FTA receives record entries for Driver of the Year

Entries for the Freight Transport Association (FTA)’s Driver of the Year competition 2017 are the highest since the competition’s inception.

Almost double the number of applications have been received this year when compared to 2016.   

Open to all UK drivers from any business sector, the 2017 FTA Driver of the Year competition will be judged in three vehicle contests:  vans, 18-tonne and 44-tonne trucks, with a young driver of the year named in each category.

“Freight drivers are the lifeblood of British business and have to be highly skilled in a broad range of areas including time management, load distribution, vehicle maintenance and legal compliance in addition to having top notch driving skills,”  explains Carlie Nowell, head of events at FTA.

Those shortlisted for the finals of the competition will be invited to take part in an assessment day at Mercedes-Benz, where winners and Young Drivers of the Year in each vehicle class will be named.

Following the three days of stern competition, all the winners will be reassessed, and an overall FTA Driver of the Year 2017 will be named, who will be presented with his or her prize at the Transport Manager Conference at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 29 November.

“We have been delighted by the quantity and quality of the drivers who have entered this year’s FTA Driver of the Year competition, and are currently assessing each entry carefully to ensure we shortlist the very best representatives of the UK’s logistics sector,” Nowell added.