HINO South Africa recently had an exceptional opportunity to engage with one of its key clients, Clover, as a sponsor at a driver skills contest. This event, known as the Clover Drivers’ Day, was unprecedented in scale for both Clover and Standard Bank Fleet Management, its main sponsor. Hino was among the three truck OEMs featured during the competition.
The finals comprised participation from each of the 19 Clover depots across South Africa, with the top three truck and forklift drivers from each region gathering in Gauteng for the one-day event at Clover’s Clayville depot in Midrand. Competitors were tasked with five different skill tests, including driving on public roads, to determine the best three drivers from Clover’s fleet, which operates over 700 trucks of various types. Judging was conducted by two members of Clover’s technical team along with two master instructors from MasterDrive.
The top three winners received generous cash prizes and gift packs, while all participants were awarded unique jackets and gift bags. These accolades were presented at a formal dinner held in the evening. Additionally, 15 suppliers contributed various other prizes, enhancing the prestige of this successful event, which is set to become a bi-annual occurrence.
A standout feature of the event was the debut of Clover’s newest flagship vehicle, the Hino 500 2829 6×4 freight carrier, equipped with solar panels to power its refrigeration unit instead of a traditional small diesel engine. This innovative zero-emission system, developed by Transport Cooling Africa and Mobius Energy, uses no diesel fuel.
“The Hino with its sustainable solar energy is undergoing an extended trial period before we consider broader installation across more of our refrigerated trailers,” remarked Liezel Turner, senior manager – strategic alliances and OEMs at Standard Bank Fleet Management. “So far, the results have been very promising.”
