Entries for the 2015 Freight Transport Association (FTA) Van Excellence Driver of the Year are now open - and the event is due to be hosted at the Mercedes-Benz facility at Wentworth Park, Barnsley on July 16th.

The FTA called on Van Excellence accredited operators from up and down the country to nominate their best driver to enter the competition.

Various tasks of the competition are designed to test the entrants' abilities across a wide range of skills. 

A total of five separate tasks comprise the event, and they are designed to demonstrate overall ability behind the wheel. 

Fuel economy, driver behaviour, manoeuvring ability, risk awareness, legislative knowledge, and ability to identify pre-use defects of the vehicle are all considerations that will be tested. 

"This event offers a fantastic opportunity for van drivers to demonstrate the work they do within this vital sector of UK logistics, and enables them to gain the recognition they deserve," commented FTA head of vans Mark Cartwight.