DAF Driver Challenge Champion 2019 winner announced

By Andrew Baxter

1 October 2019

Peter Jacobs from Belgium has been crowned ‘DAF Driver Challenge Champion 2019’ at the event’s final held at the Goodyear proving ground in Luxembourg.

From an original field of 1,000 contestants, 18 candidates from across Europe competed for this title. Second and third places went to Nerijus Vitkauskas from Lithuania, and Miroslav Svoboda from the Czech Republic.

UK representative, Scott Lewis, acquitted himself well, finishing the weekend in 12th position.

A six-person jury judged the performance of the competitors, backed by a group of auditors from the European vehicle inspection organisation Dekra.

Great skillset

Harry Wolters, DAF Trucks’ president and chairman of the jury, said: “This final has again confirmed that an excellent truck driver needs a great skillset. It requires lots of knowledge, experience and skills to boost the performance of a truck to its maximum. We really feel that truck drivers deserve to be on a podium and to be celebrated for the challenges they face day-in day-out.

“With the International DAF Driver Challenge, we give them that platform to showcase their skills and knowledge. The jury was impressed by the dedication and cool-thinking candidates who were able to demonstrate their talent, even under the extreme pressure of the finale.”

Strong competition

Competition winner, Peter Jacobs, said: “The competition was so incredibly strong that my win came as a total surprise. The national final was tough enough, but we had to really push ourselves here. The trials with the trucks and trailers were extremely challenging and the written tests that we had to take in the field of technology, legislation and regulations were downright tough.

“Some people state that I have an easy job. But that is far from reality. Therefore I would like to dedicate this award to all my highly professional colleagues who hit the road every day.”

In August this year, Laurence Drake was appointed as managing director of DAF Trucks, succeeding Robin Easton.

Easton was promoted to the role of assistant general manager operations for PACCAR Financial Corporation.