what the effect is of switching on or off certain features.”
About the UD Driver Training
The UD driver training programme aims to optimise driver skills, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, safer driving and better total performance by getting the most out of UD trucks and drivers.
The programme is made up of 3 sections, classroom instruction (basically focusing on vehicle knowledge and safe driving
rules), one-to-one on-road driving tuition and driving assessment. Swire Motors has appointed a driver trainer to dedicatedly conduct the classroom instruction and driving tuition, which collectively takes three hours each time. In the meanwhile, improvement course can be provided on request. Upon the completion of the first two parts, driving assessment will be scheduled every two weeks. Only a driver passes the assessment twice can he receive a certificate.
Quite a few UD customers, including Johnson Cleaning, have benefited from the driver training programme. A group
of well-trained drivers can make a great difference to the business.
