The hunt for the UK’s best truck drivers has begun as nominations open for the Microlise Driver of the Year Awards.

Performance data for more than 110,000 drivers is analysed to find the best three short, medium and long distance drivers in the country.

Additionally, Microlise is also calling for nominations for Young Driver of the Year, Most Improved Driver of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, HGV Hero and Extra Mile. These categories will not rely on telematics data and nominations are open for all drivers – whether or not they are on the Microlise telematics platform.

“The Microlise Driver of the Year Awards was designed to recognise the professionalism of drivers, and the contribution they make to the industry and society,” said Bob Harbey, Executive Director at Microlise.

“Since 2015 the scope and scale of the awards has grown – but we are staying close to our initial mission of recognising the very best in our industry. Telematics data continues to play a crucial role – but we are also asking transport professionals to nominate their best drivers across other categories, putting them forward for the recognition they deserve.”

For the short, medium and long categories, Microlise data from the whole of 2016, with company, contract and driver personal identification information removed, will be analysed.

The data will then be qualified via questionnaires completed by the employers of each shortlisted driver, allowing for further evidence and indicators to be provided that may result in a driver being named as a winner.

An independent expert judging panel will be appointed to impartially produce a shortlist of three drivers across all categories – both data and nomination based – as well as the award winners.

Shortlisted drivers across all categories will win a track day as reward for their achievement; and a seat at a special awards ceremony held the evening before the Microlise Transport Conference on 17th May. The overall Microlise Driver of the Year winner will be revealed in front of more than 1,000 attendees at what is now Europe’s largest road transport conference.

The award in 2016 was presented by HRH The Princess Royal to Giorgio Lercara of Culina.