Polish driver Piotr Krahel has won the world final of the Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge 2018 that took place in Gothenburg earlier this month. The competition, which this year involved more challenges than ever before, attracted more than 1200 professional drivers from 33 countries.

“The Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge brings together all the different challenges that truck drivers face every day,” says Maria Bergving, SVP brand, marketing and communication at Volvo Trucks. “Their skills are often the decisive factor in the productivity and profitability of our customers. Drivers also make a major contribution to road safety. The final gave us the opportunity to see incredibly skilful drivers doing an impressive job of handling their trucks.”

This was the sixth time the biennial competition had been run and this year it focused on three areas: fuel efficiency, productivity and safety.

“The drivers competing for the title achieved excellent performances in each area. They showed that it is possible to have a highly fuel-efficient driving style, deliver a fragile load quickly in good condition and, at the same time, follow the road safety regulations to the letter.”

The aim of the Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge is to draw attention to the important work done by truck drivers. It is also a way of attracting young people to the job, which offers good career opportunities. The logistics and transport industry is constantly growing and there is now a shortage of trained drivers all over the world.

Winner Piotr Krahel (centre) with ed Bert Johansson of Sweden (second), and Simo Laukkanen of Finland (third).

“To help our customers to recruit and retain skilled drivers, we have been focusing for many years on the design of the driver‘s environment and the drivability of our trucks,” says Lene Larsen, Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge project manager. “Driver support systems, which make it easier for drivers to manoeuvre trucks safely, and driver training covering everything from handling trucks to a fuel-efficient driving style, are other examples of how we help drivers to do a first-class job and to grow and develop.”

Piotr Krahel says winning the Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge was a big achievement for him.

“The final was really tough and I was up against a lot of very experienced drivers. I‘m impressed that Volvo Trucks stages this motivational event which attracts so many drivers from all over the world.”