The search has begun for The Microlise Driver of the Year 2021.

The award initiative, now in it's seventh year, shortlists drivers by analysing a year’s worth of Microlise telematics performance data to reveal the ‘most talented’ short, medium and long-distance drivers.

The process involves the Microlise Data Science team, who will initially analyse in excess of 250,000 anonymous drivers’ telematics records from 2020.

Data will be anonymised with company, contract and driver personal identification information removed.

Bob Harbey, executive director at Microlise, said: “These are the most comprehensive awards for drivers of heavy commercial vehicles.

“Our data science team uses the latest technology to evaluate data from hundreds of thousands of anonymous drivers, to help us to understand who the country’s best driver is.”

The process, which was initially developed in conjunction with The University of Nottingham’s Advanced Data Analytics Centre, will identify the best performing drivers.

Five additional nomination-based categories - Young Driver, Most Improved, Lifetime Achievement, Driver Hero and Extra Mile are also open to the entire driver community, regardless of whether Microlise telematics technology is used.

Drivers and transport managers are invited to nominate their colleagues with employers, then being asked to support the nomination and provide further qualitative evidence that may result in a driver being named as a winner.

An independent judging panel will shortlist three drivers in each category and oversee the awards process.

Harbey said: “This is one of our favourite projects in the year as it allows us to celebrate the tremendous contribution drivers make to the transport industry and to our economy as a whole and given the extraordinary logistical challenges of 2020, there has never been a better time to applaud them.”

Gist driver, Gillian Brooks won the 2020 Microlise Driver of the Year Award and also won the long-distance category, featuring drivers who regularly undertake journeys of 60,000 miles plus per year.

John Bushby, a driver from Gist was also hailed as a HGV Hero in the Microlise Driver of The Year Awards 2020.

Nominations can be made on or before February 19, on the Microlise Driver of the Year Award website: https://driveroftheyear.co.uk

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