Barloworld drivers compete

Barloworld Transport's top drivers for 2019. PHOTO: Dean Demos

Barloworld Transport yesterday held its annual Driver of the Year competition at Golden Horse Casino, where 54 drivers gathered to test their skills in manoeuvring a truck and two-axle trailer through a series of narrow obstacles, including reversing, all against the clock.
Their aim was to win the grand prize and the title of ‘Driver of the Year 2019’.
The competition ended with a gala dinner and awards ceremony last night, where Barloworld’s senior
and executive managers recognised the top drivers for their achievements and contribution to the business.
Project manager at Barloworld Jordyn Grenfel said the competing drivers, which included six women, represented the top three percent of some 1 500 drivers working in eight business units across South Africa.
Barloworld Transport uses DriveSmart telemetrics to monitor driver skills in five key areas, including defensive driving and speed management.
The drivers are held accountable for their standard of driving and use their telemetric results to hone their skills and, more importantly, develop the right attitude.
The truckers said if they could ask for one gift from motorists over the festive season, it would be for passenger car drivers not to nip in front of trucks and then slow down.
Apart from ruining their good statistics, such inconsiderate motorists create very dangerous situations because trucks take much longer to slow down than cars. Barloworld Transport trucks are all equipped with dash cams that record such incidents and prove the driver’s innocence but the truckers’ plea is for impatient drivers to change their attitude, slow down, and focus on making the journey the destination.