Lightfoot’s ‘fleet driver of the year’ scoops £10k

The winner of Lightfoot’s Fleet Driver of the Year award is taking home £10,000 – the most money Lightfoot has ever given away to a driver.

Pearce Crossley, a field engineer for technical facilities company Dalkia UK (Facilities), said he was in “shock” after learning he had won the title and cash.  

Dalkia, which is part of the EDF Group, has Lightfoot driver coaching and telematics technology fitted to its vehicles, and to win the £10,000 prize Pearce had to drive for a minimum of 24 weeks throughout the competition and reach the Elite Driver score (85% or above) every week within that period.

Pearce said: “It’s amazing to win, and I was just in shock. When I started driving with Lightfoot it took a little while to adjust, especially because I've got an automatic van, but after I got that sorted it was quite simple really.”

Pearce’s win was the icing on the cake for Dalkia, which has installed Lightfoot in nearly 300 of its vehicles and seen the fleet’s risk profile improve, and fuel consumption, fall as a result.

Lightfoot’s in-cab technology provides real-time driver coaching designed to improve both the safety and efficiency of driving.

It continuously monitors key driving behaviours — including harsh acceleration, braking, and cornering — and offers instant feedback to help drivers self-correct and adopt smoother, more controlled driving styles.

These changes, says Lightfoot, translate into tangible benefits: enhanced road safety, reduced CO₂ emissions, extended electric vehicle (EV) range, and better fuel economy.

Noel Clancy, managing director at Dalkia UK (Facilities), said: “We're a facilities management business helping customers on their net zero journeys.

“We’ve had Lightfoot live for a few years now. It was a big investment but we're glad we made it as we're really seeing the dividends now.

“We take safety really seriously and the statistics that we're now seeing, show that it’s definitely working, as well as the reduction in fuel consumption.”

He added: “I’m really proud of Pearce. He's setting the bar very high for the rest of the drivers, and it’s really good for the business as a whole.

“It shows just how seriously we take safety, because lone working and driving are our biggest risks. So having the Lightfoot system and using it, and then Pearce winning the prize is an incredible achievement.”

Lightfoot’s chief customer officer Rupert Lyon-Taylor handed over the prize to Pearce at Dalkia’s office in Ipswich.

He said: “At Lightfoot we analyse and report on millions of pieces of data, but to be able to see the real-life consequence of elite driving in Pearce is immensely gratifying.

“It’s the biggest prize Lightfoot has ever given away, and it is testament to Pearce’s skill and Dalkia’s culture of driver support and fleet management excellence.”

Gerry Ross, head of commercial motor at Allianz UK, which sponsored the award, added: “We want to congratulate Pearce on his outstanding performance and winning Fleet Driver of The Year.

“We are glad to see the positive impact of our partnership with Lightfoot in promoting safer and more sustainable driving habits.  

“Incentivising positive driving behaviour is a great asset to fleet risk management and it aligns with our commitment to road safety and environmental responsibility.”

Asked what he would do with the prize money, Pearce said he hadn’t had much time to process the win, or make a decision.

“I’ve never won anything like this before, so I’m not sure yet,” he added. “But probably a holiday somewhere for me and my girlfriend.”