BOC man is top manager
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DAVID COE of BOC Transhield was named Transport Manager of the Year last week in a competition sponsored by Overdrive and Motor Transport.
Mr Coe, from the Faversham depot of BOC Transhield beat the other 49 finalists at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire who had been selected from written tests earlier in the year. There were no women finalists.
Contestants had 45 minutes to answer 26 questions on operating regulations and general business matters. This was the third year of the competition and many of the finalists had reached this stage before.
Before making the awards, Vauxhall Motors chairman John Fleming referred to the finalists as "the elite of transport managers", adding: "The challenges for the modern transport manager have never been greater. There's a world of difference between his responsibilities now and those of his counterpart 20 years ago.
"Today, it is not just a question of keeping vehicles on the road, but also of achieving business objectives in the face of ever-tightening grip of legislation." As Transport Manager of the Year, David Coe's main prize is a E750 voucher for a holiday. He had not entered the competition before and said that he had not found the questions particularly hard. "I will certainly be trying again next year."
Second place went to Brian Hailing of Wiltshire Transport Training and third was last year's winner, John Ashmore from NE! International Combustion, Derby.