Scania Begins Search for World's Best Truck Drivers - 40,000 Young Drivers on Five Continents Expected to Compete

"The driver is absolutely the most important factor in heavyvehicle transport services. Vehicles and infrastructure are obviouslyof major significance, but road safety is primarily a matter of humanbehaviour. By means of these competitions, we want to help raise thestatus of professional drivers and emphasise their great importance toboth road safety and the profitability of transport companies. We wantto help attract more young, capable drivers into the transportbusiness," says Cecilia Edstrom, Scania's Senior Vice PresidentCorporate Communications.

In the haulage industry there is a growing interest in trainingprogrammes that teach safe, fuel-efficient driving. Good driving stylecan contribute to better traffic flow, thereby also improving fuelconsumption and decreasing exhaust emissions globally. Hauliers savefuel and reduce vehicle and tyre wear, with smaller environmentalimpact as a consequence.

"Skilled, road safety-conscious drivers benefit society, transportcompanies and the environment. Thus driver training is a service thatgenerates added value for our customers," says Hans-ChristerHolgersson, Group Vice President and Head of Sales and Services.

The competition encompasses both theoretical and practical testsin line with the European Union directive on compulsory drivertraining. The purpose of this new directive is to introduceprofessional training that focuses on safe driving and raises thesafety standard of drivers, which will have a positive impact not onlyon society in general but also on the transport sector.

In addition to the competition rounds, Scania is organising roadsafety seminars in the participating countries, many of these inpartnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Scania will berepresented at WHO's First United Nations Global Road Safety Week,23-29 April 2007. The most recent round of the world's largestcompetition for heavy truck drivers was held in 2005 and attracted30,000 contestants from 26 European countries as well as Argentina,Brazil, Taiwan and South Africa. Also competing in the 2007competition will be Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Botswana,Namibia and Tanzania. In Europe, Bulgaria has been added to theparticipating countries. The African countries will also invite busand coach drivers to compete for the title of best bus driver.

The competitions, which are being carried out for the third time,will begin early in 2007 with qualifying rounds at various Scaniadealerships and test tracks around the world. National finals willthen follow, and the big final event for European countries will takeplace in September. Professional truck drivers will be able to applyat http://yetd.scania.com.

Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks andbuses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marineengines. A growing proportion of the company's operations consists ofproducts and services in the financial and service sectors, assuringScania customers of cost-effective transport solutions and maximumuptime. Employing 32,000 people, Scania operates in about 100countries. Research and development activities are concentrated inSweden, while production plants are located in Europe and SouthAmerica, with facilities for the global exchange of both componentsand finished vehicles. In 2005, revenue totalled SEK 63.3 billion andnet income amounted to SEK 4.7 billion.

Scania's press releases are available on the Internet atwww.scania.com.

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