The winners were given a Volvo gift-pack and certificate in recognition of their specialist driving skills, which have resulted in reduced fuel usage. A course undertaken by the drivers also promoted road safety with the support of Halfords.
The five recipients of the awards were among approximately 150 drivers who participated in the three-part training programme. This concentrated on key areas such as controlled acceleration, correct use of Volvo's 'Eco-roll' cruise control, and other specialist and safe driving techniques.
The awards were presented by logistics company Wincanton plc in conjunction the Hartshorne Crossroads Group, which supplied the Volvo Trucks that they drive.
Ian Middleton of the Hartshorne Crossroads Group commented: "We're delighted that these drivers have achieved such great results with our vehicles, which are engineered to deliver fuel efficiency. By adopting less aggressive driving techniques it not only saves money, but also makes the road a safer place. You cannot underestimate the importance of that."
The Volvo FH500 meets Euro VI emissions standards and is equipped with high tech features that can be configured to save fuel according different road environments. There is also a driver app to provide coaching tips and deliver analysis so the driver can respond to changing conditions.
Peter Dye, Driver Training Manager for Wincanton, said: "We've worked closely with the Hartshorne Crossroads Group to achieve optimum performance from our new Volvo FH500 trucks. Driver behaviour can boost fuel economy by up to 30%, which is great news for the environment. We have seen substantial increases in our average miles per gallon, simply through a change in driving techniques."
The team received their awards from Adrian Bridges, National Transport Manager at Wincanton, and Richard Holt, General Manager at Wincanton in Coventry. The overall winner of Driver of the Year was Peter Richards from Greenford. Runners up were Clive Stott from Worsley, Garry Bench from Coventry, Alexa Bogdan from Greenford, and Neil Davis from Redditch.
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Stephenson
E-mail: Jennifer.Stephenson@crossroads.co.uk