After driving his lorry for nearly half a century, Garston resident Keith Ashworth has won the lorry equivalent of the Grand Prix, taking home two awards at the Microlise Driver of the Year Awards 2023.
The 68 year old first learned to drive a lorry after being at his “wit’s end” while job hunting and being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of his lorry-driving father.
Nearly 50 years later, Keith has won the Long Distance Driver of the Year 2023 and the Overall Driver of the Year 2023, out of more than 240,000 nominees.
Keith said: “It was a strange feeling; I didn’t think I’d get it!
“I looked away from the stage as they started to describe the winner and I thought wow it sounds like me, and it was! I went a bit numb!”
Keith is one of only a handful of UK drivers to be awarded these trophies.
He said: “You have to love what you do; it’s more than just earning money.
“I’ve been lucky enough to take on new drivers; it’s fantastic being able to offer advice and experience and know they’re going to take it on board.”
Keith told Garston News that even though he is 68 years old, he still has more to learn.
He added: “The other guys probably think ‘look at that old dinosaur’, but it’s nice to walk across the yard and hold my head high and know what I’ve achieved over the years. I have two trophies that don’t get given away willy–nilly.”
As part of his prize, Keith has enjoyed a hotel stay, a VIP dinner and a trip to Silverstone, where he was able to drive a Porsche, a much smaller vehicle than what he’s used to.
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