Scania praised for showcasing truck drivers

Scania has won the European Excellence Award 2007 in the Automotive and Transport Category for drawing attention to the truck driving profession through its Young European Truck Driver (YETD) competition. The awards are given to companies that have carried out especially successful projects, campaigns and other fruitful work in the communications field in Europe.

"It is fantastic that through Scania Young European Truck Driver 2007, we persuaded 17,000 young drivers in Europe to dedicate themselves to the promotion of safe and environmentally sound driving. Many people at Scania have contributed to this success, both here in Södertälje and in our sales and service organisation in the 27 countries where the competition took place,” says Cecilia Edström, Scania’s Senior Vice President Corporate Relations.

“What distinguishes our YETD project is that it involves and influences its main target group – drivers. Print media, radio and television have been important channels for conveying an image of the professional pride and proficiency demonstrated by the participating drivers,” says Mikael Person, who is in charge of Scania’s driver competitions.

Nearly 17,000 drivers competed in Scania Young European Truck Driver 2007, which took place with the endorsement of the European Commission and the International Road Transport Union (IRU), and with Michelin and Shell as sponsors. Scania runs similar competitions in Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. A total of more than 40,000 drivers around the world will have participated in the latest competitions.

“Through the attention we attract, I hope that we will gradually influence perceptions of the truck driving profession and will persuade more people to join it. Drivers are essential to the development of hauliers’ core business − transport services. Efficient logistics is not just a matter of smart planning and just-in-time deliveries but also requires highly capable drivers,” Ms Edström says.

For further information, please contact:

- Cecilia Edström, Senior Vice President Corporate Relations, mobile phone
+46 70 588 35 57

- Mikael Person, Project Manager, mobile phone +46 70 570 75 78.

For more information about the award, see www.excellence-awards.eu