After a successful launch last year for the Van Excellence driver of the year competition, organisers have unveiled this year’s event.
It will take part in July at Wentworth Park in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and drivers who work for accredited Van Excellence firms are being urged to sign up.
The competition is being sponsored by Leaseplan and firms can nominate a driver for the competition.
The Van Excellence driver will be crowned after undertaking a variety of tasks to test their ability in a number of skills.
For instance, drivers will need to undertake five separate tasks to display their overall abilities behind the steering wheel.
Driver skills tested in Van Excellence driving competition
They will need to prove their abilities in driving which will see their behaviour being monitored and fuel economy measured as well as how they manoeuvre a van.
The competition also evaluates a driver’s level of risk awareness, their legal knowledge and the ability to identify defects on a vehicle.
Judges will then mark the contest and drivers will be ranked based on these scores.
Van Excellence is organised by the Freight Transport Association and its head of vans, Mark Cartwright, said: “The event offers an opportunity for van drivers to demonstrate their work in a vital sector of UK logistics.
“It also enables them to gain the recognition that they deserve for their skills and the importance of their job.”
Van Excellence competition supported by major firms
The competition is also being supported by a number of blue-chip firms including Hertz, BT Fleet, Tom-Tom, ATS EuroMaster and Lex Autolease.
It costs drivers £50 to enter and entry is restricted to those accredited members of the Van Excellence scheme.
The prize for the winning driver will be a £1,000 holiday voucher and an iPad mini and there will also be ‘Red Letter Day’ prizes for the drivers who come second and third.
Van Excellence aims to improve the standards of van operator compliance in the industry and celebrate those operators who can demonstrate excellence and who represent the best interests of the van industry.
Any operator of vans of 3.5 tonnes GVW, or less, can join Van Excellence and more information can be found about the initiative at vanexcellence.co.uk.