http://www.truckingmag.co.uk Summer 2019 TRUCKING 13O
ur sister title Truckstop News is
inviting readers to vote for their
favourite truck stops in the UK – and
as always, voting is free and simple.
It is hoped the Truck Stop of the Year
competition will drive up standards of the
nation’s truck stops, and help create a
sense of worthiness among the great
establishments that support and look
after the thousands of trucks drivers
working long hours day-in, day-out to
keep the wheels of industry rolling and
the shelves stocked.
For the 2019 award, there will be three
Truck Stop of the Year awards for
establishments in three distinct sizes –
large, medium and small.
For the avoidance of doubt, a small truck
stop will be those with parking for up to 25
lorries, medium is for 25-100 trucks, and
large is for those establishments that can
accommodate parking for over 100 trucks.
In addition, there are other categories:
Best Food, Best Shower/Toilets, Best
‘Added Value’, Best Overnight Stay (judged
by drivers), Warmest Welcome and Best
Parking Area.
You can enter as a truck stop proprietor
or member of staff, or drivers can enter torecommend an establishment based on
their own experiences.
To enter the Truckstop News Truck Stop
of the Year Competition, you must get
your entry in by the closing date of
Friday, September 27 at 1800.
Once the entry deadline passes, TSN will
draw up a shortlist and the judging will start
and the winners announced in the autumn.
All you have to do is fill in the online form
at http://www.transportcafe.co.uk/truckstop-of-
the-year
Alternatively, fill in the details in the
competition entry form on page 2 of any
current issue of TSN and send to:
Truckstop News,TSOTY Comp, Talk
Media Sales, No 4 Court Lodge Centre,
Plaxdale Green Road, Stansted, Kent,
TN15 7PG.ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR
TRUCK STOP OF THE YEAR 2019
ABBEY LOGISTICS WINS MICROLISE
DRIVER EXCELLENCE AWARD
A
bbey Logistics has been awarded
the prestigious Driver Excellence
prize at the annual Microlise Driver
of the Year Awards, which recognises the
most talented HGV drivers working in the
UK transport industry and acknowledge the
vital work they do.
With categories based on telematics
data, the awards are open to all drivers and
reward outstanding performance and
contributions to industry.
Winners are calculated using anonymous
telematics data from more than 210,
drivers, which identifies the drivers achieving
the highest driving performance using a
range of criteria – such as harsh braking,
over-revving and speeding.
The University of Nottingham’s Advanced
Data Analysis Centre independently studied
the data (with company, contract and driver
information removed), to identify the best
performing drivers, which were determined
using advanced data clustering techniques.
The Driver Excellence award is awardedto the operator with the highest percentage
of drivers in the final 1,000 as identified in
the overall Driver of the Year Process.
Abbey Logistics said it has invested
heavily in its Driver Training department as
it recognised the many benefits its
customers receive through a higher
performing driver team.
In the last 12 months, Matthew Parry,
Abbey’s driver training manager, said he has
overseen several developments in the way
the company trains its driver team.
“This award demonstrates with
independent data that the approach we are
taking to driver training is working, and
working quickly,” Parry said. “LGV training
doesn’t stop when a driver gets their
licence. Further training throughout a driver’s
career is essential to ensure the skills
learned before they took their test stay
up-to-date, and complacency and bad
habits don’t creep in.
“In addition, there are always new
ways to develop and improve in any
role, and the structure we have in
place at Abbey encourages our
drivers continuously learn and
fine-tune their skills.
“To ensure our drivers are up-to date
with their CPC hours, Abbey is now a
JAUPT-approved training centre, delivering
both classroom and in-cab Driver CPC
courses,” he added. “This allows us to
deliver the most effective training course
we can, and not just simply meet the
demands of Driver CPC legislation.”Ambassador interview:
Graham Taylor
Standing in the #ProudProfessionals spotlight this
issue is Graham Taylor, professional driver for
Tony Starmer Transport. When we spoke to
Graham, it was 10 years to the day since he passed
his Class 1 test. Let’s see what he had to say...What’s the best part of your job, Graham?
GT: “Every day is different and I think that’s important.
In the past I’ve had jobs that were interesting, but were
pretty repetitive after a while. I like the variety, so getting
my HGV licence was definitely a good move for me.”You seem to take a lot of pride in your ride...
GT: “Definitely, I drive a Renault Magnum and I love it.
An old boss told me that your lorry is like a moving
billboard for the company. That’s why I keep the
Magnum on top form. It does take a fair bit of
housekeeping, but when you’re living in a truck you’ve
got to make it yours, and I like mine to shine. It’s like
they say: ‘You can always trust businesses that look
after their drivers and you can always trust drivers who
look after their trucks.’”Is our industry appealing enough to the
younger generations?
GT: “Yes, I’d say so. We just need to be better at shouting
about the good stuff. I visit new places all the time,
meeting some really interesting people, and get to listen
to Spotify all day! I can’t see why young people wouldn’t
want to have that level of variety, freedom and
independence. It is hard, though, when you’re just starting
out. Not many businesses seem willing to take a risk on
insuring a fresh driver. If we made it easier for younger
people, then that might help bring more into the industry.”The #ProudProfessionals aim is to recognise the
people who make this industry great, but all too
often go unappreciated. Drivers and dealers,
support and sales, maintenance and more –
every one of us plays a vital role.
http://www.proudprofessionals.co.ukIf you know proud professionals
like Graham then visit
http://www.proudprofessionals.co.uk to nominate
them – let’s give them the recognition
they deserve.#PROUDPROFESSIONALS
Operator said it continues to
invest heavily in driver trainingGet your entries in now!