The winners of our 2026 Microlise Driver of the Year Awards have now been revealed, following a fantastic evening of celebration at Manchester’s Co-op Live.

Held alongside the Microlise Transport Conference, the awards brought together operators, drivers and industry leaders from across the UK to recognise the professionalism, dedication and skill that keep the country’s supply chains moving every day.

This year’s finalists represented organisations included major UK supermarkets such as Tesco, Waitrose, Co-op and Sainsbury’s, as well as specialist road haulage firms including GXO, Gist and Maritime.

Recognising excellence across UK road transport

Our Driver of the Year Awards recognise excellence across both data-led and nomination-based categories. Data Awards are determined through anonymised driver performance data gathered through our in-vehicle technology, with more than 200,000 drivers considered across the judging process.

Meanwhile, our Nomination Awards celebrate the stories, dedication and achievements identified by colleagues and peers throughout the industry.

Let’s meet our 2026 winners…

Extra Mile

Winner: Dale Cox, CCF Ltd (Travis Perkins PLC)

Runners-up: Sally Jones, Celtic International Freight Ltd
Paul Moir, Howard Tenens

Rookie Driver

Winner: Fletcher Peart, Brian Yeardley Continental Ltd

Runners-up:Shanalee Johnson, Tesco Distribution
Vanessa Porter, Sainsburys GXO

Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Graham Whitby, Matthew Clark

Runners-up:Ben Cooper, Floorspan Contracts Ltd
Geoffrey Dixon, Tesco Distribution

Commitment to Improve

Winner: Mareks Kvetins, Sainsbury’s GXO

Runners-up:Ian Wheatley, XPO Logistics
Andrei Budurca, Great Bear

Driver Hero

Winner: Connor Brennan, Sainsbury’s GXO

Runner-up:Sharon Longthorne, Loveden Travel

Outstanding Driver Mentor

Winner: Gavin Jones, Warburtons

Runners-up:James Tollitt, Schenk Tank Transport
Jason Brennan, Waitrose & Partners (John Lewis PLC)

Short Distance

Winner: Andrew Phillips, Tesco Distribution

Runners-up:Andrew Toll, Gist Ltd
John Mckinney, XPO Logistics

Medium Distance

Winner: David Hallam, Gist Ltd

Runners-up:Daniel Szebeni, Maritime Transport
Peter Gunthorpe, Maritime Transport

Long Distance

Winner: Christopher Sullivan, Aldi Ltd

Runners-up:Paul Dowdalls, Co-op
Timothy Stocks, Sainsbury’s GXO

Compliant Driver

Winner: Declan McAdams, Hovis

Runners-up:Arjan Berisha, Europa Worldwide
Christopher Sullivan, Aldi Ltd

Outstanding Operator

Winner: Schenk Tank Transport

Runners-up:Sainsbury’s
Tesco Distribution

In addition to all our category winners, judges also awarded an Overall 2026 Driver of the Year.

Taking the title this year was Christopher Sullivan of Aldi Ltd, who also took home the award for Long Distance Driver of the Year.

Long-haul drivers play a critical role in keeping national distribution networks moving. Typically covering 60,000 miles or more each year, with much of their work focused on motorway trunking and long-distance routes. However, Christopher’s win represented more than just sheer miles.

The judges felt Chris “had it all”. Alongside his excellent driving ability, he stood out as a true role model; a supportive mentor, a reliable operator and someone who represents the very best of the profession.

Congratulations, Christopher!

Speaking about the awards ceremony, Nadeem Raza, our CEO, said:

“The Driver of the Year awards is our annual celebration of all that is good in the road haulage industry, and we are delighted for Christopher and his thoroughly well-deserved success.

“Research from the Road Haulage Association has estimated that more than 200,000 new drivers will be needed over the next five years. It is therefore our privilege to highlight what a dynamic sector road transport logistics is and to promote the importance of bringing new drivers into the industry.

“It is vital that we recognise the extremely talented individuals working as drivers who deserve the plaudits for the great work they are doing so early in their careers,” he added.

From rising talent to long-standing industry leaders, this year’s winners and finalists represent the professionalism, resilience and commitment that continue to drive the road transport industry forward.

Congratulations and well done to all this year’s finalists. And thank you for joining us for what was a very special evening.