The shortlist of the Microlise annual Driver of the Year awards has been published, with the winners announced in Manchester in May.
The Driver of the Year Awards celebrate the professionalism, dedication and expertise of the drivers who keep Britain’s supply chains moving every day.
The 2026 shortlist includes drivers from retailers including Aldi, Co-op, Hovis, Tesco and Waitrose, which Microlise said reflected the breadth of organisations represented across the UK road transport industry.
Drivers were shortlisted across 11 award categories, recognising excellence in areas including safety, efficiency and overall professionalism.
Nadeem Raza, Microlise CEO, said: “Professional drivers play a critical role in keeping the UK’s supply chains moving every single day. Behind every delivery is a driver whose skill, commitment and professionalism ensures goods reach businesses and communities safely and efficiently.
“The Driver of the Year Awards are about recognising the individuals who consistently demonstrate those qualities.
“The standard of entries this year has once again been extremely high, and we are proud to celebrate the drivers who represent the very best of the industry.”
The winners will be announced on 12 May during the ceremony at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, which takes place following the Microlise Transport Conference.
Shortlisted drivers for the 2026 awards are:
Short Distance
John Mckinney, XPO Logistics
Andrew Phillips, Tesco Distribution
Andrew Toll, Gist Ltd
Medium Distance
Peter Gunthorpe, Maritime Transport
David Hallam, Gist Ltd
Daniel Szebeni, Maritime Transport
Long Distance
Paul Dowdalls, Co-op
Timothy Stocks, Wincanton GXO
Christopher Sullivan, Aldi Ltd
Compliant Driver
Arjan Berisha, Europa
Declan McAdams, Hovis
Christopher Sullivan, Aldi Ltd
Extra Mile
Dale Cox, CCF Ltd - (Travis Perkins PLC)
Sally Jones, Celtic International Freight Limited
Paul Moir, Howard Tenens
Rookie Driver
Shanalee Johnson, Tesco Distribution
Fletcher Peart, Brian Yeardley Continental Ltd
Vanessa Porter, Sainsburys/GXO
Lifetime Achievement
Ben Cooper, Floorspan Contracts ltd
Geoffrey Dixon, Tesco Distribution
Graham Whitby, Matthew Clark
Commitment to Improve
Ionut Budurca, Great Bear
Mareks Kvetins, Wincanton GXO
Ian Wheatley, XPO Logistics
Driver Hero
Connor Brennan, Wincanton GXO
Sharon Longthorne, Loveden Travel
Outstanding Mentor
Jason Brennan, Waitrose & Partners (John Lewis PLC)
Gavin Jones, Warburtons
James Tollitt, Schenk Tank Transport
