Inverness has won a cash prize of £10,000 after hauliers and HGV drivers from across the country voted it the UK’s kindest town.

The competition, which is a joint effort between the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and transport software provider Mandata, was launched in April and has gathered more than 1,000 votes from all around the UK.

The winner was announced at the RHA’s recent Forum for the Future event in Birmingham. It saw Inverness garner the most votes, with Tamworth coming second and Northampton taking third place.

The competition is part of a wider campaign to improve attitudes towards HGV drivers whilst raising awareness of the need to improve truck stop facilities across the country.

The campaign also sought to highlight that treating drivers with kindness goes a long way to improving their mental health. Truckers can spend days away from home and often it’s the small acts of kindness that can make the difference.

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Richard Smith, RHA managing director, said: “It was the pandemic that really raised awareness of the industry among the public – after all it was the truckers that kept shelves full and ensured that medical staff were equipped with vital PPE.

“This is why I’m particularly pleased that government has recognised the need for improved facilities for drivers and that they have agreed to match the investment made by truck stops to improve their facilities.”

Sandra Pretorius, Mandata Group chief marketing officer, added: “The search for the UK’s Kindest Town was all about creating awareness amongst the general public of the challenges faced by HGV drivers, whilst giving drivers and hauliers the opportunity to thank what they considered to be the kindest town by giving them their vote.

“The volume of support received for this campaign, from truck stops to haulage businesses to social media influencers, is by far the best indication of how much the industry values its drivers, and it is our hope that our drivers know we actively stand with them to improve life on the road.”

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