Julian wins award for making journeys better for passengers
A COACH driver has been bringing people together from behind his steering wheel.
Global tech travel brand Flixbus has presented a new ‘highly commended’ award to Berry’s Coaches driver Julian Totterdell in its UK Driver Awards.
The 55-year-old from Tiverton received a huge number of comments from customers over the year, often mentioning him as funny, understanding and informative.
Coming from a family of HGV drivers, Julian says he was always more interested in coaches, passing his test in 1989.
He added: “When I was told I had won the award, I said they must have the piece of paper upside down!
“I always try to keep passengers informed – even if the roads are busy, this helps to keep them feeling included. I try to remain sensitive and gentle to every customer I meet.
“I would encourage anyone to try to this job; driving coaches is my absolute favourite of any vehicle I’ve tried, and the work offers such a variety of experience.”
Julian, who often drives the Flixbus Bristol to Newcastle service, has four grown-up children aged 20 to 27, as well as a young daughter with his fiancé and “a handful of grandchildren”.
Berry’s operations manager Sam Moloney said: “JT, as he is known, has made everyone here incredibly proud.
“He never stops seeking ways to make passengers’ journeys better and more enjoyable.”
Hayley Russell, teams lead for operations at Flixbus, said: “I really look forward to seeing the final results of our driver ratings and it’s been so fantastic to read the feedback and customer comments.
“We’re delighted to see that even with the phenomenal network growth for Flixbus in the past year, drivers continue to go above and beyond. We will continue to champion those outstanding individuals like Julian who are the face of our brand.”