Twenty-six-year-old Frederick Chauke’s unparalleled driving skills earned him the National Driver of the Year award for Shoprite Group, where he beat 12 other finalists.
The National Driver of the Year competition celebrates the food retailer’s dedicated drivers, who are responsible for transporting a cargo of fresh food and groceries.
“I was nervous about the competition, not because I doubted myself, but because I knew how experienced the other 12 finalists were, and that it would be a stiff competition,” said Chauke.
The Limpopo-born and Tembisa-bred 16-wheeler truck driver joined Shoprite Group on a learnership programme in 2021. He then earned his stripes and was hired as a permanent employee in 2022.
Based at the Shoprite’s new Riverfields Distribution Centre, Chauke came out as the standing champion among over 1 400 truck drivers within the retailer.
With history repeating itself, Chauke said his father is proud of his achievement.
Chauke’s father also won a truck driving competition in 1997 in Cape Town, where he worked for the Department of Agriculture.
“My father was a truck driver for the South African government for over 10 years. He used to take me on trips during school holidays and showed me what it meant to be a great driver. Now a pensioner, he is very proud of me,” said Chauke.
He attributes his flair for driving to his father’s expertise in the trucking industry.
“My father taught me that being a truck driver is a big responsibility. It is something I never take for granted. So, I am proud of myself,” said Chauke.
Shoprite Group’s head of Transport Centre of Excellence, Ruaan Britz, applauded Chauke for winning the competition.
“We extend our congratulations to Frederick for emerging victorious in this year’s gruelling competition. He earned the top spot after completing a written exam, a yard challenge and a road test. Our truck drivers are the very best on the continent, and we ensure that they receive ongoing training with frequent reassessments,” said Britz.
Speaking about his achievement, Chauke realised the importance of technical knowledge when it came to truck driving.
“We even had to manoeuvre the truck to miss coins on the road, demonstrating our skill and precision driving,” he stated.
Chauke encourages people to join the trucking industry as it is a rewarding, yet challenging career.
“Kids from my local community asked me how I eat when on duty. They are curious about how I sleep when I’m tired. I told them that I was fit, that I eat well, and exercise and I always have water to drink. They are so interested in learning about the job, and I told them if they work for someone like Shoprite that takes care of them, it is a good job to have,” he said.
The Star