Scania Australia hosted the 2012 Young Australian Truck Driver of the Year National Finals at Flemington Racecourse last month.
Geelong resident, Brett Seager, who drives a Kenworth K409 SAR for Riordan Grain Services, has been crowned the Scania Young Australian Truck Driver of the Year.
The 34-year-old was delighted with his win against a field of 11 other ambitious, talented young drivers.
Second place went to Chris Cartwright, also of Victoria, who drives for Rodney’s Transport Service, and who has entered all three Scania YATD competitions, while third-placed Nicholas Hornby from NSW, who drives for Hastings Co-op Fuel Supplies, was having his second go at the competition.
“I entered the competition to put my skills to the test,” Brett said.
“I have been in some tricky spots with a truck, especially during my early career carrying general freight and manually unloading, and I thought the competition would be the perfect opportunity to test how good I am.
“I had not driven a Scania before today and I have to say I was very impressed with the truck and surprised by the power of the R 560 V8. The truck had great visibility and was very comfortable and was fitted with lots of technical features.
“I do think truck drivers could improve the way we are perceived by the public if we presented ourselves better. Riordan’s provides us with a uniform, for instance, so we look smart on the job,” he said.
The Scania YATD event brings together 12 young trucks drivers who by dint of their driving skills and experience, knowledge of road and transport rules and ability to perform as an ambassador for their peers, are able demonstrate supreme professionalism and safety awareness, and help improve the public perception of all truck drivers.
The National Finals set four main tasks: vehicle manoeuvring, using a Scania Prime Mover and single trailer; on-road driving using a Scania V8 Prime Mover and single trailer; a theoretical test of road and transport rules; and the ability to answer questions in a mock media interview, a test of their ability as an industry ambassador.
“One of our key aims with the Scania Young Australian Truck Driver competition is to bolster community understanding that truck drivers are professional, skilled, courteous and safe,” said Roger McCarthy, Scania Australia Managing Director.
“It is also aimed at attracting young drivers to the profession of truck driving. Our industry needs more people like the 12 finalists we had with us today, who quite clearly demonstrated that they are motivated, self-confident and intelligent employees.
“Scania is very focussed on driver safety and driver comfort and promoting driver efficiency.
“Maintaining a sharp focus on fuel economy is increasingly relevant for drivers of all commercial vehicles. Many operators are now taking a close interest in the weekly fuel performance of their vehicles and drivers. As a result, more drivers understand the impact of fuel cost on their company’s profitability,” Mr McCarthy said.
The Scania Young Australian Truck Driver of the Year 2012 finalists were:
Ben Johns, VIC, Reliance Petroleum
- Joel Harris, NSW, Harris Transport and Storage
- David Richards, WA, Mitchells Livestock Transport
- Daryl Horton, NSW, Andrews Landscape Supplies
- Chris Cartwright, VIC, Rodney’s Transport Service
- Jarrad Jeffs, VIC, Metropolitan Fire Brigade
- Aaron Mattner, SA, Diamond Bros Transport
- Justin Burke, QLD, Bruhls Roadworks and Earth Moving
- Nicholas Hornby, NSW, Hastings Co-op Fuel Supplies
- Benjamin Allen, NSW, Farey’s Transport and Trading – Cold Storage and Distribution
- Gill Prabhjot, VIC, Indiana Trans Express
- Brett Seager, VIC, Riordan Grain Services