Following the first round of heats in the search for Ireland’s Best Truck Driver Competition, 20 professional drivers have been selected to go forward for the driving element of the newly established award programme launched by Fleet Transport magazine in association with Advancedrive and sponsored by Enprova.

Throughout this week the drivers will assemble at the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles headquarters in Dublin to take to the wheel of the multi-award winning Actros tractor-unit for a cross-country run. Vehicle and driver performance will be monitored in real time using Daimler FleetBoard Telematics System. This information plus ongoing monitoring by Advancedrive personnel will determine 10 drivers to go through to the Grand Final on 2 October next.

This daytime event coincides with the annual running of the Fleet Transport Awards Gala Dinner at Citywest Hotel, Dublin hosted later that evening. Here, the drivers have to manoeuvre the Actros and Dennison curtainside trailer around a set course along with a vehicle defect inspection and a load safety examination under the watchful eye of the Health & Safety Authority.

The top 20 drivers that will compete in Round 2 of the Fleet Transport Ireland’s Best Truck Driver Award 2015 with Enprova are as follows:-

Warren Boyce (Multimetals Recycling)
Adrian Brady (Brady International)
Robert Brennan (Brennan Licensed Hauliers)
Gregory Buczkowski (Curran Transport)
Paul Byrne (Greencoole Haulage Ltd)
Paddy Clancy (Colm O’Meara Transport)
Kevin Dunne (Keyline Transport)
Paraic Fahey (AQS Environmental Solutions)
Noddy Farrell (Millbrook Foods)
Anthony Fitzgerald (P.D. Flaherty)
Paul Flynn (Adare Transport)
Brian Kelly (Chemsource Logistics)
James Kennedy (Kennedy International)
Niall Lynch (Millbrook Foods)
Luke Molloy (Dixons)
Gerard McKenna (AHS)
Christy Noonan (Hanlon Concrete)
Peter O’Neill (Musgrave Retail Partners)
Brendan O’Toole (Securispeed Ltd)
Gabriel Warde (Lynx Transport & Logistics)
In wishing the drivers the best of luck in Round 2 of the competition, Jarlath Sweeney, Group Editor, Fleet Transport magazine said, “Well done to these drivers on reaching this driving round, which I know they will enjoy their time in the Mercedes-Benz Actros.  The top ten will then be selected from this heat to go forward for the Grand Final on 2 October next.  Thanks to our sponsors Enprova, Mark Dodd at Advancedrive and Mercedes-Benz for their support and assistance in the programme.