Scania Driver Training – perfect preparation for the Young European Truck Driver.

It’s never too late to perfect your skills Scania Driver Training is perhaps the best way to prepare for the Young European Truck Driver. A well-trained driver is safer and achieves better fuel efficiency. Even highly experienced drivers can benefit. One of Scania’s experienced driver trainers, Chris Vermeiren in Belgium, says: “Driving style − that’s the key to everything. Rolling to a stop, driving at low revs, having foresight… if you start driving in the ways I recommend, your stress level will fall even more − without arriving at your destination much later. This new driving style is better for your truck, for your boss, for road safety, for the environment and not least, for yourself.” So, if you attend a Scania Driver Training, why not register for the Young European Truck Driver? As long as you’re younger than 35 years old!

Ezio Vinai, winner of the Italian national final of Young European Truck Driver 2007.

When not taking part in the Young European Truck Driver, how do you spend your days?

“I’m working with forestry transport in our family business.”

What’s your best advice to this year’s contestants?

“You have to feel passionate about your profession. And then drive as carefully as possible.”

The Irish final in Scania’s Young European Truck Driver recently took place over two weekends. Driver Gabriel Warde, with a near flawless performance, was named the winner by an independent jury from the Irish Road Safety Association.

The Irish national final of the Young European Truck Driver was held in early summer at the Scania distributor Westwards’ facilities in Strokestown, in County Roscommon. Spectators were treated to both a thrilling competition, a close-up look at the new Scania V8 trucks, and the trailer from the Irish Road Safety Association with its simulator.
A champion in action. Gabriel Warde, winner of the Irish YETD 2010, in discussion with a member of the jury.

The final was held over two weekends, 26–27 June and 3–4 July. At the first weekend, 30 drivers performed the fuel economy driving and fault detection parts of the competition; from there, 14 drivers made it to the contest finale the following weekend, which tested their skills in manoeuvring the vehicles.

The competitors were coached by the YETD 2007 winner Tom Sharkey who drove the track. The competition’s jury comprised representatives from the Irish Road Safety Association.

The final contest was extremely tight, with the drivers making few mistakes. Gabriel Warde won the day with near-flawless driving. He’ll be representing Ireland in the European final on 9 October in Södertälje, Sweden.

The majority of the competitors found the “reverse the garage” manoeuvre very tricky, and their best advice to future contestants was to practice.

Winner Warde says he normally drives a truck from another manufacturer. Looking forward to the European final in Södertälje, he says he plans to “contact Scania to test a vehicle” and “practise a lot”.

Proceed to gate. Gabriel Warde, winner of the Irish YETD competition, is on course for the European final in Södertälje.

During the recent Dutch semi-final, one of the drivers who recently got his driving license scored an extraordinary 99 percent on the Scania Driver Support part of the Young European Truck Driver Competition.

Robert van der Linden, born 1986, who just recently got his driving license, scored an amazing 99 percent in the part of the YETD competition involving Scania Driver Support, a system that coaches the driver to save fuel and use the truck’s capabilities optimally. Apparently van der Linden made almost perfect use use of the truck’s rolling weight, the new Scania Opticruise as well of the Scania Retarder.

The reason for him scoring that high, despite his youth, could well be the fact that in order to obtain a Dutch driving licence, you nowadays have to drive according to something called ‘Het Nieuwe Rijden’ (‘The new driving rules’) which includes anticipating and fuel efficient driving.
The worlds most powerful truck - New Scania V8 Truck Range

It’s poised to be a nail-biting national final on 25 July in Assen during the Truckstar Festival.

As close as it gets – the semi-finals are tough events for the many excellent truck drivers participating.

Fuel efficient driving – one of many things a skilled driver has to master.

The last week of June, three national finals in the Young European Truck Driver took place. The U.K. final attracted more than 5,000 spectators while the Swiss and Czech attracted some 500 fans. And for the first time in the history of YETD, a woman made it all the way to the European final.

The U.K. final at the Heritage Motor Centre was sold out weeks in advance. Eventually, more than 5,000 visitors took part in the extensive program offered by Scania Great Britain. In addition to having the opportunity to test drive Michelin’s F1 simulator and eating Scania designed ice-cream, the crowd could follow twelve finalists, of which two were women, fighting for the British championship. Colin McKeag, a 34 year old driving for M.K. Transport in Blackburn, kept his nerves under control while checking his vehicle, driving as fuel efficient as possible, and finally manoeuvring his vehicle. He eventually secured his ticket to the European final in October.

McKeog wasn’t the only skilled driver that secured a ticket to the European final this weekend. Pavel Neterda, 33, from the Czech Republic added that little extra in the very last part of the Czech national final and showed his manoeuvring excellence. Neterda’s success was witnessed by some 300 spectators and his driving was commented by the Czech winner of Young European Truck Driver 2005, Jiri Koblizek.

For the first time in the history of the Young European Truck Driver a woman made it all the way to Södertälje. In the Swiss national final, that took place during the Truck & Country Festival in Interlaken, Sandra Zeller, 24, outperformed her competitors. In addition to the thrilling Swiss final, the spectators could also take a closer look at the new Scania R 730, the latest addition to the powerful range of Scania V8 trucks.

U.K. winner Colin McKeag

Pavel Neterda, National YETD final winner in Czech Republic.

Sandra Zeller, winner of Swiss national YETD final.

Ľuboš Jakúbek won the Slovak national final of Scania’s Young European Truck Driver, and he is determined to repeat his performance at the European final in Södertälje in October.
“I’m in shock. Pinch me, I must be dreaming,” said a breathless Ľuboš Jakúbek at a new Scania dealer site just outside Bratislava. He said he would have been happy with fifth place, but to actually win the Slovak national final of the Young European Truck Driver competition made him “super-happy.”
Jakúbek made his debut in YETD this year, clearly inspired by his own brother, who made it to the European final twice and placed second and third. Will it be a case of “third time’s a charm” for the Jakúbek family?
Jakúbek won the fuel efficient driving part of the competition during both the semi-final and the final. “I’m going to win at least the fuel efficient driving in the European final,” he declares.
And how does Jakúbek intend to prepare for the finals? “I will practice the combo, since it was pretty tricky,” he says.
The atmosphere during the competition was festive, with many laughs among the ten finalists. But according to Jakúbek, the ten finalists were all nervous and kept their tactics a secret.
The Slovak national final attracted some 250 spectators who also had the opportunity to take a closer look at the Truck of the Year – the Scania R-series – at the newly opened dealer’s open-house event.
Final ranking in the Slovak national YETD final:
1st: Ľuboš Jakúbek
2nd: Roman Výhonský & Marián Maliar

The Young European Truck Driver is not only a driver’s event – it’s even an event for the family.