Telematics firm Microlise has launched its annual search for the top HGV drivers in the UK transport industry.
Winners will be chosen purely through the analysis of telematics data and manager feedback. A judging panel will select drivers for the shortlists and the winners are selected on anonymised telematics data and questionnaires completed by managers of each driver or entries submitted.
The Driver of the Year awards aim to recognise the UK’s most talented HGV drivers – acknowledging the vital work they do and the professionalism with which they carry out their work. The University of Nottingham's Advanced Data Analytics Centre provides impartial analysis of the telematics data.
There are five categories: Driver of the Year, Young Driver of the Year, Most Improved Driver of the Year, HGV Hero and Lifetime Achievement.
For the main Microlise Driver of the Year Award, initial data is gathered and analysed from over 100,000 drivers using Microlise telematics. Further selection is then made based on drivers with at least 10 journeys across each quarter of the year, in addition to a minimum of 5,000 miles total driving, before data gathered from each qualifying driver is assessed using a range of criteria, such as harsh braking, over revving and speeding. The data is then supported by questionnaires completed by the employers of each driver on the initial shortlist, helping to provide further evidence and indicators that might contribute to a driver being named as a winner.
For the other awards, judging is initially based on submitted entries before available telematics data is analysed where appropriate to support the judging process.