Event: 2022 HWR Driving Competition

By: HWR Driver Training team, Photography by: HWR Driver Training team

Date: 07.10.2022

Transport Articulated competitors and supporters

B Train event

Concrete Reversing— Aldvin Chozas

Concrete Reversing— Olivia Brasier

Digger Novelty—William Redward, Farmers Transport

Driving Trainer Ken Holland judging a competitor in the Forklift Novelty section

Ella Wilson—Pre-Start with DT Grant Arlidge

First, second, and third winners of the Bill Richardson Memorial award

HW Richardson Annual Driving Competition prize-giving ceremony

HW Richardson Annual Driving Competition trophies

Transport Health and Safety—Grant Anderson, Phil Botting, and competitor Yadwinder Singh

Transport Truck and Trailer, Jeremy Bower, connecting trailer

Transport Articulated competitors and supporters

B Train event

Concrete Reversing— Aldvin Chozas

Concrete Reversing— Olivia Brasier

Digger Novelty—William Redward, Farmers Transport

Driving Trainer Ken Holland judging a competitor in the Forklift Novelty section

Ella Wilson—Pre-Start with DT Grant Arlidge

First, second, and third winners of the Bill Richardson Memorial award

HW Richardson Annual Driving Competition prize-giving ceremony

HW Richardson Annual Driving Competition trophies

Transport Health and Safety—Grant Anderson, Phil Botting, and competitor Yadwinder Singh

Transport Truck and Trailer, Jeremy Bower, connecting trailer

Invercargill turned on the weather providing clear sunny blue skies as HW Richardson Group Ltd hosted their 18th Driving Skills

Invercargill turned on the weather providing clear sunny blue skies in late August, as HW Richardson Group Ltd hosted their 18th Driving Skills Competition, held at the Freight Haulage yard.

The annual competition is split into two divisions, Concrete and Transport, with a number of supporting novelty events. The competition is open to all New Zealand and Australia HWR Group Ltd employees with entry to the competition being a managed process, with drivers being nominated by HWR Group Driver Trainers.

Competitors are selected on work ethic and overall driver efficiency and safety. There were 14 competitors in the field for the Concrete division and 34 competitors representing the Transport divisions.

It was great to see the diversity of people represented, with a number of female competitors featuring in the awards.The Bill Richardson Memorial Award was
up for grabs for the Transport division employees and the Harold Richardson Memorial Award for Concrete division employees. 

There were also two Rookie Awards, with the Transport Rookie award named in memory of Brent Mackenzie, an HWR Driver Trainer who sadly passed away in May 2021. The Concrete and Transport divisions included a number of events. For the competitors to feature in the overall placing, they had to complete all events.

The practical section of the Transport division included drivers mastering a challenging truck and trailer, articulated truck, and rigid truck events. The concrete drivers manoeuvred their truck through an equally tricky forward and reversing course laid out by the HWR
Driver Trainers.

Other divisional events included a Theory event made up of general heavy vehicle road code questions, health and safety questions, along with HWR history questions.

A pre-vehicle check event was followed by a Health and Safety event. There were also a number of supporting Novelty events, which included a B-Train reversing event, a Forklift event, a Loader event, a Digger event, and a Crane event. Prizes were up for grabs for each divisional and novelty event.

Competition was fierce, with overall points only being separated out by single digits.
The divisional and event prizes were all donated by generous sponsors, and this year was no exception, with vouchers, jackets, bags, and other items from HWR franchise dealers and suppliers. 

The overall winners of both the Transport and Concrete divisions each received travel vouchers to the value of $5000, which were sponsored by the HW Richardson Group and Allied Concrete Ltd.

They also received entry into the NZ Driving Competition, which will be held at the TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show in Christchurch on 26 November 2022.

Find new and used heavy machinery for sale in NZ   

Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.