Bibby Distribution’s Driver of the Year competition has recognised and rewarded its top performing drivers. Nigel Hargreaves was named LGV Driver of the Year based on his exceptional performance over the last 12 months, while Tony Warburton from the company’s Bury site won the Forklift Driver of the Year title in the materials handling category.
“At Bibby Distribution, people are at the heart of everything that we do and it’s important that we recognise the contribution that our drivers make. Safety and efficiency are central to our business, and our drivers of both trucks and MHE play a crucial role in delivering those benefits to customers. We know driving is a high pressure job, so these awards bring our driver family together in a fun celebration of our shared success,” said Duncan Eyre, Managing Director at Bibby Distribution.
The awards were launched in 2016 and this year’s event gathered together almost 150 drivers. The 22 top performing drivers across both categories were invited to Rockingham Motor Speedway for a family fun day of racing, with truck manufacturer and event sponsor MAN Truck & Bus providing a race truck for exhilarating passenger rides around the 1.5-mile, high-speed, oval circuit. MAN also donated prizes that included a Porsche driving day experience and tickets to September’s IAA Show in Hannover – the biggest road transport industry trade show in Europe.
The winners were announced at an awards dinner attended by senior management from across Bibby Distribution, and all finalists received a special uniform in recognition of their achievement.
“I’m delighted to win this award, especially as I was up against so many good drivers. I’m just doing a job I love and happy that Bibby Distribution has recognised me in this way,” said Nigel.
“This is a great initiative to recognise the best drivers – even those of us who aren’t out on the road. The challenges certainly tested our day-to-day skills, and I’m really pleased to have come out on top,” said Tony.
The Driver of the Year Awards are a key part of Bibby Distribution’s Road to Zero strategy, aimed at achieving zero harm, zero waste and zero environmental impact from its operations. As a result, the company invests heavily in tailored driver training programmes to help those behind the wheel realise their full potential.