Student truck drivers in the spotlight

Today marks the official launch of the 2026 French Road Transport Student Drivers Championship final in Saint-Chamond, in the Loire region.

After winning the last two editions, Claude Lebois High School is hosting this year’s national final from May 22 to 24, before doing it all again in 2027 at its own campus. A true achievement for this school from the Loire region, which has become, over the years, a key reference for transport training in France.

For two days, 72 student truck drivers from 31 French schools and one Belgian institution will compete in 22 theoretical and practical challenges showcasing the skills required in modern road transport.

Precision, safety, regulations, maneuvering, logistics, and technical management: the candidates will have to demonstrate all their know-how in conditions close to real-life operations.

And this 2026 edition clearly marks a technological turning point. For the first time, several electric heavy-duty trucks are taking part in the workshops and competition events, with no fewer than seven zero-emission trucks mobilized throughout the event.

Among the vehicles present:

• Renault Trucks T E-Tech • MAN eTGX • DAF XD Electric • Mercedes-Benz eActros

An evolution that perfectly illustrates the profound changes currently taking place in European road transport and the growing importance of alternative powertrains in the training of future drivers.

But as always, the championship remains above all a matter of precision, control, and technical skill.

Among the most anticipated highlights, the maneuvering challenge is once again expected to attract all eyes, particularly the highly spectacular truck-mounted forklift exercise, carried out using a MOFFET electric forklift.

These particularly demanding exercises leave no room for error, and the best students will need to demonstrate perfect control of their vehicles.

Over the years, this championship has become much more than just a school competition.

It has now established itself as a true showcase for transport and logistics professions, highlighting the expertise of training institutions, the commitment of young people, and the technological evolution of the sector.

Throughout the weekend, Saint-Chamond will live to the rhythm of French and European road transport in an atmosphere combining passion for the profession, technology, safety, and professional excellence.

At TruckStop, it felt obvious for us to become a partner of this championship.

Youth, professionalism, new clean mobility solutions, and above all, passion for the profession represent a shared ADN that we can only support and promote. See you at the end of the competition for the announcement of the results.

Now, may the best win: let the competition begin! Stay connected, TruckStop is on the case…

Fabien CALVET