Now in its sixth year, this popular award initiative 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 coveted top slot of Driver of the Year will formally be announced at the Microlise Transport Conference on 20th May 2020.

The awards process begins with the Microlise Data Science team, who will analyse in excess of 225,000 drivers’ telematics records from 2019. Data will be anonymised with company, contract and driver personal identification information removed. In this way, 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, HGV Hero and Extra Mile are also open to the entire HGV community, regardless of whether Microlise telematics technology is used. Drivers and transport managers are invited to nominate their colleagues, employers are then asked to support the nomination and provide further qualitative evidence that may result in a driver being named as a winner.

An independent panel of industry experts will shortlist three drivers in each category and oversee the awards process. Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Association, Richard Burnett, Editor of Motor Transport, Steve Hobson, and retired Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Joan Aitken will be among this year’s judges.

Shortlisted drivers across all categories will win a track day and will be guests at a special awards evening prior to the Microlise Transport Conference on 20 May. The Microlise Driver of the Year will receive their award at the Conference itself in front of a packed house of over 1,200 delegates.

“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 is the country’s best driver,” said Bob Harbey, Executive Director at Microlise. “This is one of our favourite projects in the year as it allows us to recognise and celebrate the tremendous contribution drivers make to the transport industry and to our economy as a whole.”

Bibby Distribution driver, Mark Field, beat off stiff competition in 2019 to win the Microlise Driver of the Year Award and also won the short distance category, featuring drivers who regularly undertake journeys of up to 30,000 miles each year.

Nominations can be made at the Microlise Driver of the Year Award website on or before 14 February 2020.