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aced with tense competition among heavy-duty truck brands in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific market, Volvo Truck Corporation presents not merely the truck, but substantial technical support in a move to overtake competitors.

Their strategy is “the Volvo Fuelwatch Championship”, a challenge that encourages drivers to get a maximum fuel efficiency, eventually expected to help businesses decrease their transportation costs.

Up to 11 drivers from China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Indonesia were invited to take part in the competition at the sophisticated Linsay Fox’s Australian Automotive Research Centre some 50 kilometers outside Geelong, southwest of Melbourne. The 2012 Fuelwatch competition was the third fuel-efficient driving contest held by Volvo Trucks.

Contestants were all champions who had qualified against more than 2,500 drivers through their respective national competitions.

China’s Liu Jinqiang, who has been driving truck for over 20 years, and Indonesia’s Hendra Giyardi, still in his 20s, looked nervous before the race.

“We are a little bit worried because I never drove the new truck being used for this competition, we do not have that type yet in China. And we drive on the left side of the road while here we drive on the right,” Jinqiang told The Jakarta Post.

President of Volvo Trucks Indonesia Pierre Jean Verge Salamon said the company launched the competition after considering the costs of running the truck and finding that fuel takes most of the cash.

“Then who moderates the fuel? It is not the truck itself, but the driver,” he told the Post at the championship. “It’s all about the way you operate the machine and the way you drive.”

Volvo Trucks do not only sell trucks but it also long term solutions for its customers. “When you buy a Volvo truck you know that Volvo will always support you,” he said.

For the competition, Volvo used its latest trucks: FH540 to be driven over a 19-kilometer course for the on-road final and the FMX 6x4 over 6 kilometers, off-road.

On finals day, Australia’s Chris Sanders out did other drivers with his efficiency on-road, with a fuel consumption 20 percent less than his defeated colleagues.

China’s Liu Jinqiang followed in the second place and Indonesia’s Hendra Giyardi secure the third position.

In the off-road competition, Bonari, another Indonesian finalist, made the top three.

“Though I did not win the competition but by participating I could share my driving experiences with fellow drivers,” said Bonari, who originates in Kalimantan.

Winners were crowned Volvo Trucks Asia Pacific Fuelwatch Champion 2012 in a gala dinner that marked the closing of a memorable competition.

Joachim Rosenberg, president of Volvo Group Trucks, Sales and Marketing and JVs APAC believes that Fuelwatch is Volvo Truck’s way of addressing society, reducing the impact of the industry and driving progress toward fuel efficiency.

He expressed his confidence on the competition’s future. “I can promise, we will continue with Fuelwatch in Asia Pacific. In years ahead, it may become a global event.”