After completing its epic Lap of the Map tour UD Trucks has reflected on its nationwide regional tour.
Launched as part of its 50th year anniversary celebrations in Australia, Lap of the Map covered 15,500 kilometres around the Australian continent in little under nine months.
A UD Quon at gross weight of over 22,000kg provided great fuel numbers, according to Matt Wood, Volvo Group Australia Media Manager, averaging 2.9km/l.
“This truck never ceased to amaze. Even on some of the worst outback roads I encountered, from broken tarmac to corrugated dirt, the trusty Quon delivered a sure footed and comfortable ride,” he recalled.
“While a 6×4 rigid isn’t usually the first vehicle to spring to mind when it comes to long distance transport, this truck proved that long hours in the saddle don’t have to mean a sore back or aching limbs.”
Following national Highway 1, the trip was inspired by UD Trucks Founder Kenzo Adachi’s 1939 test drive where he embarked on a gruelling 3000 kilometre journey to prove the ultimate dependability of his new vehicle.
The Quon traversed all kinds of challenging environments. From the searing heat and humidity of the tropical north and the shores of the Gulf of Carpenteria and the dry, harsh terrain across the vast reaches of Australia, the truck had to contend with virtually every climate system that the continent can produce.
Far from being just a round town PUD vehicle, the 6×4 UD proved itself a capable cross continental hauler. For Wood, the people he visited along the way, that have built their business on UD Trucks and become a part of the UD family over the years, was a highlight.
“It was a great opportunity to meet the faces of UD, customers and dealers off the beaten track that built the brand here in Australia and made it what it is today,” he said.
Taking the truck into the wilderness to visit some of the people that helped build the UD business over the last five decades allowed UD, according to Lauren Pulitano, outgoing Vice President UD Trucks Australia, to take the road less travelled and tell their genuine stories.
“Stories of hard work, dedication, and trust,” she said.
“Stories that have made the Australian transport industry and UD Trucks what they are today.”
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