2019 International DAF Driver Challenge Final at Goodyear proving ground

​18 truck drivers from Europe and beyond to compete in Luxembourg

Some of Europe’s best truck drivers will gather at the Goodyear proving grounds in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg on September 28 and 29, 2019. They will compete in the 2019 International DAF Driver Challenge Final. With the event, DAF states it is promoting the skilled and demanding profession supported by its partners Goodyear and Dekra. In total more than 1000 candidates from 30 countries across Europe and beyond registered to compete in the national competitions from March to September.

To be eligible for the 2019 International DAF Driver Challenge Final, drivers must demonstrate efficiency, punctuality, and the ability to maintain the condition of the vehicle. Following an initial online registration process – including assessments on road knowledge and an understanding of the commercial vehicles in operation – selected drivers were tested at the national finals in their respective country.

At the 2019 International DAF Driver Challenge Final scheduled on end of September, 18 national DAF Driver Challenge Champions will demonstrate their expert driving skills, road safety awareness and understanding of the transport business. At the two-day Final at Goodyear, a series of innovative challenges, designed to put the finalists to the test, will see the contestants behind the wheel of the award-winning DAF truck range. These challenges will be driven on Goodyear latest generation tyre ranges, Fuelmax Gen-2 and Kmax Gen-2.

The jury, consisting of driving experts, will evaluate each local finalist on technical vehicle and tyre knowledge, eco-driving and road safety skills, manoeuvring capabilities and other key areas to be qualified as the overall winner and rewarded as the 2019 International DAF Driver Challenge Champion.

Maciej Szymanski – director marketing commercial Europe – states: “Goodyear and DAF have a long-term partnership focusing on delivering premium quality, high transport efficiency services and superior mobility. It is particularly rewarding to be involved in the 2019 International DAF Driver Challenge promoting the challenging profession of truck drivers. At Goodyear, our aim is to make the life of drivers and their daily operation as easy as possible. We do this with a unique, customized Goodyear Total Mobility offer towards fleets, including high quality tyres, smart tyre monitoring and management solutions to keep them in top condition and a Pan-European service network, TruckForce, to get the trucks and drivers going. This way, we contribute to maximize uptime and enhance the driver safety as well as their comfort, enabling them to excel in their job.”

Goodyear’s proving grounds in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, once homologated for Formula 1 testing, has a total length of 3960 meters. Today it is used for the extensive testing of passenger and truck tyres to deliver high levels of performance and efficiency. For the final, the finalists will participate in 9 different technical and handling workshops on the Goodyear track.