National award for driver
A TRUCK driver from Hinckley won a prestigious national award for his driving skills.
Simon Blurton, 45, won the Manoeuvring Task in the 44-tonne category, in the Freight Transport Association (FTA) Driver of the Year competition.
Mr Blurton works for NFT Distribution and was commended for his outstanding professionalism, knowledge and excellent driving skills
He outperformed 15 other finalists at Mercedes-Benz in Barnsley, taking on six tasks to evaluate driving style, economical driving, defect checking and other skills.
Simon said: “I couldn’t believe it when they said my name.
“You go into these competitions thinking you might be in with a chance but the standard was so high across all the finalists. I’m still buzzing.”
Mike Belk, managing director of MercedesBenz Trucks UK, said: “Truck drivers are the lifeblood of the road haulage industry.
“The drivers who took part in the FTA 44t Driver of the Year competition are a fantastic advertisement for the logistics sector.
“Every single one deserves praise and recognition, and we’d par- ticularly like to congratulate the winners.”
The finalists were each nominated by their fleet manager, who had recognised their professionalism and skills.
The 44-tonne competition ran alongside the Van Excellence Driver of the Year, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, and the 18-tonne driving competition sponsored by Bridgestone.
The winners of all three contests will be assessed, and the overall winner of FTA Driver of the Year 2017 will be revealed at the Transport Manager Conference at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, on November 29.