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Severn Trent tanker driver recognised with top award

A top Severn Trent tanker driver has been recognised for his skills behind the wheel after scooping top prize in a national challenge laid down by DAF Trucks.

Paul Barlow, from Shrewsbury, won the 2016 DAF Transport Efficiency Driver Challenge and, as a result, had a once-in-a-lifetime driving experience to the company’s home in Eindhoven.

Paul, who has been working as a tanker driver for Severn Trent for two years, explains: “I entered the competition without ever expecting to be one of the three winners.

“After an initial theory test the competition involved two days of challenges at the DAF training track in Bedfordshire where all the drivers were put through their paces with every aspect of my driving coming under scrutiny.

“A judging panel of industry experts awarded us points for each challenge and I was delighted to be one of the winners.”

Paul is based at Severn Trent’s site in Rushmoor and drives 44-tonne articulated lorries for a living – transporting sludge to Severn Trent’s anaerobic digestion site.

The 41-year-old continued: “I was thrilled to win the competition and to have performed so well against so many superb professional drivers makes me feel very proud.

“The trip to Eindhoven was a real experience – we drove around the Ardennes region of Belgium on the way and past the world famous Spa grand prix circuit taking in some challenging roads and stunning scenery.

“We were really lucky to be able to drive some of DAF’s newest vehicles for hundreds of miles across Europe. And I had a chance to trial a new ‘silent truck’ designed to make deliveries as quietly as possible.”